jasonryan00
Well-Known Member
but you still need EC measurements is the EC meter just as expensive
Runoff @ 1400 ppm
- Thread starter Trippster62
- Start date
DoubleAtotheRON
Well-Known Member
Nah... EC meters can range from 10-100 bucks depending on your budget. But I have found that 5 cheap meters can read a difference of 200+ PPM. I've have 5 different ones in the mix, and they all read different... some are close, but some are soooo far away.
The organic soil alone could be reading 1400 ppm and organic ppm can be much higher than when using salts and really dosent give you an accurate reading for nutrient strength. If it looks happy dont mind the number.
lusidghost
Well-Known Member
As far as EC goes, nothing is more fun than a truncheon. I use a cheap PPM meter for exact numbers sometimes, but it doesn't make me feel like a techno-wizard like with the truncheon.
Wastei
Well-Known Member
Best I think is to keep buying the same EC meter, you only need your own reference point in your own environment to dial nutrient strength in. That should be done by plant response. pH on the other hand should be the same on any calibrated meter.
jasonryan00
Well-Known Member
i have a blue lab i was referring to whether you had the Apera EC meter and was it steep like the probe
DoubleAtotheRON
Well-Known Member
No. I buy 5 packs of EC meters every grow cycle. Then I toss them, and buy new ones. I buy the ones in the $25 range. Cheap insurance for a larger, (although I am very small compared to other commercial ops). Just the cost of doing business. I'll dunk 5 of them in the solution and find an average of EC/ppm. After that, I can confidently do my mix during a stage of growth, and not even measure it. As I change stages, I'll re- read my EC, and rock on till the next stage that needs readings.
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DoubleAtotheRON
Well-Known Member
........ but!.. after many grows, you'll learn (esp if you are growing the same phenos), that its almost hands free on EC feed in. You learn the mix as you go. Hell, at this point, i'd only need an EC meter to spot check my mix at different stages, like late veg, early flower, mid to late flower, and the finish.
Trippster62
Active Member
Have you ever grown in soil? It acts as a buffer. So, even though my " cheap meter actually reads to the hundredth place I don't need that kind of accuracy. Tenths are good enough.
I will give you this though, you finally almost figured out the cause. I already know what I did wrong. I'm asking how I should deal with the situation now that it has occurred. Not looking for the cause, looking for the fix.
If you think those are boastful numbers your standards are higher for your equipment than for your grow. My son, the overnight manager at the local cultivation center, keeps pushing me to hit that gram per watt. That's why I decided to buy this tds meter. I'm running out of new things to incorporate into my grow. This seemed like something I could use to push the limits on nutes. Maybe get another tenth per watt. After that I've only got a couple more things to try before I have to seal the room and start pumping co2.
PadawanWarrior
Well-Known Member
Just curious. But does he work in the Garden section at Home Depot?
Trippster62
Active Member
Not hydro. Maybe if I were running hydro I might place more importance on the meters. Yes check calibration often, I get it.
Trippster62
Active Member
Ha ha.
Trippster62
Active Member
Maybe I am.
Maybe it's been a bad day.
I'm not saying Bluelab isn't good. I'm just saying the one I was gifted wouldn't calibrate. It could have been mishandled before I got it. It could have been defective. Doesn't matter, for me to spend that kind of money I'm going need to be working in the field not just a hobbyist like I am now.
Trippster62
Active Member
Yep I'm not afraid to admit that I messed up. Most wouldn't let anyone know. Gotta take the bad with the good though.
PadawanWarrior
Well-Known Member
Just giving you a little shit. It's all in fun though.
Trippster62
Active Member
Thank you. I just potted some clones in fresh fox farms soil. I'll check the runoff on those tomorrow and see what I get. This whole tds meter is new to me. I remember when this was a good place to look for info.
lusidghost
Well-Known Member
I respect that. I wouldn't be flexing a GPW when your plants are wilting and dying off though. Glass houses and whatnot.
lusidghost
Well-Known Member
This reminds me of Anthony Cumia's Andrew Dice Clay impression where he says, "I sold out the Garden... The Olive Garden."
Trippster62
Active Member
I owe you an apology. I'm sorry, it does seem that I started this. I felt like you were criticizing a retired old man for trying to save a dollar or two while trying to grow his own medicine. I'm just trying to get better each grow. If I can see results maybe in the future I might see value in a higher quality meter, but since this is my first time messing with a ppm/tds/ec meter I'm just trying to get some idea of what to make of numbers that don't seem to do what everything I've been reading the last few days says they should. Again I apologize for getting "butthurt".
Trippster62
Active Member
I get what you're saying. This was the first time in two years I've had anything this disastrous happen. I have 2 of 4 left that were supposed to be for this grow. I tried to get these 2 to take up as much sq footage as possible. Looks like I'm not going to fill all of my net but should come close. Getting these wild numbers after losing 2 already it has me concerned.
As far as GPW goes I still feel that until I hit 1 gram per watt there is room for improvement. I looked back at some previous stats and in the last 3 runs I've seen steady improvement.
Previous grow was .63 and grow before that was .54 so maybe I was flexing on my best grow to date.
Have to shoot for a new flex point this time a try for most per plant.
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