TCortese
Well-Known Member
A ton of EBay sellers have em, if you have ever searched pH PPM meter, I'm sure you've seen em. One of these guys here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/6in1-LCD-PH-PPM-EC-CF-TDS-Tem-Water-Tester-Hydroponic-Aquarium-Lab-Meter-Digital-/261215541358?pt=US_Hydroponics&hash=item3cd1a8d86e
I bought one of these (actually one of the seven in one variety, as chemistry is also a hobby and I currently don't own an ORP meter) about three months ago, seemed to work okay for my first few weeks of growth. After changing my nutrients (flora nova supplemented with thrivealive B-1 and CalMag) it started giving impossible pH readings (100-500+), yet read fine in a glass of water or calibration solution. Shortly after the PPM readings started showing issue and so I contacted the seller in an attempt to take advantage of my "lifetime warranty" that came with it.
The seller, who didn't write in very good English (I know they are all made in China but I bought one from a US based seller rather than the boat load of Chinese sellers out there simply because I've had trouble with EBay items purchased from Chinese sellers), he gave me a list of troubleshooting tips and I tried them all to no avail and explained to him that I would like a replacement. He was very hesitant, insinuating quite bluntly that it was a problem on my end (I've worked in a lab for the past 6 years, I'm an organic chem major, this isn't my first run in with a pH meter...), calibration issues, etc., and asked that I take it to someone with "more experience" than myself with this type of instrument (...).
Long story short, I find out the reason he was hesitant about exchanging it was because he has had "numerous returns" of these meters that all worked fine when they (the seller) received them. In the end he gave me another, which I received this afternoon. First off I calibrated it, no issues, checked my tap water's pH, no issues, yet as soon as dunk the probe in my DWC bucket (late stage blooming plant, high ppm) it starts showing impossible pHs again...
I assume more than a few people out there have these meters, they certainly are a great deal, and I'm wondering if anyone has had similar issues. Seeing as it works fine in other solutions and when I first started growing my plant (low ppm), I'm wondering if it isn't the FN nutrient line that messes these up at high ppms. I have a fair understanding of how pH meters work and I don't see what could cause this (well no, that's actually a lie. I can see how this might cause an issue, but that would really take piss poor design), so I'm curious if anyone else has had any issue with these (or any other pH meters) at high ppms of FN nutrients.
T.
I bought one of these (actually one of the seven in one variety, as chemistry is also a hobby and I currently don't own an ORP meter) about three months ago, seemed to work okay for my first few weeks of growth. After changing my nutrients (flora nova supplemented with thrivealive B-1 and CalMag) it started giving impossible pH readings (100-500+), yet read fine in a glass of water or calibration solution. Shortly after the PPM readings started showing issue and so I contacted the seller in an attempt to take advantage of my "lifetime warranty" that came with it.
The seller, who didn't write in very good English (I know they are all made in China but I bought one from a US based seller rather than the boat load of Chinese sellers out there simply because I've had trouble with EBay items purchased from Chinese sellers), he gave me a list of troubleshooting tips and I tried them all to no avail and explained to him that I would like a replacement. He was very hesitant, insinuating quite bluntly that it was a problem on my end (I've worked in a lab for the past 6 years, I'm an organic chem major, this isn't my first run in with a pH meter...), calibration issues, etc., and asked that I take it to someone with "more experience" than myself with this type of instrument (...).
Long story short, I find out the reason he was hesitant about exchanging it was because he has had "numerous returns" of these meters that all worked fine when they (the seller) received them. In the end he gave me another, which I received this afternoon. First off I calibrated it, no issues, checked my tap water's pH, no issues, yet as soon as dunk the probe in my DWC bucket (late stage blooming plant, high ppm) it starts showing impossible pHs again...
I assume more than a few people out there have these meters, they certainly are a great deal, and I'm wondering if anyone has had similar issues. Seeing as it works fine in other solutions and when I first started growing my plant (low ppm), I'm wondering if it isn't the FN nutrient line that messes these up at high ppms. I have a fair understanding of how pH meters work and I don't see what could cause this (well no, that's actually a lie. I can see how this might cause an issue, but that would really take piss poor design), so I'm curious if anyone else has had any issue with these (or any other pH meters) at high ppms of FN nutrients.
T.
