PH meter, how to tell when it's done

[Spidermight]

so- i tried drops - hate them

strips - even worse


i do however love my ph meter, it's been very accurate (had it for 2 years) i don't use it very often, i calibrated it 2 weeks ago, and it lost calibration today when i check! it was off by almost a point.


last summer i would go a month before having to calibrate it, and even after a month i'd be off by only 0.3. any tips? (i do wet the tip to prevent it from drying out when i don't use it for long)

it's one of those cheap ph meters (30 euro) i know people talk a lot of shit about them but it's been very good to me, i'm just trying to understand if it's done for or it was just a "one time issue"


even if i need to get a new one i'll still get a cheap one... ain't got money for a 100 euro ph meter lol!

 

[013]

What’s up 523? If it has a soft ”bulb” then it needs a few drops of storage fluid in the cap and should never be allowed to dry out - but if it’s just metallic electrodes then dry with paper towel and put storage cap back on. It’s logarithmic scale so even point one or .1 off is a big deal

@Dwight Monk uses ph tape, it’s pretty cool stuff and might be a good safety net for folks to have to spot check the accuracy of the ph pen. If it recognizes the readings of the calibration fluids then I would assume it’s ok

 

[Roy Growin]

Haha - it's a bit like an old watch - doesn't matter if it tells the wrong time as long as you know by how much
If it's all over the place though, it's probably had it
I test mine in anything with a known pH, it floats about about a bit but it's in the right postcode

 

[Spidermight]

What’s up 523? If it has a soft ”bulb” then it needs a few drops of storage fluid in the cap and should never be allowed to dry out - but if it’s just metallic electrodes then dry with paper towel and put storage cap back on. It’s logarithmic scale so even point one or .1 off is a big deal

@Dwight Monk uses ph tape, it’s pretty cool stuff and might be a good safety net for folks to have to spot check the accuracy of the ph pen. If it recognizes the readings of the calibration fluids then I would assume it’s ok

the manual doesn't say about using storage fluid? the bulb is glass and transparent?

 

[Spidermight]

Haha - it's a bit like an old watch - doesn't matter if it tells the wrong time as long as you know by how much
If it's all over the place though, it's probably had it
I test mine in anything with a known pH, it floats about about a bit but it's in the right postcode

ok, what are some liquids with known ph that are easily findable? i just wanna check ever day if it's accurate to figure out if it's done for but i don't wanna have to use the calibration poweder every day since it aint' cheap

 

[Roy Growin]

ok, what are some liquids with known ph that are easily findable? i just wanna check ever day if it's accurate to figure out if it's done for but i don't wanna have to use the calibration poweder every day since it aint' cheap

Distilled water, milk, coke, vinegar, bleach - google it

 

[bluter]

even if i need to get a new one i'll still get a cheap one... ain't got money for a 100 euro ph meter lol!

get a decent brand name meter and treat it well. the good ones last for years and pay for themselves over and over.
the key is maintenance and using storage solution - kcl - especially if not used for a period.

sometimes a "bad" meter will come back if stored with the solution for a period. it's a 50 / 50.


can recommend brands if you like.

the manual doesn't say about using storage fluid? the bulb is glass and transparent?

they may have assumed you are aware. and yes.

ok, what are some liquids with known ph that are easily findable? i just wanna check ever day if it's accurate to figure out if it's done for but i don't wanna have to use the calibration poweder every day since it aint' cheap

you can get ph testing fluid online with known ph. the better meters will calibrate to two fluids or more.
you can also get powders you self mix for testing. usually for cheaper meters.

most meters will come with at least ph samples. cheapest ones maybe not.

i have a couple decent meters, and they held so long it's unbelievable. one has held calibration for five yrs. the newer one - 3 yrs old - went out about .5. but has held for more than a yr after recalibrating.

 

[Spidermight]

get a decent brand name meter and treat it well. the good ones last for years and pay for themselves over and over.
the key is maintenance and using storage solution - kcl - especially if not used for a period.

sometimes a "bad" meter will come back if stored with the solution for a period. it's a 50 / 50.


can recommend brands if you like.






they may have assumed you are aware. and yes.






you can get ph testing fluid online with known ph. the better meters will calibrate to two fluids or more.
you can also get powders you self mix for testing. usually for cheaper meters.

most meters will come with at least ph samples. cheapest ones maybe not.

i have a couple decent meters, and they held so long it's unbelievable. one has held calibration for five yrs. the newer one - 3 yrs old - went out about .5. but has held for more than a yr after recalibrating.

i wonder tho ,i've used it for 1 year without the storage solution and worked just fine, i only wetted it with distilled water before storing....

 

[bluter]

i wonder tho ,i've used it for 1 year without the storage solution and worked just fine, i only wetted it with distilled water before storing....

moisture helps. if not used for a period of time the storage solution is best.

edit: i sit the summers out and don't grow for 4 - 6 month stretches. the ph meters all work fine when we fire back up. cheaper ones won't put up with it unless stored careful. they'll even arrive bad if stored for a period before selling and shipping.