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Old 12-03-2010, 12:56 PM
Blitzwing Blitzwing is offline
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Default analog vs digital hygrometers

Just a quick question for those of you who may have used both since the reviews of digital hygrometers appear mixed at best. Are analog hygometers more accurate?

Thanks in advance.

Andrew
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Old 12-03-2010, 01:08 PM
deja deja is offline
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From what I understand, analog vs. digital doesn't have much if anything to do with their accuracy. And you are so right about reviews being a mixed bag. The info out there on hygrometers is so varied that it's difficult to know who or what to believe. From my "research" the Extech 445815 seems to get the most consistently high ratings - http://www.amazon.com/Extech-445815-...1404417&sr=1-2

I don't own the Extech but am hoping Santa will put one in my stocking this year.
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Last edited by deja; 12-04-2010 at 03:28 AM.
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Old 12-03-2010, 01:09 PM
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rlgph rlgph is offline
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The one i have appears overall to be more accurate than my digital ones, maybe because it can be set to match the value of a reference humidity reading, such as can be obtained from a sling psychrometer. So far as i can tell, the readings of my digital hygrometers cannot be adjusted.
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Old 12-03-2010, 01:49 PM
Yggdrasil Yggdrasil is offline
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AFAICT, this is the last word in hygrometers ( yes, those crazy Germans again!):

https://www.abbeon.com/store/item.cfm?code=1562

12th Fret - our local great acoustic store, uses them.

That being said, I brought my digital hygrometer into their store, left it in a controlled room for a day, then simply noted the discrepancy from Abbeon in order to make my own readings (in my case, my digital hygrometer was right on).

Caveat: Doesn't account for possible variation across the entire range, tho.
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Old 12-03-2010, 02:11 PM
deja deja is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Yggdrasil View Post
AFAICT, this is the last word in hygrometers ( yes, those crazy Germans again!):

https://www.abbeon.com/store/item.cfm?code=1562

12th Fret - our local great acoustic store, uses them.

That being said, I brought my digital hygrometer into their store, left it in a controlled room for a day, then simply noted the discrepancy from Abbeon in order to make my own readings (in my case, my digital hygrometer was right on).

Caveat: Doesn't account for possible variation across the entire range, tho.
Yep, the Abbeon's seem to be the creme de la creme of hygrometers. The ISO-9001 certification is an important factor. All the one's I've looked at with that certification appear to be in that same price range. Unfortunately, my Santa doesn't have that deep of pockets.
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Old 12-03-2010, 02:38 PM
Brackett Instruments Brackett Instruments is offline
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I buy Caliber III's in large quanities, and check their accuracy with both potassium carbonate, and table salt. They're pretty good. Out of the last 10 I tested 8 were right on. I labeled the 2 that were off and use them myself. The other are for sale in my store.

FWIW, the 2 that weren't correct were off -3%, and +2%.
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Old 12-03-2010, 03:03 PM
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Cocobolo Kid Cocobolo Kid is offline
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Smile Abbeon Hygrometer at Elderly

I bought the Abbeon from Elderly for $139 (http://elderly.com/accessories/items/HYGRO.htm). It looks great on my wall near my guitar cases. It consistently reads higher than my Planet Waves digital hygrometers. I always thought my room was under humidified until I got the Abbeon.
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Old 12-03-2010, 05:30 PM
bobframe bobframe is offline
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I have grappled with the accuracy of hygrometers and frankly have concluded that pinpoint accuracy, for a guitar collector's purposes, is unimportant. The two things that are important is that the proper humidity range be maintained and that sudden changes be avoided.

I use two portable humidifiers with built in hygrometers and a small Planet Waves hygrometer. In my relatively small office, none of them agree within more than 4-8%, but as long as all three devices think the relative humidity is somewhere between 40% and 50%, then I'm cool with it.

I think trying to get an exact read on the RH is a fool's errand.
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Old 12-03-2010, 05:39 PM
deja deja is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bobframe View Post
I have grappled with the accuracy of hygrometers and frankly have concluded that pinpoint accuracy, for a guitar collector's purposes, is unimportant. The two things that are important is that the proper humidity range be maintained and that sudden changes be avoided.

I use two portable humidifiers with built in hygrometers and a small Planet Waves hygrometer. In my relatively small office, none of them agree within more than 4-8%, but as long as all three devices think the relative humidity is somewhere between 40% and 50%, then I'm cool with it.

I think trying to get an exact read on the RH is a fool's errand.
I think this is good advice. If only I could convince my OCD self of such wisdom.
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Old 12-03-2010, 06:34 PM
bobframe bobframe is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by deja View Post
I think this is good advice. If only I could convince my OCD self of such wisdom.
Trust me, I did not come to this "sloppy thinking " readily. If I had it my way I'd have a hygrometer that was calibrated to within an inch of it's life.

AKA, I think it is just not necessary.

It reminds me of a woodworking class I took once. The instructor advised us that we could not be woodworkers without a bonafide straightedge. So, during the break I went into the woodworking store (Highland Hardware, Atlanta, GA... fabulous store BTW) and bought this 24" straightedge for about $50.00. I grimaced when paying, but thought I really needed to have it.

When I got back into the class I asked "So how do I tell if this thing is really straight?"

The instructor replied "You paid a lot of money for it didn't you?"

Lesson being, sometimes we want the assurance that we've bought ourselves a little hunk of "perfection", when a little hunk of "good enough" is all we really need.
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Last edited by bobframe; 12-03-2010 at 06:42 PM.
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Old 12-03-2010, 08:34 PM
deja deja is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bobframe View Post
Trust me, I did not come to this "sloppy thinking " readily. If I had it my way I'd have a hygrometer that was calibrated to within an inch of it's life.

AKA, I think it is just not necessary.

It reminds me of a woodworking class I took once. The instructor advised us that we could not be woodworkers without a bonafide straightedge. So, during the break I went into the woodworking store (Highland Hardware, Atlanta, GA... fabulous store BTW) and bought this 24" straightedge for about $50.00. I grimaced when paying, but thought I really needed to have it.

When I got back into the class I asked "So how do I tell if this thing is really straight?"

The instructor replied "You paid a lot of money for it didn't you?"

Lesson being, sometimes we want the assurance that we've bought ourselves a little hunk of "perfection", when a little hunk of "good enough" is all we really need.


Nice!
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