Digital PH Meters - Help

acidzz

acidzz

Member
So I would love to know what every other grower's opinion on digital PH meters is, we can also classify digital PPM/EC meters into this discussion. I've had a few, nothing expensive. I felt like I was calibrating before every use just to know if I was accurate. They seemed to take a dogs year to stabilize their readings, which was annoying standing over my rez.

I bring this up as I've had some damage to my eyes that have changed the way I see colors now. I've been using your simple GH Drop kit for a long while and I know that yellow means I'm generally okay to move forward.

With the recent changes and my desire to step up my game, what do you use? do you swear by a company, or maybe a specific model?

When you calibrate, how often do you do it? When you calibrate do you throw out that solution and use fresh solution next time you test?

Is there a readily available cheap solution to use for checking baseline accuracy?? Lets hear it crew :)
 
mnmobbin

mnmobbin

Well-Known Member
I have an apera ph60 and like it. The meter costs $80, comes with a nice little kit, has a low high alert you can set so when the ph is within your range the screen is blue and when it’s out of the low high range it’s red. This makes doing multiple jugs easier just drop it in and look for the color. The probe is replaceable so if it breaks you don’t have a junk meter just buy a new probe for $30. It’s stayed accurate, I calibrate it once a month and it’s always within .05. I resuse my solution for two months then replace personally. I picked up a bottle of 7.00, 4.00, and storage solution from apera for like $30 so it was all pretty cheap.
 
athomegrowing

athomegrowing

Well-Known Member
acidzz said:
So I would love to know what every other grower's opinion on digital PH meters is, we can also classify digital PPM/EC meters into this discussion. I've had a few, nothing expensive. I felt like I was calibrating before every use just to know if I was accurate. They seemed to take a dogs year to stabilize their readings, which was annoying standing over my rez.

I bring this up as I've had some damage to my eyes that have changed the way I see colors now. I've been using your simple GH Drop kit for a long while and I know that yellow means I'm generally okay to move forward.

With the recent changes and my desire to step up my game, what do you use? do you swear by a company, or maybe a specific model?

When you calibrate, how often do you do it? When you calibrate do you throw out that solution and use fresh solution next time you test?

Is there a readily available cheap solution to use for checking baseline accuracy?? Lets hear it crew :)
Click to expand...
Buy solution to calibrate your machine. Do it as needed.
 
DesertPlants

DesertPlants

Well-Known Member
I have used cheap-o pens and some better. They all do pretty well as long as you keep them calibrated. I personally use a BlueLab pen and it does well. I don't like how long it can take sometimes though. I am looking to get the remote monitor so I can just leave the sensor in my main RDWC rez.
 
SMT69

SMT69

Well-Known Member
mnmobbin said:
I have an apera ph60 and like it. The meter costs $80, comes with a nice little kit, has a low high alert you can set so when the ph is within your range the screen is blue and when it’s out of the low high range it’s red. This makes doing multiple jugs easier just drop it in and look for the color. The probe is replaceable so if it breaks you don’t have a junk meter just buy a new probe for $30. It’s stayed accurate, I calibrate it once a month and it’s always within .05. I resuse my solution for two months then replace personally. I picked up a bottle of 7.00, 4.00, and storage solution from apera for like $30 so it was all pretty cheap.
Click to expand...
I have this one also, works great, very easy to read, i calibrate mine once a week and it doesnt drift much but i check it anyways just to be sure....highly recommended
 
1

1212ham

Well-Known Member
After bad experiences with a Hanna Checker and a Milwaukee PH600, I did some research and bought a Milwaukee MW-102. So far, it's been accurate and very fast. Every time I checked with 7.0 solution, it's read 7.04-7.05. With accuracy like that, I never bothered to recalibrate.

7.0 calibration solution...
https://www.amazon.com/General-Hydroponics-7-0-Calibration-Solution/dp/B01MCS0K73/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2CFX2GGN1C4YQ&keywords=7.0+ph+calibration+solution&qid=1552208071&s=lawn-garden&sprefix=7.0+ph+calibration,lawngarden,184&sr=1-3

After checking my no name $10 TDS meter with calibration solution, I bought a HM COM-80.;)
 
Renfro

Renfro

Well-Known Member
I also snagged an apera ph60, very nice piece. for the price you can't beat it IMO.

I also have a blue lab, its only one point accuracy where the apera is two points. The blue lab costs more.
 
berrybongwell

berrybongwell

Well-Known Member
Renfro said:
I also snagged an apera ph60, very nice piece. for the price you can't beat it IMO.

I also have a blue lab, its only one point accuracy where the apera is two points. The blue lab costs more.
Click to expand...
From what I can find, bl = 75 and the Apera is closer to 95. Edit: Nevermind, that is out of stock. Never model being 145.
 
Renfro

Renfro

Well-Known Member
Wow amazon jacked the price, the one I bought a few weeks ago was a LOT cheaper.
apera.PNG

At least the Apera has more functions and better accuracy.
 
mnmobbin

mnmobbin

Well-Known Member
Renfro said:
To make it even cooler for me is they sent a better version of that meter that has the spear probe so it can test soil pH and liquid pH, that meter is about $250. lol
Click to expand...
Please let me know how you like the spear for soil. If it’s a solid tool I’d definitely pick one of the probes up.
 
mnmobbin

mnmobbin

Well-Known Member
Renfro said:
If you already have the apera you can just change the probe.
Click to expand...
That’s why I ask lol. The replaceable/ switchable probe was probably the biggest selling point on the ph60 for me over a blue lab I just didn’t want to dive in blindly on the spear. Fuck it, it’s already been a outrageously expensive week upgrading equipment what’s a probe right? Thank you!
 
TintEastwood

TintEastwood

Well-Known Member
I have the Apera on my xmas list.
Already have a Milwaukee MW-102 and a Bluelab.
Both are accurate....I check accuracy and calibrate them every couple weeks. Ever so slightly out of calibration at times.
For me...the Bluelab is faster responding and more convenient than the Milwaukee!
 
1

1212ham

Well-Known Member
Good to know. What model Blulelab do you have? Since you already have two very good meters, why do you want the Apera?

I've learned that many times the Milwaukee MW-102 is just waiting for the temperature measurement to stabilize. Since a change of 25°C only changes the ph 0.1 points, I only plug in the temp probe when I want to measure temperature. That, and I'm not concerned if my ph is 6.0 or 6.05. ;)

BTW, after comparing, I know I was lucky to be within .2-.3 points with my cheap Milwaukee PH600.

Life intervened and my MW-102 was in storage for the better part of a year, I just pulled it out and it still reads 7.04, the same as new.
 
TintEastwood

TintEastwood

Well-Known Member
I need (want) another Pen type meter so I can keep one inside, and one outside the grow area. Might as well get an Apera to try out.

Good to know on the Milwaukee.

This is the bluelab ph pen..
Bluelab-pH-Pen.1.jpg
 
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