DaveH
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Registered: 12-23-2005
Location: Birmingham, UK
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Hygrometer advice wanted
Does anyone have experience with these? I currently have an analogue one in the room in which I keep my instruments but I'm scared of damaging some of
the more fragile ones. I read most analogue hygrometers are only accurate to around 10%. I'm looking for an accurate but reasonably cheap digital one
for monitoring room humidity levels.
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fernandraynaud
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You are worried about 10%? If you measure to 2%, then what? Let me mention a harpsichord story. A concert harpsichordist was bemoaning the fact that
in spite of his $10,000 electronic humidifier whenever he left on vacation something always went wrong and he would come home to another crack in a
soundboard on very expensive instruments. He consulted a wise luthier/harpsichord specialist who gave him his own recipe that never failed. For each
harpsichord or clavichord or large lute he says dedicate one galvanized steel bucket and a pile of newspapers. You place a bucket under each
instrument, roll up the newspapers like logs, then stand them up in the bucket. You pour water in the buckets close the room, and you go on vacation.
I rather believe 10% is accurate enough as you can't likely control the humidity any better.
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Marcus
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Hi DaveH 
if you want a really accurate measuring, you should use a Hair-Hygrometer! But they are expensive and need regulary maintenance. But,like Tony
says,10% deviation are good enough!!
Cheers,
Marcus
Playing the oud is like feeding my soul with peace
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jdowning
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A good sling psychrometer will give an RH reading of around plus/minus 3%. Not sure what the commercial units cost but you can make your own from a
couple of thermometers (see the first part of topic "Measuring Relative Humidity - D.I.Y." page 11 on this forum).
A bit inconvenient to use as it doesn't give a direct reading of RH.
Therefore, I use a relatively low cost digital indoor/outdoor weather station that reads indoor RH in my workshop as well as a cheap analogue unit in
the kitchen where I do some work during the winter months. The readings on these units coincide quite closely and have been verified against my home
made sling psychrometer. I have yet another key ring sized mini digital weather station in my library - where my instruments are kept - that reads
about 8% RH too low after calibration - so I just add that discrepancy each time I take a reading.
I have no climate control in my house so RH can range anywhere from 45% in Winter (in a heated kitchen) to about 80%+ during Summer. However, checking
the RH gives me a good idea about when it is best (and when not) to undertake instrument assembly work - so is a useful measurement even though I do
not have direct control over humidity levels.
The instruments in the library (where the RH does not drop below about 55% year round) seem to fare quite well although during those days in the
extreme heat and humidity of Summer I will usually not subject the instruments to the additional stress of being played until more comfortable
conditions prevail.
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DaveH
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Thanks John - yes, I'm not looking for absolute accuracy, but the 10% (or probably more) potential error of the garden variety I have at the moment is
the difference between a strained but humming 45% and a nice crack. As convenience is important I think the dry bulb/wet bulb variety is probably not
exactly suitable.
I guess I'll just plump for a mid-price digital hygrometer which claim an accuracy of around 5%. A min/max function is probably useful as central
heating is the main culprit in winter and that causes regular fluctuations at times when I might not be checking.
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Kelly
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Hi Dave
I also use cheap digital hygrmeter/thermometer of the £6 ebay kind I find accurate enough tho' in my house in Manchester NW England tis the wet wet
not dry which is problematic certainly in winter. I put the wood burner on- coz I'm too mean for central heating!
I try silica gel pouches also in the hard cases too.
Kelly
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DaveH
Oud Junkie
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Thanks Kelly. Dryness is my problem (though it's not a lot less damp down here!) and I find the wood burner actually dries the air out even more than
the central heating - I guess drawing cold air in from outside and heating it up, reducing the relative humidity. But, as I've noted before, there
seems to be a period every winter (it was feb this year) where it's clear and dry outside, the wood burner is going and my garden gauge is down to
about 40% and my old oud sounds a lot brighter than the rest of the year. I use plastic trays with cheap sponges to get the humidity back up if I
think it needs it.
As you know though I've a special reason to make sure things don't get too dry now! I'm guessing you're going to have a similar problem soon. 
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Kelly
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Registered: 1-30-2007
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Hi Dave
Do we need a new thread for old ouds? Having said that I have a few old violins hanging about on walls and nary a crack or a groan from them tho' I
guess the varnishing on the outside is doing its job at least.
However, instruments are there to be played and as long as we are treating them with respect and practice reasonable care in handling and storage then
they last as long as they do.
Looking forward to meeting up in the next couple of weeks- now back to some practice- where was I?........ Ah yes bayati........
Kelly
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Alan
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There are a lot of digital units that show temperature and relative humidity. They are fairly inexpensive and pretty acurate.
ThermoWorks company who makes the thermapen instant read thermometer has a hygometer that works very well and is not too expensive. Their products
are very good and are used in the food industry by professionals and inspectors. Here is a link to their hygometer
http://thermoworks.com/products/humidity/rt819.html
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dubai244
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Hi Dave,
I should be worry 100 times more than you.
Where i live the temperature is 45 - 50 C in the summar and beside the heat is saturated with Salty humidty from the ocean .... ?!. I protect my ouds
by always keep them in my bed and never take them of my room and close the courtins and i never had any problem.
No matter how low is the temperature, Do not keep the instrument directly under sun light, and even next to the window which sun light can go
through.
Thanks
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