How far off have you been?

[Cigarer]

How far have you been when calibrating your hygrometer?

I placed mine in a large Ziploc bag, been 24+ hours with a 69 boveda pack and it reads 68-79

[Nature]

Is it a fresh boveda? Has it been recharged? I did an experiment a few years ago with a boveda pack that had been recharged to the point of being very plump. The RH readings I got with this pack were significantly elevated.

If it a fresh, of normal thickness pack, it is possible the hygrometer could be that far off, but I would verify against another Boveda pack before I go adjusting it. Actually, I would probably do a saturated salt test after checking with another pack; but I won't suggest that since too many variables and not many people have success with it.

[jhedrick83]

Is it in direct sunlight? that can make a difference too.

[Cigarer]

No sunlight, new boveda. Going to try the salt test and see where that puts me I suppose

[Ilroy]

Are there temp swings in your house during the time in question? I notice that even though not in sunlight, the temp swings in my house affect the registered RH on my hygro. I did verify that it is still calibrated...I get about a 5% RH swing throughout the day depending on the temp in the house.

[Cigarer]

No pretty stable and cool. I'm in a basement apartment, it's pretty much been the same temp all spring/summer

[DogRockets]

I gave up on stupid hygrometers a while ago. I went exclusively to a Boveda only humidification strategy. As long as they keep their normal shape, I know my humidity is sitting at 65%. I could never get an accurate reading out of my stupid little machine. So into the trash it went!

[Emperor Zurg]

I gave up on stupid hygrometers a while ago. I went exclusively to a Boveda only humidification strategy. As long as they keep their normal shape, I know my humidity is sitting at 65%. I could never get an accurate reading out of my stupid little machine. So into the trash it went!

^^^ This!!! Except for I didn't throw the useless things away, they are still in there for what reason I don't really know.

I've ended up with this...
I have Heartfelt 65% beads for my reservoir; a tube and a puck in my little cheapie humi and a decent sized rectangular thing in my bigger cheapie humi. I also have a 65% Boveda pack in each one of them. I add water to the beads when they all turn white so that the Boveda lasts longer. Only reason is it's easier to recharge beads than it is to recharge a Boveda pack and these cheap humidors leak humidity pretty good. Now I don't want to hear all the hubbub about how you're not supposed to squirt water on Heartfelt beads because they shatter and blah blah blah. I know all that. I do it anyway. Yes, they do shatter. Who cares. When they all turn to dust I'll get new ones.

In my good little Diamond Crown humidor (my 'good cigar' box) I have one Boveda pack and that seems to keep everything just fine. Plus it lasts forever because a) it's a good humidor that doesn't leak, and b) I hardly ever open it. I seldom smoke a 'good' cigar. I'm too cheap so I just end up hoarding them :p

Each humidor has a hygro but I seldom pay attention to it. Last time the batteries died in one of them it was 6 months before I got around to replacing them. They're still there because they were there before - pretty much no other reason. Maybe they're there because there's a neat little frame on the lid with a cutout that looks like it should have a hygrometer in it.

In my 5 gallon buck-a-dor and my ammo-canidor (both 'seal it and forget it' storage) and also in my pickle-jaridor, I only use Boveda packs. Those also last virtually forever. I probably recharge them once a year. None of these even have a hygrometer in them.

[Nature]

Emperor Zurg this all sounds so familiar.

I do have hygrometers in my humidor/cooler, but like EZ, I think the batteries were dead in one for many months and the other is buried deep within my cooler to be viewed very rarely. I use kitty litter in both of my humidors, except for my habanos are in a compartment within one of the humidors that I use a 62 Boveda. I pour water directly on my kitty litter, and yes I hear them crackle and creak as they soak up water. In my cooler, I recharge the KL when the majority of the crystals have turned white; and again, I just pour a little water over them. I only need to recharge once every 3-6 months, depending upon the season. My wooden humidor gets recharged about every 2 months. My KL is in an aquarium filter mesh bag that I just pour water onto. Now don't take this that I don't care, I only do this after previous experiences have shown that it doesn't really make that much difference.

In reality, I have come to learn that cigars are really much more resilient than what we are sometimes led to believe. I would rather spend my limited free time smoking them, instead of fussing over the exact storage and care.

[Old Smokey]

I use 6 Boveda 62's in my 100 ct humidor holding CC's. In my wineador (170 btl) I use 10# of KL and 2# of HF beads. Both hold very solid needing recharged about every 6 months. I don't use a hygrometer in the humidor, but keep 2 in the wineador.

[Cigarer]

Yeah my hygrometer is way off. Cut a MUWAT tonight, cap fell apart and wrapper split on me, definitely dry. I've had good luck with my xikar crystals, however I ordered heartfelt beads that came in today, I think I'll use them, and a boveda if needed

[allusred]

Emperor Zurg this all sounds so familiar.

I do have hygrometers in my humidor/cooler, but like EZ, I think the batteries were dead in one for many months and the other is buried deep within my cooler to be viewed very rarely. I use kitty litter in both of my humidors, except for my habanos are in a compartment within one of the humidors that I use a 62 Boveda. I pour water directly on my kitty litter, and yes I hear them crackle and creak as they soak up water. In my cooler, I recharge the KL when the majority of the crystals have turned white; and again, I just pour a little water over them. I only need to recharge once every 3-6 months, depending upon the season. My wooden humidor gets recharged about every 2 months. My KL is in an aquarium filter mesh bag that I just pour water onto. Now don't take this that I don't care, I only do this after previous experiences have shown that it doesn't really make that much difference.
In reality, I have come to learn that cigars are really much more resilient than what we are sometimes led to believe. I would rather spend my limited free time smoking them, instead of fussing over the exact storage and care.

Could not agree more with this.
"In reality, I have come to learn that cigars are really much more resilient than what we are sometimes led to believe. I would rather spend my limited free time smoking them, instead of fussing over the exact storage and care."

At one time paid attention to Humidity and Temperature.Fans in Coolidor, KL. Cigars in bpxes. unboxed, in cello without cello...etc,etc.
Then, recalling all the years that I had just purchased boxes of cigars and smoked them, then picked up more that were destined to meet the same fate.
Enjoyed smoking cigars.
Figured there really was no reas"In reality, I have come to learn that cigars are really much more resilient than what we are sometimes led to believe. I would rather spend my limited free time smoking them, instead of fussing over the exact storage and care".[/QUOTE]
on to obsess over how they might become depreesed if temp or humidity was off by a more than a degree.
Cigars are bunched up dead leaves...not Snowflakes. No need to provide colouring books, crayons and comfort food along with soothing music for them.
Maybe it's the idea that needing to have all the latest bright shiny things tends to finish with those posssessions owning you.
At least in terms of time spent care and feeding of them.
Less really can be more.
Right now now I've my entire stash of 54 cigars in one humidor, and with but five varieties to choose from spend more time smoking them than deciding which to burn.