Damppchasers

[Kenneth W. Burton]

      To all who have to cope with great humidity variations throughout
the cycle of the year:

      I live in Canada on the great central plains where winter
temperatures often reach minus 30 degrees.

      I am servicing a new Yamaha G2 in a church. Of course, you know
that a church is like a desert in the winter when the heating system
dries out the air completely. I installed a Damppchaser to protect the
piano and provide tuning stability. I also made sure that the piano was
kept closed when not in use and that it was covered with a good
leatherette and cloth cover.

      This is the third winter for the piano and there is no tuning
stability. Yesterday, when I tuned it, the R.H. in the room was 29% and I
had to raise the pitch 10 cents. On November 9, the last time I tuned it,
the R.H. was also 29% and I had to raise the pitch 8 cents.

      This is making me very sceptical about the effectiveness of the
Damppchaser. Is it worth bothering with?

      Comments will be greatly appreciated.

      Ken Burton,
     Calgary, Alberta