Hydro Meter... pH, ppm, ev, temp, etc

greenearth5

greenearth5

Well-Known Member
I am looking to get some gadgets for my DWC hydro grow. I am courious if i should get a "ALL N, 1" or get them seperate. I would like to get a PPM, pH, & temp meter for my water.

I was considering getting an All N, 1 gadget unless it would be cheaper the other way...

Where do i start?
 
AeroKing

AeroKing

Well-Known Member
Hanna is a good meter.
E.C. = TDS = PPM
Even if you don't read it in E.C., all tds meters are e.c. meters. Some convert to PPM.

Do yourself a favor: If you can afford it, get all your calibration solutions (packets are more convenient than bottles), electrode cleaning solution and storage solution now. You will need them if you plan on keeping your meter accurate and in good shape. Find out what batteries it takes and have some spares on hand, also.

Store the ph electrode (the one with the little glass ball) in the storage solution and the tds electrode in R.O. or Distilled water.

Here is a cheap combo meter. It is the one that i use:HANNA HI 98129

The only thing is that you have to drip storage solution into one part of the cap and R.O. water in the other.

Be really careful with the ph electrode. It is very delicate, but easily replaceable.
 
greenearth5

greenearth5

Well-Known Member
Damios

Damios

Well-Known Member
greenearth5 said:
Which do you prefer.....

http://cgi.ebay.com/HANNA-HI-98129-Grochek-pH-EC-TDS-Combo-Meter/Tester_W0QQitemZ270325089722QQcmdZViewItemQQimsxZ20090103?IMSfp=TL090103129001r1799

OR

http://www.texashydroponics.com/shop/product.php?productid=2839&cat=385&page=1
Click to expand...
Neither.....get this: http://www.dtpetsupplies.com/catalog/product_info.php?language=en&currency=USD&products_id=1120

Then go to petco and get a $12 digital aquarium thermometer, its really accurate for how cheap it is (00.0).

Like this, lol 4$: http://www.1topstore.com/product_info.php?language=en&currency=USD&products_id=5859

You don't need your damn meters to read temperature lol.
 
Damios

Damios

Well-Known Member
AeroKing said:
Ahh, but you do need them to read temperature. That's how they compensate to provide accurate readings. Otherwise, you'll have to do the math every time.
Click to expand...
Thats only for calibration....unless you calibrate your shit everytime you use it, which you shouldn't have to, then I don't see why you would need your meter to read temperature. I'm pretty sure it is only the calibration fluids that are held at a exact PH,PPM,EC at certain temperatures. And if you DO know the temperature of your rez with one of those thermometers I mentioned then doing "the math" wouldn't be that hard, how is there any math involved anyways all you have to do is look at a chart.....but like I said I only think it is the calibration fluid that is held at exact Phs/ppms/Ecs at exact temperatures. Let me know if you want to see the charts I have, I have one for PH,EC, and PPm....but they are all calibration fluid, I don't think that you would be able to accurately gauge your PH, EC, or PPMs off the temperature in your rez, its simply too inaccurate for you OR your meter to go off of. After you add nutrients (and everyone has different shit) you would have to come up with your own set of equations and math to figure out what exact PH, PPM, and EC that your rez should be at that set temp with your nutrients but I would imagine if you change nutes (even add one extra supplement) all the math would change and you would have to re-figure out what the PH/EC/PPMs are at each set temperature......uhh yeah fuck that, just calibrate your meter well (paying attention to temperature), but after that you don't need to pay attention to it for every reading in terms of it relating to the PH/EC/PPMS.
 
Damios

Damios

Well-Known Member
AeroKing said:
Temperature Compensation for pH Meters
Click to expand...
LOL YOU JUST PROOVED ME RIGHT......

You don't need temperature compensation if your shit is held at a constant temperature (like I have a chiller keep mine at 68, ALWAYS). Then your reading will not be affected by this. This is only needed if you measure your shit at different times during the day and your temps are all over the place. Otherwise this is a waist of space on your meter.
 
Damios

Damios

Well-Known Member
Plus the meter that I showed has this anyways so chill. You can manually change the calibration with knobs if you have a thermometer close by, which I do so I don't need it built into my meter.

"Manual:where the user must set or enter the solution temperature by means of push buttons or a dial. The meter then corrects the pH readings for changes in the electrode sensitivity.
Temperature compensation eliminates most of the temperature dependent measurement error from the electrode. Further minimization of this error in both temperature compensating and non-temperature compensating pH meters can be made by calibrating the instrument and electrode in pH buffers that are close to the expected measurement values for pH and at (or near) the same temperature as the solution to be measured. This technique also minimizes other temperature related errors which occur in all electrodes but which cannot be predicted or compensated for when temperature changes.
These unpredictable pH measurement errors due to temperature changes are somewhat complex in nature and vary from electrode to electrode. They can result in small but noticeable pH measurement errors. Unfortunately, there is not much that can be done about these in a manner that is economical or practical for most users of pH instruments. Therefore as a practical matter, they are mostly ignored in everyday pH applications."
 
AeroKing

AeroKing

Well-Known Member
I don't know why anybody would want to fuck with that when you can get a decent ATC meter for $130. Most of us deal with temperature fluctuations.
 
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