Aqua Man's first grow diary

[oldskol4evr]

Aquaman that Hanna is their older version btw the new one is more rounded And it shows both pH and TDs on the same screen now instead of having to switch back which is like how mine is .
I've had my 9814 for a year and a half still using the probe it came with as I use it the correct way and it has never dried out nor will it ever I also use cleaning solution monthly for it and calibrate it every use if I want or every other is fine too... I paid 140 for mine and I got 2 extra probes for it which is that price Alone and solutions too it was one hell of a deal..So that one you sent was their 1st version of the 9814 as it's the growpro line as there is another company with that name and changed it to groline..I was supposed to get the growpro which it was on sale and they sent me the groline instead but nothing really changed they changed the end plug from like a mini xlr to a reg size xlr the mini screws in and the xlr does not which I like the mini better but o well still a great Meter and very pleased with it and glad I got it like over a bluelab.....
If your going to leave the probe in the water at all times then u could make ur own but they still are not cheap but when is quality which is accuracy and dependable cheap.....
How about getting a truncheon meter if not too

i just looked this up on amazon 257 bucks ,it would have to be legal in my state before i paid that for this product and then it be hard to justify that cost,if it was idiot proof maybe but reading about it you have to have a college degree to use it hahahah,ole mr cheepy meter sounding better ,hell even oakten is done got up with blue lab with there p2 meter

 

[Indiva710]

@Indiva710

Weird.

I've owned 2 Hanna combo meters and they are the only reason I buy Bluelab now. Not sure if they got any better then 10 years ago but both of my meters died in less then a year. Bought a second one to give them a chance on a fluke. Nope.

edit: looks like they changed them. I don't even see the green ones I ran before.

Ya they most definitely changed them not only did they change and upgrade they have a meter no one else has like the quick cal solution which is one of the reasons I went with them vs a blue lab or making my own w like a Adriano or something like it....
Ya u can have quick cal, storage and a cleaner solutions vs storage, cleaner,2 diff pH and 2 diff ppm sometimes 3 even goes w ph too even but all depends on the company....
When ur out in the field and having to calibrate each solution and throwing it out ea use very wasteful and time consuming vs 1 quick cal u stick the probe in the solution clear the old calibration setting and it will make a new one read 6.86 and 2500 tds @500 scale as it does 500 and 700 scale too FYI ...So put it to what your nute company uses is a good way to be insync w them as 500 vs 700 Is a huge diff most USA does 500 just not sure about there something to look up tho....
So I used to have a blue lab pH pen and it was a fuckn pos which is why I sold it and still have my trusty Hanna and it's one meter I can always count on and if it's off calibrate it and it's back to normal in a few..

 

[Indiva710]

i just looked this up on amazon 257 bucks ,it would have to be legal in my state before i paid that for this product and then it be hard to justify that cost,if it was idiot proof maybe but reading about it you have to have a college degree to use it hahahah,ole mr cheepy meter sounding better ,hell even oakten is done got up with blue lab with there p2 meter

Shit bro I wouldn't even pay 260 for it and I'm in. Legal state the reason I got mine is cuz I got it for 140 only and got 2 free probes with it which those are like 140 each too so well worth it ...So look around for a better price for it and go from there.... And If my gf can use the meter which she doesn't grow or anything like it so it's alien to her and she can do it quite easily so very easy to do def don't need a college degree to know how to operate it lol

 

[oldskol4evr]

Shit bro I wouldn't even pay 260 for it and I'm in. Legal state the reason I got mine is cuz I got it for 140 only and got 2 free probes with it which those are like 140 each too so well worth it ...So look around for a better price for it and go from there.... And If my gf can use the meter which she doesn't grow or anything like it so it's alien to her and she can do it quite easily so very easy to do def don't need a college degree to know how to operate it lol

ya im thinking 260 that damn thing better have wifi and all kind of shit hahahahah,im not in water right now,but closer to spring i will be doing a bunch of buckets outside so i will,need a trusty meter by then ,right now in running soil so not that really important but is with my water source crazy shit,as wild as it is makes me think it isnt all that great to drink,im the only one out of 7 in family that does and that becasue i cant stand the taste of bottle water shit is just rank to me tried um all if i dont have something to put in it i dont want the stuff hahahah

 

[cemchris]

Ya they most definitely changed them not only did they change and upgrade they have a meter no one else has like the quick cal solution which is one of the reasons I went with them vs a blue lab or making my own w like a Adriano or something like it....
Ya u can have quick cal, storage and a cleaner solutions vs storage, cleaner,2 diff pH and 2 diff ppm sometimes 3 even goes w ph too even but all depends on the company....
When ur out in the field and having to calibrate each solution and throwing it out ea use very wasteful and time consuming vs 1 quick cal u stick the probe in the solution clear the old calibration setting and it will make a new one read 6.86 and 2500 tds @500 scale as it does 500 and 700 scale too FYI ...So put it to what your nute company uses is a good way to be insync w them as 500 vs 700 Is a huge diff most USA does 500 just not sure about there something to look up tho....
So I used to have a blue lab pH pen and it was a fuckn pos which is why I sold it and still have my trusty Hanna and it's one meter I can always count on and if it's off calibrate it and it's back to normal in a few..

I have the exact opposite experience with Bluelab. Combo meter was always solid. Tri meter was always solid. Even the little PH pens are solid. Cal every couple months. only .1 off if any. PH pen is now going on 4 years old. 2nd time ive changed the batteries. Never clean it. Even the first truncheon I bought that ended up in a buddies grow lasted like 10 years. After having the 2 hanna meters die on me (paid over 200 bucks for them) they lost me as a customer. Bluelabs won me cause I have had zero issues ever with them and they have always have been solid on the numbers. Specially for the price. Why in dosers always run the Bluelabs.

 

[Aqua Man]

Did you get the one from the link or did you look elsewhere for the newer version ...And if you got that grow pro line I hope you got a killer deal on it like I did for mine although they messed up and sent me the newer instead...So maybe look into it..Could save u some money....
So if you do happen to have a problem then contact the place you bought it from if not contact Hanna direct and they will walk you thru it and can send u a new one asap too...
I'f u have any issues calibrating it let me know as it's easy to do it wrong anyways and will be happy to help as always...
I bought Hanna cleaning solution, quick cal, storage Sol too...I use the cap in which I mark a line on how much to fill it to get a good reading for any solution etc and it makes waste alot less..
I got all my solutions but quick cal from a grow store here and paid like $6 for 1qt so very cheap I couldn't pass it up so I stocked up...
I also do not leave my meter in the water either I have before like over night but don't like too it will work longer If u don't as that water will crack the tubing in no time and cause a short or w e and destroy it so better left to take it out when your done.. I was going to get the bigger hanna meter that has the monitor like the blue lab guardian but I have at least 3 diff systems running and 4 at times if the 2x2 tent is up so it's nice being able to take it with u at anytime. ...But ya Aqua look into those things or ask the company u got it from I'f it's the same as shown in the pics as they could of just found that pic and put it on the website to get the older versions gone u know.....

Yeah Im making my own storage solution. KCL and distilled water. KCL is like $8 a lb.

Can also do it with ph4 buffer and KCL.

From time to time you need to clean and I can't remember the acid used but I will probably just buy it and not a cleaning solution.

From everything I understand it's important to store in in storage solution all the time.

 

[cemchris]

Yeah Im making my own storage solution. KCL and distilled water. KCL is like $8 a lb.

Can also do it with ph4 buffer and KCL.

From time to time you need to clean and I can't remember the acid used but I will probably just buy it and not a cleaning solution.

From everything I understand it's important to store in in storage solution all the time.

I wouldn't go out of my way for storage solution unless I was getting like a scientific grade instrument or not using the pen/meter over the span of months. As long as its wet with nutes or tap water you are good. The humidity action is what keeps the probe accurate. It just isnt a step needed unless you are shooting for hundredths to thousandths accuracy. KCL is usually something you use to bring a dry probe back if it's the type of probe that wont die when dried out (that's probe specific).

 

[Indiva710]

I have the exact opposite experience with Bluelab. Combo meter was always solid. Tri meter was always solid. Even the little PH pens are solid. Cal every couple months. only .1 off if any. PH pen is now going on 4 years old. 2nd time ive changed the batteries. Never clean it. Even the first truncheon I bought that ended up in a buddies grow lasted like 10 years. After having the 2 hanna meters die on me (paid over 200 bucks for them) they lost me as a customer. Bluelabs won me cause I have had zero issues ever with them and they have always have been solid on the numbers. Specially for the price. Why in dosers always run the Bluelabs.

The ppl who uses dosing pumps usually don't know about the big Hanna meter which is the same as the guardian but you have 1 probe instead 2 to replace and calibrate and you can't replace their ppm meter just the pH if I remember correctly ...
Now I'm not saying bluelab is a pos by any means as they do make good products but it's just not for me I rather have the quick cal and get the same results alot easier and less money buying all those calibrating solutions but that's just me...Now a truncheon meter I have been thinking about picking up... Although they are thee only company that makes them...
When it comes down to it it's mainly personal preference and what is going to work best for you and your setup...

 

[Aqua Man]

I wouldn't go out of my way for storage solution unless I was getting like a scientific grade instrument or not using the pen/meter over the span of months. As long as its wet with nutes or tap water you are good. The humidity action is what keeps the probe accurate. It just isnt a step needed unless you are shooting for hundredths to thousandths accuracy. KCL is usually something you use to bring a dry probe back if it's the type of probe that wont die when dried out (that's probe specific).

Yeah i just used it on my shit one... Lol thing is working now :/ All storage solution is a KCL solution. So it make sense I let the fucker dry out and yeah figured it was toast after getting fucked up readings. Last night I found now after a soak in KCL for 12 hrs my garbage PH pen is working very well... lol go figure

At $8 a lb. I'm gonna treat my pens like royalty and keep them in it. I have enough to last my lifetime making storage solution. Seen one place selling it for like $170 for 500ml... Wtf. Granted it has a sterilizer in it .. haha I will just make new every couple weeks.

 

[cemchris]

The ppl who uses dosing pumps usually don't know about the big Hanna meter which is the same as the guardian but you have 1 probe instead 2 to replace and calibrate and you can't replace their ppm meter just the pH if I remember correctly ...
Now I'm not saying bluelab is a pos by any means as they do make good products but it's just not for me I rather have the quick cal and get the same results alot easier and less money buying all those calibrating solutions but that's just me...Now a truncheon meter I have been thinking about picking up... Although they are thee only company that makes them...
When it comes down to it it's mainly personal preference and what is going to work best for you and your setup...

For sure. 100% agree. I'm all about if it works go for it. Like I said looks like Hanna might have done a 180 from when I used them. I don't have experience with the new stuff so I can't say what the qual on them is but you can. I would go off that. I'm just one of those people that talk with my wallet. If Bluelab every gooses me on qual I will drop them like a bad habit.

 

[Indiva710]

Yeah Im making my own storage solution. KCL and distilled water. KCL is like $8 a lb.

Can also do it with ph4 buffer and KCL.

From time to time you need to clean and I can't remember the acid used but I will probably just buy it and not a cleaning solution.

From everything I understand it's important to store in in storage solution all the time.

Yes you are correct it always has to be in liquid never let it dry out ..I use suction cups that holds like a 1/2in tube and it works great to hang the probe as I hang mine upside down...
Also you can use ph4 for a temporary storage solution you cannot use it all the time and it's mainly for a emergency until u get more storage in just FYI....Ya I agree I'll pry make my own after I run out however I have like 3 bottles still and I got them cuz they was $6 ea only

The cleaning solution is hydrochloric acid 0.034%

 

[cemchris]

Most people I know that want to step up out of the hobby style meter jump up to stuff like Apera PC8500's ect. That's when I would start using specific storage solutions ect since now you are talking meters that start running around grand usually. They mostly do this for the data logging and wifi ect to tie into management software.

 

[Aqua Man]

I added to my last post

 

[Aqua Man]

Most people I know that want to step up out of the hobby style meter jump up to stuff like Apera PC8500's ect. That's when I would start using specific storage solutions ect since now you are talking meters that start running around grand usually. They mostly do this for the data logging and wifi ect to tie into management software.

Mines an Apera but budget model still gonna treat it like gold since I have a pound of that shit lol.

 

[cemchris]

I added to my last post

For sure. It def wont hurt anything especially for that price. Set for life on it.

 

[cemchris]

Mines an Apera but budget model still gonna treat it like gold since I have a pound of that shit lol.

Once my bluelab finally dies that's who im prob going with.

 

[Aqua Man]

Once my bluelab finally dies that's who im prob going with.

Never used em but I have seen reviews all over that say they are better than blue lab and price point also. Like I say I know blue lab was good to me so I took a chance. Hopefully I'm not kickin myself time will tell.

The one negative thing I did hear was the warranty can be a bitch to deal with but thats only one account on another forum.

 

[Beachwalker]

Mines an Apera but budget model still gonna treat it like gold since I have a pound of that shit lol.

I'm on my second Apera, on the first one I'm pretty sure I broke the bulb just putting the cap on (exposed bulb=design issue?), the second one malfunctioned and I've been meaning to send it back while it's still under the warranty. I guess I'll send away for the replacement but I'm not going to buy another one, if I do eventually purchase another meter I'm going with bluelab, but mainly I use drops now anyway

 

[Indiva710]

Atlas scientific makes some killer probes and shit as well If you haven't heard of them check em out maybe something for you...

 

[Aqua Man]

I'm on my second Apera, on the first one I'm pretty sure I broke the bulb just putting the cap on (exposed bulb=design issue?), the second one malfunctioned and I've been meaning to send it back while it's still under the warranty. I guess I'll send away for the replacement but I'm not going to buy another one, if I do eventually purchase another meter I'm going with bluelab, but mainly I use drops now anyway

Well here's to hoping. I never see an exposed bulb before. I mean semi but usually there are gaurds around it. I think a lot of ph pen issues are storage and care related so drops are a good option. Especially in soil where well I feel you don't need to be accurate with ph just have a decent alkalinity.

Right tool for the job.