I'm currently setting up my first 40 ct humidor and the amount of hygros out there are pretty dizzying. Are there any brands that can be counted on? I was looking into a Hygroset, Humi Care or a Zederkoff, but there's not much info on that company.
Good Digital Hygrometers
- Thread starter manover84
- Start date
Rupe
Suburban robot that monitors reality -BOM Feb.'13
I'm a big fan of the hygroset II
They're a little bit harder to calibrate but seem to be a lot more accurate. I also prefer them because I can't accidentally hit the calibrate button which I have done more than once in the past with the Xikars.
They're a little bit harder to calibrate but seem to be a lot more accurate. I also prefer them because I can't accidentally hit the calibrate button which I have done more than once in the past with the Xikars.
I agree with Rupe. I did spend a lot of time trying to dial it in using the salt test but it never gave me an accurate result. I suppose to be accurate, I don't think I ever did the test properly so that I got an accurate calibration. In addition to the Hygroset II, buy the Boveda Calibration Kit. It's about $5-6 and it solved my problem.
One note - be really careful when turning the dial on the Hygroset, the "clicks" are really soft and it's easy to lose count of how many notches you've changed.
I like my lack of hygrometer best of all. No calibrating a damn thing. I just go by feel, plus I have beads and I just trust they work. I can tell if the humidity drops a bit though.
I've had humidors/tupidors/coolidors for less than a year. Actually, late October will mark my one year cigar anniversary. So, for me, I have no idea how the external humidity changes here in Chicago will affect my coolidor, so I definitely needed one to keep an eye on things.
Now that I've had it through the driest part of the Winter (where it never dropped below 62%) and the muggiest part of the Summer (where it never passed 67%), I feel a lot more comfortable trusting the KL. Ill keep the hygro in there, certainly, but I totally understand the necessity for new guys to have an accurate hygro that they/we can check.
Whatever you do… stay away from the Xikar "pre-calibrated" hygros. I bought 5 of them and put them in with two 65 bovedas and I got 5 different readings, ranging from 60-74. Not one of them was correct.
I put and old trusty hygoset in there to test it out and it was smack dab on 65
I put and old trusty hygoset in there to test it out and it was smack dab on 65
I ordered a pair of square Hygroset Digital from Boveda (they come with the calibration bag) and they were spot on right out the box...both of them. I did not need to adjust either one. I put them both in one calibration bag and after 24 hours they were perfect.
There are better looking sexier hygros but I know these are working and they are cheap (+/- $20 each).
There are better looking sexier hygros but I know these are working and they are cheap (+/- $20 each).
Hygroset=Hygo JUNK! There are others that are the same hygro just a different name.
The best Digital hygro, bar none, is the Cailber IV. It has the tightest tolerances for accuracy on the market and is the only one that can be calibrated at any level of humidity as its a +/- 6% not push a button at 75% like all the others.
Hygroset was the very first one I tried and after several days of messing with it, just when I thought I was about to get it the damn battery lost contact inside the enclosure and put me back at square one. I didnt send it back beacause it pissed me off so badly it met an untimely demise with a brick wall! I bought the Caliber IV, put it in with a 65% boveda pack, waited 24 hours and set it to +1% as it was that close out of the box. I now have several of them, all bawlz on with minimal effort.
The best Digital hygro, bar none, is the Cailber IV. It has the tightest tolerances for accuracy on the market and is the only one that can be calibrated at any level of humidity as its a +/- 6% not push a button at 75% like all the others.
Hygroset was the very first one I tried and after several days of messing with it, just when I thought I was about to get it the damn battery lost contact inside the enclosure and put me back at square one. I didnt send it back beacause it pissed me off so badly it met an untimely demise with a brick wall! I bought the Caliber IV, put it in with a 65% boveda pack, waited 24 hours and set it to +1% as it was that close out of the box. I now have several of them, all bawlz on with minimal effort.
I've had the ones listed above and didn't care for them, the one with the knob in front to adjust broke, I've hit the calibrate button a few times and Xikar I can't figure out how to calibrate it. In the end I went with a few of these and tossed them into a calibration kit and they were only off by 1%. That's good enough for me and ordered 2 more from fleebay, I'm getting another one once my Ebucks kick in.
I can stand 10 feet away from my tuppers and read them just fine, once my wineador is settled they will go on the face of the drawers so that I can see them from my couch. :halfgrinw
I can stand 10 feet away from my tuppers and read them just fine, once my wineador is settled they will go on the face of the drawers so that I can see them from my couch. :halfgrinw
Rupe
Suburban robot that monitors reality -BOM Feb.'13
Sorry manover I didn't see your question until just now. Rob pretty much answered your question with his post. Basically you have to spin a dial to "tune them in". It is supposed to take one click of the dial per RH percentage but it can be hard sometimes to determine how many clicks you have gone. If you want yo confirm that you did it right you will want to put them back into the container you are using to do the calibration for an additional day so it can sometimes take 3-5 days to get them correctly calibrated. Once they are calibrated though there is not much drift. I recheck mine every 6 months and the last time I checked, 4 of the 5 were still on. The other one was only off by 1%.
The Xikars by comparison are all over the place. I have also accidentally hit the recalibrate button on those more than once when I used them in my travel humidors. I used to use the Xikars but do not any more. I've never tried the caliber IV or the Zedekoffs so I can't say anything either good of bad about either.
I retract my previous post about the Hygroset Hygrometers. A couple days ago one of them spiked up and the other was steady. There was no reason for this so I placed each one in a separate calibration bag and one just won't come down from the 80s. The other set to 75% within an hour and stayed there. Ive tried adjusting the one that spiked but no luck.
I have now ordered a couple of Caliber IVs'. Third times a charm right!?
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caliber IV's working out for you?
Yes, it has been by far the best one Ive tried.
Same here.
Ducttapegonewild
Actual Size
I just purchased the ambient weather set. I now have 6 remotes and one base station. If I get the point where I have more than just 2 containers, I'll be set. 
So, you're in need of additional storage?I just purchased the ambient weather set. I now have 6 remotes and one base station. If I get the point where I have more than just 2 containers, I'll be set.
Ducttapegonewild
Actual Size
Nope... have enough storage.
Strange, I must've misread something. My fault..........