Hello , I have got 2 identical ph meters which I have calibrated in 7.0 calibration fluid however when I take a res reading they give different results varying by several points , as you can imagine this is causing me a few problems, any ideas why this is ? and can anyone reccomend a good quality ph meter which wont cost the earth ? thanks
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PH meters
- Thread starter pashi2004
- Start date
Midwest Toker
Member
I gave up my ph pens years ago. Got tiered of calibration, storage solutions and probe replacement.
is it one of those round ones ?
I had a round one that used calibration fluid.
The guy at the grow store that helped out used a Hanna. Which seem to be expensive.
If you use a clean jar & take a sample into a grow store ... they might help you out.
nutrdip tri-meter
nutrdip tri-meter
Nutradip Trimeter is the best meter i have came across in my time. EVERY PH PEN i have ever owned has given me inconsistent results....
nutradip trimeter !!! longest one i had lasted 7 years.Other then the PH probe, which could last 4 months to a year and a half.
b-safe
nutrdip tri-meter
Nutradip Trimeter is the best meter i have came across in my time. EVERY PH PEN i have ever owned has given me inconsistent results....
nutradip trimeter !!! longest one i had lasted 7 years.Other then the PH probe, which could last 4 months to a year and a half.
b-safe
NorthernFarmer
Member
I just had the same problem. My plants were showing obvious high PH signs and I had been calibrating with the 7 so I was getting frustrated. I pulled out my back up pen and calibrated it. Now both pens were dialled in for 7... but when I compared against a res sample, there was a .6 difference.
I went and bought some GH drops and decided to test sample some well water and some filtered water against the drops... one of my pens seemed accurate... so I went with that one... after two weeks, that meter was reading way too low... room looked like it was flushing in week 5...
I use to use the drops for everything... had way less problems. I just don't like using a colour indicator for my results when my res is dark coloured. It was much easier to get a match when I used a very transparent base like from Advanced with the drops.
I agree... the Nutradip Trimeter was the best unit I ever had but it was a pain in the ass moving around... I have two rooms at opposite ends of the house and then a greenhouse at the back of the property... I'd rather have a couple of pens,,,, but not if I'm going to be chasing my tail all the time with inaccurate readings. Over the last 20 years, I haven't had a pen that didn't screw me over eventually. If you are juggling issues like having to supplement well water when your filters go down etc and a meter that is only accurate at 7... by the time you isolate the problems, you wasted your best grow period and destroyed your confidence in your ability to read problems.
I went and bought some GH drops and decided to test sample some well water and some filtered water against the drops... one of my pens seemed accurate... so I went with that one... after two weeks, that meter was reading way too low... room looked like it was flushing in week 5...
I use to use the drops for everything... had way less problems. I just don't like using a colour indicator for my results when my res is dark coloured. It was much easier to get a match when I used a very transparent base like from Advanced with the drops.
I agree... the Nutradip Trimeter was the best unit I ever had but it was a pain in the ass moving around... I have two rooms at opposite ends of the house and then a greenhouse at the back of the property... I'd rather have a couple of pens,,,, but not if I'm going to be chasing my tail all the time with inaccurate readings. Over the last 20 years, I haven't had a pen that didn't screw me over eventually. If you are juggling issues like having to supplement well water when your filters go down etc and a meter that is only accurate at 7... by the time you isolate the problems, you wasted your best grow period and destroyed your confidence in your ability to read problems.
I only use the drip kits, tested twice to make sure, can't risk a meter taking a shit on me
Shovelhandle
Active member
My Bluelab threw bad numbers before it died and caused me fits. I suggest having the 4.5 -8.5 pH strips to check a meter regularly. They are cheap and easy to use. Myself, I don't need a meter really as I grow organic and I just check the well water and my feed solution occasionally as it stays pretty constant.
I only used 7 test solution with cheap yellow and black PH pen made in China. Had to keep adjusting it. The batteries were dying and giving false readings. Was off by 1.5 PH, by time I realized it. That is why you need both 4 and 7 test solution. I still only use the cheap yellow and black ones. Have 5, but only using 2. One primary, and one for if I doubt the other one.
little late to this thread but this one is fantastic. Easy to replace the probe itself and not the whole thing. Real science stuff here not marketed for weed bs
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01ENFOIQE/ref=s9_acsd_hps_bw_c_x_2_w
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01ENFOIQE/ref=s9_acsd_hps_bw_c_x_2_w
My latest purchase, an HM PH-200 which I've had positive experience with before is a piece of junk. Used it for one grow cycle (3 1/2 months) and it never seemed right. Never held calibration for more than a couple days, cap didnt fit properly, one of the buttons got a little funky . I dont think Ill be buying any of their products in the future.
I'll second that. Worst piece of junk I ever bought. You really do get what you pay for I guess.
Because I don't trust it any more, I almost always calibrate before using it every time now.
Best I ever had was Nutradip Trimeter .
I used one for years, worked great. I've since upgraded to this one,https://www.plantlightinghydroponics.com/hanna-hi9813-6n-portable-meter-ph-ec-tds-c.html
It has been flawless for me. I find I have to replace the probe after @2years. I use it twice a day everyday.
Be Safe,
MK
Farm Hero
Member
One year into use of a Bluelab pen and it has been great.
I really like it being fully waterproof. I've lost a few meters over the years at the bottom of 55 gallon poly drums. I also like that the Bluelab pen only requires a few drops of probe storage fluid rather than a whole cap full. I like the big top ring, great for holding the meter while testing and handy for hanging it upright to keep the probe moist during storage. Auto shutoff is a welcome feature as well, i've had a few that weren't.
I really like it being fully waterproof. I've lost a few meters over the years at the bottom of 55 gallon poly drums. I also like that the Bluelab pen only requires a few drops of probe storage fluid rather than a whole cap full. I like the big top ring, great for holding the meter while testing and handy for hanging it upright to keep the probe moist during storage. Auto shutoff is a welcome feature as well, i've had a few that weren't.
I have no experience with these PH-pens(just bought my first though), but from work I have experience with probes, using the same technique costing over 1000$ each. And I must say they seem as lousy as these here you describe.
If they ever are allowed to dry once they never get good again. You can recondition them with buffersolution, but they will never be as accurate as before. Also they generally don't live very long, and need frequent calibrations, we used two who controlled eachother. Anyway. They should always be moist, and these I were handling was always to be stored standing up, maybe something to do with the pens as well?
If they ever are allowed to dry once they never get good again. You can recondition them with buffersolution, but they will never be as accurate as before. Also they generally don't live very long, and need frequent calibrations, we used two who controlled eachother. Anyway. They should always be moist, and these I were handling was always to be stored standing up, maybe something to do with the pens as well?
ph fluid indicator
ph fluid indicator
goverment arseholes have restricted the concentration of fluid availble to the public.
There is a formula for making it where the colour differential is very good and strong colours
I had 10 ltrs of it in the uk
ADAS in wye kent UK made it years ago
the problem making it is weighing accuracy to 0.001 needed for it to show correct colours
so idealy you would need make 20 ltrs plus.
formulae =
PhenolPthalein 0.4 g
Methyl red 0.8 g
Methyl orange 1.2 g
Bromomethyl blue 1.6g
Thymol blue 2.0 g
disolved in 1 litre ethanol
1ltr water
disolve in methanol first
then add 1 litre distiled water warming the water to 50 c helps.A
ph fluid indicator
goverment arseholes have restricted the concentration of fluid availble to the public.
There is a formula for making it where the colour differential is very good and strong colours
I had 10 ltrs of it in the uk
ADAS in wye kent UK made it years ago
the problem making it is weighing accuracy to 0.001 needed for it to show correct colours
so idealy you would need make 20 ltrs plus.
formulae =
PhenolPthalein 0.4 g
Methyl red 0.8 g
Methyl orange 1.2 g
Bromomethyl blue 1.6g
Thymol blue 2.0 g
disolved in 1 litre ethanol
1ltr water
disolve in methanol first
then add 1 litre distiled water warming the water to 50 c helps.A
Truth be told all ph meters suck n will fuk you eventually, when it comes to ec ppm meters the truncheon pen is indestructible but there is zero ph pen in that class... Drops are by far the best for consistency, they will never let ya down but the best way to avoid dealing with ph meters is to know your water n ur nutes n stick to what works, if sumthin is tellin you u need to add double the ph down then u normally use or u need ph up n u never needed it , ya gotta trust the mix not the meter, I got a combo meter in my rez all times , when ever it says ph is off it really means time to replace the probe, fukin useless gadget...
