Thermometer & Hygrometer Calibration

SportChick

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Ok, I'm back again trying to understand my equipment. I have an LG (I know, I know) still air foam incubator. I understand I am aiming for temps ~100.5. I have the top-of-the-egg glass thermometer that came with the incubator and I bought a digital combination thermometer/hygrometer. I also have a dial-type thermometer that I just took out because it seemed so over the top high that it couldn't be right. I do not have my eggs yet, so this is all practice, but they come tomorrow so I do need to get it right.

My thermometers don't match. The digital says 98.6 and the glass one says 102. That is after having moved them to be sure they were in the same place in the incubator. My hygrometer is even worse. I did calibrate them yesterday. In the bag with the cup of salt and water as described they were both very similar -2 and -3 from the 75% it was supposed to be. Now the digital reads 21% and the dial type hygrometer reads 31%.
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Help! Should I order a better thermometer and have it Fed Ex'd or should I average the temps or just pick one to believe and go with it. My digital thermometer/hygrometer is intended for cigars but was moderately expensive so I was going with the notion that it would be more accurate.
 
As far as temp goes, leave one out and see how closely it matches your house gauge - the one on the a/c - heat unit. Hygrometer, the calibration is enough to tell you how much you need to add or deduct. Also replace the batteries before you start and re-calibrate.
 
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But when I calibrated, one hygrometer needed to have 3% points deducted and the other needed 2% points deducted. But now they are 10-15% points apart from each other?? One says my humidity is fine for a dry hatch ~30% and the other says it's way to low at 16% and I should add water.
 
I had the same problems! I can't believe how far off thermometers and hygrometers can be. Before hatching I had assumed they were all correct. What a waste of money! I simply calibrated my hygrometer with the salt and water for 12 hours....and as far as temp I went with the mercury type thermomter...not as easy to ready but my hatch went well.

This is what I'm thinking of ordering...I've heard it's very accurate.
http://hoeggergoatsupply.com/xcart/product.php?productid=3271&cat=0&page=1
 
Here is my best thought. Is the temp variation real. Are there spots in my incubator that are really 102 degrees when there are other spots that are only 98.5? How will my poor eggs survive. I calibrated my hygrometers again and sure enough, now the dial one is off by 10% instead of by 3% which is where it was 2 days ago. The digital seems to still be 2-3% points off. I'm going to follow the digital one and ignore the other one.

I know I am stressing more than necessary. My friends and family think I have gone nuts, but I gotta put my eggs in tonight!
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