Ph meter, error during calibration

[lilnug420]

i have these 2 ph meters, one is 1 year old the other 3 years old.


they're both giving error when trying to calibrate, they were stored dry, as the instructions don't say anything about storage solutions.


on the instruction it says if they dry out to immerse them in distilled water for 2-3 h, i did so overnight and they're still giving error, i'm gonna try immersing them for 12h in the 4ph solution as i've read it can help revive them.

i will post a pic of the instructions and the ph meters.


does anyone have experience with these cheap meters? how accurate are they? and how often do you calibrate them? as long as the margin of error isn't higher than 0.25 they're good enough for me as i can't afford the expensive ones

 

[Greaselightning]

i have these 2 ph meters, one is 1 year old the other 3 years old.


they're both giving error when trying to calibrate, they were stored dry, as the instructions don't say anything about storage solutions.


on the instruction it says if they dry out to immerse them in distilled water for 2-3 h, i did so overnight and they're still giving error, i'm gonna try immersing them for 12h in the 4ph solution as i've read it can help revive them.

i will post a pic of the instructions and the ph meters.


does anyone have experience with these cheap meters? how accurate are they? and how often do you calibrate them? as long as the margin of error isn't higher than 0.25 they're good enough for me as i can't afford the expensive ones

i use the ph test drops they last just as long

 

[lilnug420]

i use the ph test drops they last just as long

not as accurate as they're up for interpretation

 

[big315smooth]

i went through alotta meters over yrs from cheapos up to the top dog they never last. cheapos work i calibrate often and i use test ph strips to to double check. my ph jumps alot in the fall and spring idk why

 

[exploziv]

just get some aquarium ph drops to check it. It's much better and more precise than those cheap meters. (Provided you see in colours and have relatively good vision.)

 

[Greaselightning]

not as accurate as they're up for interpretation

not a big fan of the calibrating part

 

[lilnug420]

just get some aquarium ph drops to check it. It's much better and more precise than those cheap meters. (Provided you see in colours and have relatively good vision.)

the colors are up for interpretation really

 

[lilnug420]

i went through alotta meters over yrs from cheapos up to the top dog they never last. cheapos work i calibrate often and i use test ph strips to to double check. my ph jumps alot in the fall and spring idk why

how often do you calibrate? and how long does your cheap meter last? how do you store it?

 

[exploziv]

the colors are up for interpretation really

You have a scale so you just compare. The JBL brand makes some that I can for sure put it to the nearest 0.5, and even when inbetween, you can see which way it leans. They are also 3 to 10 ph scale. More than enaugh scale.

 

[lilnug420]

You have a scale so you just compare. The JBL brand makes some that I can for sure put it to the nearest 0.5, and even when inbetween, you can see which way it leans. They are also 3 to 10 ph scale. More than enaugh scale.

i use ghe drops and i dont find them to be accurate enough

 

[exploziv]

Well, i trust mine more than the cheap meter I threw out after unpacking, calibrating, using it a little, and noticing it was already drifting away from calibration within hours. Maybe you should get a better meter, if that's what you want to trust.

 

[lilnug420]

Well, i trust mine more than the cheap meter I threw out after unpacking, calibrating, using it a little, and noticing it was already drifting away from calibration within hours. Maybe you should get a better meter, if that's what you want to trust.

drifting away within hours? now, it's been sometime since i've used the cheap meters, the last 2 years i've been using the ph drops but dont really like em, but i remember only needing to calibrate the pens once a month, and they'd be off by 0.1 0.2 at most... i guess it depends on luck of the draw

 

[exploziv]

Sure, but that unlucky bit + others (experienced growers) telling me to get a better meter if I want to trust it, made me like the drops. We could say you been unlucky with your 2 cheapo meters as well, but maybe they are all (or most of them) just crap.

 

[bloyd]

No pH meter wants to be stored dry. Your only hope for those meters is soaking in kcl storage solution to see if it brings them back to life. I'd just replace as even in optimal storage conditions those cheap meters don't last.

 

[Ca++]

The idea of using distilled water to revive them, is probably the problem.
They are $3 meters though. Literally.

I have had meters loose track of reality, and then reject the calibration solution. Leaving me having to make up my own solution to bring them back around. Your 7 has to be considerably higher than what it thinks 4 is. But not so much higher that it's off the scale it can read. So, if it says your 4 is a 7, and you show it a 7, it can think it's the wrong solution. Having used distilled water, it can be a long way from reality indeed. However, it does depend how the meter works anyway.

I like the better meters, that can take new tips. I have not checked mine in about 18 months, and I know it's close enough, as I have had it over 10 years. I know it well.
The same meter lasted a couple of months in someone else's hands. I would regularly find them with the caps off, so put him on disposables. I didn't mind changing a $3 meter every couple of months, but $100 each time was annoying. Not the cost, but the constant stories about why the lid was off 'oh I was just setting the tank when you got here' and such. It's a shame, because a good meter floats. So you can be a lot sloppier. Stirring with them, or using the water as a shelf when you reach for other things. Even getting a reading held when you can't see, without fear of dunking it. Plus they last years, while cheap one's often arrive about broke.

The minute you loose the lid, you need a new meter. New tips usually come with new lids, as the buyer of a new tip, probably lost the lid. This is impossible to drill into some people though.

 

[lilnug420]

No pH meter wants to be stored dry. Your only hope for those meters is soaking in kcl storage solution to see if it brings them back to life. I'd just replace as even in optimal storage conditions those cheap meters don't last.

but the instructions don't say to store it in a ph solution, surely the manufacturer would write that in the instructions if necessary?

 

[lilnug420]

The idea of using distilled water to revive them, is probably the problem.
They are $3 meters though. Literally.

I have had meters loose track of reality, and then reject the calibration solution. Leaving me having to make up my own solution to bring them back around. Your 7 has to be considerably higher than what it thinks 4 is. But not so much higher that it's off the scale it can read. So, if it says your 4 is a 7, and you show it a 7, it can think it's the wrong solution. Having used distilled water, it can be a long way from reality indeed. However, it does depend how the meter works anyway.

I like the better meters, that can take new tips. I have not checked mine in about 18 months, and I know it's close enough, as I have had it over 10 years. I know it well.
The same meter lasted a couple of months in someone else's hands. I would regularly find them with the caps off, so put him on disposables. I didn't mind changing a $3 meter every couple of months, but $100 each time was annoying. Not the cost, but the constant stories about why the lid was off 'oh I was just setting the tank when you got here' and such. It's a shame, because a good meter floats. So you can be a lot sloppier. Stirring with them, or using the water as a shelf when you reach for other things. Even getting a reading held when you can't see, without fear of dunking it. Plus they last years, while cheap one's often arrive about broke.

The minute you loose the lid, you need a new meter. New tips usually come with new lids, as the buyer of a new tip, probably lost the lid. This is impossible to drill into some people though.

3 dollars? where? they're about 20 euro here

 

[big315smooth]

how often do you calibrate? and how long does your cheap meter last? how do you store it?

my ph jump spring and fall get high 7.5 seen it at 7.8 at times not sure why buddy down road has no issues with his. i calibrate once a week double check with strips. not sure how long my meter last at 20$ a pop i get new one ever 6 months n trash old ones. store it in on shelf use that solution stuff stays cool in that area to

 

[FletchF.Fletch]

Most of the meters arrive dry, not stored in solution, just capped. Always find it funny when they recommend storing in solution after it sat in a warehouse just capped. If used daily and recapped they can last a long time. Apera mid range meter is a workhorse.

 

[lilnug420]

Most of the meters arrive dry, not stored in solution, just capped. Always find it funny when they recommend storing in solution after it sat in a warehouse just capped. If used daily and recapped they can last a long time. Apera mid range meter is a workhorse.

what about when you're off growing season, how do you store it? and when it dries out you recon it's better to revive them in distilled water or the calibration solution?