I Give up on Hydrometers... Better options?

[BAP]

Check with Gregg, the site owner. The issue might all be on your end, I get everything perfectly. There was some sort of an issue but that was fixed as far as I can tell.

But you are a moderator so things are probably set up differently for your account than the average person using the Trader. It still really stinks that nobody can post pictures anymore and Gregg doesn’t seem to address that issue even though people complain.

[TapTapTap]

Check with Gregg, the site owner. The issue might all be on your end, I get everything perfectly. There was some sort of an issue but that was fixed as far as I can tell.

If the issue is at my end then I must be like hundreds of other users that can't post anymore. I've tried across 3 different devices and I have issues with them all. I used my smartphone to post earlier this week and I can no longer login on that device. Right now, I'm using my office desktop which will only allow me to view in safemode (which sucks). My Surface will also only allow me to view in safemode. None of the devices allow me to see Vermont Forum posts in the past month. I also tried taptalk the forum app but I didn't find mapletrader on the app.

All I can say is that I've mostly given up on the forum.

My last resort is to start complaining to the advertisers.

Ken

[mainebackswoodssyrup]

That's too bad to hear Ken's and others' experiences, but probably explains why we have lost a lot of good traders on here. Hard enough to find time and post to help others, let alone battle erratic tech issues. This website/forum platform is outdated in terms of many things and like others, it will probably be the demise of it unless some effort is put into to keeping it updated and running properly.

[DrTimPerkins]

Hydrometers are the standard in the maple industry, mainly because they're relatively inexpensive and have been around for a really long time. Used properly they'll give good results. Refractometers (at least the digital kind) are more available nowadays, but still costly.

With either instrument, keeping them calibrated and knowing how to use them properly is key. Just because a digital refractometer spits out a number to the nearest tenth doesn't mean it is right. Same goes for digital thermometers. A good glass or dial thermometer can be much more accurate than a digital thermocouple thermometer, but that number on the screen can give people a false sense of security that it must be right.

[johnallin]

If the issue is at my end then I must be like hundreds of other users that can't post anymore. I've tried across 3 different devices and I have issues with them all. I used my smartphone to post earlier this week and I can no longer login on that device. Right now, I'm using my office desktop which will only allow me to view in safemode (which sucks). My Surface will also only allow me to view in safemode. None of the devices allow me to see Vermont Forum posts in the past month. I also tried taptalk the forum app but I didn't find mapletrader on the app.

All I can say is that I've mostly given up on the forum.

My last resort is to start complaining to the advertisers.

Ken

I also have problems loading MT and can only use a Surface laptop or my phone...non of the desk tops (house or work) will allow me to log in, and you're right Ken - it sucks.

[Bucket Head]

I agree. Many users are long gone now and the reasons are obvious. With all the issues and lack of photo posting abilities, this site is a far cry from what it used to be. Fortunately, I do not have any logging on issues, but not being able to see what everyone is posting about is a dealbreaker.
There is a reason why televisions quickly replaced the radios in America's living rooms way back when.

Steve

[maple flats]

BAP, yes I am a moderator, but I need to sign in the same way you do, just like the way I put my pants on, same as you, one leg at a time. I do not have a hot link to get on, being a moderator only means I take the time to read posts that likely don't really interest me, and as I can I attempt to shed some light on the subject. It does not mean I have all of the answers nor even most of them, I just try when I can.

[BoerBoel]

For those with login or posting image in issues, have you tried clearing your browser's cache (at least for the mapletrader.com site)? This seems to correct some issues with web sites.

[USinCA]

Well this thread went a little off the rails... but I do agree, I'm frustrated with the image posting and http issue as well.

I finished another batch last night, and the hydrotherm is definitely unusable... I'm using a CDL syrup thermometer and thermapen thermometer calibrated to boiling point to finish, but I'm definitely not as consistent as I was last year.
Like I said, I treated the hydrotherm like fine china, so I'm not sure why it's off unless someone handled the box of syrup equipment a little too rough at some point during the year.
Maple Flats - Good tip on marking the hydrometer - and the leader gold thermometer looks very nice!

Dr. Perkins - Thanks for your input. I'm a mechanical engineer and I do a fair bit of lab work as part of my job. I definitely understand the need for calibration and verification, and how hard it is to create or maintain accurate instruments. I think I will be switching to a refractometer next year - could it be calibrated using a 66% (by mass) solution of table sugar and water? Could a hydrometer be calibrated using the same?

It would be nice to have two instruments to verify accuracy.

[Pibster]

I calibrate my refractometer with extra olive virgin oil. 71.5 brix.