Looking for good thermometer/hygrometer for screened cage

[cstorms]

I have a small screened cage, with a large one on the way. I have a cheap little thermometer that I have been using to try and take readings and I can't help but think it's inaccurate. What is a good reliable thermometer/hygrometer that I can buy? Thanks!

 

[Trillian]

Is it one of the disc ones? They are pretty unreliable, I think, although there are ways to calibrate the hygrometer if you search, sorry, I can't remember who wrote the calibration guide! I think a few people use the regular digital thermometer/hygrometer from Walmart, but pretty much any digital therm/hyg with probes will be a good start. You certainly don't need to get expensive reptile ones. I get ridiculously cheap ones from eBay, just a small rectangular display with temp/humidity and a probe coming out the back. I think they were $3. Probably not desperately accurate, but good enough, and you can get a few to get good readings over different areas of the enclosure.

 

[Wykd]

Avoid digital hygrometers, they are not calibratable and unless its a lab quality hygrometer there is no guaranty it will be correct. So don't waste your $$ on something just because its digital, I have never understood why people ASSUME digital means accurate.

Calibrating Hygrometers

You can get any thermo/hygro combo etc.. and follow the steps in the link above and get the results you need. Its not the cost of the hygrometer that makes it good its the calibration.

 

[Trillian]

Avoid digital hygrometers, they are not calibratable and unless its a lab quality hygrometer there is no guaranty it will be correct. So don't waste your $$ on something just because its digital, I have never understood why people ASSUME digital means accurate.

Calibrating Hygrometers

You can get any thermo/hygro combo etc.. and follow the steps in the link above and get the results you need. Its not the cost of the hygrometer that makes it good its the calibration.

I thought it was your blog! Thank you!

 

[cstorms]

Avoid digital hygrometers, they are not calibratable and unless its a lab quality hygrometer there is no guaranty it will be correct. So don't waste your $$ on something just because its digital, I have never understood why people ASSUME digital means accurate.

Calibrating Hygrometers

You can get any thermo/hygro combo etc.. and follow the steps in the link above and get the results you need. Its not the cost of the hygrometer that makes it good its the calibration.

Great! So which one should I get?

 

[cstorms]

I ended up getting a zoo med therm/hygrometer.. I just have one question for calibrating and I'm not sure that it even makes a difference..

When I put everything into the ziplock bag, do I want to leave some air in there or try to squeeze as much out as possible?

 

[Wykd]

you can leave the air in the bag is no problem

I dont recall if I mentioned it or not, but on the back of the most dial setups they are brass and have a small slit a flat head screw driver will fit in. However some are just round discs and you need some needle nose or small pliers to turn... gently.

 

[cstorms]

I didn't see anything on the back of mine except for a little strip of velcro

 

[Wykd]

is it a dial or digital? dial combos should be open in the back where the center of the dials would be. You would see a round brass part and thats how its adjusted . If there is no opening on the back its not adjustable so you cant calibrate it/set it, but you can see how off it is and know the difference to add/subtract

 

[Carlton]

Avoid digital hygrometers, they are not calibratable and unless its a lab quality hygrometer there is no guaranty it will be correct. So don't waste your $$ on something just because its digital, I have never understood why people ASSUME digital means accurate.

Calibrating Hygrometers

You can get any thermo/hygro combo etc.. and follow the steps in the link above and get the results you need. Its not the cost of the hygrometer that makes it good its the calibration.

This is such a common concern and your info on calibration is really helpful! Could we have the administrators please make that info into a sticky note so we can refer others to it?

 

[cstorms]

is it a dial or digital? dial combos should be open in the back where the center of the dials would be. You would see a round brass part and thats how its adjusted . If there is no opening on the back its not adjustable so you cant calibrate it/set it, but you can see how off it is and know the difference to add/subtract

Yea its a dial with no way to open it. I calibrated it yesterday and it ended up just over 80. I put it back into the bag and I'm going to check it later to see if it changes. If it ends up around 81/82 again then I'll know to subtract 6/7 degrees, right? Thanks for your help!!

 

[Wykd]

yup just place it in same spot you did it in yesterday room temperature/sunlight etc play factor in it