6/9 & A Pinch BayBay!

[theother]

Jack's in RO comes to ~5.4, at least for me, this is a guess because I have always used the drops. For whatever reason it seems to work just fine. My runoff is normally between 7-8 for whatever reason that is. I don't ask questions and try to over think it if it's working great!

Ya makes sense, 5.4 will play. Trace is so available at that ph though that your gonna burn easier runoff ph being higher is inteeresting. Usually a hungry garden the runoff comes out higher. The plants are eating out the ph buffered nutes and you are closer to the starting ph of the water. Good for you man. I'm definitely not a runoff whisperer but I suspect that's a good thing.

 

[theother]

10 years ago they didn't make them so they would burn out every few month$

Damn, I guess. It's always the probes that go bad on me. I'm over hanna completely, nothing but trouble. How in the fuck you could be in the meter business and think that pos combo meter is acceptable is beyond me.

 

[Dropped Cat]

Anyone else use the drops for ph, I have some bromocresol purple
that ranges from 5.0 to 7.5.

Its good for me, I have heard too many tales of woe on the ph meters
failing/calibration issues.

 

[theother]

Anyone else use the drops for ph, I have some bromocresol purple
that ranges from 5.0 to 7.5.

Its good for me, I have heard too many tales of woe on the ph meters
failing/calibration issues.

Not sure id use drops but meters suck sometimes, I don't think I would do well with drops, I hated always using test strips for aquariums. I just don't feel confident I'm matching the colors right.

 

[LSWM]

Ya makes sense, 5.4 will play. Trace is so available at that ph though that your gonna burn easier runoff ph being higher is inteeresting. Usually a hungry garden the runoff comes out higher. The plants are eating out the ph buffered nutes and you are closer to the starting ph of the water. Good for you man. I'm definitely not a runoff whisperer but I suspect that's a good thing.

What's funny is I'm recirculating in this coco ppk and I'm not seeing any weird signs of pH problems. Its only got ~7 gallons in the system but things are still stable. I'll have to check the pH of the res here tonight because in my DTW setups runoff is always so high, I have no idea how the ppk is surviving, lmao

No signs of burn at 1.2 EC. Sometimes I get clawing on certain strains but I think that is more vpd related than pH, only because I've tried adjusting the pH, and ended up with clawed leaves that got rust spots on them, lol.

 

[LSWM]

Anyone else use the drops for ph, I have some bromocresol purple
that ranges from 5.0 to 7.5.

Its good for me, I have heard too many tales of woe on the ph meters
failing/calibration issues.

Not sure id use drops but meters suck sometimes, I don't think I would do well with drops, I hated always using test strips for aquariums. I just don't feel confident I'm matching the colors right.

After a while you get the hang of it. Im not sure what kind mine are but 4-5 is deep red. 5-6 orange/yellow, then 6-8 starts getting green to blue. They get the job done thats for sure, but they can certainly be a pain before things get dialed in having to check and recheck. Easy mode to double check once things are dialed though.

 

[Mikell]

Anyone else use the drops for ph, I have some bromocresol purple
that ranges from 5.0 to 7.5.

Its good for me, I have heard too many tales of woe on the ph meters
failing/calibration issues.

I haven't measured pH in monthes, but I'll take drops and strips over a bloody Bluelab pH pen anyday.

It never dried out, as the asshat that answered the phone suggested, despite assurance to the contrary. I take pride in ownership. After a half a dozen soaks in KCL, it still read a full point north of the drops/paper/Guardian.

 

[HHULKK]

I think all ph meters will drift in calibration after a certain point of time. I tend to recalibrate more often to avoid this. What I would normally do is make a new solution that I reference with and calibrate the pen right before I measure the ph, so later I would have something to refer to when ph'ing the same solution. If the ph pen is off from what is expected I know I have gone too long between calibrations.

 

[Mikell]

A. Brand new.
B. Went through a bottle each of 7 and 4, trying to get it right.
C. I calibrate weekly.

I've run in to a number of people that have similar bitchings about the Bluelab pen. Maybe a bad production run, or we're all performing the same inane blunder.

Almost unrelated, it is my understanding that large scale producers, e.g. greenhouse operators, rely predominantly on drops or strips, and the few that do use pens or meters, calibrate and double check with drops/strips each use.

 

[LyryC]

A. Brand new.
B. Went through a bottle each of 7 and 4, trying to get it right.
C. I calibrate weekly.

I've run in to a number of people that have similar bitchings about the Bluelab pen. Maybe a bad production run, or we're all performing the same inane blunder.

Almost unrelated, it is my understanding that large scale producers, e.g. greenhouse operators, rely predominantly on drops or strips, and the few that do use pens or meters, calibrate and double check with drops/strips each use.

Sir, with all due respect, they use some of hte most advanced technology ever produced. Why do you think there are PH Pens that go into your shirt pocket? for us stoners? lol

You think a commercial business is going to waste time/resources on something that isn't EXACT?

You realize there are PH controllers. Computers/machines reading PH 24/7 365 and not only do they read the PH they control it by adding up / down to hte solution to keep it right were the grower(s) want it.

Maybe some mom and pop places do that, but even my schools horticulture department has PH Meters, smart controllers, custom irrigation / fertilization per green house...

Shit dude, the school even has a 23000$ monitoring system with 4-8 sensors per green house, 2 central computers and access for anyone with internet... And that shit is just ot measure RH, Temp, CO2... some pretty basic shit... its just remote/allows control remotely.

Drops/Strips are temp solutions for serious gardeners imo. Why do you think they make it so small... while they could be the best thing ever to some one with a pool or a small garden/limited funds.

Bluelab Combo Meter. All ur problems solved.

 

[xxxstr8edgexxx]

Sir, with all due respect, they use some of hte most advanced technology ever produced. Why do you think there are PH Pens that go into your shirt pocket? for us stoners? lol

You think a commercial business is going to waste time/resources on something that isn't EXACT?

You realize there are PH controllers. Computers/machines reading PH 24/7 365 and not only do they read the PH they control it by adding up / down to hte solution to keep it right were the grower(s) want it.

Maybe some mom and pop places do that, but even my schools horticulture department has PH Meters, smart controllers, custom irrigation / fertilization per green house...

Shit dude, the school even has a 23000$ monitoring system with 4-8 sensors per green house, 2 central computers and access for anyone with internet... And that shit is just ot measure RH, Temp, CO2... some pretty basic shit... its just remote/allows control remotely.

Drops/Strips are temp solutions for serious gardeners imo. Why do you think they make it so small... while they could be the best thing ever to some one with a pool or a small garden/limited funds.

Bluelab Combo Meter. All ur problems solved.

you couldnt be more wrong. its a really poor technology and very prone to not working,. the rep who supplies em here swaps no qustions asked because he knows they dont work a lot.
his explanation was that we sell em because people want a cheap ph pen we know its an impossible request. this is the best the technology allows and its flawed. they break constantly and fail.

 

[xxxstr8edgexxx]

A. Brand new.
B. Went through a bottle each of 7 and 4, trying to get it right.
C. I calibrate weekly.

I've run in to a number of people that have similar bitchings about the Bluelab pen. Maybe a bad production run, or we're all performing the same inane blunder.

Almost unrelated, it is my understanding that large scale producers, e.g. greenhouse operators, rely predominantly on drops or strips, and the few that do use pens or meters, calibrate and double check with drops/strips each use.

keep them away from t5s and florecent bulbs it sends the electronics haywire. dont leave in solution because the glass is pourous and the fluid in time becomes contaminated. those things are peices of shit. i recomend taking it in and swapping it on warranty. they recently enacted a reciept policy for blue lab so save it.
i switched to the guardian and even though it the same tech it seems to be working better.

 

[theother]

keep them away from t5s and florecent bulbs it sends the electronics haywire. dont leave in solution because the glass is pourous and the fluid in time becomes contaminated. those things are peices of shit. i recomend taking it in and swapping it on warranty. they recently enacted a reciept policy for blue lab so save it.
i switched to the guardian and even though it the same tech it seems to be working better.

My understanding was that you should keep them in one of the calibration fluids (I always did 7 but a friend was telling me to try 4). I think it has to do with the ec of the reference solution, it is high enough that it won't osmote through the glass but it also won't let the fluid inside leak through. On this current blue lab i have been just filling the cap and sponge with 7. Seems to work well as when I put the pen back it goes to 7 and if I turn it on with the cap on it stays at 7.

With the Hanna's I didn't trust the cap and always kept a cup full of solution to keep them in, problem was it dried out all the time, and it ended up being costly always having the quarts of 7 around,

 

[xxxstr8edgexxx]

You could use anther less costly known liquid. Just for ballpark of being working properly and use the calibration fluid maybe only once a week.

 

[xxxstr8edgexxx]

Bottled water for ballpark accuracy.

 

[Weeded1s]

I use a low ppm ro h20 when they sit around not being used..broke to many bulbs removing tight ass caps... calibrate 1 time a week with 7 and 4.
F all that storage solution.calibrate 1 time a week. Blue lap pen is dope..with a check mark to tell u when cal. is needed. Ive tested it in all kinds of diff ways to see if reading is stable..and its the best one for @100. Its the portable pen. However with ro h20 and 3/4.5 ratio ..I add 6 drops ph and im at 5.8 everytime. 6/9 takes 13 drops gh ph up. Next time it brakes I may not replace it ever again. If I use 1ml drip clean I only need 5 drops. Still watching it but seems stable for 4 days min. Never had a problem storing in low ppm...just not ro as I believe it ruins something inside of it.
Peace

 

[Mikell]

keep them away from t5s and florecent bulbs it sends the electronics haywire. dont leave in solution because the glass is pourous and the fluid in time becomes contaminated. those things are peices of shit. i recomend taking it in and swapping it on warranty. they recently enacted a reciept policy for blue lab so save it.
i switched to the guardian and even though it the same tech it seems to be working better.

Interesting note on the fluorescent/T5s. I was wondering why the reading was closer to prime the further I got away from the room. Perhaps that was the issue right there.

The Guardian I have works well enough.

Lryrc: I was wrong, and reread the article that gave me that impression. Drops and strips were recommended to verify meter readings, and to monitor meter fail.

Cute little rant though.

 

[Dropped Cat]

Strips are less accurate than drops. I'll stay with the
drops for now, I can always use them to verify a meter's
accuracy later, if i ever get one. lol.

 

[GonjaLove]

I bought a 100$ hanna meter that I used about 5 times and it never seemed to match what the drops would say...I never use anything but gh's drops

 

[Weeded1s]

Bluelab only.