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

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.