Need advice on a pH tester. +rep for help

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DannyGreenEyes

Well-Known Member
Hi everyone. I'm going to need to buy an electronic pH tester tommorow. I had seen them before but never used one. I thought you just stick the end in water and get a reading.

But I was reading a description and it talks about pulling out 1/8" of the junction fiber to renew the junction. Can someone explain what the heck this is all about and if I have to buy some sort of refill when the junction fiber runs out? http://organic-hydroponicsupplies.thebigtomato.com/shared/StoreFront/product_detail.asp?RowID=2414&CS=tbt&All=

Also, is this a good deal or should I check the nurseries?

And I have to start fertilizing with Fish Emulsion. Is it a good idea to pH water with one of these if it has fish emulsion added to it?

+rep for help with some of these answers.
 
Mr. P. Kush

Mr. P. Kush

Member
ok get a ph pen i highly recommend the company hanna the pen allows you to change to probe instead of having to buy a new one.

you will also need to buy a calibration solution to calibrate the pen.
 
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DannyGreenEyes

Well-Known Member
Mr. P. Kush said:
ok get a ph pen i highly recommend the company hanna the pen allows you to change to probe instead of having to buy a new one.

you will also need to buy a calibration solution to calibrate the pen.
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Thanks for the help. +rep

I've seen some Hanna pens advertised, but don't know what you mean by probe. Can you explain?
 
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DannyGreenEyes

Well-Known Member
IceWaterBong87 said:
i remember u from other threads but i cant remember if ur soil or hydro if soil is it basic or organic
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I'm soil and all organic.

I was using aquarium pH tester (test tube & solution), but I just tried to pH after adding Alaska Fish Emulsion that starts out brown, and I'm sure the brown color in the water threw the test off. Plus I've been told that's not the most accurate way to test. So it's finally time to upgrade, but I have no experience with the pH testers for water.
 
Mr. P. Kush

Mr. P. Kush

Member
The probe is the actual piece of the pen that tests the ph. after time they will wear out and you will need to replace it. when you buy the pen it comes with all that information.

also ph pen is definatly the most accurate way to test ph. it tells you exactly what your ph is at
 
thelastpirate

thelastpirate

Well-Known Member
I been using a Hanna "Champ" pH meter for the past year now with no problems. $80 well spent. I still have my little test tube, reagent and color chart, just in case.

For the guy who said that pH pens aren't accurate, just how would YOU recommend to check pH? Or does pH even matter to you? Where in gods name did you get the idea that pens aren't accurate?
Like anything else in life, the cheapest price is almost never the best value. Buy cheap shit and that's just what you'll get. You don't have to get the most expensive either, but don't expect to get the same results from a $10 pen that you'll get from an $80 pen/meter.
That may very well be your experience with pH meters, but I really wish you wouldn't make broad statements like that as fact. There are a lot of newbies who believe everything they read on these forums (Yeah, I know...), and way too much avoidable mis-information flying around. I aint trying to be a dick, I just wish people would THINK before they post up things like that.
 
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DannyGreenEyes

Well-Known Member
thelastpirate said:
I been using a Hanna "Champ" pH meter for the past year now with no problems. $80 well spent. I still have my little test tube, reagent and color chart, just in case.

For the guy who said that pH pens aren't accurate, just how would YOU recommend to check pH? Or does pH even matter to you? Where in gods name did you get the idea that pens aren't accurate?
Like anything else in life, the cheapest price is almost never the best value. Buy cheap shit and that's just what you'll get. You don't have to get the most expensive either, but don't expect to get the same results from a $10 pen that you'll get from an $80 pen/meter.
That may very well be your experience with pH meters, but I really wish you wouldn't make broad statements like that as fact. There are a lot of newbies who believe everything they read on these forums (Yeah, I know...), and way too much avoidable mis-information flying around. I aint trying to be a dick, I just wish people would THINK before they post up things like that.
Click to expand...
belhaven420 said:
i have an oakton waterproof pen,works great,ph7 cal. solution
very easy to calibrate
Click to expand...

Thanks for your help +rep to both.

The local grow store has a Hanna Gro'chek Champ Ph Tester for $62.95, the Oaktron is twice the price at $128.95. If the Hanna is good I'll probably go with that one.

But what's the "junction fiber" and "renewing the junction" all about?

Do yo uhave to reset the junction every time you use it? And is that a way of calibrating?

And if I have to use 1/8" of the fiber each time, is that something that's "finite", or is it refillable?

And I'm assuming the calibrating solution isn't very expensive. Am I wrong?

And does it have an electode, and if so, is it the same cost as the pen? And how often would you say it need to be replaced?

Sorry for all the questions, but I've never used one before.

And don't worry about me. My first mistake was listening to someone who said to mix bone & blood meal with FFOF. So now I listen to what everyone is saying, and do some research if possible before taking a leap.
 
Dreadheadgrow

Dreadheadgrow

Active Member
I just got the Hanna pHep Champ pen, and I was looking all over for a review of it before I started using it. No luck so far, this is the closest. I hope it works great, I am just worried about how to store it (upright? in solution? solution in the cap?) My first time with a pH pen, but I understand soil sciences well and I am even taking a Soil Science class this semester that will help with it.
 
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