jarich
03-19-12, 02:05 PM
I thought it might be interesting to discuss digital vs analog readers like hygrometers and thermometers after reading another thread. I think the general consensus is that people all recommend using digital across the board. However, I sometimes feel like this is a blanket that might not be justified. Im not hoping to confuse the issue for new keepers, but as money is tight for a lot of them I think its also important to keep context in mind.
I am not quoting any scientific studies here, but from my own personal experience I do not find cheap digital to be any more accurate than cheap analog. I have had my cheap analog units be wrong and I have had my cheap digital ones go bad too. This seems especially true of hygrometers, where numerous digital ones have simply given out entirely and no longer take any readings at all, while the analog ones will eventually wear out and go way way off.
So if you are only going to go and buy a cheap digital hygrometer for $15, I dont know that I would expect it to last any longer or really be much better than the $10 analog one you get at the pet store. Case in point, here is a picture of an old $10 analog, and a $40 digital
http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/ff412/jrichholt/photo9.jpg
I have had the analog for a couple years, and it has checked out against every digital one I have purchase since. Having said that, I also have a $6 analog that reads consistently 5% too low, and one that reads about 4% too high. In the last year Ive thrown out three digital and one analog that all called it quits by either not giving any measurement at all or just being so grossly off that it was obviously done for.
Also, there are animals and certain situations where exact accuracy is not really called for. I have an analog hygrometer in my bearded dragon tank. Its more to make sure the humidity doesnt get too high, so Im not overly concerned about whether its 5% off or not. Same with the tank that houses my Cali King. I know that the analog hygrometer in there is not really a big deal as Kings have a good ability to deal with about a 20% range of humidity (40-60%). However, I have my most expensive and accurate hygrometers in the green tree python and monitor cages as they are much more particular animals who require select environments to thrive.
And yes, when I say my most accurate and expensive I do mean digital. Analog units are usually based on hair or fiber, so cant really be too expensive, that Im aware of. However, those expensive and accurate digital units require periodic checks as they can go out over time too. Its not simply a matter of taking it out of the box, trusting it to be totally accurate and then never checking it again. Many of them come out of the box uncalibrated, so are not going to give an accurate reading either. Check out reviews of the hygrometers on Amazon and youll see what I mean. Those of you with cigar humidors will know what im talking about.
I guess what Im saying is, dont think that just because its digital, its automatically accurate or better. This, like most things, is one of those situations where you get what you pay for. Cheap is cheap, whether it be digital or analog. So the question is, do you need high accuracy? If not, I dont see why analog cant work for certain animals/habitats. If you do, then be prepared to fork out a bit of extra money and time (calibration) in getting a good digital one.
What does everyone else think? What are your experiences personally?
I am not quoting any scientific studies here, but from my own personal experience I do not find cheap digital to be any more accurate than cheap analog. I have had my cheap analog units be wrong and I have had my cheap digital ones go bad too. This seems especially true of hygrometers, where numerous digital ones have simply given out entirely and no longer take any readings at all, while the analog ones will eventually wear out and go way way off.
So if you are only going to go and buy a cheap digital hygrometer for $15, I dont know that I would expect it to last any longer or really be much better than the $10 analog one you get at the pet store. Case in point, here is a picture of an old $10 analog, and a $40 digital
http://i1234.photobucket.com/albums/ff412/jrichholt/photo9.jpg
I have had the analog for a couple years, and it has checked out against every digital one I have purchase since. Having said that, I also have a $6 analog that reads consistently 5% too low, and one that reads about 4% too high. In the last year Ive thrown out three digital and one analog that all called it quits by either not giving any measurement at all or just being so grossly off that it was obviously done for.
Also, there are animals and certain situations where exact accuracy is not really called for. I have an analog hygrometer in my bearded dragon tank. Its more to make sure the humidity doesnt get too high, so Im not overly concerned about whether its 5% off or not. Same with the tank that houses my Cali King. I know that the analog hygrometer in there is not really a big deal as Kings have a good ability to deal with about a 20% range of humidity (40-60%). However, I have my most expensive and accurate hygrometers in the green tree python and monitor cages as they are much more particular animals who require select environments to thrive.
And yes, when I say my most accurate and expensive I do mean digital. Analog units are usually based on hair or fiber, so cant really be too expensive, that Im aware of. However, those expensive and accurate digital units require periodic checks as they can go out over time too. Its not simply a matter of taking it out of the box, trusting it to be totally accurate and then never checking it again. Many of them come out of the box uncalibrated, so are not going to give an accurate reading either. Check out reviews of the hygrometers on Amazon and youll see what I mean. Those of you with cigar humidors will know what im talking about.
I guess what Im saying is, dont think that just because its digital, its automatically accurate or better. This, like most things, is one of those situations where you get what you pay for. Cheap is cheap, whether it be digital or analog. So the question is, do you need high accuracy? If not, I dont see why analog cant work for certain animals/habitats. If you do, then be prepared to fork out a bit of extra money and time (calibration) in getting a good digital one.
What does everyone else think? What are your experiences personally?