Not another PH meter thread...

[Mr. Marijuano]

Nope. I'm sure they are fine. I doubt I'll be in the market after the bluelab. I would imagine it will outlast me.

What model bluelab do you have? I saw one on amazon, but got turned off because it didn’t have a replaceable probe. It seems that BlueLab, Apera, and Hanna are the only real players. I think my interest lies in accuracy window with bi-monthly calibration, probe replacement, and most importantly WARRANTY. I would have a heart attack if my $100 probe took a shit after 5 quarters.

I have the Apera PH60 and EC60, both spot-on calibrated after daily use for a year. Easy to use, rugged, waterproof, $35 replaceable probes. I like mine, also has Hi/Lo color alert, screen changes color if solution is out of parameters
Just rinse probe and storage solution, then clean every month or so.

The new ones they have out are Bluetooth /app/ data logging.
They cost twice as much, the replacement probes cost twice as much also. Work related things like uploading field test results with attached photos and additional data is possible. They have a new web page on those , not much info out on them.

The Apera PH60 is the model I have my eye on, regarding Apera.

The Bluetooth data logging would come in handy. I would love to log my ph after each mix, before adjustment, as well as log my tap ph. In the spring, my ph meter was giving me 6.6-7.1 with 110-130 tds, but I’m seeing 7.1-7.6 with the same tds. Meter, or city treatment adjustment? Who knows... It would be interesting to track the ph coming from my tap without having to find space in my journal. I keep 3-5 at work, and 4 grow journals, so implementing data logging techniques to my grow would be awesome, but that price tag! It may also function as a monitor replacement for my future dwc experiment.

More accurate? I read your post and stand by what I said.

Thanks for your input.

 

[dandyrandy]

Darn thing is made in New Zealand. It appears it's went up a bit since my purchase several years ago. I think I gave around $140 with one standard probe. I haven't looked them up since. I will say this one has been stellar. But look around as technology marchs on! But I'm just a personal grower but really like healthy girls. So I pH around 6.2 in promix. ymmv

 

[JohnDee]

Hrh beat me to it. Litmus paper is the ticket. Disposable, accurate, and easy. A roll lasts longer than a cheap small bottle of calibration solution and costs less. A perfect solution to scratch your penny pinching itch

Hi Guys,
I had a package of litmus strips go bad from sitting around in a humid environment...so switched to the dropper bottles which are immune to storage issues.

I actually have a hanna ph meter and if I clean and calibrate occasionally...I seem to get solid readings. If I get a wonky reading I do the drop thing as double check. Mine is ph only and retails under $100 HI 98127 I like it's simplicity but if you need EC readings as well...their combo meters are not that much more.
JD

PS Pisses me off though that I have to by 3 pricey fluids to maintain it...that's probably where they make the most money.

 

[horribleherk]

Bluelab. Three years on the same probe. I bought a spare probe when I bought expecting failures. I've had none. I checked it monthly for calibration for the first year or so. Dead on still. I do rinse it and replace the storage solution when needed. Before bluelab I had several others with issues after a few months.

I can say the same thing!

 

[Hempire828]

Damn..my shit just broke.. I didn’t do anything wrong.. blank screen like my last darn cell phone...

 

[Couchland]

Bluelab.
I'm using two meters in two locations, one a ph ec combo and one just ph, both with replaceable probes that measure the medium too.
In two years, I did replace one of the probes recently, keep one for back-up. Use drops to check. Not cheap but full proof.

 

[Octastich]

You mix 100 buckets of food, how many buckets do you need to test?

1 because once you measure it once and you use the exact same water you should not need to check the other 99

but i like knowing there is people that check every 100 buckets

 

[JohnDee]

. In the spring, my ph meter was giving me 6.6-7.1 with 110-130 tds, but I’m seeing 7.1-7.6 with the same tds. Meter, or city treatment adjustment?

Same here on Washington coast. I figured it was somehow related to the winter rainfall...which is plentyful.

Question for anyone. I tried Hanna storage solution and it spawns white crystals that grow all the way to the outside. Mabe a bad bottle? Comments?
JD

 

[DaFreak]

1 because once you measure it once and you use the exact same water you should not need to check the other 99

but i like knowing there is people that check every 100 buckets

Well that was my point, people with good tap in drain to waste shouldn't need to be testing their water all the time. My tap is always 7.0, I could probably go years without testing because I know how much my nutes drop the pH and I know how much is needed to bring it up into range, and they call it a range because you don't have to worry about +/- 0.1 hence paper strips are more then adequate for most people.

 

[Octastich]

Well that was my point, people with good tap in drain to waste shouldn't need to be testing their water all the time. My tap is always 7.0, I could probably go years without testing because I know how much my nutes drop the pH and I know how much is needed to bring it up into range, and they call it a range because you don't have to worry about +/- 0.1 hence paper strips are more then adequate for most people.

i contradict my self as i do check every feed and every feed always the same

ive used them litmus strips i think that are crap. ive use a no brand 25$ ph meter for 2 yrs now and i calibrate once a month. its never more then .05 off. if you keep the prob clean with a old toothbrush it should last 3 times as long then not cleaning them. depend on that you are sticking it in .

 

[DaFreak]

I use a combo Hanna and more interested in the ppm part but the strips never failed me. I challenge anybody to get a wrong reading with the strips.

 

[JohnDee]

Well that was my point, people with good tap in drain to waste shouldn't need to be testing their water all the time. My tap is always 7.0, I could probably go years without testing because I know how much my nutes drop the pH

I wish our water was that stable. I live in a very rainy area and our tap goes from around 7.5 in the winter...to now in summer, close to 6.5. First time I ever I needed ph up. So I measure occasionally.
JD

 

[Octastich]

I wish our water was that stable. I live in a very rainy area and our tap goes from around 7.5 in the winter...to now in summer, close to 6.5. First time I ever I needed ph up. So I measure occasionally.
JD

my tap changes ec sometimes when it rains its interesting to see someone else mention that.
i find strange as being on city water that it will drop ec sometimes when it rains even though its all treated in a water plant before being supplied. makes me think rain water is going in to mains water supply with no filtration or something like that

 

[JohnDee]

makes me think rain water is going in to mains water supply with no filtration or something like that

No I wouldn't worry about that. Water treatment makes it sanitary but doesn't change EC. My guess is that with increased rain...more water is passing through limestone .. picking up some Ca, and then to aquifer...thus raising ph.
JD

 

[Octastich]

No I wouldn't worry about that. Water treatment makes it sanitary but doesn't change EC. My guess is that with increased rain...more water is passing through limestone .. picking up some Ca, and then to aquifer...thus raising ph.
JD

i always though Water treatment plants adjusted all that. now i know they only makes it sanitary

 

[DaFreak]

Only you know what your water is, but you can always ask for a report from your water district as well. Mine used to have quarterly reports.