PH EC and TDS meters help!!

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Snicklefritz

Well-Known Member
i need to buy meters to check for ph ppm and all that other stuff. i have no idea which to buy. my grow is an ebb & flow. i know i need the ph and the ppm for my nutes. how about a EC meter and TDS meter or is this the same thing?

can i go cheap on the meters or should i invest in one of those expensive ones?
 
morrisgreenberg

morrisgreenberg

Well-Known Member
TDS or ec, whatever you like,, tds measure PPM which may be easier for you, i know its easier for me, this is the guy i use, fast reliable and everyone one of his meters are much cheaper than i get at the local shop
i recently broke a $20 milwaukee PH pen it worked great for a year so
http://stores.shop.ebay.com/eSeasonGear__W0QQ_armrsZ1
also the meters with probes are more expensive, but they are continuos monitoring, as opposed to the pens that you can juust take a smaple and test, for me personally i prefer the pens bcs i have multple systems....i have an HM TDS meter ($20) and just got the milwaukee PH52($50)
 
FilthyFletch

FilthyFletch

Mr I Can Do That For Half
Heres some I use and as cheap as they are really close and accurate get both items...
http://cgi.ebay.com/EC-PPM-CF-NUTRIENT-TRUNCHEON-METER-HYDROPONICS-WAND-DI1_W0QQitemZ390053871790QQcmdZViewItemQQptZAU_B_I_Electrical_Test_Equipment?hash=item5ad105c0ae&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A0%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

and the for ph get this...
http://cgi.ebay.com/Milwaukee-pH600-Digital-pH-Tester-Meter-Pocket-Pen-New_W0QQitemZ270384799124QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item3ef4309d94&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72:1205|66:2|65:12|39:1|240:1318|301:1|293:1|294:50
 
morrisgreenberg

morrisgreenberg

Well-Known Member
thats the one i broke fletch, the PH600, as for getting a truncheon from hong kong, i dont know man, but the milwaukee was excellent for me, i only went for 50 bucks for the temp
 
FilthyFletch

FilthyFletch

Mr I Can Do That For Half
The rtuncheon is the ones I use have used the 2 I have had for about 6 years now and they work great and I have checked against bigger more exspensive Blue Labs and they read identical against each other. Your call though just giving an option to ya. Good luck
 
Al B. Fuct

Al B. Fuct

once had a dog named
The Bluelab Truncheon is the TDS meter to beat. I have one which has more than 8 years service and is still going strong. Buy well and buy once .

pH meters are much more problematic as a rule. Since pH electrodes in even the best meters last only about 2 years, the pH meter you buy should have a user-replaceable electrode. The most reliable pH meters I've found are the waterproof units from Eutech. User-replaceable tip, easy to calibrate, honest-to-goodness waterproof (even submersible).

You can buy cheap meters but you absolutely get what you pay for. $20 meters last a year on the high and outside in most cases. I prefer to trust my instruments and know they will work when I reach for them.
 
WoldofWeedcraft

WoldofWeedcraft

Well-Known Member
Al B. Fuct said:
The Bluelab Truncheon is the TDS meter to beat. I have one which has more than 8 years service and is still going strong. Buy well and buy once .

pH meters are much more problematic as a rule. Since pH electrodes in even the best meters last only about 2 years, the pH meter you buy should have a user-replaceable electrode. The most reliable pH meters I've found are the waterproof units from Eutech. User-replaceable tip, easy to calibrate, honest-to-goodness waterproof (even submersible).

You can buy cheap meters but you absolutely get what you pay for. $20 meters last a year on the high and outside in most cases. I prefer to trust my instruments and know they will work when I reach for them.
Click to expand...
No way, is Al B. back? :shock:
 
polishfalcon420

polishfalcon420

Well-Known Member
Al B. Fuct said:
The Bluelab Truncheon is the TDS meter to beat. I have one which has more than 8 years service and is still going strong. Buy well and buy once .

pH meters are much more problematic as a rule. Since pH electrodes in even the best meters last only about 2 years, the pH meter you buy should have a user-replaceable electrode. The most reliable pH meters I've found are the waterproof units from Eutech. User-replaceable tip, easy to calibrate, honest-to-goodness waterproof (even submersible).

You can buy cheap meters but you absolutely get what you pay for. $20 meters last a year on the high and outside in most cases. I prefer to trust my instruments and know they will work when I reach for them.
Click to expand...
I did a lot of searching on this site before I chose the bluelab truncheon and a GH ph kit. Just wanted you to know Al that your input was a factor in this. I bought the bluelab cause I could not find any bad remarks on the unit everything was a praise to the meter. I went with the GH ph kit because it was a cheap and reliable item until I can get a higher qualtiy more expensive ph meter. at first I was just going to get a hanna 98129 that did ppm, ph, and temp but the thought of the meter taking a crap and losing all my functions turned me away. hopefully my meter and ph kit come in this week.
 
Santos L Halper

Santos L Halper

Member
I use a Milwaukee SM100 Smart pH meter. It was ~$110 new and has a long chord on the probe, which I like.

The Bluelab ppm truncheon is the best. It also has a five year warranty o_O
 
Al B. Fuct

Al B. Fuct

once had a dog named
polishfalcon420 said:
hopefully my meter and ph kit come in this week.
Click to expand...
You'll be able to rely on the Truncheon for years. Just follow the mfr's instructions for periodic cleaning to assure accuracy.

Put a good pH meter rather high on your wishlist. It's a necessary bit of kit in any hydro op.

Your fears regarding integrated meters are well founded. Only those with user-replaceable electrodes are worth considering, bearing in mind that if something in the metering/display circuit croaks, you are indeed flying blind until you can organise a replacement.
 
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