Western Caliber digital hygrometer, trust it or not?

[DaveC]

instructions say DO NOT salt test, that it's factory set. BUT my other digital hygrometer is 5% higher in rh, though only 1deg in temp off. hmm, input guys?

dont wanna trash my fine sticks in the new humidor....

[robmcd]

i don't see how or why a salt test would hurt the device- these things are highly variable when it comes to rh. this is true in various ways. e.g., it might be read 2% higher today and 5% lower in a few months. i'd suggest doing a salt test, then using the hygrometer to watch for a decrease (or increase) in rh. use your cigars as the true gauge of rh... are they too dry or too wet. the salt test can drive you crazy too. temp is fairly accurate with such devices.

[ArlinLiss]

Hygrometers are to used used as guides, not necessarliy ABSOLUTES.

Taste, feel and smoking qualities are the true criteria.

[DaveC]

thanks for your feedback guys, here's the kicker

i have a smaller humi(really high quality though, 50cigar) and i put the 2 digitals in it. This humi has that PG solution in it, and is essentially 70rh, the new hygrometer(western digi) still reads 66% and the old one reads 70-71%.

I think the older unit is more precise, or playing games with me.

[sirwood]

tough one...
Assuming you placed the hygrometers in the same place in the humidifier, they should read the same value.

I would not do the salt test. Manufacturer says no; could be due to the risk of corrosion to the electronic parts.

I thought I read something once about battery life, and how the accuracy could be affected by low batteries - this might explain the difference.

If you really want them to read the same, and you have to guess - I would go with the old one (70% with glycol solution).

[AAlmeter]

Batteries play a huge part. Mine was reading 90 degrees and 63%. Popped in new batteries and everything was back to normal

[DaveC]

the new unit is 24hrs old, the older one is 4weeks.

old is a relative term i guess, hahaa.

[cigar sergeant]

I made a switch to the little havana hygrometer.

I still have a Western Digital but also two little havana hygrometers. The little havanas are round and have a hotdog shape. I placed all three in a humi. both the little havanas had the exact same humidity and were seperated by 1/2 degree on temprature. The western digital was 7% lower humidity than my little havanas and a degree higher on temprature. I also had new batteries in the western digital. In addition I did a salt test which produced the same results. I much prefer my little havanas hygrometer.

The biggest difference I noticed was when I smoked the cigars. Because my western digital was reading a lower humidity I was over humidifying my smokes and therefore made them difficult to smoke. I would have to keep relighting them. I also noticed a difference in the feel.

[jimmy]

i aslo moved to little havana's per a recomendation for motheman.
am very glad i did it too.

jimmy