Brinsea Temps Help

[enggass]

Question for current users of the Brinsea Octagon 20 users. I have the Eco model and am doing some pre-trials to make sure the temps is just right.
I have the built in thermometer reading right around 100º, but I have 2 other digital thermometers reading around 99.1 and 98.6. It occurred to me that the built in one is high up in the unit just under the fan. Would this account for the temp difference? and if so, which should I go by if trying to hit 99.5º?

Also, I have filled the water troughs 3/4 way full and am trying to get the humidity right. It is struggling with the slider at 'half mast'. What are you all doing to get the adequate humidity and may I ask what %s are you aiming for?

Thanks,
Steve

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Hi Steve,
I'm on my first hatch with the Brinsea 20. I asked the same question. I was told to go with the pre-built Brinsea thermometer. It was explained to me that this came from the FACTORY to tell the temp at that area.

I trust the people on this site. My Brinsea says it's 99.9 in there. My digital down below says 97.0. I'll tell you in 13 days if we were right!

Also... I'm aiming for about 35% humidity. I've had it down to 3% though cause I ran out of water. I've got a wood stove and a pellet stove going and it's been cold and dry up here... I have to fill it every other day.

 

[enggass]

Thanks. With your humidity at 35%, how full are your water troughs and how far open do you have the slider?
What % humidity are you going to try and reach for Lockdown. I've heard 60%, but that may seem a challenge to reach - maybe with the addition of some paper towel going between troughs or the addition of a sponge?

 

[superchemicalgirl]

I have one trough full. I fill it with a 10 ml syringe with needle on the end to get in between my eggs so I don't have to take the (over)full basket of eggs out.

I'll be aiming for about 65% at lockdown - people have stated to use a sponge, a maxipad (no, seriously) or some papertowels in the bottom soaked during this time.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Sorry missed the slider vent question. It's a little less than half open.

 

[debilorrah]

Well since I can't SEE the factory one, I use another with BIG numbers.

 

[BlacksheepCardigans]

I'm near you too, near enough for the weather to be about the same, and with one trough full I'm getting 35-40% RH. And yes, the Springfield-type thermometers will read 99.1 when the Brinsea thermometer reads 100. I would bet my setup looks very much like yours! I don't know where you are in your incubation right now but last week when we had all that rain I barely had any water loss in the trough. Now that it's colder and dryer I'm having to re-fill it about every 48 hours. I let it go dry experimentally and the RH went down into the mid-20s.

For hatching, fill both troughs and you'll probably also have to use a sponge. I also have to open it once a day during lockdown to refill it with hot water. I keep the vent 2/3 open and once they start hatching I open it all the way. I really think with a Brinsea a daily opening is OK, because you recover the humidity so fast because there's not as much air space. With one of the big styrofoam incubators there's this huge amount of air that has to get moistened and the membranes start to dry and harden before the correct humidity is reached again; the octagons only have to moisten a little and they recover RH very fast. You want over 65% during the last three days, WITH the vent at least halfway open and 2/3 is better. Never close the vent to try to up the humidity; add more water or surface area instead.

 

[enggass]

Quote:
How did you know I was using a Springfield and that it was the one reading 99.1? You must be psychic How accurate is the Hygrometer on your Springfield? I did the salt test and got 70º. -5º off.

 

[BlacksheepCardigans]

Quote:
Ha! No, I just know you're in midcoast Maine which means Walmart was where you went for a hygrometer

. I've done that Route 1 drive too many times to count (my parents have a place in Machias) so I figured you probably went to the Ellsworth Walmart and got a Springfield one, and I'm sitting here looking at a Springfield thermometer reading 99.1.

I didn't calibrate mine - I read all the threads on calibration and saw that nobody's was more than five or six points off and that's enough of a ballpark for me. I did buy two of them and put them in the same incubator and they were within a point or two of each other. Combined with the bigger one in my basement so I know the house humidity, I have enough to know that it's in the acceptable range now and enough to get it higher later.

 

[enggass]

Walmart - YES. I'm actually near Rockland, Maine - about 2 hrs south of Ellsworth on the coast. Thanks for the tips!
Steve