Tag Archives: Govee

by | October 31, 2021 · 10:37 am

An HVC 10th Anniversary Cigar and a New Govee WiFi Thermometer Hygrometer Set

I had a few days off this week to take care of some things, so as I was out running some errands on Friday I stopped in to Son’s Cigars to see Vince for a few minutes and see what was new. Of course, I made some impulse buys, and bought some new cigars, one of which was a recommendation by Vince, the HVC 10th Anniversary. I’ve enjoyed the HVC cigars I’ve smoked, as well as most of the Aganorsa cigars, from which factory this cigar is produced. Sidebar: I told Vince when I was there that there were cigars that I wanted to pick up and couldn’t remember, and I should make a list…and I just now remembered what they were. Now the trick is remembering to make a list. Hang on, let me make a note…OK, I’m back. I would have forgotten again and it would have driven me nuts. Now, maybe, I have a chance, I just have to remember I have the list! Back to the HVC 10th. This is a cigar that comes in one size, and it’s a good size for my preference, 6 ½” x 50. I like it, it’s a little longer than a toro, not quite a Churchill, very nice, as long as it tastes good! It’s a Nicaraguan Puro with Corojo wrapper grown in Jalapa, and a few different varietals of Corojo in the filler. It started out with a pretty heavy pepper, which settled into a collection of sweet spices and some cedar, while maintaining the strength. It mellowed slightly in the second half, but was still a formidable cigar. I have one complaint, and it’s directed at Vince: why did you only sell me one? Great smoke!

I have recently been testing the new Govee WiFi Digital Hygrometer Thermometer 3 Pack, which I purchased from Amazon for $69.99. I’ll make some disclosures at this point. The links to this here are affiliate links, if you make a purchase using them I’ll get a few cents, and it won’t cost you anything. You’ll have my gratitude, but no pressure. Secondly, I purchased this with the understanding that the manufacturer would reimburse me, as they have in the past, and I have no reason to believe that they won’t. that being said, I’m really not going to lose sleep if they don’t come through, let me explain. I have Govee remote Temperature Hygrometers deployed in all of my humidors. Most are just Bluetooth, which is fine, but I’m finding more value in having WiFi connected units. I was excited to try this set-up with the WiFi Hub. This product comes with three sensors and the hub. The sensors work independently via Bluetooth, but the Hub connects them to your home WiFi network, so you can see them through the app wherever you happen to be. Pretty cool. I’ve been testing them for accuracy side by side and they are all pretty close one another, as well as another Govee WiFi unit. My plan is to spread the three sensors out in my cabinet, top, middle and bottom, although I could put them in three different humidors if I wanted, as long as they were reasonably close to the Hub, which plugs into an AC outlet. One piece of advice when setting up the system: pull the plastic tabs that cover the batteries in the sensors as you set each one up, then put the number stickers on them, if you pull the tabs all at once (like I did, duh), you have a hard time telling one from another in the app. I looked like a moron blowing on them to get the humidity to change so I could tell one from the other and rename it in the app (Edit: I’m told that if you bring one of the sensors close to the phone the corresponding one in the app will blonk to identify it). I guess what I’m trying to say is if you have a large humidor, or three humidors, this is a pretty cool way to monitor your temperature and humidity, and the app, just like with the other Govee products I’ve reviewed here before, tracks something like a year’s worth of historical data. You can set alarms and cool stuff like that as well. The only unknown is the battery life on the sensors, and I didn’t look to see what kind of batteries they take, but they are probably easily sourced button cells of some sort (Edit: they are standard AAA). 

Don’t forget to go enter the contest in the last post! I’m going to add a few cigars to the bag before all is said and done. Until the next time, 

CigarCraig

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by | January 17, 2021 · 11:40 am

New Govee Sensors, a Few Cigars and a Contest Winner

Image from Amazon

I’ve been using the Govee WiFi and Bluetooth humidity and temperature sensors in my humidors for a while now, and recently got some of their new ones to try out. I got three of them (actually four, one comes in a handy two pack). The first one is the WiFi Smart Thermo Hygrometer, Model H5179. The batteries were included in the device, it just had a strip of plastic that needed to be removed for the batteries to make contact. The Bluetooth pairing and WiFi connection were very simple through the app (which I already had from having multiple other devices). There’s no display on this device, so everything is monitored through the app, Temperature, humidity, along with historical data for something like a year. You can also set alerts for highs and lows so if there are spikes in your humidor you can address them before any long term damage is done. This also had a mounting bracket and a lanyard (the later of which serves no purpose in my application). I will probably mount this in my primary cabinet humidor.

 

Image from Amazon

The second one is the Bluetooth Smart Thermometer, Model 5174, which is very much the same as the above, in a smaller form factor, without WiFi, and without the mounting bracket. Once again, the batteries are included so it’s ready to go. The instruction booklet is clear and concise, and most of the setup is done through the app anyway. Like the H5179, it has a blue light that blinks every 30 seconds when it takes a reading, which will turn red when the batteries get to 15%, so if you aren’t paying attention to the app you can remember to change them. I’m not sure which humidor I’m going to put this in, probably my large desktop humidor where I put the cigars that I plan to feature, and new arrivals. The older Govee Mini Smart Hygrometer I had in there seems to have drifted to the high side on the humidity reading and I don’t think there’s a way to fix that. I’m going to try resetting it by removing the battery and putting it back in and see what happens, but it might just be replaced. (As of this writing, this unit appears to be unavailable. Not sure why or when it will be available again, no worries, there are options!)

 

Image from Amazon

these are my images!

Finally the third item is the Smart Thermo-Hygrometer, Model H5101, which has a nice, large 1.8” digital display. I got the two-pack, which is around $20, quite a deal. These have a little tab in the back to make a stand for on a shelf or table, otherwise I suspect some velcro or magnets could be used. I had an older, similar model that didn’t impress me too much, the humidity readings were low compared with other gauges, so I use that in the living room. These seem to be spot on. I conducted a test over the last six weeks or thereabouts, where I placed all four units in a tray with a known good hygrometer and just left them there to do their thing. As you can see in the screen shots from the app, they all are, more or less, right on. Considering the spec is +/- 3% for humidity and +/- .54°f for temp, they are fine. I like that I can see the humidity levels in all of my humidors from one app, when one has six or seven humidors, that’s an issue. I know that there are retailers that have deployed these in their club lockers so they can keep track of them. Even if they aren’t dead on accurate, which they seem to be pretty close,

my screen shot
my screen shot

you can track trends, and sometimes that’s more important to cigars than the actual numbers. Anyway, I’m a fan of these devices, I bought one of their wireless doorbells for my house too. They work well, they look nice, and don’t break the bank. Full disclosure, the Amazon links included here are affiliate links tied to my account, so any sales will drop a couple cents my way. I’ve never gotten paid by Amazon yet, so it’s purely optimistic on my part.

 

Cigar Aficionado’s list came out last week, of course there was much controversy. People need to realize the target audience of that list is not the same cigar geek crowd that reads cigar blogs and is into boutique cigars. Personally, I think the EPC Pledge is an amazing cigar, and I’m going to try to get my hands on a few more. I smoked the EPC Encore this week, which was number one a few years ago, and people couldn’t figure out why that made number one. It clearly was number one because the tasting panel loved it, as it’s a really good tasting cigar and suited that panels palate! The one I had I had purchased the day after the results came out, so it had rested what, three years? It was delicious, I think the Nicaraguan wrapper must be a Sumatra seed varietal, because it had that flavor, and I know Ernesto is a fan of the Sumatra. I also smoked the Alec and Bradley Gatekeeper, which was also made by Ernesto. This was pretty high on the list, and is a good cigar. I can’t say that I would put it high on my list, it was a good cigar, but not particularly memorable or a stand out to me. But that’s me, and I don’t do a list, and if I did, nobody would be taking a copy of it in to shops asking for cigars that are on it! I guarantee every shop in the country has had customers coming in asking for cigars on CAs list this week. It drives sales.

 

I need to pick a winner of the Groovy Guy Gifts Good To Go Cigar Case today. I also will need to throw some more cigars in, three, you see, just isn’t enough. That will be a surprise for the lucky winner! As you know, I have a thorough process of double random selection, just to keep things fair. There was a very small pool of long-time readers who entered. Tim McCabe is the winner this time! Please send me your address and proof that you’re old and I’ll get this shipped out to you! Thanks to Groovy Guy Gifts for this cool item! Check them out!

 

That’s all for today, until the next time,

 

CigarCraig

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by | July 5, 2019 · 12:05 am

Accessory Review: Govee Bluetooth Mini Thermometer & Hygrometer

 

Last year I reviewed a couple of wireless hygrometers from Govee that I really like, they are still going strong today and are in daily use in my humidors. You can see the posts here for the Bluetooth model and here for the WiFi model. I’ve been so pleased with the Govee products that when I needed a new door bell for my house I bought a Govee wireless doorbell and it’s working quite well. Recently they have come out with a new item which I think address some of the things I thought were overkill with the full size model, a Govee Mini Thermometer and Hygrometer. This version eliminates the LCD screen and is just the sensor in a small case. It seamlessly adds in to the smartphone app and has all of the same features as the larger Bluetooth and WiFi versions, temperature and humidity readings with adjustable high and low alarms, data tracking, everything but the display. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s the technical details right from the manufacturer:

  • App Control via Bluetooth: Monitor temp/humidity data on Govee Home App (free downloading from App Store/Google Play) via Bluetooth. Up to 328ft connecting distance (no obstacles) enables you to monitor temp and humidity remotely.
  • Higher Accurate Monitor: Built-in Swiss-made SHT30 sensor, it offers higher precision monitoring than other brands. Temp is accurate to ±0.36℉ and humidity is ±2%RH. (Calibration is supported)
  • Data Storage & Export: 20 days on-board and unlimited in-App storage. The temperature sensor uploads data to App when it connects to APP via Bluetooth. Alert will be sent to App when data is beyond preset range. Besides, export data in CSV format for free.
  • Mini Size: Smaller size than other brands. Space-saving and portable. A hanging hole is designed for various placement as you want. The battery lifespan is about 365 days.
  • What’s in Box: 1 x Govee Thermometer and Hygrometer, 1 x Hanging String, 1 x User Manual. Offer 30-day money-back guarantee for any reason and 365-day warranty for quality-related issues.
I bought this from Amazon a couple of weeks ago and received it promptly. All of Govee‘s products are sold through Amazon, and through July 16th (2019) this and the WiFi unit are featured on their Prime Day sale at 60% 0ff (follow the links sprinkles liberally throughout this post) I highly recommend these products especially at these deep discount prices! Anyway, as soon as I received the sensor I pulled the tab covering the battery and it connected to the app and I named it and it started reading temperature and humidity right away. It spent its first few days next to its WiFi sibling, so it’s at least as accurate as that one is, and, judging by the way the cigars smoke, it’s just fine. I like the fact that it doesn’t take up much space, and in a desktop humidor it doesn’t really need a display. I need a hygrometer to give me the data when the humidor is closed, which this one does nicely, a regular digital hygrometer is already moving in the wrong direction as soon as the lid is opened, so you never really know. I think this is a really cool solution, and at the Amazon Prime Days price, it’s a steal! Heck, I ordered another one.
Thanks to Leo at Govee for giving me the opportunity to use Govee products in my humidors and make me into a customer! That’s all for today, until the next time, 
CigarCraig
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by | November 19, 2018 · 7:25 am

Accessory Review: Govee WiFi Smart Hygrometer/Thermometer

In August I reviewed the Govee Bluetooth Smart Hygrometer/Thermometer, which is a handy item, but I really wanted more from it. Recently the WiFi version has become available, so I jumped on it and picked one up to test out side by side with the Bluetooth version. With the bluetooth version, I found that I had to be in the same room as the unit, which is fine if I wanted to know the conditions inside a given humidor without opening it up and looking in, or get alerts if things are going out of whack. This is all well and good, and the historical information that the unit logs is nice to have also. I did wish for a  longer range solution, then along comes the WiFi version. The only difference is a small WiFi symbol in the lcd screen, as noted in the picture. The free app is the cool part, and I can only speak to the iOS version, but I was able to add both units, and I have no reason to believe that there’s no reasonable limit to the number of units you could add, assuming you name them differently in the set up.

I did fumble a bit with the setup directions, they weren’t quite as concise as they could have been. I had to read through the Q&A to find the directions to connect to my home WiFi, but once I did find it, it couldn’t have been easier. I would suggest that the company might put documentation on their website as a resource as well as I actually looked there before reading further into the printed manual.  If the documentation is the only downside I’m not going to complain, I’ve had other WiFi devices that I’ve given up on using because they were too much of a pain in the ass (PITA) to set up, which is a shame, because that particular item would have been far more useful than just monitoring. I digress.

Some technical details:

  •  Easy Check: big LCD screen, WiFi supported, check on App anywhere and specific time. 
  •   High Accuracy: advanced Swiss SHT30 sensor. Accuracy of ±0.5°F on temp and ±1% on hum (Temperature Range: 14°F – 140°F/-10°C – 60°C, Humidity Range: 0 – 99%)
  •   7X24h Monitoring: Sensor automatically monitoring temp & hum., records real-time data on device and cloud
  •   Alert Settings: allow settings your desired values and automatically send alerts to your phone at once if exceeds.
  •   Data Tracking: 32,000 records in device (about 20 days), two-year data on cloud, NO SUBSCRIPTION FEE
  •   ALL IN ONE: Govee Home App supports for more sensors connected at the same time, check all on hands via App!

For ease of use, this gets a thumbs up, and the unit appears to be reasonably accurate, compared to both its Bluetooth sibling and other digital hygrometers. Also, the cigars in the humidors that the hygrometers are in smoke fine, the ultimate test, in my opinion. As far as price goes, the WiFi version is almost twice the price of the Bluetooth version, which is a bit steep, but the functionality is worth the extra cash. Are there cheaper items on the market that do the same thing? Sure there are. Maybe they don’t provide the data logging that these units do, nor do they have a family of other home automation products that work with the same app like lighting and doorbells and other fun stuff if you’re into that.

That’s all for now, until the next time,

CigarCraig

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by | August 10, 2018 · 5:00 pm

Accessory Review: Govee Thermometer/Hygrometer

Here’s a neat remote digital thermometer/hygrometer for your humidor that I tried out recently that isn’t awfully expensive and is readily available on Amazon. It’s the Govee Thermometer/Hygrometer. This isn’t necessarily a purpose-built humidor accessory, so it’s made to cover a much wider range of temperature and humidity than we need, and let’s face it, our range of need is very narrow. It’s attractive enough, and sized appropriately for a medium or larger humidor, it would take up valuable real estate in a small humidor. I attached a metal plate the back and have corresponding magnets in various places in several humidors that match up with other hygrometers so I rotate them around to make sure they are all more or less in agreement with each other. An aside, most cigars smoke well out of my humidors anyway, so I’m not anal retentive about the readings, but it’s nice to see if somethings out of whack.



Govee App1One of the nice features of this unit is the app that is included. This logs everything that’s going on, and alerts if temperature or humidity goes outside of limits that you can set yourself with simple sliders. The downside of this is that it’s a Bluetooth connection, so you have to be relatively close to the unit to sync readings or get alerts. So if you are out of the room, you aren’t going to know any more than you did before. I suppose if you Govee App2were some sort of geek genius you figure out a way sync to a WiFi network somehow, but that sound like a whole lot more work that I know how to do, and I just got a headache thinking about it. That seems like the biggest flaw in an otherwise nifty little device. Naturally, it allows you to see the temperature and humidity inside your closed humidor without opening it, which took me a minute to realize the value of since the first two humidors I tried it out on have glass, so I can always see a hygrometer without opening a door. It wasn’t until I tried it in a desktop that it occurred to me the utility of being able to get a reading remotely, even if only a foot away. It seems to be as accurate as the other digital hygrometers I have to compare it too, which are Western Digital units.  Obviously this could have many other applications outside your humidor as well, but this is a cigar blog, so I’m unconcerned with those!

 

Govee makes a lot of smart home products as well, many available on Amazon.  I appreciate the opportunity to evaluate this unit, and will look at it again in several months and see how it holds up. The fact that it uses normal AAA batteries is a plus, and tells you the battery level in the app is excellent.

 

That’s all for now, until the next time,

 

CigarCraig

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