Guide: How to salt test / calibrate your hygrometer

[broblues]

Paul, something is wrong. The result of the salt test should be 75%, not 65%. Are you using regular table salt? Is your salt wet but not watery?

 

[Tall Paul]

That is what I thought that something just isn't right! the Salt is just wet no water is present and yes it is regular old table salt. I even thought that maybe the house was so dry it was effecting it so I double bagged that bad boy.

 

[broblues]

That is what I thought that something just isn't right! the Salt is just wet no water is present and yes it is regular old table salt. I even thought that maybe the house was so dry it was effecting it so I double bagged that bad boy.

Are you using a screw on cap? I must say that EVERY TIME I have calibrated my hygro, it has worked flawlessly. You are sealing the baggie...right :whistling: .

 

[Tall Paul]

That is what I thought that something just isn't right! the Salt is just wet no water is present and yes it is regular old table salt. I even thought that maybe the house was so dry it was effecting it so I double bagged that bad boy.

Are you using a screw on cap? I must say that EVERY TIME I have calibrated my hygro, it has worked flawlessly. You are sealing the baggie...right :whistling: .

LOL... Yea both bags are sealed I uesed a screw on cap the first time now I have a little bowl. I figured it may have needed alittle more volume of solution. I just don't get it. Ill wait another 24hrs and see what happens.

Thanks Paul

 

[BlindedByScience]

Bags have always sucked for me. Even double bagged, the results aren't precisely repeatable.

If you want a really well sealed environment, use a Mason jar, or old Mayo jar. I get far, far more consistent results with that environment.

B.B.S.

 

[CBoukal]

Edit: Nevermind answered my own question sorry not sure how to delete

 

[Tall Paul]

Bags have always sucked for me. Even double bagged, the results aren't precisely repeatable.

If you want a really well sealed environment, use a Mason jar, or old Mayo jar. I get far, far more consistent results with that environment.

B.B.S.

I will try a Mason Jar now!

Thanks Tom

Paul

 

[broblues]

That is what I thought that something just isn't right! the Salt is just wet no water is present and yes it is regular old table salt. I even thought that maybe the house was so dry it was effecting it so I double bagged that bad boy.

Are you using a screw on cap? I must say that EVERY TIME I have calibrated my hygro, it has worked flawlessly. You are sealing the baggie...right :whistling: .

LOL... Yea both bags are sealed I uesed a screw on cap the first time now I have a little bowl. I figured it may have needed alittle more volume of solution. I just don't get it. Ill wait another 24hrs and see what happens.

Thanks Paul

That is what I thought that something just isn't right! the Salt is just wet no water is present and yes it is regular old table salt. I even thought that maybe the house was so dry it was effecting it so I double bagged that bad boy.

Are you using a screw on cap? I must say that EVERY TIME I have calibrated my hygro, it has worked flawlessly. You are sealing the baggie...right :whistling: .

LOL... Yea both bags are sealed I uesed a screw on cap the first time now I have a little bowl. I figured it may have needed alittle more volume of solution. I just don't get it. Ill wait another 24hrs and see what happens.

Thanks Paul

Another thing you can try, is a Boveda pack. They are various combinations of various salts and their rated humidity is very accurate. For just a few bucks, you could get one and test your hygros.

Just say'n

 

[Tall Paul]

Another thing you can try, is a Boveda pack. They are various combinations of various salts and their rated humidity is very accurate. For just a few bucks, you could get one and test your hygros.

Just say'n

I have some 72% but not 75% Boveda Packs. I will throw that in a bag with my Fluke meter while the hygro is in the Mason Jar. To see if the meter reads 72%

Paul

 

[Tall Paul]

Bags have always sucked for me. Even double bagged, the results aren't precisely repeatable.

If you want a really well sealed environment, use a Mason jar, or old Mayo jar. I get far, far more consistent results with that environment.

B.B.S.

I will try a Mason Jar now!

Thanks Tom

Paul

So here we are not almost 48hours in and the hygro has been in the mason jar with the salt mixture and it was sitting at 64% for almost the entire time until this morning when it dropped to 63%...LOL

My next step was I went to Radio Shack and got a new battery which on a side note was the only store that had a CR1225. I now have the hygro and a new mixture of salt in a tripple zip lock bags. The reason I didn't go with the mason jar again was because I was wondering how I was going to hit the calibration button when it is in the jar. I heat with a wood stove so the house is all of 20% so if I took it out of the jar to reset it it would still be off.

However in the last 5 min. the hygro has gone from 52% to 66% in the baggie. Thats a new high at 66%. I will let it sit for another few hours or till tomorrow and see where we are at. I think we got it with the battery may have been low.

Paul

 

[MrAnderson41]

I think we got it with the battery may have been low.

Paul

When was the last time you changed the battery? I dying battery supposedly does affect the performance of the hygro. That's why I think a lot of guys here change theirs twice a year (spring and fall) to make sure it's always accurate.

 

[Tall Paul]

I think we got it with the battery may have been low.

Paul

When was the last time you changed the battery? I dying battery supposedly does affect the performance of the hygro. That's why I think a lot of guys here change theirs twice a year (spring and fall) to make sure it's always accurate.

What the battery needs to be changed...lol I have yet to change it till today. I got the hygro about 2+ years ago. So needless to say it was due. And on a side note the salt test is still underway and we have been sitting at 70% for the past few hours. My guess was that its off by 5%. We'll see how it looks tomorrow.

 

[Cigar FF]

Glad to see it was something as simple as a battery change. Hopefully that is the conclusion after tomorrow.

 

[Tall Paul]

Ok so just got home to fine the hygro is still at 70% so I hit the recal button to bring it back to 75%. I thru it into the humi which is still sitting at 70% on the Avallo. Let's see if they level out...

 

[broblues]

Good deal Paul. Glad it got worked out for you. Nothing good about sitting on a bunch of fine smokes wondering if they are being properly maintained. Better smoke one to celebrate.

 

[Tall Paul]

Good deal Paul. Glad it got worked out for you. Nothing good about sitting on a bunch of fine smokes wondering if they are being properly maintained. Better smoke one to celebrate.

Ok so I checked the humi this morning and the Avallo is reading 68% and the newly calibrated hygro is reading 68%! :thumbs: Perfectly matched. So lesson learned. looks like I will be on a yearly battery change. Don't know if its just me but Rod may want to add a note to the directions on the How To List. For if your battery is more than 1 year old start by changing the battery then continue with the Salt Test!

As for having a smoke i would love to but have been sick since New Years. I should be good to light one up by this weekend!

Paul

 

[2K6TBSS]

Glad to see you got the issue resolved. I change the batteries in my hygros once a year, usually around x-mas time only because I got my humi/hygro as a x-mas gift.

 

[MrAnderson41]

Don't know if its just me but Rod may want to add a note to the directions on the How To List. For if your battery is more than 1 year old start by changing the battery then continue with the Salt Test!

While not directly related to the problem you were having here's an issue I was having until recently.

I use Xikar hygrometers and calibrated them as soon as I got them. Before I started using beads for humidification I was struggling with the damn floral foam system. Needless to say, I started to doubt the accuracy of my already calibrated hygrometer and decided to re-test them. The problem is, if you've already calibrated a Xikar and then re-calibrate it you'll really throw things out of whack and really not be able to get a good measurement. As it turns out, and I only found this out after re-reading the directions that came with the Xikar, if you are going to re-calibrate you should pull the battery to allow the unit to reset itself and then re-calibrate.

 

[broblues]

Don't know if its just me but Rod may want to add a note to the directions on the How To List. For if your battery is more than 1 year old start by changing the battery then continue with the Salt Test!

While not directly related to the problem you were having here's an issue I was having until recently.

I use Xikar hygrometers and calibrated them as soon as I got them. Before I started using beads for humidification I was struggling with the damn floral foam system. Needless to say, I started to doubt the accuracy of my already calibrated hygrometer and decided to re-test them. The problem is, if you've already calibrated a Xikar and then re-calibrate it you'll really throw things out of whack and really not be able to get a good measurement. As it turns out, and I only found this out after re-reading the directions that came with the Xikar, if you are going to re-calibrate you should pull the battery to allow the unit to reset itself and then re-calibrate.

Absolutely the truth!!! Otherwise, lots of deviation.

 

[MrAnderson41]

Don't know if its just me but Rod may want to add a note to the directions on the How To List. For if your battery is more than 1 year old start by changing the battery then continue with the Salt Test!

While not directly related to the problem you were having here's an issue I was having until recently.

I use Xikar hygrometers and calibrated them as soon as I got them. Before I started using beads for humidification I was struggling with the damn floral foam system. Needless to say, I started to doubt the accuracy of my already calibrated hygrometer and decided to re-test them. The problem is, if you've already calibrated a Xikar and then re-calibrate it you'll really throw things out of whack and really not be able to get a good measurement. As it turns out, and I only found this out after re-reading the directions that came with the Xikar, if you are going to re-calibrate you should pull the battery to allow the unit to reset itself and then re-calibrate.

Absolutely the truth!!! Otherwise, lots of deviation.

I probably could have saved myself and Xikar a lot of heartburn by just re-reading the instructions before sending them back under their lifetime warranty. I will say that they took good care of me and exchanged them with no questions asked even though it ended up being user error.