I hear you on that bout to throw it out the window 
3 Likes
I am guessing I have the same meter. They would have a factory pumping out the same meter with the guts the same but a different shell depending on who is asking for it. I doubt I used my meter for a long time, I just got a system down and after a time it didn’t make much difference. I had at least 10% runoff and plants looked good. But I am not pushing for the max from them. As long as they grow healthy and produce reasonably I am happy. Mind you that was in coco, I am trying soil for a change. Have my fingers crossed.
2 Likes
I dabbled in metrology at one point or another, and calibrated many a pH meter in that time. My personal experience was that pH meters are fickle, and this characteristic remains independent of unit cost.
Always good to have some strips on hand for this reason.
Just be careful not to contaminate your buffers and distilled water during calibration, that’s the skill that comes with experience.
2 Likes
It’s always been same deal for me but I’ve had the same key elements in my grow …water from well was 6.3 the soil I had was five year old horse manure like black sand grew with almost no nutrients …
Now…diff well water with peroxide injectors …store bought soil 
1 Like
Might I suggest a Ph meter (forget about tds) that’s been decent so far and inexpensive that has a cap. I’ve been pretty diligent about capping it after taking a reading, but it’s been reliable so far. I don’t know about long term, but so far like a Hanna
2 Likes
Looks like a good one versatile as well !
Thanks friend !
Yeah, pH is one of the trickier things to measure. They take more maintenance than other meters in production environments, get changed out more often. I went in a direction which had me dealing more with temperature, much more well behaved.
@Rabeats2093 We used to grow our vegetables for the year when I was a youngster. Make a hole sprinkle in some manure, throw in a slice of potato. The farmer next door had cattle so we got well aged manure. I am trying landscaping soil rather than bags of store bought soil. I need to buy a bag of peat moss, I did bake the soil so I did not get unwanted pests. I think is did make the soil repel water, just have to take a little longer adding it. If it works out a yard of soil cost me $22 plus the added peat moss and perlite.
2 Likes
Two huge compost piles left here by previous owner one is deff not usable …made a thread about it tone of red wrigglers in it…
Before ground gets two hard I’m going to break into it for a couple pots full
I seen a few YouTube videos about these Vivoson ph meters their pain in the ass to Calibrate,watch the YouTube videos on it
2 Likes
Thanks brother I shall check it out …
How you’ve been man I know it’s Halloween but youve been a ghost for a while now !
I had a bale of peat moss sitting outside for a long time and pulled it out. There was a whole ecosystem in the bag, lot of little critters scurrying about. Probably would have made for a good grow amendment but I put it on the garden instead.
1 Like
Have this soil for my pothos inside grows yellow mushrooms in it thing has its own ecosystem in like a thirty gallon pot
I want that soil haha
1 Like
Hanna has a whole range of instruments and they seem to have a range of pricing…
Good reputation and their gear seems to age well if taken care of (ie Storage solution).
I really like the pH calibration ‘sachettes’ one time use and no chance of crossover contamination
Just FWIW
2 Likes
That comes from the ability to rinse the probe with distilled water between buffer solution, and avoiding drips.
Distilled water is plenty cheap. I say rinse out and refill the water cup for every reading. Double check the dates on your buffers too.
1 Like