Beads/Cooler driving me nuts

[AnejoMofo]

I've set up a cooler. I bought two 65% 4oz tubes from Heartfelt. These are rated at 2160 cubic inches each. I calculated my cooler to be 3744 cubic inches, therefore two tubes should do it.

After having read most of what's available here about beads, it seemed to me that they should arrive ready-to-go and precharged. However, the instructions on the package direct you to charge them with a spray bottle until 75% of the beads are clear.

1) It's very hard to tell when the beads turn clear through the plastic case of the tube.

2) It recommends a spray bottle but I couldn't seem to get much water to penetrate with that method so I resorted to drizzling.

3) After spraying the shit out of these things and drizzling distilled water into them, they still exhibit a maraca-esque shaking noise which indicates to me that the beads are dry. Should there be any shaking in a properly charged tube?

My officially salt-tested and calibrated hygrometer read 59% after 12 hours. I've heard people say these beads are so good that they could be used to calibrate hygrometers. Why is it that they're not giving me my 65%?

The cooler contains:

3 full boxes

4 used boxes for shelves which contain loose sticks. (these cedar boxes have been pre-seasoned with distilled water).

Approximately 6 linear feet of 3/8" oak dowling for shelf supports and separation

Finally, the tubes are placed at alternating far corners of the cooler in a vertical position and the hygrometer is propped on top of a box, with the sensor hanging in mid air, in the exact three dimensional center of the cooler.

WTF

-Mike