Testing Water pH

I bought this PHT-026 "Six In One Monitor" from Stealth Hydro and, like everything else I've bought from them, it's a P.O.S. You would think that you'd get something decent for $150 but this thing seems worthless when it comes to measuring pH. It seems to do well on EC, CF and PPM but when I calibrate it to 7.0 then dunk it in my solution that I've poured half a cup of pH Down into, it actually goes above 7 into the alkaline zone. I just used some of the granular pH down to see if I can get it acidic. Does anyone else have a problem knowing *exactly* what your pH is? Do I need to let the water sit a while then test it?

I have tried a couple "cheap" electronic testers with terrible results. Now I use a water holder and addative solution for swimming pools that works well to 6.0. There are websites for chemestry supplies where you can get a bottle of test papers for almost any ph range you wish. I think these are very accurate also. The question I have is about accurate soil ph testing. You take a scoop of soil and then add water to make the test. Doesn't the added water affect the soil ph reading?

I have a soil tester and just did a test and it came out the same before/after. Of course I added 7.0 water and it registered 7.0 before the test - or maybe 6.9. I have 4 boxes of test strips but after the 15 second wait they don't look anything like the indicators on the package. I'm hearing "I can't get no satisfaction" in my mind right now.

I was having a hard time too, so i gotta a buddy of mine who lives close by to ph test his water, i calibrated my meter to that and have been using it since, i've just bought a bottle of ph buffer 7.0 so i'm going to calibrate it to that when i get it, after that i may well have to concede and buy another meter but this time maybe spend a little more.

I've emailed Stealth Hydro about returning the meter and asked if they can get me a "Hanna Gro Chek Continuous pH/TDS/EC/Temp" meter. They have them at BGHydro and I've ordered from them before and they are great. I don't know what to do about my plants at this point; it's a total crap shoot as to what the pH is. I know it's very acidic but it may be too much.

Anyone near you with a ph meter that can check their tap water?

Not that I know of.

My pool water tester works good down to 6.0. It uses red reagent and is pretty much dummy-proof. Cost less than $15 and can do 100-200 tests.

I'll go by tomorrow and pick one up. Thanks MB!

Mine says to calibrate with 7.01 buffer and then 4.01 (or 10.01), so that's what I've been doing.

I bought an Oakton pH meter ($100) but I've never been able to get it to work right. The instructions are a little lacking IMHO. I forgot to go by the pool place this morning but I'll go at lunchtime.

use test stripes for now found at aquirium places, they are more accurate than digital meters also.

Well I went to the pool supply place this morning and picked up a pH kit. I looked at all of them but I told the lady I only needed to test pH, not 5 other things. She took a kit and said that was the one I needed. I get it home, open it up and the test only goes down to 6.8 but way up in the base area so I took it back. I told the moron that I needed to test pH, not just the level of alkalinity. She was frickin clueless but another worker told me to go to the pet store and get one for an aquarium. I did; it was $15 for a 3 month one, continuous duty that goes from 5.2 - 7.4 so that should work ok until I get my Hanna Gro meter. Still no word from Stealth Hydro on returning the POS I bought from them. I hate to mess with anyone's business but after a month and getting nothing, I started emailing them and finally got their ass in gear and got my pH up/down. When it got here almost half the containers of down were busted open and spilled out. Fortunately it was all "down" and I scooped most of it up and put it back in the container and didn't lose a lot of it but three of the caps were broken. In the meanwhile, back at the ranch, 14 blueberry plants were dying in my hydro unit from not knowing what pH the water was or the EC, PPM or anything else. Sorry for the rant but I hope this steers people clear of ordering from these jacklegs.

sorry about your bad experience with them, i've always thought it would have been better to order st8 from hydro stores and such. But use the test stripe my hydro store guy told me that those are more accurate then the digital meters. GL! btw blueberries are sensitive.

The weird thing about the strips is that they are wet when you try and compare them and comparing them to a dry ink sample just doesn't cut it in my book. I think next time I have a good solid *known* pH value, I'm going to dip a test strip and do my own sample with Photoshop.

I got some ph calibration 7 fluid today. I had a though today as well, does your ph meter auto adjust for temperature, because i was reading about how certain meters are atc and other ones aren't, this makes a difference where you can get false readings until the meter probe has matched the temperature of the solution.

yes, if you don't have auto temperature compensation then you need to take the temperature of your calibration fluid also and work with the chart that is on the calibration fluid, or 25c at 7.0 or 7.01 depending on your calibration solution.

i use a nutriculture test set it contains two bottles a chart and a test tube you take 2ml from the water tank then add two drops ofreagent and compare to chart the chart runs from 6.0 to 7.6 and is simple my m8 brought is exspensive digital meter made by trans instruments £45 and i got the same score of 6.2 but my cheapo only cost £3.99 im happy with that for now i have a digital meter the same make as my m8's fot the nutrients.

i've got same pht-026 and it work fine come with buffer solution just calibrated it with 6.86 solution and then 4.00 did like said every time rinse with disteled water... works for me, u taked off from elektrode cap and then calibrate it

Hey, I came across this old thread about the 6 in 1 tester from Stealth Hydro. I ordered one and wish I had at least looked around RIU to see if anyone had some feedback about it. Too late !!! The temp and PPM works but the PH doesn't. I called SH and they are sending me a new probe and some cal solution.

Potpimp, Did you ever get yours working ?

If this new probe doesn't do the trick I'll be looking for a new tester. Any suggestions ? I kind of have my eye on a blue lab truncheon.