Digital Hygrometer problem...

[SanCristobal]

Ok, so I'm seasoning a new cabinet humidor, and I pretty much took an average of the three in the past, but now it's really starting to irk me. I have three different digital hygrometers all reading different humidity in the same 250 ct. cabinet humidor, all sitting on the same shelf. Who do I believe? a) Savoy: 60% b) Xikar: 56% or c) Reindeer: 67%... or the never reads anything close to reality analog hygrometer: 42%.

And yes, I know, salt test...but really, I've been selling the above units to people pretty confident the last four years and now I'm not so sure. Two of the three say they're callibrated +/- 2% accurate at %70, so if I do a salt test, somebody's selling me snake oil.

And they all have fresh batteries...

 

[dpricenator]

Salt test is for labs with exact proportions, it is not recomended for an at home test. Buy the boveda calibration kit, from Cigarsolutions.com It comes free with a new hygro, and you can calibrate that hygro to read accurately once you've done the test. The other hygros you have, you'll just have to do the math. One of mine reads 6% low. So it say 56%, but it's acctually 62%. the other is calibrted and reads 62% right next to it.

 

[LawDog2006]

Depending on the size and where in the cabinet they are (proximity to the humidifiers) could they all be correct (or varied)?

Maybe you have a lemon humidor?

 

[jjflynn3]

Buy the boveda calibration kit, from Cigarsolutions.com It comes free with a new hygro, and you can calibrate that hygro to read accurately once you've done the test.

+1. If you dont want another hygro, the Boveda packs are $4 each, but only need one as they are good for multiple uses.

 

[weskimad]

No "calibrated" item maintains that state forever. Where I work, scales are calibrated monthly, and instruments may be montly, or semi annually depending on how critical they are.

Also, any item is calibrated on site once installed. Picture your hygrometers in the back of a UPS truck getting thrown around, and dropped during transit, think it's still in a calibrated state when you open it or sell it?

Both my digital hygrometers have drifted high over time. One is reading 4% high, the other is 6% high. I salt test them for accuracy.

 

[.jacob]

Truth. I calibrated a Xikar hygro with a brand new boveda, and checked it again a week later and it was 4% off!