How do ya'll check your ph? Meter or solution?

So im just starting out and I've been using the good ol' GH solution where you add a few drops and see what color it becomes. I'm worried however that this is sort of subjective and therefore inaccurate. It's greenishness, orangeness, etc i feel like is based upon my unkeen eyes and also on what color my water is at the time (which could change due to my use of beenies.)

Do you guys use a meter or stick to the solution? If meter, which is a good solid one that won't break the bank? Thx!

Go to the store and get a good PH meter, with temp. My really expesive one died a a couple of weeks ago, and I replaced it with a sweet one for $50. I also have a Blue Lab Truncheon meter to measure my PPM's (or EC if you use that measurement).

It's the most important tool in your room......you have to have a ph meter, and take care of it as the instructions say.

After each use, I take a gallon of distilled water, rinse off the pen (never ever touch the glass part), then put the cap back on tight. I always put a bit of PH calibration 7.0 in the cap for storage.....this is the recommendation. If you don't do this, the pen will misread quickly, and if the glass parts dry out, it's destroyed.

Go to the store bro..........

PS I love your handle.........Dexter is/was awsome.....jumped the ol' shark a little last year though I think.

I use both. I use meter most. Calibrate it every few weeks. But always check my fresh res with both to be safe.

drops are cool if you dont want to shell out the cash at first. ph doesn't need to be set at a specific point and should be allowed to drift so drops let you know that you're in a range. and thats what you're looking for imo

I stick with the pH test kit and try to make the water pee colored.

pH meters, I'm wary of. Especially cheap ones, you can't rely on their accuracy. You need to spend a decent amount of money to get a good pH probe, and then you'll need to get calibration solutions, etc. I considered spending a couple hundred on all that gear, and then decided, fuck it, I'm more than happy with my $17 pH kit.

I use the solution and I am happy about it...and really I just look for yellow...only slightly more acidic than neutral...