Finding THE hygrometer...


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He'll folks,

I've been using hygroset hygrometers for a while now...

I use one in my cabinet and I use one outside it for room humidity readings and comparison.

Both have been calibrated and adjusted with the industry standard humidipak and I perform routine re-calibrations every few months.

The thing is I sometimes get huge polarity between the two hygrometers to the point that one may read 4-5% out after coming out of the humidipak, I then have to adjust accordingly.

Having kept an eye on new humidor tech over the last few years, I've been disappointed with the selection of hygrometers that have become available.

Is there any of you out there feel you have found the perfect hygrometer? One that is both accurate and doesn't need regular calibration?

Share you thoughts...

Many thanks.

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I figured that most hygrometers are going to be out by a few degrees/percent to decided to go the other way and get an average by running more hygrometers, I think i have 1 western and four calibre 3 in my humi, that way if one decides to play silly buggers I can see straight away that its that, and not a leak in the humi etc

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post-7608-0-68183300-1382900039_thumb.jp

X2 for these. Cheap and reliable, and the latest model doesn't look too bad at all.

post-13208-13828991991255.jpg

.

X2 for these. Cheap and reliable, and the latest model doesn't look too bad at all.

post-13208-13828991991255.jpg

Not sure what that one is. I use a very different Western Caliber.

looks like this

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Not sure what that one is. I use a very different Western Caliber.

looks like this

It's the Caliber 4R. I have a couple of the other ones as well, but love the analog look of the new model. Still great reliable.

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I use the Xikar calibratable rectangular digital hygrometer. I have one in my desktop, two in my custom cabinet, and one in each of my coolerdors, as well as the small round version of this same model in my large travel Cigar Caddy case.

I calibrate them only about every 6 to 9 months. Two of these will fit into one pack, so I rotate them through and around, in an out of the packs and into the coolerdors, and end up getting a damn good average between all of them that each one has it's RH reading roughly only about 1% +/- at about 68 degrees Fahrenheit. The whole process (as they go in and out every 24 hours or so) takes about 4 days, but it's damn accurate, damn easy relatively, and they've turned out to be a very accurate and precise tool.

Batteries in these units last about 2 years or so, so I replace them all every third check, so far anyways.

I've had these in use since they first came out, 2010, I think.

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Thanks for the replies gents, I actually bought like 5 of the hygroset hygrometers in case they crapped out on me, so I'm going to use CQs idea of using more than one hygro in my cabinet and taking averages. I will let you guys know how it pans out.

I will also be giving up on my beads...

when I have moved in to and settled into my new home and extra cash starts flowing again I will be getting touch with Ray (pigfish) and getting one of his setups (Ray if your reading mate I will be in touch in due course)

I have had my beads for over a year now and they have started to go yellow and break apart, to be fair I was warned this would happen by a few members here but was assured by the person I bought them off it wouldn't, ah well.

The reason I'm rethinking my humidification setup is because I am going to start ageing boxes. To be honest I never thought I would acquire enough sticks to do this but having done this for 3 years now I know my habits and routine much better. Plus I have the space for it so I may as well...

I will also be building an insulated, heated, mains supplied outdoor smoking room!

Will keep you all posted!

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I have written pretty extensively on hygrometers on many threads around here. Of course, I don't mention brands because I have mine made to order for me to work with my controllers.

I recommend not getting really to get too hung up on them! There is always a faster, and more expensiv gun! I have a 1.6 rH accurate and a 1.8 rH accurate sensor that I use. These days I find myself actually using the 1.8rH more for my own use. At a range from 20 rH to 80 rH, a 60 point range the 0.2 difference is less than 1 percent difference (not rH). Not much!

When you use sensitive equipment, you will notice that even holding a sensor can cause a rapid swing. A precision instrument will show you that simple placement can yield a wide range of different readings. This is why I prefer to test humidors empty. I want to test the air temp and the water content, not a hygroscopic element at ErH.

I suggest using a fan and a timer for those who don't own automatic humidors.

I ran a couple of charts for you gents, and ladies, to show you the difference a fan makes. This is a little project humidor of mine, it is an ice chest humidor similar to what a lot of you use. Mine is a little different in that I have grafted a controller into it and use it to make static cooler tests like this one. It also holds about a dozen boxes of cigars in it.

So here is the first chart. What I have done here, is place a data logger on a box of cigars and left the top of the cooler open a few hours. You can see the ambient heat and rH of my office as a result.

post-79-0-83744300-1382916628_thumb.png

The controller here uses a little gizmo of mine I call a desiccant humidifier. I don't want to spend a lot of time on it, but what it does generally is supply water vapor on demand, but since it is a desiccant device it tends to trap water so that it does not freely evaporate into the sealed environment. It is an active demand device operated by the controller.

Notice the time it takes for the ice chest to come to and equilibrium state after an event (the opening) when the lid is closed and the controller is reactivated.

Now look at this chart. Same cooler, same active humidifier in the same place. Just this time the controller is turned off.

post-79-0-63586700-1382917452_thumb.png

The little down arrow is a button push marking the time I dropped it into the cooler. And going back a few steps to high resolution equipment and sensitive equipment, that blue spike in rH, that is my hot little hand as the instrument is reading the water vapor coming off my skin as I push the button and place the data logger. Yes the temperature is increasing also due to my skin temperature. Please keep this concept in mind when I talk of sensitivity and hygrometer placement. That logger will never read the air, when it is sitting in my hand!

So where was I? Please take note of the time it takes for the ice chest cooler to recover via natural means to the point of equivalent ErH.

Consistency is a matter of controlled automation. A couple of degrees back and forth across a couple of hygrometers is lost when you don't care about where you put the hygrometer and how well the humidor operates in the first place.

Don't go crazy over hygrometers unless you really plan on doing something to make your storage more accurate, precise and responsive. You are simply wasting your money! There are a lot of lessons to be learned between these two charts and one of them is if you really dump a pile into a really good hygrometer, it is going to likely tell you a whole lot more information, some you might not want to know, about your storage!

Cheers!

And Steve, I look forward to your email. Happy house hunting! -Ray

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I use the Xikar calibratable rectangular digital hygrometer. I have one in my desktop, two in my custom cabinet, and one in each of my coolerdors, as well as the small round version of this same model in my large travel Cigar Caddy case.

I calibrate them only about every 6 to 9 months. Two of these will fit into one pack, so I rotate them through and around, in an out of the packs and into the coolerdors, and end up getting a damn good average between all of them that each one has it's RH reading roughly only about 1% +/- at about 68 degrees Fahrenheit. The whole process (as they go in and out every 24 hours or so) takes about 4 days, but it's damn accurate, damn easy relatively, and they've turned out to be a very accurate and precise tool.

Batteries in these units last about 2 years or so, so I replace them all every third check, so far anyways.

I've had these in use since they first came out, 2010, I think.

I use that style as well. Great unit

My only issue with them is they used to record minimum and maximum temp and RH which was handy for letting you know how much fluctuation there was in the system but the ones you buy now dont have that feature

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I use that style as well. Great unit

My only issue with them is they used to record minimum and maximum temp and RH which was handy for letting you know how much fluctuation there was in the system but the ones you buy now dont have that feature

Interesting. I'm still seeing them as with that with my different vendors for these. The last one of these that I picked up about a year ago still had it as well. But if they have changed that, then yes, that is a bit of a loss. I'm guessing there's lots around of the original style with that feature though.

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I use Western Caliber's myself no calibration required and they seem to work really well for me.

That is the ones I always get.

I just bought the large Adorini Hair Hygrometer and I am impressed at how fast it reacts to changes. Eve, my girlfriend, works as a museum curator and the hygrometer they use in their controlled storage for art pieces are all based on hair(theirs use real ones, this one is synthetic) systems. That was a convincing point for me. I am testing driving it in my new rig, I will report back...

adorinihygrometer-225.jpg

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Man... I have four hygrometers in my humidor. One that came with the Aristrocrat cabinet, two other digital, and one mechanical. They all read different. Anywhere from 61% to 70% lol But throughout the years I've been able to dial in the controls to were my cigars are smoking great regardless of what they read.

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Caliiber IV Electronic Hygrometer and Cigar Oasis XL works wonders for my Humi........2thumbs.gif

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