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Accurate Digital Hygrometer's?

Ludwig

~Puros Mas Finos~
Joined
Nov 6, 2003
Messages
1,689
Okay I have a Digital Hygrometer I paid 30 dollars for, and I am guessing I can get one that does a pretty good job for that price, well I suspect it is pretty far off, and you cant calibrate it, my analog one is much more accurate.

Well I want to pick up a couple Digital guages and want to know people's suggestions. I would like to keep it at $30 a piece.

Any Suggestions?
 
Have you done a salt calibration with both hygros? I have an analog that came with my humidor and a digital hygro from Radio Shack. I did a salt calibration about a month ago and the analog was off by >10% while the digital was about 1% low... close enough. Most $30 digitals are probably +-3% accurate.
 
First off, I don't know this seller or haven't used one of the hygrometers.

I myself am looking for a couple of inexpensive digital hygrometers for the smaller humidors.

I do already have a wireless one from Radio Shack in the fridgador that is working great.

I found these on Ebay 'CALIBER II DIGITAL HYGROMETER @ $12.95'. Buy 2 and shipping is free.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...08&category=986

Does anyone have any experience with this brand, and are they any good?

I have seen these selling on other sites for around $25-$30.

Thanks.
 
The Caliber II meter you are asking about looks like the Western caliber II I just received for an early xmas gift
Seems to do the job all tho I keep my Humi at 65% it says
My g/f paid $45 for it along with the humidifier and a travel torpedo humidifier came packaged in a gift box.
All I know is I feel better haveing this in place instead of just a credo
 
geldor1 said:
I found these on Ebay 'CALIBER II DIGITAL HYGROMETER @ $12.95'. Buy 2 and shipping is free.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...08&category=986

Does anyone have any experience with this brand, and are they any good?

I have seen these selling on other sites for around $25-$30.

Thanks.
I use it. Its directions read in bold DO NOT DO A SALT TEST. So I never have. Therefore, I don't know how accurate it is. It is supposed to be pre-calibrated. Maybe I'll do the salt test anyway and let y'all know how it turns out.
 
I have one of these and just helped a budy's wife get one for him for Christmas as well. I get them from Bargain Humidors for $24.99 plus the shipping. They say they are guranteed to be within plus or minus 1% and both I have seen I would say are exactly that. I have checked mine against other hygrometers and done the Climmax bead test and it appears dead on from what I can tell.

The only complaint I have is very minor nit picking, and that is that it's not as stylish looking or compact as perhaps some others. Thats just me though and many might say I'm wrong.

I really like it though and its the most accurate one I have. Combine that with the price and I'm planning on getting a couple more. :thumbs:
 
blair said:
I use it. Its directions read in bold DO NOT DO A SALT TEST.
Sounds like they don't want you to find out just how bad it is. :lookup:
Does anyone know of any sort of damage that could be done with the salt test?

I've done it to three different digitals and never had any adverse affects.

Dave ;)
 
I have one of these too. I had a problem with it, sent it back to the manufacturer and I had a new one in 2weeks. I don't remember what was wrong with it, but I have done the salt test on them with no problem - off by 1%.
Definitely worth the price on eBay! :D
 
DaveWF said:
blair said:
I use it. Its directions read in bold DO NOT DO A SALT TEST.
Sounds like they don't want you to find out just how bad it is. :lookup:
Does anyone know of any sort of damage that could be done with the salt test?

I've done it to three different digitals and never had any adverse affects.

Dave ;)
The only thing that I can think of is the salt air promoting corrosion. I suppose if the wires aren't galvanized, or if they are otherwise uncoated, the salt air could affect the resistivity at solder joints or maybe affect the capacitances of electrolytic caps. ? I don't know. Just a guess. I think it would probably be easy to learn by a quick google search. Or an email to the company!
 
blair said:
geldor1 said:
I found these on Ebay 'CALIBER II DIGITAL HYGROMETER @ $12.95'. Buy 2 and shipping is free.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...08&category=986

Does anyone have any experience with this brand, and are they any good?

I have seen these selling on other sites for around $25-$30.

Thanks.
I use it. Its directions read in bold DO NOT DO A SALT TEST. So I never have. Therefore, I don't know how accurate it is. It is supposed to be pre-calibrated. Maybe I'll do the salt test anyway and let y'all know how it turns out.
Well, I did the salt test on it last night and when I woke up this morning the hydrometer was dead on balls accurate at 75%! :)
 
All digital hygrometers at this price range are hit and miss...period! If you look at the spec's they will all say +/- 3-5%. Those spec's are not across the full range.... they are usually the tolerance for mid range...approx 50% humidity. As you start moving the range on the upper (or lower) spectrum the +/-% can be way off and still be considered accurate by the manufacture.

This instrument, IMO, is the most important piece of equipment you will own for helping you in your cigar storing. I continue to see people offer advice in this forum to people that have trouble with their humidors not regulating humidity correctly but never once do they ask how the humidity is being measured. You can NOT diagnose a humidity problem without first knowing if the instrument doing the measuring is accurate.

I'm with David about the reason why a company would not want you to do a salt test. It very well could be because the salt air would corrode their coponents but speaks more to me about the quality of the product. Like I said in the beginning, all of these units in this price range are hit and miss.....you will have some spot on, some a little high/low, and some way off.

I have 6 digitals in my cabinet that all are within 2% of each other. I do a salt test every year or when/if one of the hygro's drifts out of sync with the others by more than a few %. Three of my digitals can be found HERE! One is 1% low and the other two are spot on. My other three hygro are from Radio Shack. I bought one of these HERE and was surprised to find it spot on. I went back and bought another and it was 5% high. I took it back and got another one that was 1% low. I recently bought another one from them and had to take it back twice before I found one that was 1% high.

Yes, you can have a fairly accurate $15-$40 dollar hygro but not without testing it. The salt test is the only way I'm aware of of knowing for sure. If it isn't close to being accurate take it back and get another one. Eventually, you will get one that is.
 
Check out www.c-gar.com for a great price on the Western Digital II.

Not associated, etc., etc.

Also good prices on other accessories. Haven't checked out the smokes yet (I'm trying to be good!). :D
 
geldor1 said:
First off, I don't know this seller or haven't used one of the hygrometers.

I myself am looking for a couple of inexpensive digital hygrometers for the smaller humidors.

I do already have a wireless one from Radio Shack in the fridgador that is working great.

I found these on Ebay 'CALIBER II DIGITAL HYGROMETER @ $12.95'. Buy 2 and shipping is free.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...08&category=986

Does anyone have any experience with this brand, and are they any good?

I have seen these selling on other sites for around $25-$30.

Thanks.
there is a thread on this over at CW also.
heard nothing bad about them yet.

Just grabbed two for myself.
Have been meaning to get 2 of these for a while.

:thumbs:
 
ok what if you do a salt test to set an analog hygrometer once it is calibrated put your digital in with it see how far off it is
as for the Caliber II it is made by Western I have one in my 200 humi and I transfer it at times to my 600 to verify its analog hygrometer works for me
 
Allofus123 said:
The salt test is the only way I'm aware of of knowing for sure.
Actually Vern sells special calibration kits that use his beads.

Also a 50-50 mixture of PG and water will maintain 70% exactly, I use that sometimes as it's easier to do than the salt test IMO. 70% is closer to where I store my cigars also.
 
Lumberg said:
Allofus123 said:
The salt test is the only way I'm aware of of knowing for sure.
Actually Vern sells special calibration kits that use his beads.

Also a 50-50 mixture of PG and water will maintain 70% exactly, I use that sometimes as it's easier to do than the salt test IMO. 70% is closer to where I store my cigars also.
Hadn't visited ol Verns site for some time..... how dare he put a new product out without sending me a sample. ;) :D Might have to get The Yellow Rose after him.....LOL!

As far as the 50/50 being easier than a salt test, I don't see how, but I'll take your word for it. :)
 
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