by Dry air makes you sick. Dry air destroys guitars. Using a cool mist humidifier in the Winter to help things along is not enough because you must also know precisely how much water you’re putting into the air. Guitars like a humidity level between 40-60%. Anything below that threshold, and frets will eventually start popping out of the fingerboard. Anything above 60% humidity and your guitar can start to swell in the exposed wood parts and not want stay in tune. The Honeywell TM005X Wireless Indoor/Outdoor Thermo-Hygrometer is an almost perfect device for home use that will wirelessly, and
remotely monitor, both the temperature and the humidity levels in at two
areas. You can purchase two extra remote sensors to give you readings
in four places. There’s only one major problem with this Honeywell
system.
The main monitor has such a highly reflective coating that it is impossible to read the temperature and humidity level.
It is difficult to “find the right angle” to view the information on device and if you want to know what’s up in the air around you, you have to get up out of your motorcycle chair and manhandle the thing with your blistered fingers into a momentarily clear view.
In this product shot captured by my iPhone, you can read the things taped to my office wall easier than you can read the temperature.
That sort of basic design fail in common, everyday, usage of the product is absolutely stunning.
Did no one at Honeywell field test this device?
Who approved such a reflective impediment to what is, quite clearly, an exceptional and smart piece of technology?
When we consider a “Scientific Aesthetic” — we must not only evaluate the quantitative science, but also determine the qualitative beauty in the bones of the design functionality — and when Art and science come together as a whole, we have successfully created the perfect example of a “Scientific Aesthetic.”
The Honeywell TM005X Wireless Indoor/Outdoor Thermo-Hygrometer only meets half of our Scientific Aesthetic mandate when it could have so easily made itself whole with the right eye on actual usability.
I’m glad that I read this BEFORE buying my first guitar! I wonder if it would be better to replace the screen, or somehow apply an anti-reflective coating to it?
When will you get your guitar, Gordon? Have you decided which one to get?
My $20 “cool mist” Vicks humidifier is great for a small room. In 24 hours on the low setting I can add, and sustain, about a 10% increase in humidity. I survived the Winter with my guitars and the humidifier and, only now — in the last couple of weeks since getting the Honeywell — I have finally been able to prove my humidifying method worked.
I think the beauty shot of the Honeywell in the review was done without a screen. There is no light condition that EVER gives such a clear, non-reflective, view. False advertising?
I do wonder if there’s an anti-glare something I could rub on the screen cover — but then I think of the added cost and I just decide to live with the un-readability of it all.
I haven’t, David! I am only planning on getting one to last me a long while so I want to really carefully browse before I choose it! 🙂
If only there were a way to set up the Honeywell to an alert that would send you a text message if it got out of the ‘right’ range…
Gah! Which guitars interest you the most?
No, the Honeywell won’t text you — but I like that idea. You can “see” all of your remote sensors from the home control panel though. One sensor in the guitar room (the main one, for me), one outside, one in the basement and one in the garage or whatever. Pretty neat idea… with a network wireless range of about 300 feet… if you could only read the readout! Each sensor does have its own tiny temp and humidity display and sends an update to the base station every 40 seconds.
UPDATE:
Here’s a warning for you: Beware of fans!
It was hot here yesterday at around 90 degrees, so I opened up the house for the first time since the Fall to let in the fresh air. I turned on the fans to help spread the wealth of freshness.
In less than 2 hours of having the fan on, the humidity in the guitar room dropped from 60% to 35%. Yikes! Ouch! Not so good.
I closed the windows and turned off the fans and after 24 hours, or so, the humidity has crept back up to 40% for the guitars without any humidifier help.
I found this for a really great price. Seems to works really well, do have some problems with the screen but not enough to discourage how great it works.
http://www.yourlistonline.com/details.php?asin=B000EX83RU&bn=286168&cat=OutdoorLiving
Thanks for the comment, Aria, and welcome to Scientific Aesthetic!
Yes, you have angle the screen *just right* to be able to read it — but the system does seem to work really well.