I have a few of the pancellent pens an all have not lasted long. Maybe I’m not taking the correct steps on keeping it clean
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I figured if I purchased from amazon that I would at least get a better warranty or free replacement
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The drops have never gone out of calibration, like the pens did. 
I didnt care for them properly, no storage solution. Rarely bought calibration fluid, so with proper care I bet they would have lasted longer. You know what they say, you get what you pay for.
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Here is the one that I recently picked up, it’s not quite as fast as my Hanna was but I really like it.
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I hear you on that one lol
I’ll look into it a bit more tomorrow @naiveCon. Thanks for the link tho.
Have to get to bed now. Gota be up early an head to Reno lol
Hanna PH Meter I have this one, it works pretty well and is a good known reliable brand.
30$ isn’t too bad either.
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blue lab and hanna are the industry standard. there more expensive but worth every penny. blue labs you hardly ever have to calibrate if stored correctly… which is in NON ro water or calibration solution
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I went through 3 or 4 of the cheap ones. Never again.
Im now using one of the cheaper ($45) Apera meters and like it. The price is good, and it is staying calibrated quite well.
One thing to consider with PH meters is that the probes do not last all that long. Maybe 1 to 2 years at the most. So, you are either going to need a meter than has replaceable probes (they run $35-$65 or so) or you need to replace the entire meter.
I could have gotten the next Apera up for $79, that had replaceable probes for $35, but that more than doubled my initial cash outlay. If I have to replace the probe or the meter after one year, I will save a bit by getting the cheaper meter. If they last longer, then the more $$ option makes sense.
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I have an Oakton I bought off amazon 2 years ago for about $60. It’s been a pretty good pen for the time I’ve owned it. Only had to change the batteries once lol!
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Awwww @Northern_Loki, Please use the term Asia and not APAC. APAC includes the Pacific which includes Australia. We don’t do dodgy deals in Aus. 
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@AlwaysLearnin, Definitely worth looking into PH pen storage and maintenance. They are the most sensitive of the tools for damage when not looked after. Things like storage solutions and never letting the pen tip dry out make a huge difference. I am not speaking as someone who is very experienced in this field but I know a lot of people have learnt it the hard way.
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I have just bought a BlueLab pen. I have not used it yet so cant advise on it but I purchased it on everyone else’s advice when I queried about good meters myself.
BlueLab Pen, BlueLab EC and BlueLab PH controller. Never used a PH controller before but I am hoping it will reduce the amount of mixing and testing I have to do.
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https://www.vyair.com/milwaukee-ph55-test-meter-ip67-waterproof.html?gclid=CjwKCAjwoMPcBRAWEiwAiAqZhzoCK_nwTNgIpyBkNGa8sBFMzRt4xSk80jEjuQWMUWHdnZnkmFf29hoCFVwQAvD_BwE
I own the milwaukee c66 ec meter. Working as a roofer we always aim for highest quality power tools and milwaukee has always been the first company we go to so I was automatically drawn to the water testing range
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Bluelab combo meter is a good mid range meter/probe combo. It comes with the meter, an ec/ppm probe which is non removable and a ph probe which is removable and should be changed once a year and calibrated at least once a month. Probes drift out of accuracy relatively fast. Always store ph probe in kci solution when not in use. Their customer service is pretty good too.
https://www.getbluelab.com/shop/By+Category/Meters/Bluelab+Combo+Meter.html
There are scientific ph meters but unless you are very impatient or have a huge wallet, they are not necessary. they do have cool things like auto temp compensation and ridiculously accurate down to 0.001 ph and a huge range. But all that isn’t needed for the small range that plants live in. Its just cool!
As of yesterday my ph tester took a dump so I’m tryin to find one that will last me a while. Looked on Amazon an googled to find a few but all had bad reviews. Could anyone recommend somethin that will last a while? Thanks in advance
I’ve merged those posts into this thread.
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Would love to get a Bluelab or Apera or Hanna, but let’s face it, some of us just can’t make the outlay (yes I know when you add it up you spend that much replacing the cheap ones). Is there a decent “cheap” one out there, around $15-$20? Been using the GH liquid but am going to run out eventually, and let’s face it, it ain’t really that accurate, only a “sorta”.
https://www.milwaukeeinst.com/site/component/content/article/226
I use this monitor. It is rock solid.
I am also currently building a new monitor based on this “industrial” probe:
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I use bluelab combo. Bought two of them used a long time ago at a garage sale with a bunch of nutrients and buckets - gotta love BC - grow stuff is at many garage sales… Could not be happier.
Just replaced one of the probes. The other meter is for backup, but they have been so simple and reliable that I dont see ever needing it. I would say it’s a great deal even at full price. And every hydro shop carries replacement probes at a reasonable price. 70 bucks a year to never worry about my solution is a bargain.
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