• Hi Guest - Sign up now for Secret Santa 2024!
    Click here to sign up!
  • Hi Guest - Come check out all of the new CP Merch Shop! Now you can support CigarPass buy purchasing hats, apparel, and more...
    Click here to visit! here...

Salt testing question

Wurm

Wurm

Bratwurst and Beer
Joined
Oct 6, 2005
Messages
6,141
I bought Dale a digital Hygrometer for Christmas (its ok I told him about it already) and decided to salt test it before giving it to him.

And since why should you waste the time and materials for just one Hygrometer I threw in my 2 as well.

I salt tested my 2 in the summer and both were bang on 75%

Now all three are hovering at 68% after 2 days in a double ziplock bag set-up.

its also only 64°F in the room. Is that the reason behind the difference? Do I need to put them closer to the heater to get a higher (more accurate?) reading?
 
Shawn
Temperature does have an impact on the Rh, but to what extent is somewhat unknown, I have seen charts such as
http://www.cigarpass.com/forums/index.php?...st&p=214645 but I have also heard arguments against it.

Basically try to retest as close to 70%F as possible and see what your results are. If the test still displays 68%Rh, it is possible that your test in the summer could have been flawed.
From what alot of people state in here is set it, relax, and have a cigar.. :)
 
If Breveda can make packs that are spot on at the RH listed, and Viper beads are dead on also, why cant a hygrometer be made that's equally as accurate?
 
Well I moved them closer to the heater and they are all reading 73% now... I'll see what they say in an hour.

Both Dale and I use Viper's 65% beads so its not really an issue, I use mine mostly to see when I have to add water (Alu-brick) But Dale's humidor came with a really crappy analogue so I bought him the Xikar digital so he can do the same and doesn't have to keep popping off the top of his beads tube to check.

I'm thinking that if all three are saying the same RH% That its probably also right on, and that the room temperature is the culprit.
 
tkoepp said:
Shawn
Temperature does have an impact on the Rh, but to what extent is somewhat unknown, I have seen charts such as
http://www.cigarpass.com/forums/index.php?...st&p=214645 but I have also heard arguments against it.

Basically try to retest as close to 70%F as possible and see what your results are. If the test still displays 68%Rh, it is possible that your test in the summer could have been flawed.
From what alot of people state in here is set it, relax, and have a cigar.. :)
Click to expand...

Temp has no effect on Relative Humidity, because it is (oddly enough) Relative and not absolute. 70% RH is 70% no matter what the actual humidity levels are, and no matter what the temp is. It's harder to maintain RH in the drier/colder temps, but 70% saturation will still be 70% of whatever the maximum amount of humidity possible at any given temp, no matter what the actual amount really is.
 
Wurm said:
I bought Dale a digital Hygrometer for Christmas (its ok I told him about it already) and decided to salt test it before giving it to him.

And since why should you waste the time and materials for just one Hygrometer I threw in my 2 as well.

I salt tested my 2 in the summer and both were bang on 75%

Now all three are hovering at 68% after 2 days in a double ziplock bag set-up.

its also only 64°F in the room. Is that the reason behind the difference? Do I need to put them closer to the heater to get a higher (more accurate?) reading?
Click to expand...

It won't make much difference. Theoretically, if you use non-iodized salt and the temp is 68.8 degrees F, you should see 75.5% RH. At 77 degrees F, its 75.3% So, what about using typical table salt thats contains iodine? No self respecting metrologist would ever use a salt test, but if the did and used iodized salt, the results could be skewed by a tenth of a point or so.

Solid state devices don't require ongoing calibration. If it read 73% out of the box, it'll read 73% 2 years from now. What affects the reading is the power source, usually a single button or AA sized battery. A fresh one should read about 1.4 volts. Once that battery drops below about .8 volts, the RH reading will start reading low, and will decline with the battery. Change the battery about every 6 months.

The really expensive hygros still use the exact same sensing device your Radio Shack special uses. The quality difference is in a stable, regulate power supply.
 
Thanks Bruce...

Mine both went to 75% and stayed stable, the new one I bought Dale went to around 70% and stopped.

I'm going to put in a new battery this weekend and try it again.

And I switch out my batteries once a year... six months is a bit extreme wouldn't you say?

Not that the batteries cost very much... but it still seems a waste.
 
Wurm said:
Thanks Bruce...

Mine both went to 75% and stayed stable, the new one I bought Dale went to around 70% and stopped.

I'm going to put in a new battery this weekend and try it again.

And I switch out my batteries once a year... six months is a bit extreme wouldn't you say?

Not that the batteries cost very much... but it still seems a waste.
Click to expand...

Hit em with a multimeter. If your AA or 1.5V button battery is 1V or better, you're good. .8 or less and the device will read low.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top