Thank you for all this info, I'll definitely look it to it. That is really dumb the pH pen doesn't read ppm below 100, that makes no sense! I hope the combo does. My tap water is usually below 100ppm and I like to know exactly what is going on. I was also thinking about the pen type meters but will stay away from the bluelab pen now. I currently use a hanna combo constant reading meter and have used them for a long time and they've been great.. But recently I've just been having lots of wierd issues and can't trust the meter in my veg room now so I've heard lots of good things here and there over the years about blulab, but never had bought one. I did buy the one above because I'm in dire need for a meter because I've literally been winging it in my veg room for 5 days now, I hate not knowing if it's wrong or right and it's a pain in the ass to bring out my veg room water to the flower room to double check if its right.. I really hope this Blulab works well
I use a guardian. Love it. Zero issues.If anyone has a Blulab guardian combo meter, please post your experience with it. All negatives and positives. Are you happy with the meter? Is it accurate? Etc.
This is the meter I mostly want info about, but any Blulab combo meter that is constant reading is valuable. Thanks!
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This is great to hear my man. How long have you had it? I'd be really stoked to hear if it's over a year with no issues. I just want something I don't have to worry about for a while is all. My hanna combos are good usually but after many problems all at once with one of them, and changing probes every 6 months or so, I'm kind of over them. I figured maybe the technology now compared to my older combo meter could be good
Damn man that's tough, I hate bs descriptions for products, then when you get them it's different, that sucks man. I been back and forth in soil, too, but been doing hydro for the past 7 or 8 years or so. I had the Milwaukees too, the cheap pH pen, the yellow Milwaukee, with the black cap, wasn't too bad for the money a long time ago. I feel all the products now are made to break! Or they don't work right, it pisses me off! 10 years ago, my first pH meter was like 15$. The thing was always dead on and every time I calibrated it, it was right. It's like now, nothing works straight out of the box. I just bought a 200$ environmental digital controller made by autopilot.. A week ago.. Fucking a dude, I went out to the flower room at it was fucking 88% humidity! Fucking thing froze and none of my equipment was turning on! One week old smh. I can't keep having those kind if issues since growing is pretty much my life. I'm not like a commercial grower but I need the best meds I can grow for others and myself and if equipment fails, it fucks everyone.
A good way to control lights is either commercial timeclock or use the timer to conteol a contactor which is how I do it, same set up for 5 years
. All of my equipment is controlled by relays powered by 24 volts so the load is on the relay not the timers/thermostats.
Man that sucks, I've had good luck with the lighting equipment so far, but know of people going through ballasts like crazy. I recommend nanolux lights, they seem to be doing well so far for me. Budley is right, the contacter is the way to go, the timers with a 1000w hps plugged directly in can fail pretty easily and may cause a fire (potentially). Not saying it's guaranteed but it could happen, but with the contacter, there's no worries for that happening. Good vibes for you not running into any issues again, losing a crop 1/2 way through is completely devastating
Totally agreed, that's how mine are set up as well. Even for the environment controller, like the dehumidifier is run through a contacter to reduce draw on the controller unit itself. Works like a champ! Good postA good way to control lights is either commercial timeclock or use the timer to conteol a contactor which is how I do it, same set up for 5 years
I appreciate the concern but I actually run dedicated 20amp breakers to each of my ballasts on actual grow grade timers but way back when that happened I was running junk timers but I've always ran new dedicated 20ampers to my ballasts with 12-2 on new 200amp services.... luckily nothing happened other than some lost crops though... but I learned my lesson...
Sounds like you got it right now brother, good to hear that
those shitty timers suck bad! At 20 amps per ballast, you're golden my man
I think we all did the some of that at one point or another in the beginning... I can only imagine the number of growers that got extension cords criss crossing,with dollar store surge protectors loaded to the max on 15amp split breakers or a fused service even... without a fire extinguisher for miles... I don't have a suppression system or anything as it's a bit much for my size grow... I'm a 2 light guy so it's not like I need a sprinkler system or cat generator to power my op if the power goes out or something but definitely keep a few extinguishers close by and keep the surge protectors to a minimum...
I own both one of these and a handheld combo meter. Both are robust, accurate and solid instruments capable of taking constant daily use for years. Replacement pH probes cost about $60 and will go several years with reasonable care.If anyone has a Blulab guardian combo meter, please post your experience with it. All negatives and positives. Are you happy with the meter? Is it accurate? Etc.
This is the meter I mostly want info about, but any Blulab combo meter that is constant reading is valuable. Thanks!
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I sleep where I grow. Therefore, I do not fuck around with second rate electrical installations. The upfront cost is nothing compared to the consequences of going cheap.
