Ph digital testers Soil/water

[phxazcraig]

What are peeps using for indoor/outdoor soil/water testers?
low end to high end
I actually use the old skool drop test but am sick of hearing how hard it is and blah blah from SO
So I am taking away an extremely difficult task of dropping 3 drops in a lil water lol with sticking a stick in water
They assure me if I get this they will def check PH more often

Discuss?

I used a (calibrated) Vivosun $12 pH tester last year. It read quite high, even when calibrated. As an example, my distilled water was coming out with a pH of 8...

This year I set up a fertigation system and added a Bluelab pH controller. Calibrated it and had quite a shock when I compared it to the cheap meter. Threw the handheld cheapo away and ordered a Bluelab pen pH tester for $70.

The Bluelab pen came, and after calibration matches the Bluelab controller exactly, so I'm confident I have a reading I can believe now. I calibrate both Bluelab devices monthly with 4% and 7% calibration solution.

I did not know that pH meter electrodes needed to be kept moist. Possibly explains the Vivosun being so far off?

 

[2Bad]

I used a (calibrated) Vivosun $12 pH tester last year. It read quite high, even when calibrated. As an example, my distilled water was coming out with a pH of 8...

This year I set up a fertigation system and added a Bluelab pH controller. Calibrated it and had quite a shock when I compared it to the cheap meter. Threw the handheld cheapo away and ordered a Bluelab pen pH tester for $70.

The Bluelab pen came, and after calibration matches the Bluelab controller exactly, so I'm confident I have a reading I can believe now. I calibrate both Bluelab devices monthly with 4% and 7% calibration solution.

I did not know that pH meter electrodes needed to be kept moist. Possibly explains the Vivosun being so far off?

Na I just think vivosun is ass probably just slapped their name on the pen with a sticker. These pruners I got from them on amazon in a 10 pack were terrible the 2 pack was made way better lmao its so weird.

 

[Pushrod Monkey]

He was curious about teas does that work with teas?

He was curious about teas does that work with teas?

He was curious about teas does that work with teas?

Probably not in that case.

 

[TimeLine]

I agree about color reading..but in teas umm not reality in a sense of if stirred properly won't be clear enough until sediment settles using just the top not so accurate
i see one for $250ish

Amazon.com

and then this one for 130ish

Amazon.com

so I guess I need soil/water plain water/tea water
I just learned this week about tip being in solution so cool learned some stuff

the cheap ones suck I do know that from every friend i have, having one just sitting in there grow room never ussing it and getting ph of 9 plus on rain water and 4 on tap water
then I do the drops and it is more accurate to reality for them...

what is the difference between the 250 and the 130
I kinda don't get the spec differences as In how the F does the 250 one help me more

those data log ones are sick..I wanna get a weather/temp system to log outdoors..why IDK seems fun

so I guess teas is the topic..who has used with various teas to some conclusion of accuracy
ty

 

[Clase]

I have been using the apera ph60 and it's fn awesome! Calibrated out of the box 3 months ago and hasnt drifted yet. It was that or the bluelab...went with the apera just because I never heard one bad thing about them and it measures to the hundredth. Can't go wrong with either.

 

[traeold420]

its not. just get bluelab ph/ec reader and you are good to go. i think their going for about 250 on amazon.

Actually if you just get the ph pen and not the soil probe, you're only looking at $150 combined for both the ph pen and ec reader

 

[GanjaJack]

He was curious about teas does that work with teas?

Run the tea through a coffee filter, it should make nearly clear water that you can test and see the color of., if this is too difficult still, try color changing test strips, just dip the strip, look at the color.

 

[TimeLine]

yea I can't get SO to run coffee through the coffee filter
but you are right and that is kinda a pain in ass though..kinda

 

[hawkman]

Hate to rain on the parade I have never did the "PH" thing and have growen for many years. Marijauna is a strong plant -maybe if growing commericaly PH might be a factor ?

 

[2Bad]

I agree about color reading..but in teas umm not reality in a sense of if stirred properly won't be clear enough until sediment settles using just the top not so accurate
i see one for $250ish

Amazon.com

and then this one for 130ish

Amazon.com

so I guess I need soil/water plain water/tea water
I just learned this week about tip being in solution so cool learned some stuff

the cheap ones suck I do know that from every friend i have, having one just sitting in there grow room never ussing it and getting ph of 9 plus on rain water and 4 on tap water
then I do the drops and it is more accurate to reality for them...

what is the difference between the 250 and the 130
I kinda don't get the spec differences as In how the F does the 250 one help me more

those data log ones are sick..I wanna get a weather/temp system to log outdoors..why IDK seems fun

so I guess teas is the topic..who has used with various teas to some conclusion of accuracy
ty

They all have their place I'm sure anything you get of bluelab or apera will be great. I got the combo for 140 so thats why I own that baby. Just whatever you get do one with a solution filled cap so it stays wet. The EC one can be dry That's completely fine. I think theyll all work for teas now that I think of it. A slurry is basically a tea and they work.

 

[TimeLine]

I agree Hawkeye to some extent
but when pushing the limits of things it's nice to have baseline ok we working with this then when we do that to the water we working with this and see what we dealing with
but yes it is not a "must" in the sense you can't grow
just looking for optimal and semi systematical

 

[sambapati]

the sticks aren't fully accurate as the colour is hard to identify exactly what it is.
Expensive, Hana, bluelab
cheap amazon ph meters.

The Hana unit is reliable and is ez to use ;)