Combo ppm/ph/temp monitors - reviews please?

[ItsGrowTime]

Just looking for IC grower reviews on combo MONITORS (not meters). I know the Nutradip Tri-meter is an old favorite but Hanna Gro'Check Hanna HI991404 is about $40 cheaper, but looks to be DC powered (is it regular wall plug? Online manual isn't clear how it's powered).

Any other combo monitors you guys like and have used in the same $140-$200 price range? Im obviously concerned mostly with accuracy and ease of use. No point having a monitor that has to be recalibrated all the time like my portable combo meter.

Thanks in advance!

 

[ItsGrowTime]

bump

No one uses combo monitors?

 

[Dregs]

I am also curious of the answer to this since I was just starting down the same road of research.

 

[ItsGrowTime]

I am also curious of the answer to this since I was just starting down the same road of research.

Hopefully someone will chime in with thoughts. Im surprised there hasnt been any input. I went ahead and ordered the Tri-meter since it has a good track record.

 

[Lazyman]

SOrry I'm late, Nutradip tri-meters used to be ok, then their qualitry went to shit. I bought 4 and only 1 worked, returned them all and bought hannahs. Returned 1 of 4 for a missing temp display, and all 4 had a manufacturers defect: they forgot to cut the switch hole out in the back plate and you couldn't adjust it from C* to F*. Grrr. Took each one apart and fixed the switch, but what a stupid thing.

I've heard Oakton products are about the best right now, I'd have you shop their site.

 

[ItsGrowTime]

Bought 4 and only 1 worked? Missing displays and messed up cases? Huh? Wow I hope my luck is better than your luck. Ill have some time to test it out though before "showtime" so we'll see what happens. I'll update with my results after I receive it.

 

[puff adder]

I've been using the Oakton pen meters for years. Always worked, waterproof.

I just bought a Hanna dual (PPM and PH) meter, and it reads well, but when both are calibrated with PH7 solution, the Hanna reads a few points off from the Oakton.

I confirmed 6.0 with the drops, and the Oakton seemed closer so I adjusted the Hanna to read the same as the Oakton at 6.0.

The Hanna has knobs for calibration so you can "tune" it like I did.

 

[ItsGrowTime]

Monitors. Not meters.

 

[MrWeekend]

ok, Ive been down this road many times & I believe Ive found what works & is cheap

Milwaukee

you have to buy them separate (ph, ec, or tds, all have a monitor model)

They arent as accurate, only going to the first decimal, but they work ALL THE TIME, unlike hanna

Ive used the hanna blue tri combo & it sucks! I got 2 brand new in open boxes ill sell u for 1/2 off. they arent meant to by used with HID lighting, in a res, or around hydroponic pumps, and half the time your #'s are off by 50%.....mine would shut off anytime any other 120v timer would kick on or off.

Hanna separate grochecks, ph-red, ec-blue work pretty good, but are double what I paid for my Milwaukee pair


I found the MW on the internet at a aquarium place for around 65-70 a piece

 

[Dr Dog]

I have three nutradips in use as we speak, I have used them for 2 years straight now, no issues at all. I empty the res's about every two weeks, and recalibrate.

I trust them and would recommend them

 

[greenhornets]

i just got one yesterday. hooked it up last night . i checked it today ,everything looks good . i checked the readings next to a hanna ph and a hanna tds pens everything is cool.

 

[andl]

I have three nutradips in use as we speak, I have used them for 2 years straight now, no issues at all. I empty the res's about every two weeks, and recalibrate.

I trust them and would recommend them

hey nice dog

the nutradip is nice, i like it too.

i got mine for about 1 1/2 - 2 years right now i m happy with it it got the DC power plug so no batteries or else needed, it goes for months if its calibrated, i recalibrate every 3-4 months, but it seems that only ph is really affected, ppm reading is very accurate even after months, just be sure you calibrate them before you use them they say they were pre-calibrated but dont give a shit about that !


you can check ph 0.1+/- ppms and temps.


little expensive but it goes for years and doing a nice job

you can use it for hydro or soil of course, you can even stick the diodes into moist/wet soil to check soil ph/ec in pots or beds, but i just hang them into the water/nutrient reservoir, thats enough.


PS: when i bought it and checken ph i wondered because it was +1.0 of whats used to be, but maybe it just layed around too long in the shop, after calibration never had any problems ^^

 

[ItsGrowTime]

My Tri-meter arrived today and guess what? Defective right out of the box! The ph reading is all whacked and it won't calibrate. It says my res is 12.1ph and won't even manually adjust lower than 9.1ph.

Yep, Lazyman appears to be correct that the Nutradip Tri-meters are junk. Im going to return it and probably drop the extra $100 on a Bluelab.

 

[greenhornets]

whats bluelab . sorry to hear about your luck IGT. i just got mine to 5 day ago . stuck it in and everything was algood .ya but whats bluelab??

 

[ItsGrowTime]

whats bluelab . sorry to hear about your luck IGT. i just got mine to 5 day ago . stuck it in and everything was algood .ya but whats bluelab??

Top of the line monitor, $300 range. I should have shelled out for it in the first place. If there's one thing I've learned about grow gear over the years it's to buy the best quality products you can afford the FIRST time. I've gotten way too many defective parts from various suppliers while price comparison shopping. I tend to regret it.

http://www.getbluelab.com/shop/Bluelab+Guardian+Monitor.html

 

[brownstormy]

My Tri-meter arrived today and guess what? Defective right out of the box! The ph reading is all whacked and it won't calibrate. It says my res is 12.1ph and won't even manually adjust lower than 9.1ph.

Yep, Lazyman appears to be correct that the Nutradip Tri-meters are junk. Im going to return it and probably drop the extra $100 on a Bluelab.

Sorry to hear IGT.
Which model did you get? the PPM or EC and F or C for temps? Is the A/C power detachable?

Did the packaging look like this?

Wondering if the newest releases are all buggered or not.

 

[fred b]

I got this bluelab combo ph / ec / temp meter and am loving it.
http://www.getbluelab.com/shop/Bluelab+Combo+Meter%99.html

first I didn't want a combo meter but this thing just turned out perfect for me.
the EC sensor does CF / EC / PPM and temperature

was kinda costy at about 320$ though

you can use ph 4 as storage solution for the ph sensor

the only "downside" is that the ec sensor should be tested with a "special" bluelab EC solution at 2,77 EC or 1385 ppm and usually you can only get EC 1,4 at the local stores

greets
fred b

 

[jdooderj]

I run a hanna 9914 monitor in my commercial greenhouse. This maybe overkill for most because this monitors ph/ec and also can control 3 micro pumps to keep everything in line. There are a ton of features on this such as 3 float switch controls, high/med/low, moisture alarm, controls recirculating pump and feed pump. There is a great company for hanna stuff eseasongear com i believe. They have this monitor the cheapest i have found, i believe you can get the monitor for $650, but you also have to buy ph/ppm pens and if you want micro pumps to control nutes and ph up/down then those are $130 a peice. I paid much more than this year or so ago from different company. This is a big investment but if your running a big setup this thing is awesome, once you get it dialed in you can set things and be confident everything is where its supposed to be.

 

[kstampy]

I run a hanna 9914 monitor in my commercial greenhouse. This maybe overkill for most because this monitors ph/ec and also can control 3 micro pumps to keep everything in line. There are a ton of features on this such as 3 float switch controls, high/med/low, moisture alarm, controls recirculating pump and feed pump. There is a great company for hanna stuff eseasongear com i believe. They have this monitor the cheapest i have found, i believe you can get the monitor for $650, but you also have to buy ph/ppm pens and if you want micro pumps to control nutes and ph up/down then those are $130 a peice. I paid much more than this year or so ago from different company. This is a big investment but if your running a big setup this thing is awesome, once you get it dialed in you can set things and be confident everything is where its supposed to be.

I ordered the new Hanna HI 9813-6N from that eseasongear site. It came with a defective pH probe so I contacted them which you can only do through email. A couple days later they reply to say "Sorry for your problems, contact Hanna for you have 6 month warranty." So I call Hanna and got my replacement probe a few days later as well as some extra packets of calibration sauces because I mentioned wasting a bunch on this defective probe. So far it has been the best investment I have made in a while. Coming from HM Digital pH/ppm meter, which were junk.

 

[Squire5683]

I bought this meter about a year ago, and it works great. I leave probes in my rez at all times. I pull them about every two weeks to clean and calibrate and they are surprisingly accurate for a cheap meter. DO NOT GET IT WET. Keep it above all water. I bought another one for my cloner, and it got a little spray on it, and the PH side took a dump. The PPM and Temp works great.

Heres the link:http://cgi.ebay.com/TriMeter-pH-PPM...836?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35a57a6604