[CAUT] Hygrometers

[Paul T Williams]

Hi Jeannie!

Good to hear from you!

That's an interesting observation on the cheapie vs. fancy-schmancy. Maybe 
that "relative-relative" reading is all that I need.  I still don't 
understand why that one particular room feels so muggy, yet doesn't 
register high on the hygrometer.  Maybe I have a lemon?

Best,

Paul




"Jeannie Grassi" <jcgrassi at earthlink.net> 
Sent by: caut-bounces at ptg.org
11/15/2007 09:23 PM
Please respond to
College and University Technicians <caut at ptg.org>


To
"'Ed  Sutton'" <ed440 at mindspring.com>, "'College and University 
Technicians'" <caut at ptg.org>
cc

Subject
Re: [CAUT] Hygrometers






Hi Ed, Paul, et al,
I recently bought one of the “Professional” hygrometers from Pianotek 
because I had heard the same comments from several other people.  Well, 
for the past two months I’ve been using it side by side along with a 
Dampp-chaser hygrometer a/o ones that my clients happen to be using.  I’d 
like to say that the small difference in RH that it reads hardly amounts 
to anything.  AND……it takes quite a while (like five minutes) to settle 
down and give an accurate reading from what it registered in my case, in 
my car, traveling from the last appointment. 
 
At first I would smugly take a reading off of it immediately and was 
surprised at what a different result it gave from what was in the piano. I 
congratulated myself on upgrading my tool and being a true “professional. 
However, one time I just let it sit there while I was tuning and noticed 
how much it changed until it ended up with almost the same as the one in 
the piano.  I observe this every day now.  And I’m asking myself why I 
spent all of that extra money.  One client proudly showed me his 
thermo-hygrometer (with memory) that he bought at Walmart for $6.  It read 
the same as my fancy-schmancy “professional” one. 
 
Comments?  ;>)
jeannie
 

From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Ed 
Sutton
Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2007 3:05 PM
To: College and University Technicians
Subject: Re: [CAUT] Hygrometers
 
How about the "Professional" meter that Pianotek sells?
I like it because it reads quickly and reads lower RH than the Radio Shack 
types.
I haven't compared it to a sling psychrometer. The sling psychrometers I 
have found were rather expensive.
Ed Sutton
 
----- Original Message ----- 
From: John Musselwhite 
To: College and University Technicians 
Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2007 4:41 PM
Subject: Re: [CAUT] Hygrometers
 
At 12:42 PM 11/15/07, Paul wrote:


Hi List, 

I have a couple of those cheap  max-min thermo-hygro readers from 
Pianotek.  I'm not sure if they're very accurate. 

They're more accurate than the Radio Shack ones, but I don't think by 
much.


If you all remember, last fall/winter I sent in some photos of one of our 
recital rooms that Richard West took before I got here with the fog and 
water dripping all over everything.  It hasn't been that bad since I've 
been here, but the last couple of times I've gone in there this past week, 
it feels really muggy, but the hygrometer only registers 40-45% (which 
would be ideal).  Any suggestions on who makes a real accurate reader? 

We have the opposite problem here where Rh can be down into the single 
digits in mid-winter. None of the "standard" humidity gauges go down that 
far. I use a Cooper Digital Psychrometer much like the one down the page 
at http://www.techinstrument.com/acatalog/Hygrometers__RH___humidity_.html 
  (SAMJR995). It's a digital version of a "sling psychrometer", the 
wet/dry bulb unit we use to make truly accurate RH readings. While it's 
supposedly accurate +-5% it still reads down to zero Rh which in worst 
case might actually be 5%. I've read as low as 3% in mid-winter here in 
some churches. In those pianos with DC's installed, sticking it under the 
rim for a minute and pressing the "hold" button shows it's in the 40-43% 
range at the soundboard even with extremely low humidities outside the 
instrument.

I also have a USB recording hygrometer that will track the RH and temp 
over a long period of time. It's at 
http://www.measurementcomputing.com/cbicatalog/USB-502.asp?dept_id=414&pf_id=1759 
. It reads very much like the "standard" units and differs from the 
Psychrometer's readings. I trust the Cooper more for truly accurate 
readings.

                 John


-------------------------------
John Musselwhite, RPT  -  Registered Piano Technician
Musselwhite Piano Services - Calgary, Alberta Canada
Office/cel (403) 246-7717 Fax (403) 255-5268
Outside of Calgary call Toll Free:  1-866-95-PIANO (1-866-957-4266)
"Three Generations of Experience"

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