SensorPush calibration question when using Boveda 65% RH packs.

[Wolfpack]

Hi everyone. Happy Holidays.

 

I’ve got a calibration question for you folks that use SensorPush Hydrometers and Boveda packs.

 

All of my sensors were carefully calibrated using Boveda calibration kits at 75%RH, and seemed to be working perfectly when I was keeping my cigars at 69%RH.

 

Recently, I switched to 65%RH, and it seems that my sensors are all reading high. I tried to test them by running 2 sets of calibrations.

 

First, I zeroed them using a sealed bag, and a Boveda 75 pack, and them re-ran the test using a fresh Boveda 65 pack. Again, all of the sensors read over 3% high in a stable dark environment - after being zeroed at 75% RH.

 

During the test, I dropped in 2 small digital Zykar units, which within 72 hours read 75 with the Boveda 75 packs, and 65 with the Boveda 65 packs (+/- 1%).

 

My original thought was maybe to calibrate (zero) my SensorPush hydrometers to the humidity level that I am expecting to achieve - in this case 65, even though they recommend 75.

 

Anyone else ha e this issue, or ideas on what may be happening.

 

Thanks.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Riverstyx]

I’m having a similar issue with my SensorPush and beads.  Trying a few things, but no solution. I’m interested to hear what others say 

[luvdunhill]

I have had very quick responses from them, you might just ask. I would also try orienting them with the hole on the back being unobstructed, for example facing up. I find the orientation and the nearness of objects to the hole to influence the reading.

[Wolfpack]

Thanks. I just emailed them, and yes, I agree that the orientation does seem to influence them initially, buy after a while in a sealed space they seem level out is the hole in not blocked.

For the test that I ran, I used the small Boveda acrylic box, with the false vented acrylic floor - with the sensors standing up over the humidity packs under the vented floor - on the vented acrylic floor. Hole on top - not blocked - and waited 72 hours. Also taped the edges of the top to avoid any leakage.


Usually sent from Sunny South Florida using tapatalk.

[luvdunhill]

If they are out of spec, which I think is 3%, you might just “push” for a return.

[Wolfpack]

Strange thing is - when calibrated to 75 using the Boveda Kit, they are good reading humidly to about 69. Lower than that, they start slipping, and the gap starts growing. I own over 10 sensors, and they all behave the same.

 

Has anyone tried to calibrate the at 65RH, which to me would make sense, since that’s where I want to store my cigars. Maybe then, whatever slippage in reading I get would be at or below 60, which wouldn’t matter.

 

Case in point. When calibrated at 75, they ready about 70 with a 69 pack, but then read 68, with a 65 pack. Seems like, they are good only close to the actual calibrated RH, or zeroed starting point, and as we get further away, they become much less accurate.

 

Either way, I’m going to try the new Boveda wireless units with app and see if they are any better.

 

 

Anyone had any experience with these?

 

Usually sent from sunny South Florida using Tapatalk.

 

[CrankYanker]

I have never had a problem with my SensorPush sensors. They have all ready pretty spot on as well. I calibrated them right out of the box and they were good. If they are reading out of spec I would either purchase another or see if they will replace it. 

On the Boveda item I believe that just came out so fairly new still. 

[Wolfpack]

What humid do you run? Crank.


Usually sent from sunny South Florida using Tapatalk.

[CrankYanker]

1 hour ago, Wolfpack said:

What humid do you run? Crank.


Usually sent from sunny South Florida using Tapatalk.

I have 3 boxes setup. Two at 62% and one at 65%  

[planetary]

I find that I have needed to re-calibrate my SenorPush sensors after a few months in the humidor at 65 F and 65% RH.  They're adjusted to -5% and -6% RH to agree with the bazillion other calibrated digital hygrometers I'd accumulated.

[davex]

What a load of old tosh.

62%, 65%, 68%, it is a nonsense perpetrated by people who sell this stuff. The difference to the cigars is negligible over such a small range.

unless you’ve spent hundreds on real scientific instruments the best you will get is ballpark, say +- 10%.

as for Boveda packs, I use them, but it’s just daft to think they can actually be that precise.

would be interested to hear how those folks who have such precise RH levels manage to maintain the temperature, and what they use to measure it.

[luvdunhill]

unless you’ve spent hundreds on real scientific instruments the best you will get is ballpark, say +- 10%

If a manufacturer claims a certain precision, despite the price point, why can’t we expect them to hit it?

as for Boveda packs, I use them, but it’s just daft to think they can actually be that precise.

We aren’t talking about their humidification products here, but their new measurement sensors.

[Wolfpack]

I find that I have needed to re-calibrate my SenorPush sensors after a few months in the humidor at 65 F and 65% RH.  They're adjusted to -5% and -6% RH to agree with the bazillion other calibrated digital hygrometers I'd accumulated.

That what I’m doing.


Usually sent from sunny South Florida using Tapatalk.

[luvdunhill]

I agree that the orientation does seem to influence them initially, buy after a while in a sealed space they seem level out

Just curious, how do you place them in your humidor? It seems best to stick them lying on their back, which oddly for reasons I can’t explain also differs from when they stand on their sides.

[zeedubbya]

Just curious, how do you place them in your humidor? It seems best to stick them lying on their back, which oddly for reasons I can’t explain also differs from when they stand on their sides.

Lets be honest here, you didn’t need to actually get that question answered, just wanted to show us a wine cooler full of 50 Cabs! Haha! Don’t take this the wrong way—I am jealous!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[luvdunhill]

Lets be honest here, you didn’t need to actually get that question answered, just wanted to show us a wine cooler full of 50 Cabs! Haha! Don’t take this the wrong way—I am jealous!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

In my defense, we don’t have a “Post Pictures of Your 10-year old Purchase that you will part with over your dead body” thread

[Wolfpack]

Usually sideways with the hole facing up. I'm trying the Boveda product because it has a dual calibration feature - which allows one to calibrate the same sensor at 75 and at 32 during the calibration process. Maybe by taking an average high and low zero point we might get more accurate results as we get further away from our calibration point.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Wolfpack]

Also, I just invested in a fisher scientific certified hydrometer - lab tested and certified to with +/- .5% RH. I am expecting it next week and am very curious to see if our Boveda packs are really that accurate in regulating humidity. My concern is actually not pegging humidity perfectly, but making sure my range in my Winaador is where I want it.

I have temp swings of about 4F once per day when the cooling cycle runs, and during that period, my humidity crashes a bit, and i use an Aristocrat Humidity device to bring it back up. I just don't want it to ever go over 69, and keep an average of about 65. If I'm off by 3% in RH because of the sensor push issue, I would like to know. I may not be sending enough humidity because I'm reading 70, but it's probably closer to 67. And my average may be closer to 62 instead of my desired 65.

My feeling is that the Sensorpush product has a tight tolerance close to its calibrated point - and the. Starts slipping the farther away you get.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Martin_F]

I've been noticing the same phenomenon as the OP.

When I got my SensorPush, I used a 72% Boveda and it was spot on. So I put it in my ziploc bags with cigars and 65% Bovedas. I've been noticing that the readings were off, but just though that the cigars must have been to moist, as they were recent purchases. Over the course of a few weeks, it still didn't make sense.

So yesterday I re-calibrated the SensorPush with a 65% boveda pack and it was off around 5%. I'll leave it in there for another day or two to be sure and then save the offset in the app.

To me it makes sense to calibrate the hygrometer as close to the range being used as possible. Most people use 70% or 72% as their humidity for cigars. So I can understand why SensorPush would try to pre-calibrate their sensors around that range.

I always place the sensor push on one of the short sides, exposing both holes for airflow.

[fitzy]

Hmmm I haven't noticed this yet but that doesn't mean it isn't also happening to me as well. I'll have to recalibrate at 65% and see what happens. 

[fitzy]

Ok so I originally calibrated at 75%. After seeing these posts I put my sensor push in a the Boveda zip lock and used a 65% instead of the 75%. After 24 hours I’ve found I’m at about 67.5. So I think I’ll leave it for another 24 hours and if it stays the same I’ll adjust it down to 65%

[LordAnubis]

I think this is the problem with a single point calibration on something that may not be a linear slope.

You should be calibrating within the range you’re looking to read. So calibrate from 60 to 75, to read a range of 65-70. I don’t buy the cheap hygrometers anymore. Just use bovedas and let them be. Feel your sticks to determine wet or dry.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[BDSpiritual1]

Funny I stumbled across this post because I'm experiencing the same thing. I actually sent bluestream an email today.

In my tupperdor I'm running 65% bovedas packs and my Butler was reading 70% for about 2 days. I've read tupperdor can run higher so I decided to reorganize everything and am currently waiting to see what it stabilizes to after a day or so. I have another digital Hygrometers in there which is about 4/5% lower but when the butler started reading 70%, the digital stayed at 60% which really confused me.

The butler I have in my humidor with non-cubans running 69% Boveda packs seems stable around 69/70% so I don't know what's going on with the other one.

When I calibrated against 75%,  they seemed to be pretty good but now reading all these posts, maybe I should calibrate against the 65% packs. Maybe I'll drop them in with a Boveda packs to see what it stabilizes to first before stabilizing.

So, is the recommendation to calibrate using the desired level you want? So, for 65% calibrate against 65% instead of 75%?

 

[Derboesekoenig]

The way that Bovedas work, it should not matter which % you use, as you are just confirming the numbers on the hygrometer itself. If one hygrometer reads different than another, you could still use it, just make a note of the difference (if you can't properly calibrate/change it).

[slowsmoke]

This is a little late to help OP, but maybe worth it for posterity's sake... if the readings you are getting with a new boveda pack (or multiple packs) don't make sense, test the packs individually.

When I first decided to try 65%, I ordered a four pack from Amazon.  I nearly lost my mind over the following weeks, trying to figure out why the RH wouldn't come down, before I finally tested each of the packs individually.  What do you know, three of the four packs were actually 69%.  They were just completely mislabeled and mispackaged.  I called Boveda, and they acted like "gee we've never heard of that happening" but they overnighted me a new 4 pack no questions asked, and sure enough, the new ones were all perfect 65%.

Also worth mentioning that Boveda claims the 75% calibration kits are accurate to within +/-0.5%, but the regular packs are +/-1.0%.  The temp you calibrate at might also have an effect on the sensorpush accuracy, I try to calibrate at the same temp I store at.

And now of course with CC I am down a whole new rabbit hole of trying to maintain 60-63%, in a place where the ambient humidity regularly runs higher than that...