PH Meter

Those pH meters are very tricky. Hard to calibrate, and probe must be stored in liquid, and then recalibrated frequently. The pH rolls of tape that measure between 5.5 and 8 is what I use. Those liquid drops can be used for a wider range usually, but aren't as accurate.

 

Been using a cheapo for over a month haven't had to calibrate and don't need to store in water it has a cap if you use it every 3-4 days it will still be moist.

 

And supper easy to calibrate you stick it in its ph calibration solution and hit calibrate if that's tricky then prolly don't need to grow.

 

How much are you willing to spend? You can get $10 meters and you can get $110 meters. And just about everywhere in between.

 

It's hit and miss with the cheap ones.

Do you already have an EC meter or are you just measuring soil pH? If you want to go the bottled hydro route then invest in a good meter. If you want to stick with soil then get a cheap meter to get you through and build a proper soil for your next grow.

 

If you're going to buy one, go ahead and buy the best. I bought tons of the cheaper ones and the mid range also, and never was happy with them. Just don't like doing the drops and wanted an accurate, dependable reading every time. Buy the BlueLab. It's going to cost you some bucks...like everything involved with this hobby, but it's worth what it costs. I've had this one I use currently for 2 years and it's never failed me yet. Definitely a quality piece of equipment. If you're growing hydro, I'd most definitely get something I knew was not going to fail me. TWW

 

This ones on offer of Amazon, it's the one I got. Good quality brand very easy to use. But it just does ph and not ppm. But if like me your so new to this that you are not Even looking at ppm in your grow then this will be sufficient enough.. Good luck!

Apparently I can't link to Amazon!?! Anyway just type in ph meter, and look for the yellow one by semlos.

 

Yup. I've used blueLab ph and ppm meters for three years now. They had a bad batch a couple years ago but replaced them as soon as I returned them. Very accurate and holds calibration forever. It's all I use

 

i've also used bluepen for years and a cheap $20 for TDS. However, i stored it away for years. I just took it out and it wont calibrate. It's sitting in water right now. I hope it comes back to life. If it's dead from my leaving it bone dry, then ill likely get another one. I remember calibrating it about once a week.

I'm looking at threads to see if folks are using better technology than bluepens currently. I damn near vomited as i saw people in other threads sharing about how infrequently (months, years) they have gone without "needing" to calibrate their pH meters. #idiocy

 

Haha I'm glad you brought this thread back to light. As IM abit less new here I would like to change my previous reply. The yellow semlos ph pens are complete wank. I went though a few before I changed to useing the cheap drop test.
I'm gonna delve into the world of ppms soon so I want a proper one now. I've actually been looking at the blue ones, not sure if therebluepen lol...

 

I bought. $30 one and had to calibrate it with a screw driver once in 3 months... and it's perfectly fine... like he said if a ph pen is hard to calibrate then maybe give growing a miss..

 

I'm a big believer in staying "middle of the road". Buy the cheapest, and you will often get "bottom of the barrel" results. buy top of the line and you often get taken to the cleaners. I would suggest looking at the Hanna Groline PH pens. You can get them for $30-$45 depending on the model. They work, they are reliable (as long as you take proper care) and they don't drift much.

 

Here's what I use...

A handy pack with everything you need to get going and keep growing!