Premium PH PEN! Help

[Centrum]

Hi, i am in need of a PH PEN.
I have bought a few different ones ( ebay ), usually around $30 but they are junk and they are not accurate.

I need a PH PEN that tells me within seconds what the PH is.
I don't want to have to wait around and watch it slowly rise or decrease and come back 30 minutes later.

Precise and accurate fast results.
Easy to maintain and easy to calibrate.

Can you guys help me out before i go waste money on junk.


Thanks
+rep

 

[ogatec]

Oakton is my fav. brand of pen style meters. they seem pretty solid w/ easly replacable electrodes for when they start to act up.

http://www.hydroponics.net/c/349

 

[FreezerBoy]

Unless you're willing to spend $500 or more you're going to end up with a cheap assed toy.

$5 pH drops from the aquarium store will do everything you asked for

 

[10k]

The hanna pHep is a pretty nice piece too for fairly cheap price tag.

 

[pontiac]

ANY PH meter with 2 point (offset and slope) calibration and a replaceable BNC probe should be fine (ATC or Automatic Temperature Compensation is a big plus too). PH meters are essentially signal amplifiers with an offset volt meter. It's the probe you should really focus on.

The reason why pens suck so much is not because of the meter, it's actually because of the cheap proprietary chinese-made probe that the company wires it to. The glass electrode on these cheap probes fails very quickly, which forces the user to toss out the entire meter and get a new one. It's marketing scam that sends the companies laughing all the way to the bank.

It's true that all pH probes tend to die out whether in use or not, but the cheap ones that come hard-wired into pH pens tend die out within a year or two. Replaceable BNC probes are designed for laboratory and field work, so they're built a lot better, give more reliable readings, and tend to last longer than 3-4 years if well handled.

BTW, don't let those pH pens with the proprietary "replaceable" probe confuse you (ex. Hanna Checker), they're NOT BNC probes and are built just as shitty as the hard-wired probes in other pH pens.

So, get yourself any used 2-point calibration pH meter with a BNC input (preferably with an ATC probe if possible) and then buy a GOOD BNC pH probe to get the best results.

This store here sells built-on-order probes made in the USA; worth every penny IMHO:
http://stores.shop.ebay.com/D-T-Technology

 

[Maddlights]

I second the Oakton. My third pen a PH2-very accurate and self calibrating. I 've used it for a year and it has stayed rock steady. It takes about 10 seconds and I'm done

 

[dr-dank]

ANY PH meter with 2 point (offset and slope) calibration and a replaceable BNC probe should be fine (ATC or Automatic Temperature Compensation is a big plus too). PH meters are essentially signal amplifiers with an offset volt meter. It's the probe you should really focus on.

The reason why pens suck so much is not because of the meter, it's actually because of the cheap proprietary chinese-made probe that the company wires it to. The glass electrode on these cheap probes fails very quickly, which forces the user to toss out the entire meter and get a new one. It's marketing scam that sends the companies laughing all the way to the bank.

It's true that all pH probes tend to die out whether in use or not, but the cheap ones that come hard-wired into pH pens tend die out within a year or two. Replaceable BNC probes are designed for laboratory and field work, so they're built a lot better, give more reliable readings, and tend to last longer than 3-4 years if well handled.

BTW, don't let those pH pens with the proprietary "replaceable" probe confuse you (ex. Hanna Checker), they're NOT BNC probes and are built just as shitty as the hard-wired probes in other pH pens.

So, get yourself any used 2-point calibration pH meter with a BNC input (preferably with an ATC probe if possible) and then buy a GOOD BNC pH probe to get the best results.

This store here sells built-on-order probes made in the USA; worth every penny IMHO:
http://stores.shop.ebay.com/D-T-Technology

Good info. My back up meter is an extech, which has a refilliable (as wella s replacable) probe. So far I had to replace my hanna combo meter probe once in about 2.5 years. I'm pretty anal as to its upkeep.

I have had the extech at least a year and it seems to be holding up. Only the initial topo off as far as filling, but as a Bu it does not see a lot of use. I read that the fluid leaches out of the bulb (hence do not store in RO water or dry), and therefore the refiliable aspect got me. It was only 110 bones, so not high end. i do nothear much of these meters here, and so bring it up when I can.

PS> On my original hanna probe there was a small bit of cloth, the junction itself I beleive, that could be pulled out a bit to help renew the probe. Every bit helps.

Regards

 

[habeeb]

I use bluelab,

I clean once a week to keep tip top

 

[10k]

Great info in this thread.
Another important thing to conside when buying a pH meter, especially if you're on the budget and need a cheap one...
Is to make sure it has automatic temperature compensation.
This helps greatly in making accurate readings and getting it properly calibrated.
It's also nice if it also shows you the temperature of your solution when you're reading pH.

I really like my little pHep pen.

"Keep it wet" folks heh heh

 

[FreezerBoy]

I use bluelab,

I clean once a week to keep tip top

Are you talking meter or truncheon? I was surprised to see the pH Truncheon was even more universally despised as the EC truncheon was beloved and trusted. Unless they've made serious strides in the last year, I'd warn people off the pH Truncheon.

 

[MarquisBlack]

I have the Oakton ph1 and it's a beast. The ph2 is temperature compensating.

 

[Centrum]

Thanks guys, a lot of good input.