Using different BNC connector style PH probe replacements for Blue Lab meters

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jonnynobody

Well-Known Member
Sorry the title was a mouthful. I have a blue lab PH meter with remote probe. Old style PH probe. Not the leap probe. Also use a milwaukee MW102. Both work great. I would like to use a higher quality lab grade BNC style replacement double junction probe. They are said to respond more rapidly, last longer, and are more accurate. I believe the double junction style is referred to as "lab grade." Don't quote me on that. The double junction prevents contamination of the reference solution which preserves the accuracy of readings for a longer period of time. It's just a more robust design. Costs more though. However, with this fucking pandemic every shit bag retailer seems to be bleeding us dry as of late on just about everything we need for our gardens. I think I paid $40 for my last replacement probe and now they're $63. I found this lab grade double junction replacement probe for just $10 more. It says it's compatible with any PH probe with a BNC style connector. Anyone else go down this road in the past? Planning to order 2 today for both meters. Today after I calibrated both of my units I believe the blue lab probe is needing replacement. Which sucks because it's less than 4 months old. What can ya do? Buy a better replacement probe. Screw giving money to a company that makes janky shit. I have no problems with the blue lab controller, but there's a lot left to be desired in the quality of their replacement probes.

Here's another by Thomas Scientific. More expensive though. https://www.thomassci.com/Instruments/Electrodes-pH/_/pHE-01-Basic-Combination-pH-Electrode?q=Ph Probe

Edit: It looks like the blue lab and milwaukee replacement probes are both double junction. Think I'm gonna pull the trigger on the Neptune System replacement from bulk reef supply for $74.95. Anything I have ever gotten from BRS has been high quality. Scored a sweet 100GPD 6 stage RO system from them earlier this year for a reasonable price and it works fantastic. I really think it's just a quality issue for me. If I can pay a few bucks more to get a probe that has been designed a little more robustly I'm okay doing that. Probes malfunctioning fuckers up the whole works.
 
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J

jonnynobody

Well-Known Member
jonnynobody said:
Sorry the title was a mouthful. I have a blue lab PH meter with remote probe. Old style PH probe. Not the leap probe. Also use a milwaukee MW102. Both work great. I would like to use a higher quality lab grade BNC style replacement double junction probe. They are said to respond more rapidly, last longer, and are more accurate. I believe the double junction style is referred to as "lab grade." Don't quote me on that. The double junction prevents contamination of the reference solution which preserves the accuracy of readings for a longer period of time. It's just a more robust design. Costs more though. However, with this fucking pandemic every shit bag retailer seems to be bleeding us dry as of late on just about everything we need for our gardens. I think I paid $40 for my last replacement probe and now they're $63. I found this lab grade double junction replacement probe for just $10 more. It says it's compatible with any PH probe with a BNC style connector. Anyone else go down this road in the past? Planning to order 2 today for both meters. Today after I calibrated both of my units I believe the blue lab probe is needing replacement. Which sucks because it's less than 4 months old. What can ya do? Buy a better replacement probe. Screw giving money to a company that makes janky shit. I have no problems with the blue lab controller, but there's a lot left to be desired in the quality of their replacement probes.

Here's another by Thomas Scientific. More expensive though. https://www.thomassci.com/Instruments/Electrodes-pH/_/pHE-01-Basic-Combination-pH-Electrode?q=Ph Probe

Edit: It looks like the blue lab and milwaukee replacement probes are both double junction. Think I'm gonna pull the trigger on the Neptune System replacement from bulk reef supply for $74.95. Anything I have ever gotten from BRS has been high quality. Scored a sweet 100GPD 6 stage RO system from them earlier this year for a reasonable price and it works fantastic. I really think it's just a quality issue for me. If I can pay a few bucks more to get a probe that has been designed a little more robustly I'm okay doing that. Probes malfunctioning fuckers up the whole works.
Click to expand...
Ordered 2 of the $74.95 units. I figure for about $12 more per probe than what blue lab is charging why not give it a whirl? BRS generally only stocks high quality gear. I built my clone tote with one of their sweet aquarium pumps. Couldn't even find what I needed at the biggest grow store where I live. I suspect the PH probes they stock are of the same high quality as everything else I've gotten there. I'll report back when I get a chance to test them out. Paid extra to have them here by the 20th. What a pain in the arse.
 
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jonnynobody

Well-Known Member
Confirmed bad probe on the MW102. 2 years on it. She's past due. Calibrated 4 or 5 times and it won't hold. Keeps giving a range of readings. After thoroughly testing the newer blue lab probe it holds it's calibration so I finally confirmed which one was accurate. I switched the probes from the blue lab controller to the milwaukee and vice versa. The same values followed the probes to the new controllers. It looks like these BNC connectors do allow for interchanging between brands. So far so good anyways. Nearly 2 hours later I'm finally watering. What a day. It pays to have a backup.
 
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captainforest

Member
I recently tried some of these bnc ph probes with my blue lab controller

www.aliexpress.com

32.57C$ |pH Electrode Sensor BNC Connector Probe E 201 pH Composite electrode E 201C|PH Meters| - AliExpress

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com
www.aliexpress.com www.aliexpress.com

but I'm having this strange problem wherein the probe shows different ph levels depending how deep it's placed in my control bucket. Not sure if this is quality of China probes. Also, I can't seem to calibrate these probes with my blue lab controller. Keeps showing error. Odd.
 
J

jonnynobody

Well-Known Member
captainforest said:
I recently tried some of these bnc ph probes with my blue lab controller

www.aliexpress.com

32.57C$ |pH Electrode Sensor BNC Connector Probe E 201 pH Composite electrode E 201C|PH Meters| - AliExpress

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com
www.aliexpress.com www.aliexpress.com

but I'm having this strange problem wherein the probe shows different ph levels depending how deep it's placed in my control bucket. Not sure if this is quality of China probes. Also, I can't seem to calibrate these probes with my blue lab controller. Keeps showing error. Odd.
Click to expand...
I would advise not ordering anymore. It sounds like they don't have the design down. I pay $75/each for my neptune probes. I'm not happy about the price, but that is the most critical piece of equipment in a hydroponic garden. Both reliability and accuracy are required. I'm willing to pay more for that piece of mind. Made in the USA. 1 year warranty.

BTW, I checked out aliexpress. It seems like alibaba has considerably more content and vendors. What's the benefit of going through aliexpress?
 
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