I have instructions to one of those "German Barometer" weatherStations. suggests using Catgut strings as the moisture detector to swing the Guy/girl depending on the weather. Any alternatives? Most places don't sell Catgut Violin strings singly or at a cheap price where you actually want to spend the money and then rip the sting apart. Ideas? Alternative patterns?
Catgut isn't the best for this. Horse tail hairs are much better.
If you can find a horse, then it's not hard to scrounge a few tail hairs. Ask the owner though, not the horse, as they're less likely to kick.
If you can't find a horse, a human hair of adequate length will work. ARM
Human hair has been used in humidistats for ages. Although, if memory serves me correctly, it's only good in the 20-80% range. As it doesn't sound like you're needing accuracy, it may work for your app just fine.
Art
Natural hair tends to work well, regardless of the 'critter' it comes from.
For a long time, Honeywell used _human_ hair in their 'humidistat' line of humidity-sensitive switches.
A musical instrument repair shop is also a viable source of horse tail hairs. It's the 'traditional' material for bows for stringed instruments.
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