General Hydroponics PH Drip Test Kit - Inaccurate?

I was checking the PH of my water using my new PH meter, and it read 6.56

I decided to verify that PH with a drop test kit (dye kits). According to color, it was more like 5.5 not 6.5.

So I re calibrated the meter, checked the calibration solutions themselves, and re measured. Same results.

So I decided to drop test the PH buffer/calibration solutions directly. Here's what I got

These are both 7 PH calibration solutions. They both read exactly 7.01 on my meter.. but according to color, the one on the left is spot on, while the one on the right is reflecting closer to like 5.8-6.0
My water itself is reading orange when it should be closer to green.

Anyone have any ideas?

 

No, they aren't powder. Pre-mixed ready to use, freshly opened. I have a very accurate pH meter reading them both at exactly 7.01 as they should be. But with different colors lol.

 

I'm using this Milwaukee MW101. Checked it against a few other meters/pens to be sure. Checked it against a Bluelab pen yesterday, it's spot on.

 

I'm not worried about anything, I'm saying people who rely on the dye test kits could be getting some whacky readings. If you showed me the one on the right, I'd tell you it was probably a pH of around 5.9, the one on the left I'd say 7.0 or there abouts.

But they are both exactly 7. So the dye is reacting differently with different solutions, based not only on the pH, but seemingly also the chemicals/elements/electrical background of the solution being measured. This is giving wildly different results for something that should be the same. In my case, I don't really care. For someone needing the dye kit to show them an appropriate pH level, this could be completely Inaccurate.

 

Anyone else have any input on this?

 

I've been told more than once that the test strips, dye kits and such were fail safe and great to use against a digital meter to test accuracy.