In the market for a combo meter.... BlueLab Or Tri Meter?

[NorCalFor20]

Or something else? I want the best... Looking for PH/PPM/TEMP ETC

I have a 55 gal res so i want one that is constant monitoring.... or handheld is fine but it needs to be simple to use accurate and best quality/precision

 

[Silver Oak]

I've never had a multi-meter, but I do have a BlueLab EC Truncheon and it's probably the BEST piece of equipment I've ever bought.

If everything else from BlueLab is as quality as the Truncheon, I'd recommend the BlueLab multi-meter.

 

[FreezerBoy]

While the tri-meter displays all 3 at one time, it also displays TDS which is lying bullshit. Personally, I wouldn't pay money for lies. I'd go Bluelab.

 

[Cheeb]

The nutradip tri-meter does have an EC version..which isn't lying bullshit. best continious read meter in my opinion. watch out with electronic ballasts though as I've heard these tri-meters can be effected by interference should your ballast be doing that.

I dont know much about the bluelab combo - its pricey and worries me considering all of the problems they had with the pH truncheon. bluelab makes great EC meters - just dont know about their pH.

I use a Hanna Grocheck Combo (handheld) HI-9813-6.. Its rock solid.
The HI-9813-0 is also great. Its the same meter without temp display and the cal check feature. My pH is always on when checking even after weeks of sitting unused.

Really boils down to if you want a continious read or not. I chose the grocheck as it doesn't limit me to checking 1 reservoir.

Go tri-meter or hanna grocheck portable.. pass on the bluelab.
note - I do have a bluelab truncheon ec which is the shit! Bought it after using a new zealand truncheon (old school)..dropped it in the res and it stopped working.
peace
cheeb

 

[FreezerBoy]

The nutradip tri-meter does have an EC version

Good catch. Price difference is minimal. The Bluelab has a 5 year warranty. More than twice as long as the tri-meters 2 years. Bluelab warranties the probes (the most commonly replaced part) 10x longer than the tri-meter, which only covers probes for 6 months.

 

[Lazyman]

Yeah avoid the trimeters, they used to be ok but now they are shit, my store stopped selling em because 90% came back in 1 week.

I suggest the new Hanna tri meter, a little more money but good stuff. I had one of those handheld Hannas above, worked fine til the cable joint started to weaken and the wiring broke. A new probe costs almost as a new meter, so I went with the full time read Hanna and it has cheaper replacement probes. Good folks at Hanna.

 

[Cheeb]

Also -

I wouldn't rule out using 2 seperate meters if I were you. I have a friend who uses the following meters with no complaints.

pH - Hanna Red Handheld - HI98128
EC - Bluelab Trucheon EC

The truncheon is rock solid and really doesnt ever need anything..maybe batteries every few years and a quick scrub of the tip with your finger and some scour solution.

The HI-98128 is really accurate (temp compensated) and reliable if you keep it clean and the probe wet. Replacement probes are decent at $50.

While not 1 meter - its a good pair of tools. Its nice to still be able to check your EC should your pH probe take a crapper.

I'm pretty sure all pH probes will fail - eventually.. its just the nature of the beast.

__

Not to steal your thread - just trying to help but has anyone used a silicon tip pH meter. I hear they are deadly accurate and dont require to be stored wet?

 

[Cheeb]

silicon ph meter I was referring to.

The IQ 120 Mini Lab Meter is a great choice for gardeners who want to test pH, but don't need the extra features on the more complex meters.

This surprisingly accurate, high-tech device has a silicon chip so it can measure the smallest of samples and its easy to calibrate. The IQ 120 Mini Lab even gives you an error warning when calibration isn't correct.

It has a replaceable electrode so it doesn't require solution for storage.

The IQ 120 Mini Lab Meter gives you pH results quickly on a large display that's easy to read. It features a one-point calibration that's accurate to +/- 0.1.

The IQ 120 powers off automatically and gives you 200 hours of use (holds two watch batteries). It also features a low battery warning.

note: I dont have experience with the above meter - merely asking if anyone knows anything about it.

 

[NorCalFor20]

was looking at this hanna combo meter, portable as well incase i ever expand to more than one res.

http://www.4hydro.com/growroom/hcombo.asp

any complaints with this instrument?

also why is it that PPMS are bullshit how do you measure nuterient levels accuratly? how do you meausure with EC? I am new to hydro i use to just mix nutes and water into soil so this is a lot of new shit to me....

anyway what exactly am i looking for I heard PPMs are good way to measure nuterent concentration levels.... what am i supposed to do???

 

[stoneroad]

Yo Freezer boy, not knocking your view on tds but whats the real reason sciences wise behind this? my tri meter was 108 shipped on ebay ph temp c or f ec tds and some other figure.

Here is my little do dad

 

[FreezerBoy]

Yo Freezer boy, not knocking your view on tds but whats the real reason sciences wise behind this?

You can call a bike an airplane or you can call it a submarine but, drive it off a cliff and into the water and see what happens. Hint: It falls and it sinks because a bike is a bike no matter what you call it

PPM and TDS meters are a fiction. They do not exist. There's no such thing. PPM and TDS require chemical analysis. The pens and meters we're discussing cannot provide this analysis. They can ONLY measure the waters ability to conduct electricity, aka Electrical Conductivity, aka EC. Bad enough they're incapable of the job they were advertised to do, they then hide the truth from you and mangle it with one of at least 6 sets of lies.

PPM and TDS say 640 and 768 are identical numbers; That's a damn lie, it's not true. PPM and TDS say 500 is more than 750; That's a damn lie, it's not true. EC says 1 is 1, 2 is 2 and 3 is 3: That's true, true and true again.

Now, plants are illiterate. They don't care that PPM and TDS are lying bullshit. If you can track numbers up and down you can run a garden. Still, if we're going to invest in a measuring device, I say it's best to get one that displays the readings it takes rather than one that hides the truth in favor of nonsense.

PPM and TDS are like feet and Fahrenheit, there's no excuse for that kind of idiocy in the 21st century (said the hypocritical American who still uses feet and Fahrenheit)

 

[stoneroad]

well thanks again FB, I can still read EC no matter what but yea like you said track numbers and your golden thats what we do best over here!

 

[NorCalFor20]

You can call a bike an airplane or you can call it a submarine but, drive it off a cliff and into the water and see what happens. Hint: It falls and it sinks because a bike is a bike no matter what you call it

PPM and TDS meters are a fiction. They do not exist. There's no such thing. PPM and TDS require chemical analysis. The pens and meters we're discussing cannot provide this analysis. They can ONLY measure the waters ability to conduct electricity, aka Electrical Conductivity, aka EC. Bad enough they're incapable of the job they were advertised to do, they then hide the truth from you and mangle it with one of at least 6 sets of lies.

PPM and TDS say 640 and 768 are identical numbers; That's a damn lie, it's not true. PPM and TDS say 500 is more than 750; That's a damn lie, it's not true. EC says 1 is 1, 2 is 2 and 3 is 3: That's true, true and true again.

Now, plants are illiterate. They don't care that PPM and TDS are lying bullshit. If you can track numbers up and down you can run a garden. Still, if we're going to invest in a measuring device, I say it's best to get one that displays the readings it takes rather than one that hides the truth in favor of nonsense.

PPM and TDS are like feet and Fahrenheit, there's no excuse for that kind of idiocy in the 21st century (said the hypocritical American who still uses feet and Fahrenheit)

Thats way over my fucking head man sorry, not questioning you but maybe im just stoned or this isn't making much sense to me???

Maybe you can break it down for me in simple terms? Are you saying that all the meter does is convert EC to ppms with some sort of conversion done from the EC level?

I just need something to keep track of numbers like the other guy said, i am not looking for a scientific ppm nuterient level in the solution but this chart lets me know what am suppsed to give and if the numbers match up im good

http://www.generalhydroponics.com/calculator/index.html

for example 490 PPMs for seedlings/clones

4.6 oz each of Grow-Bloom-Micro Per 55 Gals in my res

Then for mild veg growth they have it

1,100 ppms

18.6 oz of grow per 55 gal
9.3 oz of micro per 55 gal
9.3 oz of bloom per 55 gal

1,210 ppms for full on veg
23.2oz grow
13.9oz micro
4.6oz bloom

per 55 gallons again (for my res, would be different for differnet res)

The transition stage has 18.6 each of grow micro and bloom at 1500 ppm
& 4.6oz Liquid KoolBloom

for bloom its 1,550 ppms

9.3 grow
18.6 micro
27.9 bloom
9.3 Liquid KoolBloom

and then the ripening stage: 950 ppms
No Grow
9.3 Micro
27.9 Bloom
No Liquid KoolBloom

this is all just based off what i saw on the nute calc on the GH site considering thats whats i use for my nutes.

I wanted to have a way to double check my nutereint concentration levels i dont care if its actully the PPMs or not just let me know if its a good way to double check the nuterients level besides just measuring the OZ of nutes i put in my res.... let me know if this works for what im wanting it for i dont care if it is the actual parts per million

 

[FreezerBoy]

Are you saying that all the meter does is convert EC to ppms with some sort of conversion done from the EC level?

Exactly.

The conversions I'm aware of are: ECx500, ECx640, ECx650, ECx700, ECx768, and ECx Some number so stupid I can't remember it anymore.

Again, plants are illiterate; They don't care. It's conversation that becomes difficult to impossible. Say you and 5 others having wildly different results with a nute strength of 1200 ppm. Chances are, if you'd measured EC instead, you'd find you're actually running 6 different formulas.

EC is EC wherever you go. PPM and TDS change with the wind.

 

[Babbabud]

love my trimeter ... one glance and i know just how things are going... its constant ... all i gotta do is walk by and glance.

 

[Cheeb]

Right.. the entire industry needs to drop PPM and strictly talk in EC.

NorCal

The HI-98129 is a decent meter, but I feel the combos listed like the HI-9813-0 and HI-9813-6 are way superior.

I ran a 98129 for 3 years - had to replace the probe once. I guess it was accurate enough, but after using the HI-9813-6 I'd never go back. The 98129 seemed to move around a lot unlike the later which hit the pH dead on without movement.

even after I calibrated both the HI-98129 was way off until it sat in the solution for 5 minutes and came down into correct range. Maybe it was due to temperature compensation, but I would never trust the 98129 again until its been in the solution for at least 5 minutes.

hope that helps.
watch your ec and leave the confusion of ppm conversion factors out of it.

peace
cheeb

 

[NorCalFor20]

I went with the bluelab combo meter, considering the 5 year warranty i can respect that, and well - i hope i can make my ph probe last 6 months but if not i think its 60$ for a new one.... What is the major killer of ph probes? I noticed my bluelab has sort of a data connection, maybe once the ph probe dies i can get a more reliable brand to hook up to the blue lab but who knows its probably a bluelab only conncetion to the main display. I am soaking the PH probe in plain water for an hour right now then i will calibrate it and test my Nute levels and ph get back to ya.... peace

 

[Carboy]

I went with the bluelab combo meter, considering the 5 year warranty i can respect that, and well - i hope i can make my ph probe last 6 months but if not i think its 60$ for a new one.... What is the major killer of ph probes? I noticed my bluelab has sort of a data connection, maybe once the ph probe dies i can get a more reliable brand to hook up to the blue lab but who knows its probably a bluelab only conncetion to the main display. I am soaking the PH probe in plain water for an hour right now then i will calibrate it and test my Nute levels and ph get back to ya.... peace

Check this out and read the description. Got this from a earlier thread and don't remember who to give the credit.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130291576649&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

CB

 

[Cheeb]

if you dont know about it already check out their website.

http://www.getbluelab.com/shop/Bluelab+Combo+Meter%99.html

towards the bottom of the page they have videos which talk about use, calibration, and troubleshooting. nice stuff.

peace
cheeb

 

[NorCalFor20]

thats what im talkin about! Thanks for the replacement probe tip and thx for the video link cheeb!