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10-08-2016, 19:48
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 2,687
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What brand of moisture meter to buy?
I am thinking of buying a moisture meter and dont know anything about reliability/accuracy/price. I cant afford a high end one, so any ideas on low to mid cost meters that have worked well for you? Grant.
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10-08-2016, 22:23
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#2
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Western Caribbean
Boat: 38/41 Fountains pajot
Posts: 3,060
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Re: What brand of moisture meter to buy?
Even a cheap one meant for homes can be used,its not always the % of moisture but the variation between areas. And you have to play with the settings ,hardwood vs concrete etc. No moisture also doesn't mean an area isn't de bounded or delaminated though.
Sent from my PLT1077G using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app
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10-08-2016, 23:28
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#3
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Belgium
Boat: Jeanneau Sun Shine 38
Posts: 23
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Re: What brand of moisture meter to buy?
I have this for profesional use and is not destructive for surface.
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11-08-2016, 07:24
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#4
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 2,687
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Re: What brand of moisture meter to buy?
I have seen the term PIN Probe in adds. Does that mean you have to drill small holes to test? What other type probe is there other than pin? The adds dont seem to give very good information (or I am not reading them correctly). Thanks for the help. Grant.
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11-08-2016, 08:26
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#5
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Boat in Greece
Boat: Lagoon 400
Posts: 1,430
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Re: What brand of moisture meter to buy?
I use in my work two units. One acceptably priced and one expensive.
The lower priced is: Electrophysics CT33. Should cost in the vicinity of $200
The more expensive: Quantum Sovereign. Will set you back about 4 times as much.
For private non-professional use the CT33 is more than sufficient (some surveyors I know of use it as their main tool).
However, as warned above, you should learn how to operate the tool and how to interpret the data it shows. It is easy to misinterpret the results.
__________________
Mark, S/Y Bat-Yam
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11-08-2016, 08:51
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#6
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Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Ontario, Canada
Boat: CS 27 - Joysea
Posts: 7
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Re: What brand of moisture meter to buy?
I use an Electrophysics CT-33 moisture meter that has served me well for a couple of years. It's an analog meter and cost me around $120 as compared with $300+ (it's probably higher now). This is a pinless meter which means it doesn't penetrate the material being measured. Pinned meters do just that which may be ok for wood but doesn't work well for fibreglass. A point to remember is that moisture meters don't measure moisture, they measure capacitance. Therefore, don't rely on the reading itself but rather take readings on known surfaces (eg. uncored fibreglass) and then use the relative differences to determine the levels of moisture. It's a bit of a black art. Also, if there is metal present (metallic particle in coatings, metal backing plates) the meter will show falsely high readings. I would experiment on known surfaces and substrates before relying on blind interpretation of results. Here's a site with some info on hte Electrophysics meter. Understanding the Moisture Meter / Electrophysics CT-33 Photo Gallery by Compass Marine How To at pbase.com
Good luck
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11-08-2016, 09:13
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#7
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 467
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Re: What brand of moisture meter to buy?
I bought the CT33 and a plastic mallet saved me many $$$ best investment ever ! so many boats out there with wet coring that can ruin your sailing dream and start a boat yard nightmare ! here is a link to a good article. I dont think the ones with pins would work well in most boat applications, accurate yes but I dont know ? I ruled out many boats with it and there were times when I thought that it was wrong only to find out with more investigation it was correct as in, checking the middle of a fore deck with no current hole near the area ? after looking behind the head liner the area was very discolored and other areas light and could see wood grain in areas not wet and revealed that something had been mounted Link not working Understanding the Moisture Meter / Electrophysics CT-33 Photo Gallery by Compass Marine How To at pbase.comhttp://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/m...e_meter&page=2
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11-08-2016, 14:07
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#9
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Belgium
Boat: Jeanneau Sun Shine 38
Posts: 23
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Re: What brand of moisture meter to buy?
hi gjordan
I have left my protimeter on site where we working. This is inductive metod of measurnig moisture in almost all materijal only lean aft side sensor on what you need to measure. Also have posibiliti measuring with pins an get another mobile probe extended on wire. Is expencive but for my job (in survey , renovatie & building) i need it. Tomorow i will make photo of manuals because i can't find my model on web. Mostly people ned something cheap ang good that satisfing their need for few measurments in all life. If you need for wood in this case buy something with pins. This pis are sharp needle and you just push pins in materijal for measuring.
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11-08-2016, 14:18
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#10
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Marine Service Provider
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Port Credit, Ontario or Bahamas
Boat: Benford 38 Fantail Cruiser
Posts: 7,047
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Re: What brand of moisture meter to buy?
I have played with and tested moisture meters for years. I have six at the moment from a $60 unit from Home Depot to one costing $700. The Ryobi I bought at Home Depot is my favorite and most accurate. I have an article on my website Moisture Meter Mythology that you may find useful as it has lots of photos showing how moisture meters can be right but often wrong. I have just had the Ryobi for a couple of months and have not yet updated my site to include it but will soon.
__________________
If you're not laughing, you're not doin' it right.
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11-08-2016, 14:41
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#11
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: PA, sail Chesapeake
Boat: Lots of boats.
Posts: 390
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Re: What brand of moisture meter to buy?
I use the pinless moisture meter from General Tools, MMD7NP. I put it on WALL mode (drywall). Works pretty well. One just has to remember that you are looking for differences in percentage which show up very well. Has shown to be surprisingly accurate at finding water in FG. Was only $40 at Lowes home store.
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11-08-2016, 15:10
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#12
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Belgium
Boat: Jeanneau Sun Shine 38
Posts: 23
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Re: What brand of moisture meter to buy?
What i say if is cheap and good this is the best combination. But if you need few times in life maybe can rent it.
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14-08-2016, 09:19
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#13
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 2,687
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Re: What brand of moisture meter to buy?
Wow, I just got back to my thread and want to thank all of you for the good information. I will be reading all of the links this evening. Got to love this forum. ____Grant.
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28-10-2016, 09:15
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#14
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 2,687
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Re: What brand of moisture meter to buy?
As the saying goes "THE REST OF THE STORY". I searched all of the local builders supply stores near me and even Home Depot and no moisture meters were available. I finally found one at a small hardware store and bought it. Less than $100. I had sounded the decks with a plastic mallet when I bought the boat, but I wanted to try a meter. What I discovered was that with the molded in non-skid there was not enough contact to give any reading at all. It worked on smooth surface, but not even on the smooth but rounded areas of the cabin. I should have read Boat Pokers link before I spent the money. It is kind of fun to play with, but of very little practical value. Another lesson in boating. ____Grant.
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26-04-2018, 15:04
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#15
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Solomons, MD
Boat: '99 Hunter 410
Posts: 7
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Re: What brand of moisture meter to buy?
I realize this is an old thread, but thought I would relate my recent experience with the General MMD7NP pinless moisture meter (bought from Home Depot for around $40). I've been shopping for the next sailboat the past few weeks, and have been very happy with the readings from this meter. As a previous poster mentioned, it's most useful for relative readings. For example, using the "wall" mode, I was getting 12-15% readings along the side deck of one boat. When I moved forward to the area where the staysail stay chainplate entered the deck, readings jumped to 50%-70%. No sponginess, but a definite difference in sound when tapping as well. The listing broker wasn't too thrilled when I pointed this out, but I'm a believer now in this little gadget.
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