Hydrometers

godeep

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Hygrometers

Does anyone know the make or brand of a good hygrometer that gives accurate readings? I have read that analog are no good and digital give varied results. I have 3 solid wood ukes and live in CA where the humidity is low. Maybe it is time to protect them.
 
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The best thing you can do is perform a forum search for "hygrometer," because the topic has come up frequently. There have been some interesting discussions that I don't remember well enough to reiterate here, and I believe someone once did a comparative test of various hygrometers. I use an Oasis digital hygrometer for my ukulele cases and a Radio Shack digital hygrometer for the room in which I keep my ukes. I haven't had the opportunity to test the accuracy of these hygrometers or to compare them to analog hygrometers.

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The oasis hygrometer is available at Amazon.com, either by itself or with an Oasis case humidifier.


P.S. Although it's clear from your question that you're asking about hygrometers, your thread heading says "hydrometers" (which measures the specific gravity/denisty of liquids, not humidity).
 
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I have an Ameritage case that comes with a digital hygrometer. I also have an analog that hangs on a wall at home. The digital and analog readings are pretty much spot on. You can order one from the Ameritage website. It's a littly pricey ($35 I think) but it'll last forever, and save your ukes if you watch it and put a humidifier in you case when it goes below 45%. Those are cheap at $5-$7. Hope this answers your question.
 
Even if your hygrometer is not perfectly accurate, given that an ideal relative humidity is 50 percent, and ten points up or down should not cause any issues, you are probably safe if your inaccurate hygrometer is close to 50 percent.

There are lots of ways to prevent issues with dryness. One is to keep your instruments in their cases when not in use. Another is keep instruments away from heaters and cold air. So, avoid air-conditioners, space-heaters, heat registers or radiators, direct sunlight, etc...

High elevations are also detrimental. The higher elevation you live, the more likely you are to have problems.
 
I tend to research obsessively and I had trouble finding a well-reviewed hygrometer at a price I was willing to pay, especially since I'm picky about where I will buy online. I finally threw all my research out the window--I went to a local cigar shop and spent $19 on the only hygrometer they sold, a XIKAR circular digital hygrometer. The store uses it in all their cigar cases, so I figured if they were willing to risk their inventory on it, it should be fine for my ukulele. Looks like you can get it online for a couple of dollars less than I paid, even after you pay for shipping.
 
I use a cheap analog Hygrometer and I calibrated it using "the salt in the zip loc bag method".

Just put salt in a bottle cap or small cup, add a little water to make a dry slush and seal it in a zip-loc bag with the Hygrometer. This will create a 75% humidity level in about 4-6 hours. You can then calibrate your Hygrometer's reading to this.

The humidity level in Sacramento is 65% which is about right for a solid wood Ukulele.
 
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