Billy the Mountain
Well-Known Member
RO or distilled water works quite well to destroy a pH probe
The storage solution should be ~ 3 molar KCl
Recommends for a decent PH meter?
- Thread starter taproot
- Start date
The storage solution should be ~ 3 molar KCl
medidedicated
Well-Known Member
I was using it just like that and it bit me. 75-100$, Need to have it stored in water/solution at all times.
Calibrate each time or at least at some point after 5 months as it ages it will vary by larger and larger margins, need to factor that into each reading. So now need quick math each reading.
Rinse off calibration solution. Dip in your feed solution, take reading which takes 10-20 seconds. Rinse off fertilizer. Store in RO water so now RO water is needed.
Storage solution at least with my brand hanna, just dries quickly into crystals. Anyway, *now* you just ph’d your water. Calibration is yet more costs in fluid.
Not to mention a lot of meters come with a paper wick which reads the ph, it comes with extra that you pull out, if that fails youre out a ph meter. You maintain that strip.
New ph method with drops: Fill tube, 3 drops test solution, read color, rinse, done. Only cost pennys.
I have a Bluelab pH pen but don't use it much since I use a monitor. Given that it unused most of the time, it seemed pointless to store it in storage solution and then refill the cap every few days/every week. My understanding is the reason to not store a pH probe in RO or distilled water is that those types of water have no ions.
What do we have that has plenty of ions? Nutrient solution! I keep it in a coffee mug half filled with nutrient solution and have had no ill effect after three years.
What do we have that has plenty of ions? Nutrient solution! I keep it in a coffee mug half filled with nutrient solution and have had no ill effect after three years.
DCcan
Well-Known Member
You can also use 4.0 ph calibration solution for storage, or rinse it with RO, store it dry.
Just need to soak it for couple hrs before turning back on and using it after dry storage.
k0rps
Well-Known Member
No problem. You could make your own KCI solution or substitute with other liquids mentioned here, but it was simple enough to just get the aphera solution and has lasted years. A couple drops is all ya need in the cap. Best ~
Billy the Mountain
Well-Known Member
The storage solution simply evaporates? The cap doesn't seal?
That's not an issue with the Apera meters; as @1212ham mentioned, there's an o-ring integrated in the tip which forms a tight seal.
I have no experience with Bluelab meters, but assumed they would use a functional, if not comparable design; particularly for the price point.
I've let my meter sit for months, and the storage solution is still present.
popeyesailorman
Well-Known Member
If you are going to use it every day , I would get the APERA PH20. I only grow 1 or 2 grows a year and the pens all need recalibration after sitting. I use the solution indicator most of the time now. I have had 3 pens and the APERA is waterproof and if I am going to do 2 grows in a row I would calibrate it. But the calibrating solution cost as much as the indicator solution and I am cheep.
yinyang814
Well-Known Member
$30 on Amazon for the PH60-E probe replacement used for measuring solutions. The flat one is used more for surface pH, like for skin, paper, fabric, etc.
taproot
Well-Known Member
Samwiseman420
Well-Known Member
3.5k light gives a nice true color. Very close anyway.
"The storage solution simply evaporates? The cap doesn't seal?" - Yup. I put solution in the cap and closed it. A few weeks later, nada.
Drop That Sound
Well-Known Member
You should buy a bunch of little vials and put and entire range of solutions in them using nothing but PH UP & Down + water, starting from 4.0 to 8.0 in each one from left to right, in some kind of protective case/holder. Then add your 4 drops to each one. Then label them accordingly from left to right as: 4.0, 4.5, 5 ,5.5, 6, 6.5, 7, 7.5, 8... Then you have a reference of real solutions to compare the test sample with, and hold them both up to the light, etc.
Like this, but put them all on some kind of spice rack or make a little case to put them in.
medidedicated
Well-Known Member
Yea, because my blue flourecent will make it look green/yellow, my flashlight makes it look like yellow with some orange and the daylight or warm yellow light in a different room will make it look a light yellow which is what I was looking for.
Ive been doing good just comparing in different lighting but gets hard sometimes especially at first realizing this issue. It could be 5.5 but under the right light its 5.0 according to chart.
It looks a little different too trying to look through it or like I do, I flip it over and look into the veil into the white cap.
BTW Im lazy not dissing ph meters but those extra step or two is too much for me or at least not cost effective.
Ive been doing good just comparing in different lighting but gets hard sometimes especially at first realizing this issue. It could be 5.5 but under the right light its 5.0 according to chart.
It looks a little different too trying to look through it or like I do, I flip it over and look into the veil into the white cap.
BTW Im lazy not dissing ph meters but those extra step or two is too much for me or at least not cost effective.
medidedicated
Well-Known Member
But yea thats a good idea thanks for the tip, so no matter what light youre just comparing colors physically. Sometimes I think I call it good other times I think I could use these tips for that, thanks yall!
medidedicated
Well-Known Member
Dang I had the store recommend me ro water since the solution out right didnt work. How could one mess that up lol. Few drops turn into salt deposit like fertilizer.
Another vote for Apera (Ph60) or Bluelab. I just replaced my almost 10 y/o Bluelab with an all in one meter. So far it's working great.