Help Cloning

Does any one have an inexpensive good rooting gel they could suggest?
I'm about to take my first cutting ever, well, not ever.I took a small cutting and left it supoorted by tothpicks in a shot glass of tap water from a well, and it stayed alive for a few days, but it never grew any roots.
I think the pH is too high. A cheap color matching hot tub test said that the pH was almost 8.
I want to buy a good inexpensive digital pH meter as well. Any suggestions on that too would be appreciated.
I'm hoping that my next experiment with my outdoor cuttings using 1" rockwool cubes, rooting gel, humitiy dome, distilled water under 300 watt flourecents will work this time. I have Aurora Indica and Swiss Cheese from Nirvana that are sprouting. I want to get some successful clones from my unknown mid-grade commercial seed plants that are outdoor and large enough to cut. I actually plan on taking cuttings from all to learn their sex early so I can not waste time setting up garden space for males. Also is it possible to clone successfully putting the cuttings directly into a flowering photo cycle? I'm not particularly interested in growing the cuttings I'm using to ascertain the sex of the schwag. But I plan on using the Schwagg plants to practice on for a few weeks before I do it to my babies I invested in.
So 3 questions:

1. Inexpensive Rooting Gels?
2. Reliable digital pH meters, ECC, ppm., etc?
3. Can a cutting grow roots well under a flowering photo schedule?

Thanks in advance for any help or suggestions.

well ive been looking into this and u dont actaully need hormone or ppm watever

take the cutting on a angle as to get the most flat area for roots to grow from and up the sides roughen with the rear side of your blad so roots can break thru/form better
then just put in your jiffy cube in ur prop box and keep it warm

of course the hormone geks speed things up and stuff but if you wanna get it done fast and as inexpensive as possible ther u go

at first ul need the cutting on 24-0 till it gets legs(nice roots) then u can flower straight away no problems ive done it and i know a few who have

good luck

Thanks for responding to my questions.
I had been told that it’s possible to clonein H2O alone, that was my first attempt, but I had it in with the AI and SC ona 20/4 veg cycle. It had no humidity dome,wasn’t 24 hour photo cycle, and had no real medium, just tap water with a highpH. I’m hoping for better success thistime as I am giving it everything I can to produce a viable clone.

I have the ez clone bucket 8 spot. From growbright. Think it was under 40$. Filled with 6.0 ph water. No gel or powder.. clones root in about 15 days. Then transplant into your choice.

To answer your question I've never used the gels and stuff and have had great success with them rooting