The Moisture Encounter ME5 is calibrated at 0.4 S.G. This calibration is chosen for the Shallow Depth scale to allow it to be used on the widest variety of building materials including drywall/plasterboard.
When testing wood, which does not have an SG of 0.40, the meter reading can be adjusted by referring to the Species Adjustment tables.
For example, if the wood being tested has an SG of 0.50 and the meter reading is 17% (top row of table) then the adjusted moisture content reading can be found where the 0.50 SG row intersects with a 17% meter reading column. For this example the adjusted moisture content would be 15%.