Tri-meter calibration Q's

[Kali]

I think my ph probe on my tri meter is giving me bad readings but im really not sure (my back up phenol red has dried up so i have nothing to compare it to).

Does the calibration solution go bad after a while ( its about 1-2 years old)

it reads the ph 7 solution fine but the ph 4 only goes to about 4.5 and i cant adjust further. I remember the guy at the store i bought it tell me you have to do one first then the other. I forget which one to do first, anyone know the answer to this?

i have cleaned the probe in vinager and h2o2 and under running water.

[The Cannarchist]

Get a new probe they give up on me every 6 months.

[Kali]

really? thats shit. how much for a new probe?

Future Harvest better be giving them out (which i highly doubt) or selling them cheap if they go that often. Will try them on the tele tommorrow.

Anyone else experience these things going that fast?

[Monseigneur Stroganoff]

dismantle the whole thing and clean well, after that you get new calibration liquid and see if that helps


mabe batteries...

7 first clean then 4, clean and 7 again

[c-ray]

you guys are still using trimeters?....ugggghhh

[Monseigneur Stroganoff]

bluelab pen............still going

[Kali]

cray i had no idea these were shyte. One guy that walked in the store while i was buying mine was raving about his. Is it just the ph probe that blows or is the whole unit shyte. seems the ppm meter is pretty good. 280 ppm tap water sounds about right.

[c-ray]

they seem to be cheaply made and not very water resistant and sometimes less than fun to calibrate, did I mention they're not very water resistant?

I'll take an oakton testr or bluelab pen over a tri-meter any day

[Lungus]

cray i had no idea these were shyte. One guy that walked in the store while i was buying mine was raving about his. Is it just the ph probe that blows or is the whole unit shyte. seems the ppm meter is pretty good. 280 ppm tap water sounds about right.
I found I got a lot better mileage out of my cheap ph meters if I kept the fabric or paper wick that comes out of the bottom wet by putting pH7 calibration solution in the dust cap when putting it away and stand it on end so the wick stays wet. I had one Hanna meter last 3 years that way but it dried out once when I left it sit around for a few months and it was toast.

[The Cannarchist]

The reason I use a Trimeter is because I have a box of them.....

Read what C-Ray said.

Use a truncheon for PPM

And a GOOD Ph meter.

don't scrimp on the basic tools of the trade!

[Kali]

I didnt think 275 was scrimpin, but it looks like im the one that got scrimped. Im gonna have to make do with a $11 doller phenol red kit for now(mortgage time of the month), should be able to buy a new pen once i switch to flower in the coli (about 3 wks, 1 wk more for all the clones to root and 1.5-2wks veg). Thx for the help.

[The Cannarchist]

I still use Ph test strips to check everything as I do not trust any Ph meter

[ghostryder]

i had a HANNA ph waterproof pen give "up the ghost" the other day - it was close to 20 years old! you have to replace the batteries every year and you can replace the probe as well. use the correct calibration fluid. there is 4.0, 7.0, and 10.0; each has its own fluid. you cant use 7.0 and 4.0 together.

store it standing straight up, hanna you can clip it to the side of tank or shirt pocket. mine float and are waterproof. i use the 7.0! 80.00 to 100.00 bucks can. 2 pens - 1 backs the other. i check once every 2 weeks. after a year through the cal solution away and buy new. its cheap. this is for water/ferts. then i have a soil ph meter - cheap 1 to regulate it. people forget about this - i long veg. and a must have for mothers over a year old.

k.i.s.s. = keep it simple smartie. dont scrimp on essentials: ph pen, proper soil, chemicals or organics, lights. or you WILL pay the price.

[hays]

i bought my trimeter nutradip used. guy said that it worked perfectly.

when i plugged in it was wayy off. i tried calibrating it.

It took maybe 10 times to calibrate it correctly, but now holds reading sharp and works like a champ - i like nutradip.
Remember you are dealing with two variables where reading is somehow between 2 points of reference- 4 and ph7 or 10.

Nerveless
It takes time for reading remember when calibrating (like 2 minutes)
go back and forth with adjustment screws
if you check in calibration liquid rinse it in somehow neutral ph water, or you will alter calibration liquid
There is cleaning solution for ph meters that might help
in reference to ppm probe- Distilled water (RO) can damage it.
and few obvious: never let probe out off water

those are basics, but again try calibrating if over and ove again few times and take time between reading. your ph should be coming closer and closer if not clean or change probe

[Flyer]

I like the nutradip trimeter, it's not too expensive and they last a long time. Still have to replace the ph wand 6 months-year. One of the few ppm meters which will run up to 9000ppm if you dared to.

http://www.hydrofarm.com/image.php?image=/i/jpg/ND1100042_26934.jpg&width=320&height=320

The Bluelab Truncheon is a great EC stick.
http://www.hydrofarm.com/image.php?image=/i/jpg/AH83015_6330.jpg&width=320&height=320

The Bluelab combo meter works great and won't break the bank.
http://www.hydrofarm.com/image.php?image=/i/jpg/HDBLCOMMTR_1808.jpg&width=320&height=320

But the grand daddy of them all and the best meter I have ever used is the Bluelab Guardian. Unfortunately it sells for about 350 usd. This meter has touch button calibration and reminds you when its time to recalibrate. It's readings are in EC, ppm @ 500 and ppm @ 700 at the touch of a button and never needs to be calibrated for EC. Temperature and EC all in one probe that has no exposed metal conductors. Light dimming is a nice touch. Becareful with the pH probe, its made out of glass.
http://www.hydrofarm.com/image.php?image=/i/jpg/BLU27100_9508.jpg&width=320&height=320

[vapor]

my hanna is 4 years and running nice.,.,.cheap too i think.,.,