whats a good PPM meter

Dabber68 · Dec 5, 2017

Looking to get PPM meter is it a necessary item and of course I'll have to read up on how to use one LOL. I have a ph meter I was smart enough to get 1 for my 1st grow knowing that ph is very important. Now time to learn more from the more experienced growers Thx in advance

swisha · Dec 11, 2017

Hanna or Bluelab

OldMedUser · Dec 12, 2017

Any brand will do but need to know the scale it uses to be accurate when using. Are you using your pH pen properly and keeping it in storage sol'n between uses and not RO water that will destroy it? Calibration sol'n for both pens?

Different pens use different scales so make sure you know which your pen uses.

Good luck!

:peace:

Dabber68 · Dec 12, 2017

OldMedUser said:
Any brand will do but need to know the scale it uses to be accurate when using. Are you using your pH pen properly and keeping it in storage sol'n between uses and not RO water that will destroy it? Calibration sol'n for both pens?

Different pens use different scales so make sure you know which your pen uses.

View attachment 4056976

Good luck!

Bought a cheap one.

OldMedUser · Dec 12, 2017

Dabber68 said:
Bought a cheap one.

I still use my old Hanna I bought about '82 for $70 and it is almost always dead on with a new TDS EZ One from HM Digital I ordered from a health food place in New Mexico with a couple of .9999 silver wires for making colloidal silver for $24US when it was par with CanukBux. The Hanna reads with a 10X display but I needed finer tuning so got the new one as it reads in single digits. Mixed down some of the 1000ppm calibration sol'n to 20ppm and the new pen read 19 so good enough.

If it's not waterproof just make sure you don't drop it in salty nutes and it should last for years. If it starts reading wonky or goes way out of calibration it likely needs new batteries and you can mess them up trying to match the calibration sol'n with the little screw when that happens.

Dabber68 · Dec 12, 2017

OldMedUser said:
I still use my old Hanna I bought about '82 for $70 and it is almost always dead on with a new TDS EZ One from HM Digital I ordered from a health food place in New Mexico with a couple of .9999 silver wires for making colloidal silver for $24US when it was par with CanukBux. The Hanna reads with a 10X display but I needed finer tuning so got the new one as it reads in single digits. Mixed down some of the 1000ppm calibration sol'n to 20ppm and the new pen read 19 so good enough.

If it's not waterproof just make sure you don't drop it in salty nutes and it should last for years. If it starts reading wonky or goes way out of calibration it likely needs new batteries and you can mess them up trying to match the calibration sol'n with the little screw when that happens.

I will ck it out many THX

PetFlora · Dec 12, 2017

After having gone through several Hannas, I now buy Milwaukee, etc from Amazon. Works fine and cheaper to replace than just the tip

OldMedUser · Dec 12, 2017

PetFlora said:
After having gone through several Hannas, I now buy Milwaukee, etc from Amazon. Works fine and cheaper to replace than just the tip

No tip changes with ppm pens so you must be talking about pH pen probes. Often cheaper to get a new pH pen.

Terry385 · Dec 12, 2017

Oakton EcoTestr pH 2+ Pocket pH Meter

Blue brother · Jan 22, 2018

Bluelab truncheon mate

ANC · Jan 22, 2018

Get an EC meter. PPM is only somewhat useful.

Blue brother · Jan 22, 2018

ANC said:
Get an EC meter. PPM is only somewhat useful.

Agreed

PetFlora · Jan 22, 2018

OldMedUser said:
No tip changes with ppm pens so you must be talking about pH pen probes. Often cheaper to get a new pH pen.

You're right but I had an all in one Oakton

OldMedUser · Jan 22, 2018

PetFlora said:
You're right but I had an all in one Oakton

I have an Oakton pH meter that needs a new probe and it's $75. I got a new EcoTestr pH1 also made by Oakton for $69. My Oakton is just a pH pen tho. I haven't used the new one more than 10 times since I bought it about 7 years ago. Sitting in the cap full of storage sol'n and sealed with electrical tape for at least a year. Took the batteries out and used them in the ppm pen.

For anyone's curiosity ppm and EC are the same but just different ways to read the same thing like MPH are to KPH.

Clown Baby · Jan 22, 2018

Bluelab truncheon all the way. Low maintenance. 5 year warranty.

since1991 · Jan 22, 2018

In my experience...TDS/EC/ppm meters are much more robust than finicky pH meters or pens. They need little if any calibration. And last forever. Wish I could say the same for pH meters. I keep them clean amd calibrated and they dont last for long..at all. When they start slowing down..thats when I buy the replacement probes for my Bluelab Combo. Ive also noticed I get some wild readings depending on test solution temperature. I always add my pH down slowly and let numbers settle before calling it good. I also keep bromothymol blue drops and vial always around for back up to get reliable reads. To be honest (and Ive used them all)...pH meters/probes/pens are a real pain in thee ass for accuracy. There are real deal bench models made by all the big brands but dammit if they dont cost 4 figures. And really overblown for what we use them for.

OldMedUser · Jan 22, 2018

Clown Baby said:
Bluelab truncheon all the way. Low maintenance. 5 year warranty.

My old Hanna is damn near 30 and works fine. They're cheap as hell now. Don't take no where's near the maintenance of a pH pen. Let them dry out between uses after a rinse and they work forever.

Pay huge for a Truncheon if you want but really no need. There pH pens are worth the money if you need to do the pH thing. I don't so doesn't much matter to me.

:peace:

OldMedUser · Jan 23, 2018

since1991 said:
In my experience...TDS/EC/ppm meters are much more robust than finicky pH meters or pens. They need little if any calibration. And last forever. Wish I could say the same for pH meters. I keep them clean amd calibrated and they dont last for long..at all. When they start slowing down..thats when I buy the replacement probes for my Bluelab Combo. Ive also noticed I get some wild readings depending on test solution temperature. I always add my pH down slowly and let numbers settle before calling it good. I also keep bromothymol blue drops and vial always around for back up to get reliable reads. To be honest (and Ive used them all)...pH meters/probes/pens are a real pain in thee ass for accuracy. There are real deal bench models made by all the big brands but dammit if they dont cost 4 figures. And really overblown for what we use them for.

A lot of times it's just the batteries are getting low, Not low enough to get the warning on-screen but low enough to cause fluctuations in the readings.

Cold$moke · Jan 23, 2018

After years of winging it without a meter aftwr the last one took a shit

I figured. I would try a constant read because its normally drying of the tip thay screws it up
This way its always wet

Got a bluelab gardian

So far so good for the first week anyway
Very easy to use! Came complete ready to roll with calibration fluid.

The settings where within a point from factory

It reads ec tds and ppm. Temp and ph

So far i love looking over at it and sense i have multiple reservoirs i can just drop it in to whichever for instant read

Very happy as long as it doesnt shit the bed lol

Although i am still leary of having any light in the room even green light freaks me out lol

Blue brother · Jan 23, 2018

There’s very few products out there that i would recommend fully To people, the bluelab truncheon is one, mountain air filters are another.

whats a good PPM meter

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