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Question about reptile humidity gauges..
    #467488 -

Just wanted to say first of all that I'm new here and thanks to everyone that makes thing happen.. I've learned sooo much over the past few weeks reading everyone's posts and the teks here. If anyone cares I'm from the southeast US and definately a newbie to all of this..

Anyways, a friend of mine is setting up a terrarium, and he's using an ultrasonic humidifier (he bought it before reading the praises of perlite) and his crappy $10 reptile humidity gauge won't show above 80% RH in the terrarium even when the humidifier runs for hours.. Now he knows those gauges are crap, but is it likely to be off by that far? Or could my friend have a genuine problem? For what it's worth he thinks the terrarium LOOKS humid.. Water beads up on the sides and stuff. He just wants to be sure before tossing a couple of NICELY colonized EQ cakes in there and loosing them. :(

Thanks peeps.

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Re: Question about reptile humidity gauges.. [Re: its420]
    #467494 -

plastic humidity gauges suck, mine too doesn't go above 80% (we may have the same kind) even tho the humidity is visibly over 95%


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As evil as a dwarf can get...

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Re: Question about reptile humidity gauges.. [Re: its420]
    #467507 -

Most all humidity gauges (plastic or not) have trouble reading humidity in the higher regions. The reptile gauges probably won't ever read above 85%, if you want to get a more accurate reading you need to get a digital hygrometer, but even then you won't get a very accurate reading abouve about 95%. If there is water beading on the sides than your humidity is fairly close to 100%. You don't really want the humidity that high.


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Vote Jonnyshaggs in the next election for GOD...Its the responsible choice

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Re: Question about reptile humidity gauges.. [Re: jonnyshaggs420]
    #467820 -

Cool, that's what I suspected... I'll have him change the timer on the humidifier to not run as much. He was just puzzled since it ran all of the time and the humidity never got up there according to the gauge. Anyways, thanks guys!

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Re: Question about reptile humidity gauges.. [Re: jonnyshaggs420]
    #467854 -

i have gone through 2 rH meters ($3 @ walmart) and
1 digital hygrometer....all of which were ruined by exess humidity.
they're junk.


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:pacman: - - - -  :pill: :mushroom2: :pill2: :mushroom2: :regularshroom: :mushroomgrow: :pill: :pill2: :mushroom2: :poison:

:sun::heart::sun:

tiny_rabid_birds said:
"your avatar is dirty."

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Re: Question about reptile humidity gauges.. [Re: 40oz]
    #467892 -

there's got to be at least one decent humidity meter out there, right? how come they become so inaccurate in higher humidity?? what would cause this? anyone know?


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some ppl say live it up, i say grow it up!!

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Re: Question about reptile humidity gauges.. [Re: magic_man]
    #467969 -

Most of the cheaper ones use a metal coil that expands and contracts at different humidity levels. Well the thing about that is that the coil expands to its maximum around 85% and doesn't do anything else at higher humidities, then sometimes it just stays expanded. I don't know what the problem is with the digital ones. I just gave up on gauges and just use perlite and fan and mist, it works, I don't really need to know what the humidity is as long as it works.


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Vote Jonnyshaggs in the next election for GOD...Its the responsible choice

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Re: Question about reptile humidity gauges.. [Re: magic_man]
    #467976 -

well, you can add me to the list of people having humidity guage problems. Wish I would've know this before I spent $11 on a lizard cage humidity guage at the pet shop. Seems to only go to about 85% or so and just stops.

So I went ahead and did some research online. Check out what I found for $29.99.

http://store.yahoo.com/time-weather/digtherwitbr.html

The claim it's accurate to 95% and it's digital. Even has a detachable probe made for outdoor use, but i was thinking it might be handy to put the probe inside of the terrarium, that way, you'd get out of terrarium and in terrarium readings for both temp and humidity in one digital display.

Maybe I'll order one... we'll see.

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Re: Question about reptile humidity gauges.. [Re: FreakShow]
    #467984 -

oh, btw, this is the one that I got that sucks ass for high humidity readings:

http://au.store.yahoo.com/hermiesnherps/hagrephyggua.html

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Re: Question about reptile humidity gauges.. [Re: jonnyshaggs420]
    #468023 -

>Most of the cheaper ones use a metal coil that expands and
>contracts at different humidity levels.

That?s not correct..
There is NO metal coil in an analog hygrometer.
There IS a bimetal coil in an analog thermometer.

Analog hygrometers use either a sytnhetic thread or a natural hair (for instance from a horse) that expands and contracts at different relative humidity levels.

Calibration is what you can do if your hygrometer is off reading.

Follow this:

Calibration of your Hygrometer (Humidity Guage)
Analog hygrometers are manufactured with a factory tolerance of +/- 5% points of humidity (and sometimes more) through the normal range of 40-80%. Although the Csonka radial humidity gauge is pre-set at the factory, its' calibration may be off within this range for various understandable reasons.
A simple, easy to do at home means of calibrating hygrometers uses standard salt and a sealed container. Table salt, when used properly, will maintain an exact 75% humidity in a perfectly sealed environment. So, to do this, you'll need three items. First, obtain an airtight container such as a see-through tub with a tight fitting snap-on lid (the kind usually found in most kitchens). Alternately, a heavy-duty zip-lock bag will do. Second, you'll need about a teaspoon of salt. Third, any small, shallow open container is needed (to hold the salt in) such as a screw cap from a plastic bottle.

Place the salt in its small container and add a few drops of water to moisten it. Don't dissolve it yet. With just a few drops of water, you'll get what you need, which is damp salt. Next, carefully place the salt in its small container, along with your hygrometer, into the airtight container. Please do not get any moistened salt on the gauge. Also, check to see that the starting point (current reading) is anywhere in the 40% to 80% range.

Seal the container tightly. Note: if you have any doubt as to whether or not it is a perfectly sealed environment, double-it-up by putting it in a second container, or into a second baggie. Do not try to remove the remaining air trapped inside. Now, wait for at least 5 or 6 hours until the environment has stabilized. Do not open the container. Read the gauge's humidity % level. It should be exactly 75%. If it is not, note the deviation as being the amount your hygrometer is out of calibration. If for example, it reads 68%, the gauge is 7% low. If on the other hand it reads 80%, the gauge is 5% high.

Now, remove the gauge from the container and locate a very small jeweler's flathead screwdriver. If it fits through the small hole in the center of the rear plate, it should work well. Put it in that hole, and turn it slowly while watching the dial on the front. If your gauge was low by 4%, turn the screwdriver clockwise and make the dial rest 4% points higher than it did previously. Conversely, if your gauge was high by 6%, turn the screwdriver counter-clockwise and make the dial rest 6% points lower than it did previously. That's it. Your gauge is now calibrated and you should feel very comfortable with its accuracy from this point on.


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Grow Mushrooms from Spores - PF-Tek for Simple Minds

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Re: Question about reptile humidity gauges.. [Re: jonnyshaggs420]
    #468687 -

>>I don't know what the problem is with the digital ones.

they werent designed to be used in an enclosed "box", they were designed to be outdoors.

when placed in the"box", the circuit boards...made out of some sort of fiberglass, gets warped from the excess humidity...expands...and shorts it out... or gets water logged..ruined...trash.


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:pacman: - - - -  :pill: :mushroom2: :pill2: :mushroom2: :regularshroom: :mushroomgrow: :pill: :pill2: :mushroom2: :poison:

:sun::heart::sun:

tiny_rabid_birds said:
"your avatar is dirty."

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Re: Question about reptile humidity gauges.. [Re: Anno]
    #469669 -

Well slap me and call me sally, mine sure looks like it uses a metallic coil. No thread in there either. This was an 8 dollar lizard cage humidity gauge from the pet store. Cheapest I could find. Not to be an ass, but most all of the cheap ones I find use a metallic coil, a plastic pointer, and a plastic face.


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Vote Jonnyshaggs in the next election for GOD...Its the responsible choice

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Re: Question about reptile humidity gauges.. [Re: jonnyshaggs420]
    #469720 -

Well, i don?t know.
I only know how my hygrometer and the one my father has look like, and they both use a thread.

Pleas read those links:
http://www.gov.sg/metsin/instruments.html
http://www.weather.brockport.edu/~garyl/esc420.html
http://www.humidorhabana.com/humidifiers2.htm

and last a quote from here http://www.altalabinstrument.com/glossary.html#h

"Hygrometer
An instrument that measures relative humidity. Analog hygrometers (dial type gauge) use a hair or synthetic filament which shrinks and expands in length with changes in RH. A synthetic filament is more accurate full scale. Digital rh sensors may be thin film silicon."


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Grow Mushrooms from Spores - PF-Tek for Simple Minds

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Re: Question about reptile humidity gauges.. [Re: Anno]
    #469726 -

This is the one i got
https://store.holmesproducts.com/detail.asp?titlepic=&PN=HHG175&UID=2001112602203814

do you know if its any good? accurate or long lasting?


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Think for yourself; Question Authority

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Re: Question about reptile humidity gauges.. [Re: TeRzMaStA]
    #469771 -

a FOAF has had a Radio Crack digi hum guage in a box w/ perlite for the past year or so now, with no problems.....
course, he's also doin casings instead of cakes.

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Mushrooms, Mycology and Psychedelics > Mushroom Cultivation
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