Humidor issues -- pics included

I recently went on a trip to Cuba and bought some expensive cigars. They were not from some random dude at a hotel. They were either from the Hotel gift shop or the store where the largest cigar was made (part of a tour).

however, we made the mistake of buying a humidor from someone at the hotel. Initially the meter read 60% humidity and has been dropping in the past three weeks. The unit didn't come with any humidification device so I ordered a cheap set of beads.

http://i.imgur.com/ypNWO.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/lZK75.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/WuOal.jpg

These are the beads I purchased from cheaphumidors.com
http://cigarcaddy.com/media/products/HUMI-CJAR_02.jpg

I initially wiped the inside of the humidor with a towel and distilled water. I then put the towel and another moist cloth on top of a plastic bag inside the humidor. I then activated the beads by filling them with distilled water. It's been almost a day now and the relative humidity has not changed from 35%. My gut tells me that the humidor is junk or the hygrometer is broken. Any suggestions?