Ok, I've had a Cigar Oasis for quite some time now and have learned a lot about it. I'm going to give everyone a 101 on it.
1.Never, ever, ever trust the hygrometer that is built into it. Everyone I've talked who has one is off at least 2% and there isn't a way that I've seen to calibrate it.
2.You don't need to buy the replacement water cartridges, just make sure you refill with distilled water. If the internal sponge starts to come apart, remove it and clean the cartridge out and fill the cartridge with beads(haven't had to do this myself yet but have heard this from a few guys).
3.The Cigar Oasis is an active humidification system, unlike the sponge, crystals, gels, or beads which are all passive systems. An active system pushes the humidity(water) out to the items(in this case cigars or cedar) where a passive system relies on the item which is less humid to draw humidity from them. The problem with a passive system is that you can not over-fill or under-fill your humidor it most remain at about 2/3 full. Adjustments can be made to compensate for an under or over full humidor with a passive system but I won't go into that here. If your humidor is over-full the passive system can not distribute enough humidification. If it is under-full your cigars will soak up too much water. With a Cigar Oasis whether your humidor has one cigar or is crammed to the point it barely closes it will put out the exact humidity needed. A humidor with the Cigar Oasis also recovers exponentially faster after being opened.
4. Issues with the Cigar Oasis.
a.It will NOT soak up any excess humidity caused by external sources, like beads will. For example if you live in a naturally humid region in the summer the cigar oasis will not do anything when mother nature makes the humidity in your humidor spike unlike the beads. For this reason I now have dry beads in my humidor and when they get completey soaked I will dry them out and put them back in.
b.The second issue is price($85-115). Don't skimp and get the personal if you can avoid it the XL Plus is only 10-15 dollars more and will work in a much bigger humidor just as well as it will in a 50 ct.
c.The only way to tell when it is out of water is to listen for the fan running non-stop. When you press the button that normally displays the RH it will display "H2O" but it only does so when you press the button there is no alarm or flashing or anything.

If anyone has anything to add to this or if you have any questions please feel free to add to this.

Excellent info, madurofan! Thanks!

I've only had mine a few days, and the only thing I can think to add is that the Oasis is noisier than one might expect, given the tiny fan. It's not obtrusive or anything, but if you're in the same room with your humidor when the Oasis kicks on, you will know it's running.

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This is very true urbino, put I like that. Also pay attention to my first post as I thikn of things I'll just edit it instead of posting new.

Will do.

The thing that has me puzzled right now is why the Oasis still kicks on periodically, even though it's reading 77-79% RH. I know it won't reduce the RH in my humi like beads would, but why would it kick on when its own hygro says the RH is already way high? I mean, even if that hygro is wrong, it's still the one that controls the Oasis.

If it was reading way low -- like 60% -- all the time and kicking on, that would make sense. I'd suspect my old humidor was leaky. But reading way high and still kicking on? I don't get that.

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"The only way to tell when it is out of water is to listen for the fan running non-stop. When you press the button that normally displays the RH it will display "H2O" but it only does so when you press the button there is no alarm or flashing or anything." Thanks I was wondering how to tell. Patrick

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"I am a man of simple tastes, easily satisfied with the best"
Sir Winston Churchill

urbino:

Will do.

The thing that has me puzzled right now is why the Oasis still kicks on periodically, even though it's reading 77-79% RH. I know it won't reduce the RH in my humi like beads would, but why would it kick on when its own hygro says the RH is already way high? I mean, even if that hygro is wrong, it's still the one that controls the Oasis.

If it was reading way low -- like 60% -- all the time and kicking on, that would make sense. I'd suspect my old humidor was leaky. But reading way high and still kicking on? I don't get that.

I've seen a couple other people have this problem with them when they were new, everyone I know of sent them back and got a new one while they could. Sorry to throw that out there but thats what I would do too.

madurofan:

urbino:

Will do.

The thing that has me puzzled right now is why the Oasis still kicks on periodically, even though it's reading 77-79% RH. I know it won't reduce the RH in my humi like beads would, but why would it kick on when its own hygro says the RH is already way high? I mean, even if that hygro is wrong, it's still the one that controls the Oasis.

If it was reading way low -- like 60% -- all the time and kicking on, that would make sense. I'd suspect my old humidor was leaky. But reading way high and still kicking on? I don't get that.

I've seen a couple other people have this problem with them when they were new, everyone I know of sent them back and got a new one while they could. Sorry to throw that out there but thats what I would do too.

youd think that forr $100 + it would work the first time...

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Kuzi's cigar catalog blending 101 developing your palate

You would think so! It does have a good warranty though, I think a bad batch snuck through.

i hope by the time i get to building a humi the "bad batch" has worked its way through.

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Kuzi's cigar catalog blending 101 developing your palate

Dude I am stoked about this humi you are building! I can't wait to see it.

By the way urbino is yours the XL or personal?

madurofan:

Dude I am stoked about this humi you are building! I can't wait to see it.

gunna have to.

most of my "project time" is spent on building my guitar right now. it could be a while. im very early in that project. ... I have a block of wood and some wire right now...

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Kuzi's cigar catalog blending 101 developing your palate

Yea I need to decide what I'm going to do with this fridge ... if I'm going to fully convert it or not. hmmm decisions

i would. isnt that why you got it? dont go half way on it. take advantage of the great deal you got on it.

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Kuzi's cigar catalog blending 101 developing your palate

Mine's the XL Plus.

madurofan:

I've seen a couple other people have this problem with them when they were new, everyone I know of sent them back and got a new one while they could. Sorry to throw that out there but thats what I would do too.

Apologies for using this kind of language, but: icky-poo.

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