Hova-Bator 1602N Thermal Air incubator temp issues

[Chickety Charcoal]

I am using the Hova-Bator 1602N and have finally gotten the temps somewhat stable after a week of adjusting. The digital thermometer provided sits on the bottom side of the tray out of the way of the auto turner- it reads 99.5F. The glass bulb thermometer provided is sitting on top of empty turner- it reads close to 101, maybe 100.7F. Which one do I correct to? I want to get this right as I have a box of coturnix quail eggs ready to be set.
The incubator takes a long time to get back up to temp after it is opened to add water in the tray. It doesn't seem to get back to the exact temp it was before I opened it either. I am concerned that these fluctuations will cause havoc. It's the only incubator I've got and I have to get them in today or tomorrow so I guess I have no choice.
Anyone else have experience with this particular one or have any advice on how to proceed?

 

[GOLD]

The glass bulb thermometer is garbage! they are extremely inaccurate. With that being said, the digital one can also be inaccurate. I recommend going out a buying a couple new ones

 

[Chickety Charcoal]

I set the eggs and started the incubating process. Currently the digi and glass thermometers are right next to each other on top of the eggs. Glass reads 100F and digi fluctuates from 99.1 up to 99.8 and sometimes down to 98.7. Crossing my fingers...

 

[ChickenLegs13]

When you get the eggs set give it several hours to stabalize before you start jacking with the temperature. Right now you're running a bit on the cool side but that will probably change when you fill it with eggs.
My 1602 is forced air and I shoot for 100. The temp doesn't stay steady, it varies by about 1*. As long as it ranges 99.3-101.3 I don't worry. When it gets down in the 98 range or above 101 I adjust it slightly. With a still air 101 is the magic number, measured @ top of egg height in the middle of the bator.
Wafer thermostats are sensitive to barometric changes, so if the weather changes it will run hotter or cooler depending on if it was a high pressure front or a low front that blows through and you may need to tweak it slightly. Don't pull your hair out over it trying to maintain a steady temp, just pay attention when the dips start getting low or the peaks start getting high, and tweak it then. Quail eggs have less mass so dips & peaks affect them more than it does chicken eggs.
When adding water use warm water and it shouldn't take more than 5-10 minutes for the temp to get back where it was. When incubating quail I don't use any water and the humidity stays around 20-25% (I live in a damp enviroment) Then at lockdown I only fill up channel #1 and hatch at about 57-59% humidity. They pip & zip quicker than chickens so you don't have to worry about them drying out & sticking plus they dry off quicker.
That's the way I do it, hope that helps you some.

 

[Chickety Charcoal]

The temp doesn't stay steady, it varies by about 1*. As long as it ranges 99.3-101.3 I don't worry. When it gets down in the 98 range or above 101 I adjust it slightly. .... Don't pull your hair out over it trying to maintain a steady temp, just pay attention when the dips start getting low or the peaks start getting high, and tweak it then. Quail eggs have less mass so dips & peaks affect them more than it does chicken eggs.

Thank you. That does help. The temps I mentioned above were already with eggs stabilized in the bator. So I will adjust to a slightly higher temp. I was worried about going over 100F but I won't be now. The humidity was up in the 70's with channel #1 filled so I am letting out some air through the red plugs to drop it back down. I had thought the 50's was a good range for humidity during incubation, then up from there for hatch.

 

[ChickenLegs13]

Even after you pull the plugs it will take several days for the water to dry out, so I'd go ahead and take about 5 minutes to open the bator and dump the channel and get everything re-stablized because when you remove the extra water you'll probably have to tweak the temp again. 70% is a bit too high during incubation, you'll have large sluggish wet gooey chicks that have problems zipping. Best to go ahead and do it early in the hatch and the next 14 days or whatever will be uneventful and you should have more healthy chicks.
Good luck to ya!

 

[Chickety Charcoal]

Tomorrow I put my 52 eggs on lockdown!

 

[ChickenLegs13]

Cool! Hope you have a bator full of quick zipping healthy active chicks!

 

[Chickety Charcoal]

Day 17 and I woke up to one chick resting on the wire! I didn't expect to see anything but hoped to at least see a pip- what a surprise! I left for work with no other activity to be seen but since have been getting text reports of a second one that hatched and a third egg wiggling. Good news.

My humidity is low though. I have been struggling to keep that up. When I add water the number jumps to 40-50% but then in a few hours it drops into the 20's. I guess I have a dry house. When I left it was at 27%. Too low right? When I get home tonight I will add more water when I take out the chicks. Is this too long to wait to raise the humidity? Does it matter at this point?

 

[ChickenLegs13]

Yes, it matters, too low and the chicks might dry out and stick inside the shell.
Fill both channels up with water, that should hold it for a day or so.
When you first add water the humidity gets real high but after an hour or so as the temp re adjusts the humidity drops quite a bit then stabilizes for a day or so until the water channels dry up again.
Least that's the way my Hovarbator works but I'm in a very humid area.