whats going on with my ph levels?(broken meter?)

[PitViper]

the test kit was just to compare just never seen 8.4 thats ocean ph.I just dont trust hanna at all.Had way to many problems with them.took 4 of them back.ended up with another band they took the hanna back and gave me credit.just not a big fan.and you can test the accuacy of a strip kit with your 7.0 solution and see how it fares.... its good to get a base line.

 

[Michaelsbuds]

I ended up buying two Hanna's....(the cheapest model, red in color $30+/-)
The first one, I ended up dropping in the res.
Dried it out got it working again, but then seemed to fade.
The second one now in use. I always am calabrating.
Seems to be off .1 to .15 everytime.
I dip in the 7.01 and the 4.01
After the harvest here next month, my new investment will be another PH meter.
I doubt it will be a hanna........
Any tested meters out there that can handle the rigorous road of the 420 lifestyle???

 

[hoffmac11]

sooo is a digital ph meter really worth it?? it seems the more i look into them, the more i see people have problems with them..

right now im just using a ph tester that you take a sample from the res,add a few drops of solution,and check the color.

id like to be a little more accurate so i was planning on getting a meter that is about 140 bucks(probably a hanna),but if its not going to last, that would be a big waste.also, does the 7.0 and 4.0 solution ever change?? or is there some super special chemical that always keeps it at 7.0(or 4.0) ??

 

[Michaelsbuds]

hoff;
I think you need to be a little more precise with the ph than a test strip.
I have problems because I spent only $40
I have a friend who spent $200. I believe he has no problems
I didn't want to spend that much after shellin out about $3k for my grow room set up.
I was wondering too about the test solution changing.
I rinse mine meter off after dipping in the res, then dip into the solution.
I think after 5-6 times it must lose its potentcey, as I notice some varience.
I still get a good ball park range though, plus I measure it against the 4.01 solution as well and I get a better confirmation that its real close.
I think I just need to but more packets of test solution and quit trying to get them to last weeks at a time. (I amaze myself sometimes, spend 3k on lights, ebb&flow etc., and go cheap on just a few $1 paks of claibration solution, i am an idiot I swear!)

Ask around on who uses what meter. I do think the more you spend the better quality.

 

[hoffmac11]

yaa i agree..i hate using test strips or test solution because i feel its not accurate enough...but im going to go ahead and say F it and buy the 180 dollar meter and definately get a few test solutions..especially since i get them for free..THANK YOU DR.Greenthumbs!! hopefully the next one wont let me down.

 

[HomeGrownHairy]

If it's any help, i never calibrate my meter using the low (4.0) screw. I just calibrate to 7.0 and it stays pretty accurate. The meter you dropped in the water is prolly trash as they are not water tite. I just started a new grow and my 2 pH meters were wacky so I installed new batteries. I think they all take the 357 type. Also, I have found that if I leave the meter in pH 7 solution for 24 hrs before I calibrate it, it stays accurate. The 2 meters I just refreshed have been stored for about 2 months and they went competely wacky, and I couldnt calibrate them evenb after putting in new batteries. Leaving them in pH 7 solution for 24 hrs made them like new again...just my 2c

 

[SciFi]

HGH:

Some brands of meters have "storage solution" and "conditioning fluid" they recommend for doing exactly what you stated here.

 

[HomeGrownHairy]

HGH:

Some brands of meters have "storage solution" and "conditioning fluid" they recommend for doing exactly what you stated here.

I just store it using the pH7 solution in the cap. It usually evaporates though and I have to soak it in the solution for a few hours and recalibrate it before I use use it in a new grow.