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I Am Lost - Help Me Choose An EC/PPM Pen

Mattbho

Mattbho

Active member
Ive bought many cheap ph meters like 5 different styles and then i bought a bluelab . Its was like night and day differences. The cheap ones you have to calibrate every time you use it and still they are only close +- .3 . Blue lab says calibrate monthly but the most its been off at recalibration time is .1 .

Same thing with TDS except i was given a hanna . The ppm goes out maybe 150-200ppm when i goto calibrate . I use alot of organics and only rinse it off so that cant help .

Bottom line if you think you will be at this a while spend the money you wont regret it . Im sure you could always sell a high quality meter but the cheap ones are land fill bound.
Bluelab-pH-Pen.1_400x.jpg

hanna-instrument-hanna-ppm-dist-1-hi-98301-hanna-instruments_900x.jpg

I know blue lab has a minimum retail price so they dont really go on sale . Thats kinda shitty but that way the mom and pop stores can sell them as well.
 
f-e

f-e

Well-known member
Mentor
Veteran
The EC truncheon is sent to us from the future. Lets just look at it. It has no changeable tip, because it never needs changing. There is no means to calibrate it, because you don't have to. It doesn't even have a power switch, because it knows when you're using it. It's powered by AA batteries from your remote, not the CR43Unobtainiums. You can see it in the light and in a dark tank at arms reach. It's water resistant, and instant. I'm really not sure how you stir without one.

They carry a 5 year now not lifetime, but only die when you let the batteries leak inside them. You can glue glass-paper to the end of a dowel (like a pool cue) if that happens.
 
Gone Camping

Gone Camping

Well-known member
f-e said:
The EC truncheon is sent to us from the future. Lets just look at it. It has no changeable tip, because it never needs changing. There is no means to calibrate it, because you don't have to. It doesn't even have a power switch, because it knows when you're using it. It's powered by AA batteries from your remote, not the CR43Unobtainiums. You can see it in the light and in a dark tank at arms reach. It's water resistant, and instant. I'm really not sure how you stir without one.

They carry a 5 year now not lifetime, but only die when you let the batteries leak inside them. You can glue glass-paper to the end of a dowel (like a pool cue) if that happens.
Click to expand...


I had a Bluelab EC pen for a short time, it was purchased before i really knew what to do with it and sat in a drawer.. once i started using it i found it was damaged and had expired the warranty. I'm looking to purchase..

In my limited experience i cant help but also come to the conclusion that f-e expressed above..

I mix nutes by the gallon, running two tents in soil. Any reason a regular truncheon wont be optimal for me?

If i were to order tonight, should i get the V2 Bluelab?
 
flylowgethigh

flylowgethigh

Non-growing Lurker
ICMag Donor
There are certainly cheaper ones. I have a pair of pens that cost me $20. Pancellent, from bezos. It thinks my tap water is 7.6, which is what the county water report shows.
 
K

kalopatchkid

Well-known member
Veteran
Gone Camping said:
I had a Bluelab EC pen for a short time, it was purchased before i really knew what to do with it and sat in a drawer.. once i started using it i found it was damaged and had expired the warranty. I'm looking to purchase..

In my limited experience i cant help but also come to the conclusion that f-e expressed above..

I mix nutes by the gallon, running two tents in soil. Any reason a regular truncheon wont be optimal for me?

If i were to order tonight, should i get the V2 Bluelab?
Click to expand...

Truncheon's are rugged as hell, and will last a very long time provided you aren't treating it like a billy club. The only thing to be aware of is that the EC scale goes 0.2-0.4-0.6 etc and the PPM scale goes by hundreds so if, for some reason, you need single digit precision you are probably better off with a pen.
 
Gone Camping

Gone Camping

Well-known member
kalopatchkid said:
Truncheon's are rugged as hell, and will last a very long time provided you aren't treating it like a billy club. The only thing to be aware of is that the EC scale goes 0.2-0.4-0.6 etc and the PPM scale goes by hundreds so if, for some reason, you need single digit precision you are probably better off with a pen.
Click to expand...


The PPM accuracy is a great point, and the kind of info i'm looking for as a newb to this.. Thank You kalopatchkid.

Guess i'm off to read up on what's a more common method of measurement.. the EC or PPM. I'm unsure if a few hundred PPM would matter to my style of growing?
 
H

Horselover Fat

Member
Veteran
I use the 25€ milwaukee ec pen. Seems to work just fine. Ph meters suck so I don't use them. Ph is not that important when using buffered nutes anyway.
 
f-e

f-e

Well-known member
Mentor
Veteran
kalopatchkid said:
Truncheon's are rugged as hell, and will last a very long time provided you aren't treating it like a billy club. The only thing to be aware of is that the EC scale goes 0.2-0.4-0.6 etc and the PPM scale goes by hundreds so if, for some reason, you need single digit precision you are probably better off with a pen.
Click to expand...

The EC scale consists of lights every 0.2 yes, but that's not the meters resolution. It will happily flash 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.4 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.4 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.4 if your tank is 0.25

You really don't need any more resolution than that. It's why it's the best selling meter in the world. Granted it cost's 4 or 5 times more but it's a lifetime investment and there are copy's that need reviewing for little more than a meal ticket
 
flylowgethigh

flylowgethigh

Non-growing Lurker
ICMag Donor
The truncheon is $119 at Growers house. I have one ordered, along with a Ph pen. It will be an interesting comparison with the cheap ones.
 
O

overbudjet

Active member
Veteran
Blue lab combo meter (working flawlessly for at least 10 year's:yay::yay:) need calibration once a in a while + a new ph probe every year.:)
 
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