Question about PH Pens... Storage and Cleaning +REP

First let me thank everyone who takes the time to check out this question.

+REP if you can help

I have recently purchased a hanna ph/tds/ec pen.

I was wondering what the best way to clean and store the pen is. Obviously the very best thing to do would be to buy the solution that is made specifically for Hanna pens.

However my grow budget is running extremely behind and i simply do not have the money to get both the cooltube i need AND the solution.

So are there any DIY fixes for cleaning and storing PH pens?

Thanks guys
-PRO

Ok this is kind of frustrating rollitup... You think i would be able to at least get some views on this thread without making some ridiculous title or catchphrase. Just a simple question guys. Can i get some help? I give it enough.

as long as the tip stays wet (that sounds dirty huh) then it should be fine.. so i would just keep it in water when not in use... and about 1 or 2 times a month calibrate it to make sure its staying spot on...

**edit** basically the bulb needs to stay wet inbetween uses.. and you just rinse it off with water when its done.. nothing special...

proheto8008 said:

Ok this is kind of frustrating rollitup... You think i would be able to at least get some views on this thread without making some ridiculous title or catchphrase. Just a simple question guys. Can i get some help? I give it enough.

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I rinse mine off with r/o or distilled water. Hope this helps my friend.

Ok this one is easy. Go to the grow shop and get a small packet of PH buffer solution, It's like a buck or two. Take a small piece of sponge and put it in the cap of you pH pen. just a little piece will do. put a little squirt of solution on the sponge. place the cap on pen and store tip down. In a pinch I am sure you can use distilled water. http://hannainst.com/usa/prods2.cfm?id=002003 has all the manuals for Hanna pH testers. I am curious... A bottle of storage solution is only $16. Is your grow budget that tight? One other thing Sun tubes are built way better than cool tubes and they have heat shielding around the wires and socket. The cool tube does not. Good luck and I hope you grow the weed that ruins a rap stars career.

I use Distilled water to rinse it off, allow to dry and place the lid on it for storage.
Still going strong 1 yr after purchase. Calibrated a handful of times, and always been spot on.

XxNinjaxX said:

I use Distilled water to rinse it off, allow to dry and place the lid on it for storage.
Still going strong 1 yr after purchase. Calibrated a handful of times, and always been spot on.

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For realz..... maybe depends on brand I know my hanna pen (the cheapest one) would fuck up quick ass hell if I didn't keep the electrode hydrated...it's says so on the info pamphlet also...so I takes no chances now keep it hydrated and got a better meter

Distilled water is not the best storage solution. But any calibration fluid is just as good as the storage solution. Buying additional storage solution is a marketing scam IMO.

Mine is just an EZI PEN.. Pamphlet 4it says distilled water, dry and store..

XxNinjaxX said:

Mine is just an EZI PEN.. Pamphlet 4it says distilled water, dry and store..

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You can use distilled water to rinse it off but I don't know why they would say to store it dry. Electrodes should not be stored dry according to all the major manufacturers.

Illegal Smile said:

You can use distilled water to rinse it off but I don't know why they would say to store it dry. Electrodes should not be stored dry according to all the major manufacturers.

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Yeah that's how mine is. I keep it stored in the 7.0 buffer solution.

Illegal Smile said:

You can use distilled water to rinse it off but I don't know why they would say to store it dry. Electrodes should not be stored dry according to all the major manufacturers.

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why cant we just leave it in the soil?

Bosson26 said:

why cant we just leave it in the soil?

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Try that and tell me how it works.

doc111 said:

Try that and tell me how it works.

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havent bought one yet

Thanks guys, i posted this thread some weeks ago and have since boght the 7.01 and 4.01 calibration solution.

I just store it wet with the 7.0 stuff.

I do believe the storage solution is just a marketing scam... and a bad one at that. I went to the hanna website and they tell you to either buy the storage solution or just use the 7.0 instead

thanks for all your advice tho. I hope this thread will help someone else in the future.

Also beware of the distilled water. I dont know for sure, but i read on a physics website that r/o water and distilled water are electron free. When you put that kind of water on you rmeter it robs your probe of the electrons that it needs in order to work properly.

nice thread for me to stumble onto. i got my PH pen yesterday. got it zero'd and had been thinkin about storage. i will save all my buffer fluid for storage fluid now just have to find something to put it in till i can get a proper bottle.