Hygrometers

[Guest]

Im really disapointed after a buying several Claiber IV hygrometers along with some others over a few years. Also the Hygroset II which I have had a couple of. My disclaimer is I calibrate all in ball jars with either boveda 58 or 62 packs usually about 4 of the ounce jar size that sit for a few days to settle.

If left in a jar with either boveda packs for several days at least or a week the Caliber IV do settle and ARE rock solid but it takes days. But when drying and curing with burping they take way to long to respond.

What I keep going back to are the inexpensive ones that are small rectangular shaped with the humidity display larger than the temp. They are always quick to respond and solid. Only problem is about half or more of them are way the fuck off. But the ones that are plus or minus 2% stay that way regardless of if its 2 minutes or 2 weeks. I dont know why since drying and curing does have some wiggle room but I fixate on keeping things within a couple points.

The cheap ones once you sort out the ones that are within 2 points and marked on the front, respond when you take them out of the jar with boveda to ambient air for the most part in less than 30 seconds they move down or up and settle on the current % withing a minute. I also bought a Inkbird that is good as the small ones but more $$ and its not adjustable. Its off by -2% and has stayed that way since I bought it. Right now on my bench I have 3 Caliber IV and the Inkbird plus a few of the cheap ones I cherry picked from the ones I bought online since they are on the money or close. I discarded the ones off by more than 2%. Everything is in the mid 40's plus a couple others along with the local weather readings on line. Yet the Calibers are still showing upper 30's.



Long term reading in jars I trust the calibers but for short term as in curing and drying the cheapos I like better due to response time, as long as I can check them in jars with boveda packs before to assure they are within 2% and I use a sharpie to mark them. I have a couple that are several years old and they always hold true to their readings even if off a couple points. Yup its a small thing and I use boveda for storage but nice to know for me what is going on. Funny no more than I grow its one thing I admit I obsess about.

 

[f-e]

I like the ones no bigger than the screen itself, with the wire that comes out to the external sensor. I'm not sure if anything cheaper exists. They can be as much as 5% out, but I write that on them with a permanent marker so I know.

My green is often in bags, with the various bags all together in a larger vacuum bag. I can just have the sensor in the green somewhere, while the display can be outside the bag.

I did try the radio linked things but the remotes had screens that were covered in resin in no time.

If using jars, the wired ones could have the screen part in a sealy bag as the sensor is external.

 

[Guest]

I have to add that I had ordered 2 more of the Caliber units and when they arrived new they were fast acting and accurate. I think my older ones had batteries that may need replaced. New lithium CR 2032 batteries are ordered and if the new batteries make it better I will change my opinion. The small cheap ebay ones start going blanking out when those LR44 buttons go bad so it is easy to know time to change them. The ones with the external sensors are interesting and I almost bought a couple.

 

[f-e]

I think I have been buying a 4 pack for about a tenner Stuart. Some sellers don't have the batteries though, so have a good read if you do pull the trigger on some.

 

[prune]

You can piss all you want on the Caliber IV, but it is still far and away the best choice out there. They aren't perfect, and you get worse ones occasionally, but right now they are the only affordable, reasonably accurate device for popping in containers.

Calibers are accurate (generally) to 2%, which means a 4% swing is possible. The little square ones are rated at a 10% swing! I can work with the former, the latter can ruin bud real quick.

 

[Guest]

You can piss all you want on the Caliber IV, but it is still far and away the best choice out there. They aren't perfect, and you get worse ones occasionally, but right now they are the only affordable, reasonably accurate device for popping in containers.

Calibers are accurate (generally) to 2%, which means a 4% swing is possible. The little square ones are rated at a 10% swing! I can work with the former, the latter can ruin bud real quick.

I’m not “pissing” on the calibers so slow your roll. Did I not say they ARE accurate? Just slow to respond and the 3 older ones I have just may need new batteries. The two that showed up right after my initial post are much faster as I also said. New batteries may help and I will say if they do.
As far as the cheap ones I ALSO said some are better than others and the ones within 1 or 2 points stay consistent over time because I regularly check them in jars at 58% and 62% and a few of them I have had long enough to change batteries more than once. They change quickly to ambient levels once removed from the jar. I would be willing to bet if you dissected them they may all use the same sensor. Calibers biggest advantage is is ability to change calibration. The new calibers I received take about at most 2 minutes to go from 58 or 62 to the ambient room level and the cheap ones are slightly faster with new batteries. Dude RIF.

 

[f-e]

Most of my combi meters and controllers are not constantly measuring. They tend to go back no forth every 20 seconds or so. A quick update of the temp, then a quick update of the rh, then back to the temp... a cyclic action that preserves the batteries. I think it's just some different mains powered controllers ( I have ) that work in real time. One of which also does co2 so quite different really. Only my datalogger works on battery and updates every second if that's my recording interval. So it's lightening fast with little hysteresis. A meter that only checks every 30 seconds might only be allowed to move 50% of what it actually see's, in order to smooth things out. They take a big step, then a smaller one, then a smaller one, then fall about right over a few samples. Then read steady, even if doors are opening and closing a lot. Cloud cover changes. Heaters cycle. All things that cause a less averaged out and thus unsteady reading. Which a user could see as the meter being faulty not good.

Half the cheap ones are fine. Half need a sticker as the RH is up to 5% out. The measurement slope is alright, it's the zero point that's moved. Temp is more reliable but can still be off. It's just a matter of testing them upon arrival