My bluelab ph pen is only a few months old. I calibrated it when new with no problems. First time calibrating since and i keep getting an error message after performing the 4.0 calibration and it reads 5.5 with 4 solution. After calibrating in the 7.0 it reads the 7 correctly. I soaked the pen in storage solution for 24 hours before hand as well. I tried using the calibration solution that came in sealed packs with the pen and i tried a brand new unopened bottle of gen hydro 4.01 solution. It had been sitting unopened in a dark cabinet. Im confused and a bit pissed off. I also always store the pen with storage solution in tje cap and i change it out everytime i use it. Is my pen bad already? If so that really sucks because these bluelabs are not cheap. About to go back to the drops.
Sounds like you got a faulty pen. I would contact Bluelab, I hear they have good customer service.
Now that i think about it the first time i calibrated it when it was brand new it gave me an error code. The second try got it done and i chalked it up to begginer error. Now im thinking it was junk from the get go. Probably sat on a shelf a long time before being sold will be my guess. I bought it off amazon. Hopefully bluelab helps me out.
Shot them an email. Lets see how they handle it.
Are you starting with the 7 ph or 4 ph I believe you ph 7 first then the 4
Yes. 7 first then the 4. After i do the 4 i get the error message.
I just had a buddy by the other day with a blue lab pen . Same deal took 3 try’s to get it calibrated kept doing just that err
Yep. Exactly. I tried 5 times on my lunch break today. Using the sealed packs from the kit and opened brand new bottles of gen hydro calibration fluid. Very frustrating.
It will calibrate on the 7 anf then read the 7 correctly. But, when it comes to the 4 it shoots and error code and reads it as 5.5 with both solutions.
I wonder if you did the 4 first then 7 see if it will calibrate that way?
Its programmed to do the 7 first. No way around that.
I let my bluelab ph pen dry out, and after that had the same error.
I tried to rehydrate it but that did not work.
Ended up buying a $25 pen that can be replaced in a couple years.
Mine was bought in may of this year and has never left dry. Always kept kci in the cap and replaced it often. Ive went through so many of those cheap yellow ones its not funny. Finally spent the money a good one and this happens. I think the amazon seller probably had it on a shelf for ever and it dried out in the box.
EC/ppm pens are very handy but ph pens have wasted so much of my time and money…i’m back to using the narrow spectrum drops now
I’d guess something along that line. You seem to be doing the right things. The cap is not particularly well sealed and, as you’ve noted, it could have been dehydrated (who knows with Amazon vendors).
The one I purchased from the local grow store is going on three years and it holds calibration better than some of more pricey probes. Hoping things work out with customer service…
That’s interesting. The one I have will auto-sense the closet cal point. I don’t think it has to be in a particular order (but it is correct to say it does make a difference due to the effect of a non-linear slope).
What particular brand are you using?
Looks to be the same one i have.
I have a 10 year old Eutech/Oakton pH pen that still calibrates and works great even tho I only use it every 6 months or so.
6 years ago when I got pH Perfect nutes I retired it and just let it dry out with the cap on. Then I decided to use it again so I set in in fresh storage sol’n for 2 days before rinsing off and testing with pH 4 and 7.01 calibration and it worked great.
After some use it seemed really slow to get to a stable reading so I use the 2-part cleaning sol’n I’d bought with the pen a few years back. Voila! 10 seconds after dipping into test sol’n it stopped and read correctly.
It’s not usually the glass bulb that gets dirty and screws things up but the tiny reference probe gets gummy with organic shit and needs cleaning off. Should be white if it’s clean.
Well, it seems bluelab is dropping the ball on this one. Havent heard back from them since thursday. Last thing they asked me to do was replace the battery. Which i already did. They have now not responded to multiple messages. So, it looks like im gonna have yo buy another meter. Its now been a week without a meter and i dont like it. Especially since my Heavenly Hashplant seedlings are starting to show what looks like a possible cal/mag deficiency which im guessing is actually a ph issue.