calibration

[Corona84]

What do you guys use to calibrate your hygros? I hate to purchase the boveda calibration kits because it shouldn't be necessary. I've tried using a new boveda 65 pouch in a ziplock with my hygro bag but my results varied. How about you guys, what works best for you?

[Pole Lock]

Time and paying attention to how my cigars smoke.  I know when my cheapo Western Digital hygrometers read in the mid 50s to low 60s, I'm guaranteed proper humidification.  What their precise RH actually is, I do not know.

[Corona84]

[quote author=Pole Lock link=topic=57042.msg216281#msg216281 date=1679605817]
Time and paying attention to how my cigars smoke.  I know when my cheapo Western Digital hygrometers read in the mid 50s to low 60s, I'm guaranteed proper humidification.  What their precise RH actually is, I do not know.
[/quote]
:bigup:

[Hotboy]

I use the Salt Test whenever I need to calibrate a hygrometer.

[url=https://www.cigarsinternational.com/cigar-101/salt-test/1818029/]https://www.cigarsinternational.com/cigar-101/salt-test/1818029/[/url]

[Pole Lock]

[quote author=Corona84 link=topic=57042.msg216287#msg216287 date=1679628859]
:bigup:
[/quote]

I should've added - and it's been 10 years or more since I bought them, so I just thought of it now - that I did calibrate the hygrometers with each other.  I put them in my tightest desktop humi, a Gentili, and left them for a couple weeks without opening it.  At the end of the two weeks, I calibrated all of the hygrometers so that they read the same RH and temp as each other.

[Charles]

Most digital hygrometers have a variability of  +/- 5%.

One reason is that they measure Relative Humidity...that is the humidity is Relative to the temperature so even the simplest hygrometer has two measuring units inside:

a thermometer (which has a variability of +/- XX degrees) then add on the variability of the moisture measuring portion (+/- XX%).

A lot of digital hygrometers on Amazon boast a variability of +/- 2%, but I suspect to get that accuracy one would need to spend more than $50.00.  Even then they need to be calibrated annually.  Just my 2 cents.


Digital;  Accuracy = +/- 3%
[url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FBCTQ3L/?tag=best-hygrometer-20&asc_source=browser&asc_refurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bobvila.com%2Farticles%2Fbest-hygrometer&ascsubtag=0000BV0000124359O1920096920230324182412%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20#customerReviews]https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FBCTQ3L/?tag=best-hygrometer-20&asc_source=browser&asc_refurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bobvila.com%2Farticles%2Fbest-hygrometer&ascsubtag=0000BV0000124359O1920096920230324182412%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20#customerReviews[/url]

Probably the best analog.  Accuracy +/- 1% (but the fine print says 3%)     Cole Palmer makes good stuff
[url=https://www.coleparmer.com/i/abbeon-htab-169-humidity-and-temperature-dial-indicator-with-black-face-and-brass-case/3780460?PubID=UX&persist=true&ip=no&gclid=Cj0KCQjwlPWgBhDHARIsAH2xdNfw0ogPq2utQ1sQkunkHH4K22HxZg6fXK1prpc4cbs3gsUDbpzs1zEaAv4GEALw_wcB]https://www.coleparmer.com/i/abbeon-htab-169-humidity-and-temperature-dial-indicator-with-black-face-and-brass-case/3780460?PubID=UX&persist=true&ip=no&gclid=Cj0KCQjwlPWgBhDHARIsAH2xdNfw0ogPq2utQ1sQkunkHH4K22HxZg6fXK1prpc4cbs3gsUDbpzs1zEaAv4GEALw_wcB[/url]

[Corona84]

[quote author=Hotboy link=topic=57042.msg216293#msg216293 date=1679673157]
I use the Salt Test whenever I need to calibrate a hygrometer.

[url=https://www.cigarsinternational.com/cigar-101/salt-test/1818029/]https://www.cigarsinternational.com/cigar-101/salt-test/1818029/[/url]
[/quote]
Thanks. I've used this one years ago but forgot about it. Trying it now...