Rob - Thanks for the information. I'll probably order a couple. At that price, it's a pretty good deal, even if they don't work! Still, there are some other considerations. Manufacturer's specs aside, you really don't know how accurate a particular device is unless you have a more reliable one to compare it to. This goes all the way up the chain. You can spend significant sums for a measuring instrument, and then almost double that price to have it arrive with written certification. At some point, we're looking for a balance between reliable functionality and rational objectives. Are we looking for something to help us make a point to the mildly interested customer? Tracking the conditions under which we operate to anticipate/comprehend the nature of our task, or try to make a point to a 'mildly' disinterested administrator? In this second case, I offer a recent example: I tuned (after pitch lowering about 20 cents) in a 2 year-old synagogue building (congregation is considerably older than 2 years), where, with the A/C maintaining a temperature of around 70 degrees, the RH was 80%!! I considered that my gauge was faulty, so I took it into an adjoining room (different air handling unit) and RH reading immediately dropped to 55%. The point being that, if I'm going to initiate a process between the facilities management and the HVAC contractor, I get only one chance to be credible. If I have to backtrack and say "Oh, sorry, my gauge mis-spoke", it's over. My current gauge, is an Extech RH390 http://www.extech.com/instruments/product.asp?catid=37&prodid=160 I like it for two reasons in particular: - it reads from 0% to 100% - specs as accuracy of 2& +/- (within the mid range...less accurate at extremes, but doesn't go blank below, say 20% or 14%) I paid $190 for it...basically list price. (That's my version of 'coming out'.) For more, I could have gotten the same item with the calibration certification. Quite a bit more than the $25.00 current price for the Thermoworks pen, however, Thermoworks also has a 6000 series (6002) which seems to have similar specs to the Extech unit (0-100 % RH; +/- 2%) and costs only about $100. Good to know, next time a drop mine down a storm drain, a favorite pastime. Is it worth it? To me, it is, for reasons specified. Mine actually did stop working during the warrantee period. Dealer sent me another one, with the same terms as Rob's experience: "Don't send the other back, just throw it out". Admittedly, this is good public relations, but it also suggests that the economic model for manufacturing even "precision" equipment has changed. Some level of quality control is probably built into the production line, and any non-compliant output is more easily replaced than corrected. What does that say about actual production costs? In Asia? David Skolnik, RPT Hastings on Hudson, NY At 04:22 AM 9/8/2012, you wrote: >I know there was a recent thread on data loggers of humidity, etc. > >I have a Thermoworks pocket hygrometer which has worked beautifully >for the last 2.5 years until this last week. I wrote to them about >no temp or humidity being displayed -- just dashes. I changed >batteries, reset the device, etc. So I wrote the company to ask how >much it would cost to fix it. Their reply? > >--- >"The unit does have a standard one year warranty against factory >defects, however the unit should not stop reading in this manner. I >will go ahead and send you a replacement at no charge to the same >address listed on the original order at your company location. You >should receive the unit in a few days. There is no need to send back >the other unit, you can dispose of it at your location as desired." >--- > >I received a shipping invoice moments later with a tracking number. >The whole thing transpired over about 2 hours. > >So, despite having great products, they also have great customer >service and they stand behind their products... I didn't think there >were any companies left that did this... :-) > >Here's the unit I have... > >http://www.thermoworks.com/products/humidity/rt819.html > >I'm a bigger fan now... > >Regards, > >Rob McCall > >McCall Piano Service, LLC >www.mccallpiano.com >Murrieta, CA >951-698-1875
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