Meters?

I am starting hydro for my second time. Been doing soil for years and did hydro once a few years back.

What type of meter should i iget

I know im going to get a digital PH meter

but whats better PPM or EC?

and a brand that is cheap and still durable ?

Thanks fellow farmers!

if you want to go cheap, head to ebay. there are quite a few different meters that will do ph, ppm, ec, temp. if you want something that will last though, plan to spend a few more bucks on something water proof. never want to drop the meter in a resevoir but it does happen.

Ph Meter

PPM and EC are essentially the same thing. A PPM meter first measures EC (electric conductivity) and then converts it into PPM. Also known as a TDS meter (total dissolved salt).

Heisenberg said:

Ph Meter

PPM and EC are essentially the same thing. A PPM meter first measures EC (electric conductivity) and then converts it into PPM. Also known as a TDS meter (total dissolved salt).

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Ive read that before.

I should have asked this.
Can i get the job done with a PPM meter?
I currently have that.It seems cheap.

I know that different company's use a different calculations from EC toPPM so its hard to share information, but does that mean it is useless?
Also i need to confirm how to store a meter if there not being used. I heard that having a PH/EC meter is a bad choice because they need to be stored in a diffrent solution and that the EC solution can burn out the PH probe, and if you do decided not to store it they can break?!

Thanks for the help.
I keep reading into this, but no one speaks to my level of knowledge.

BBYY, I am new at this also, at least using meters. I am a horticulturist for the last 25 years. I always used the good old solutions and a card for pH readings but I have upgraded to meters. Both I bought on eBay. The PPM meter was factory calobrated so I am under the impression I don't need buffer solution for it but the pH meter did need to be buffered. They both have caps and when I am finished with it I shake excess water off and then just recap them. I never read on either directions that came with them that I needed to store it in a solution.

I have a meter i love so much that Im always stopping in on threads like this to wax about it.

I used the Hanna multi pen, so it does EC PPM, & Ph.

Plus, It has a shit-load of neat features:

It give the % of battery life (which im on my second grow and it still has 82% of it's charge)

It has both .7 and .5 conversion.

Although I do recalibrate, honestly it never seems to off more than 0.02 %

As indicate above it measures to the 100th

It has ceramic protected electrodes.

It is a ridiculous value. ( I think I paid $200.00)

It has an auto shut off too.

not to say my budget is tight, but that is just out of my price range.


Yea my meters instruction booklet had nothing about storing it in solution either.
maybe its just a myth.

I guess you could buy the Ph test-strips from a pet store. Or the Test tube ones where you take a sample and put a chemical in the tt and it changes colour i think the pet store have a ppm versions for salt water fish. They're like 14 bucks....or something.

But i think you should save ur pennies for a proper meter. Trust me I went the cheap route...you'll be better off guessing for free. Skimp on other areas of your grow...the meter is too important to hydroponics...it's the only way to know forsure everything that is going on with your grow.

The EC and Ph tell a story....everyday. (feeding habits, salt levels, health)

But if you are second-guessing your meter because it sucks or because it took a dip in your res.....it can cost you dearly.

I use a bluelab truncheon for PPM/EC.
They cost $117 USD on ebay, but they are worth it, man. 5 year warranty with them. They do EC, ppmx500, ppmx700, and CF. <--- Note that these are all the same thing. Just measured on different scales.

For pH You can buy strips of pH paper (litmus paper?) in like 20 foot rolls. Mine have a pH range of like 4-9. But as I've recently found, they make them in even narrower ranges which would be more precise for reservoir pH.

The brand is Hydrion, I think. Don't have them in front of me right now. But they work just fine.

I do have a meter for PPM only. I wanted something that everyone can use the info off and from my understanding thats EC and not PPM.
So I guess i am back in the market for a EC meter, which is why i made this thread.

I do have that PH tester. With the solution you add to a water sample and wait for the color to change.
That is such a pain in the d*ck. So I am in the market again for a meter that does it all. I thought about it and all is right, the extra 20 or 40 i spend on a nice meter will change and help alot!

ec is the true measurment. then the ppm is done in .5 or .7 conversion factors its called and it does loose accuracy slightly in the conversion. andf tds will give and even diff number from ppm by close to 300 difference. i have a tri meter that does all readings inc pH
to store the ph use pH 4 solution. and shouyld also be cal`d with both 7 and 4.

the liquid and paper oens are the worst meathod to test pH as the food is usualy coloured and isnt accurate at all. also can only usulay get within a .5 reading, should be running tighter than a .5 swing.
i use a Blue Lab Gaurdian tri meter. love it. bit costkly but its well worth it. and no more batteries to rely on

Medi 1 said:

ec is the true measurment. then the ppm is done in .5 or .7 conversion factors its called and it does loose accuracy slightly in the conversion. andf tds will give and even diff number from ppm by close to 300 difference. i have a tri meter that does all readings inc pH
to store the ph use pH 4 solution. and shouyld also be cal`d with both 7 and 4.

the liquid and paper oens are the worst meathod to test pH as the food is usualy coloured and isnt accurate at all. also can only usulay get within a .5 reading, should be running tighter than a .5 swing.
i use a Blue Lab Gaurdian tri meter. love it. bit costkly but its well worth it. and no more batteries to rely on

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Thanks for this!