Ok so I am trying to pick up things here and there that can help me out now with soil and in the future if and when I ever give Hydro a go.

Looking for ideas on how you test your PH water/runoff levels.

Right now I am using fresh water fish aquarium strips that only go from 6.2-8.2 and it's all based on trying to figure out what color the stick looks like. The scale I have to compare it too jumps like every .6 so hard to get a good reading.

Thinking of getting at Oakton ultra basic Ph tester, but have seen prices from $54 all the way to $90. seems like the Hydro stores up the price alot, where water purification sites as well as electronic sites keep the price down. Heck even the Oaktron site says it should retail for $59.

Anyways just courious how everyone deals with checking their Ph.

Peace,

Sock

Hey Sock.. I just bought a Hanna pen style meter and I am happy with it. I am color blind, so I couldn't do the strips or the droppers into water deal. I bought a PPM pen that is similar all from one guy on Ebay and he shipped both promptly.. I am not sure that it was this guy, but this is the pen. If you want.. I will dig and find who I bought from. He was a good seller.

GG

HANNA HI 98103 Digital pH Tester/Meter/Checker/HI98103 - eBay (item 300242967362 end time Jul-24-08 21:42:25 PDT)

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Sock,

I've got the Oakton ultra basic, and have used it daily for over a year now, and when I check calibration it is still dead-on to the testing solution. One of the best investments I've made for the grow room.

It'll make that pH'ing job one hellofa lot easier.

ISO

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Wow that is a good price, well I am saying that as I have not done any research on this Hanna.. When a meter says 2 point calibration, what does that mean? That you need to different solutions to properly calibrate, for use meaning the 4.01 and 7 solution.. Do you store and clean it the the recommended Hanna solutions?

Thanks,

Sock

Havnt had to replace the electrode? also when you calibrate this one, do you need the 2 different PH solutions? Any special stuff needed to store it, take care of it?

Just looking for the best and cost effective way to go here...

Thanks ISO,

Sock

Nope, original electrode. I use both the 4.0 and 7.0 solutions to calibrate the high/lo pH levels...it is always very close. Think I paid around $60 for it. Worth every penny.

ISO

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same thing here, got an Hanna pH/EC combo unit, 3 bottles of pH and EC calibration stuff, the 7.01 is for calibration and storing the probe - in general if you go for a meter buy our calibration liquids in bottles as it is cheap on the long run.

basically what it takes for a soil grow is a simple pH meter with 2 calibration points and preferable a automatic temperature correction, but that can be ignored if you work in the same temp range all the time. in addition you will need for the calibration a 7.01 and a 4.01 solution, preferable bottled as it is cheaper, and maybe a special storage solution. with Hanna models it is enough to store them in a drop of 7.01 solution to keep the probe from running dry.

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