Looking for a good and reliable EC meter

[mace]

Hello everybody!

 

I need an EC meter and was wondering if you guys know a place where i can get them relativly cheap in syndey? :scratchin

 

Looking forward for all replies,

 

mace

[Tom]

Get a Truncheon mate, fast and reliable, you can get them from any hydro shop.

 

[mace]

Cheers Tom!

 

A truncheon?

 

I think they are using a conversion factor of 0.65... or am i wrong?

 

Whats the avarage price on that one?

 

I'd rather have an EC meter, since it's not ambigious.

 

mace

[Shivan]

Hiya i personally have a blue lab Truncheon :thumbsup , and so far its been sewwt. I think there are 3 different conversions..... This is from another forum

 

Pure water will not conduct electricity. Put some salt (or other ionic solutes) in it and it will. How much electricity it conducts depends on how much solids are dissolved. Dissolved solids are measured by how much electricity the water will conduct. Electrical conductivity (EC) is measured in millisiemens or microsiemens per centimeter (usually millisiemens). This is what the instrument reads. ppm (parts per million) is another way of expressing how much solids are dissolved in a liquid, and is expressed as total dissolved solids (TDS). So TDS is expressed in ppm, and EC is expressed in millisiemens per centimeter (ms/cm).

 

TDS is estimated from the EC. So the instrument you are using measures EC, and then converts it to TDS (forget about CF for now). This in and of itself seems confusing, but is further compounded by different manufacturers of meters estimating the conversion of EC to TDS differently. Hanna calls 0.1 millisiemens 50ppm, Truncheon calls it 70ppm, and Eutech calls it 64ppm (that's where you're getting x500 Hanna, x700 Truncheon, etc). So 2.4 ms/cm is interpreted by a Hanna TDS meter as being 1200 ppm, while Eutech would call it 1536. 2.4 x 500 = 1200ppm and 2.4 x 64 = 1536ppm.

 

I have a Hanna Growcheck meter (model number HI9813) that will display both ms/cm and TDS, as well as pH. It costed about $150 and works very well. You could buy something cheaper, but you will get what you pay for.

 

Delta

 

 

Oh by the bay da bluelab truncheon was AU$

 

Shivan120

[mace]

Thanks Shivan mate,

 

thats exactly the reason i don't want a ppm/truncheon meter, EC is not ambigious, 1.9mS is 1.9mS, don't have to explain a conv. factor of 0.5, 0.65, 0.7....

 

Can you tell me a place in sydney were i can get meter (model number HI9813)?

Whats the range? I'd like to be able to check my tap water, so it should start measuring at about 0 EC/cm^2...

[jackfrost]

Hey bro just get any meter you want and download/print the conversion chart at the bottom of fergengi420 link.

 

Jack

[mace]

jackfrost,

 

i don't need an chart for the conversion, it's not rocket science, you can do it in your head, but i want an EC meter. Sorry, but i'm stubborn there, since i already made up my mind

[jackfrost]

the only problem bro is that most nutes will give instructions in PPM not EC - its a pain in the arse if you have not got the chart to convert your EC to pmm

 

Classic example of this is the General Hydro Flora feeding shedule. Most Yankie and European nutes will be in PMM with different calibrations for each area of the earth. Where as aisa and ozzie nutes tend to be in EC and CF.

 

Print out chart and stick next to your nutrient tank - saves alot of future drama if your meter is only a EC meter.

 

Jack

[F420]

my 0.02c worth is buy the truncheon, if you dont you will regret it. The truncheon is the best salts metre on the market.

EC is not ambigious but the calibration solutions are.

 

It does have a PPm scale but I hear what your saying, and I dont rely on the PPM scale.

it does however have a EC range also, so it will read in EC.

It also doesnt need to calibrated like other EC metres.

 

One cannot perform accurate "Parts Per Million" or PPM in their reservoir without a reliable PPM meter.

 

Through experience and from information gathered from people who have used the Calibration PPM meters, I have found there to be large discrepancies between the TRUNCHEON and these other try hard brands.

 

These discrepancies came down to the fact that too much effort was required to Calibrate these digital  meters and people would take the reading for face value without checking them with Calibration Liquid available from Hydroponic shops.

 

The Meters themselves were ok, but the laziness of the user would inflict an incorrect reading from these meters after a period of time.

 

Sometimes even the Calibration Liquid differed from shop to shop causing the user to incorrectly set their PPM meter according to the hydroponic shop's discretion.

 

Why stuff around with these expensive digital "toys" when a TRUNCHEON (pictured above) can make accurate readings of PPMs from your reservoir with no calibration ever!

http://www.home.aone.net.au/x/truncheon.htm

 

Provided with EC, CF and ppm scales

- Fully waterproof

- Fully guaranteed for five years (with proof of purchase)

- Fully factory calibrated

- Auto turn on and off

- Meter powered by three standard AA batteries

- Battery life minimum of one year (or shelf life of battery)

- No external switches or adjustment knobs

- EC(0.2 - 3.6), CF(2 - 36) and ppm scales(TDS and 700 scale)

 

BUT if you do want a different metre for gods knows what reason try a-

 

ECTestr™ 10 Waterproof Conductivity Testers

http://www.eutechinst.com/products/testers/wpectestr10.htm

 

Should be available at any hydro shop, or mail order from www.hydrocentre.com.au

 

 

Growth Phase Summer Winter

Vegetative: 1260ppm - 1540ppm 1400ppm -1680ppm

18CF - 22CF 20CF - 24CF

1.8EC - 2.2EC 2.0EC - 2.4EC

Flowering: 1400ppm - 1680ppm 1540ppm - 1960ppm

20CF - 24CF 22CF - 28CF

2.0EC - 2.4EC 2.2EC - 2.8EC

 

Also the "ppm" scale expressed here is that of the NZH truncheons and ppm levels will be different for Hanna and Eutech meters.

[Pure]

Mace just go to your local hydro shop and get a eurotech if your DEAD set on stricktly an ec meter , will cost you about 130

 

if ya don't knwo where your local shop is just tell us if you in the north , south, east, west ect of syd