# NEW Meter - Hanna Grochek pH EC TDS Conductivity Tester Meter



## Pepper (Apr 18, 2009)

Was told to spend a litle more $ on a meter and get an all in one ph & ppm continuous meter, etc, found this one at a decent price. You guys have experiance with this meter? Good? Bad? 







Rugged Watertight Casing. 
Temperature in °C and °F. 
EC (Electrical Conductivity) in micro siemens
TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) in ppm
Measurement Stability Indicator. 
Replaceable pH Electrode. 
Automatic pH Calibration at standard and NIST Buffer Sets.
Automatic Temperature Compensation (ATC). 
Adjustable Temperature Coefficient Factor. 
*HI 991404 is designed for continuous, high accuracy pH, EC/TDS and temperature measurements. This microprocessor indicator continuously monitors the three most important nutrient parameters in hydroponics, greenhouses and horticultural applications with a single instrument and features a large, dual-level, back-lit LCD to give you continuous readings of pH, EC or TDS and temperature even from a distance. *
*At startup, a self-check assures proper working condition. The HI991404 has a stability indicator and hold feature to prompt the user when to take the reading and freezes the display for easy and accurate recording. Calibration and temperature compensation is automatic, while the EC/TDS conversion factor and temperature coefficient (ß) are both user adjustable for application-specific measurements. This instrument is supplied with an advanced, non-clogging double junction pH electrode and a rugged conductivity probe that will withstand even the most aggressive environments. The power source is a 12 volt DC transformer. A 220V version is available at no extra charge, for use outside the US, but you must specify this option at time of purchase. Easy installation and use make it ideal for all continuous monitoring applications. *
*The HI991404 comes complete with an HI 1293D pH electrode, HI 7630 EC/TDS/temp. probe (fixed), 12 VDC adapter, packets of pH4 & pH7 buffers (20 mL each) & 1413 µS/cm EC solution and instructions.* 



*Range**EC*0 to 3999 µS/cm 
*TDS*0 to 2000 ppm 
*pH*0.0 to 14.0 pH 
*Temperature*0.0 to 60.0 °C or 32.0 to 140.0 °F
*Resolution**EC*1 µS/cm 
*TDS*1 ppm 
*pH*0.1​
*Temperature*0.1 °C or 0.1 °F
*Accuracy (@ 20°C/68°F)**EC/TDS*±2% Full Scale *pH*±0.1 *Temperature*±0.5 °C or ±1 °F
*Typical EMC Deviation**EC/TDS*±2% Full Scale 
*pH*±0.1 *Temperature*±1 °C or ±2 °F*Calibration**EC/TDS*Automatic at 1 point *pH*1 or 2 points with 2 sets of memorized buffers*Temperature Compensation**EC/TDS*BETA (ß) = adjustable from 0.0 to 2.4 per °C in increments of 0.1 *pH*Automatic*EC / TDS Conversion Factor* Adjustable from 0.45 to 1.00
*Environment* 0 to 50°C (32 to 122°F)
*Power Supply* External 12 VDC (included)
*Dimensions* 165 x 110 x 35 mm (6.5 x 4.3 x 1.3")
*Weight* 300 g (10.6 oz.)


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## D3 (Apr 20, 2009)

Hanna makes good stuff. I use a BlueLab Combo Meter. The two are very similar. I think the BlueLab is a little eaiser to use. Did you get some calibration solution?


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## Pepper (Apr 20, 2009)

Thanks. No haven't bought anything yet, on an *extremely* tight budget so can not afford to buy meters/solution all the time, it must be a 1 shot deal only and it must last a very loooonnnnggggggg time. Not sure on what to buy    :hairpull: 

Been told that these meters dont last to long   dont want to buy more then 1 time, not spending 25 or 150 bucks on meters every 6  months. May end up just buying the paper test kits for 5 or 10 bucks and they will last a loooonnnnnnngggg time, or just wing it with no meters and hope it all works out well. Grew up in a farm so growing veggies and fruit is nothing new, and  never tested anything, just used the naked eye and knew what the plants needed.


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## scatking (Apr 20, 2009)

IMO you are better off with spending less on a meter and more on lighting.  This is a top notch unit, but is probably overkill if your grows are for personal use.  I'm not saying to buy a cheap metering equipment, but don't use a sledge hammer to drive a finishing nail....


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## solarz (Apr 20, 2009)

i have that same exact meter, and IMHO i would send it back.  Now i have VERY good reason for saying this and i will detail it below.  Now i will advise you to take this with a grain of salt, as this is only MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE with this meter.  

1.  It NEVER stays calibrated...and with you not having any solution, i wouldn't even plug this bad boy up...because that little packet that comes with it isn't going to cut it.

2.  It takes FOREVER for the thing to ever stabilize on a specific reading, and i'm talking over 15-30 mins.

3.  You can't submerge the entire probe into the water, forcing you to hold steady the entire time you are waiting for it to stabilize on a reading (see #2).  They(hanna) recommends constructing something that allows the probe to float at a specific level in the resevior.

4. This is a CONTINUOUS meter, therefore, it is BEST that both probes stay in some form of liquid at all times.  Now, you can store the ph probe with the calibration solution in the cap, but that leaves the ec/temp probe dry.  And i've learned that you need both of these spot on in order to get it to calibrate, as well produce accurate readings.

I all honesty, i would sent that back, and opt for 2 separate meters...one for just ph and another for ec/ppm.  Like i said before, this is just my honest opinion, but like someone mentioned earlier...for personal grows, this is a little too intricate/detailed for what its worth.

solarz


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## JBonez (Apr 22, 2009)

you really should get the hanna cal-check meter.

I do a two point calibration on it. 

Stabilizes fast (after youve used it a while or at least during testing)

The storage, cleaning, buffers, and associated solutions are expensive, but i love it!

ppm/ec @ .5 conversion, this is the only thing that bums me out, i wish it was at a .7 conversion.

Been thinking about a blue lab truncheon for quick readings.

overall its a good meter, but there is a little maintenance involved.


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## 420MED (Apr 22, 2009)

I have this meter as well and its pretty nice.  Do you store your probe any special way?


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## JBonez (Apr 22, 2009)

420MED said:
			
		

> I have this meter as well and its pretty nice.  Do you store your probe any special way?



i keep the cap fill with storage solution when im not using the meter and periodically i clean and calibrate it.


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## Pepper (Apr 28, 2009)

Winging it with no meter. Boiling tap water letting it sit for 24hrs adding nuts letting it sit another 48hrs with an airstone, then add plants, so far so good have no idea what the ph is but plants are looking good so far.


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## JBonez (Apr 28, 2009)

so far, as nutrients accumulate in the soil, your ph will need to be higher and higher, usually, i just cant see growing kind bud without keeping the ph in check, jmo.


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## Pepper (Apr 28, 2009)

JBonez said:
			
		

> so far, as nutrients accumulate in the soil, your ph will need to be higher and higher, usually, i just cant see growing kind bud without keeping the ph in check, jmo.


 



Not in soil but in a dwc system. Plants get flushed every 2 weeks for 24hrs in boiled plain tap water, water is boiled then let settle for 48 hrs with an airstone then replace containers.

Nuts in system get changed every 2 wks so between nute changes the plants are flushed.


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## smokeytimes (Apr 28, 2009)

After all the negitive comments I read about the Hanna combo's and getting them calibrated I went with two Milwakee pens PH51 and T75 and I really like them as there fast to stablize and seems to be pretty acurate. I spent like $75 on each. I might have been robbed at the hydro store though.


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## JBonez (Apr 28, 2009)

boiling water increases tds, unless your distilling it, then i could see it making sense.


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## BuddyLuv (Apr 28, 2009)

I agree with JBonez. I have the same meter and love it. I calibrate it once a month and it usually only need the TDS/EC set back a few points. The pH is usually still dead on, I have three resevoirs I check everyday and the only thing that needed to be replaced so far was the batteries.


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## Pepper (Apr 28, 2009)

smokeytimes said:
			
		

> After all the negitive comments I read about the Hanna combo's and getting them calibrated I went with two Milwakee pens PH51 and T75 and I really like them as there fast to stablize and seems to be pretty acurate. I spent like $75 on each. I might have been robbed at the hydro store though.


 

Thanks, will check them out.


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## Pepper (Apr 28, 2009)

JBonez said:
			
		

> boiling water increases tds, unless your distilling it, then i could see it making sense.


 

Sorry for my ignorance but what does tds mean? How do you distill boiled water?


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## Pepper (Apr 28, 2009)

BuddyLuv said:
			
		

> I agree with JBonez. I have the same meter and love it. I calibrate it once a month and it usually only need the TDS/EC set back a few points. The pH is usually still dead on, I have three resevoirs I check everyday and the only thing that needed to be replaced so far was the batteries.


 

Thanks


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## smokeytimes (Apr 28, 2009)

tds= Total Disolved Solids



			
				Pepper said:
			
		

> Sorry for my ignorance but what does tds mean? How do you distill boiled water?


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## Pepper (Apr 28, 2009)

smokeytimes said:
			
		

> tds= Total Disolved Solids


 

   Still dont know what that means


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## smokeytimes (Apr 29, 2009)

This is from Wikipedia


> Total dissolved solids
> From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
> 
> Bottled mineral water usually contains higher TDS levels than tap waterTotal Dissolved Solids (often abbreviated TDS) is an expression for the combined content of all inorganic and organic substances contained in a liquid which are present in a molecular, ionized or micro-granular (colloidal sol) suspended form. Generally the operational definition is that the solids must be small enough to survive filtration through a sieve size of two micrometres. Total dissolved solids are normally only discussed for freshwater systems, since salinity comprises some of the ions constituting the definition of TDS. The principal application of TDS is in the study of water quality for streams, rivers and lakes, although TDS is generally considered not as a primary pollutant (e.g. it is not deemed to be associated with health effects), but it is rather used as an indication of aesthetic characteristics of drinking water and as an aggregate indicator of presence of a broad array of chemical contaminants.
> ...


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## Pepper (Apr 29, 2009)

smokeytimes said:
			
		

> This is from Wikipedia


 

Thanks for the info. I dont understand how boiling tap water will increase tds, boiling water kills anything in the water and allowing all the vapor to excape wile the water cools will also allow all the nasty stuff to evaporate, keeping an air stone in the container after the water cools will not only give oxigen but it will also keep the water moving so there are no sedlements. Anyone else also boil their water?


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## JBonez (Apr 29, 2009)

Pepper said:
			
		

> Thanks for the info. I dont understand how boiling tap water will increase tds, boiling water kills anything in the water and allowing all the vapor to excape wile the water cools will also allow all the nasty stuff to evaporate, keeping an air stone in the container after the water cools will not only give oxigen but it will also keep the water moving so there are no sedlements. Anyone else also boil their water?



let me put this in terms you can understand, no insult to your intelligence but this will help.

Draw a circle, put a bunch of dots in it.

The circle is the water.
The dots are minerals and/or organic material.

Now, picture the circle shrinking, yet the dots (tds) remain.

Since there is less water yet the tds remains, the ppm increases due to a smaller water/tds ratio.

Distilling, is merely boiling water, and collecting the residual condensate from the steam, Thus creating distilled pure water, understand?

So you know, if thinking that tds can be boiled away, then the dissolved solids would be in the condensate which is how distilled water is made, and that just doesnt make sense.

Trust me, im right, and i want you to understand.


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## Pepper (Apr 30, 2009)

JBonez said:
			
		

> let me put this in terms you can understand, no insult to your intelligence but this will help.
> 
> Draw a circle, put a bunch of dots in it.
> 
> ...


 


Ok I understand now, and no offense taken, science was never a good topic for me. So do you think Im better off not boiling the tap water, and just let it sit with the air stone for like 48hr then add the nutes allow to sit for another 48 hr then add the plants?


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## JBonez (Apr 30, 2009)

Pepper said:
			
		

> Ok I understand now, and no offense taken, science was never a good topic for me.



ha ha, i didnt even know what ppm meant until i started growing pot.

in fact, growing pot has proven to be a valuable skillset in my book.


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## Pepper (Apr 30, 2009)

JBonez said:
			
		

> ha ha, i didnt even know what ppm meant until i started growing pot.
> 
> in fact, growing pot has proven to be a valuable skillset in my book.


 



 


Would you boil tap water or just use it as is?


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## smokeytimes (May 1, 2009)

I don't think boiling the water would do anything more than sterilize the water. Now if you were to distile the water then yes that is something I would do but it would be cheaper to just buy the distiled water at the store.

I would not boil the water unless I knew there were harmful orginisms in the water.


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## Super Silver Haze (May 1, 2009)

scatking said:
			
		

> IMO you are better off with spending less on a meter and more on lighting. This is a top notch unit, but is probably overkill if your grows are for personal use. I'm not saying to buy a cheap metering equipment, but don't use a sledge hammer to drive a finishing nail....


 
not to refute your advice but just setting up my room i opted for 400w hps instead of flouro's.  my plant loves the 400 hps but their not healthy b/c i cant accurately measure the ec/tds/ppm of my nutes.  im using dwc so imo if your on a budget and doing some type of hydro go with a good meter and then get your lights.

plants can be healthy and grow under flouros but this isnt true if the ec/tds/ppm/ph are off.

being on a budget and getting started is a major pain.  take my post for what it is, a noobs first dwc.

if you are going hydro and your res is in the grow room then you my encounter H2o temp problems.

with a hid light you need good ventelation.  basically it is personal prefrence as to where you are going to sacrifice when you set up your grow.  

btw, are you doing hydro?  

SSH


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## Pepper (May 5, 2009)

Super Silver Haze said:
			
		

> not to refute your advice but just setting up my room i opted for 400w hps instead of flouro's. my plant loves the 400 hps but their not healthy b/c i cant accurately measure the ec/tds/ppm of my nutes. im using dwc so imo if your on a budget and doing some type of hydro go with a good meter and then get your lights.
> 
> plants can be healthy and grow under flouros but this isnt true if the ec/tds/ppm/ph are off.
> 
> ...


 


Thanks. Doing dwc as far as the ph meter goes did not buy one and dont think will ever buy one not worth it, they only last 6 months or so then need to buy a new one   + need to buy calibration solutions, recalibrate every time, and there is no guarante that it will be acurate. So I bought this very simple system that is very acurate, cheap and can last up to 2 years came to me highly recomended by an old timer  its called *Flairform* *ph kit* 1 drop in a small test tube filled 3/4 with reservour water shake and bingo acurate ph reading I love this stuff, simple, cheap, and does the job. Has far as ppm meters, etc, they are also a waist of money I have been growing veggies, and fruit in a farm for over 20 years I know how to read plants, etc, but that was all in soil outdoors. Hydro to me is new but I find that it is much easier than growing in soil.


All you need to do is learn how to read the plants, follow directions on the nutes down to the T, and dont use cheap nutes that is one reason guys have so many problems in hydro. If you feed yourself cheap junk food your own health will suffer right? So the same will happen to your plants.
A good set of nutes for hydro will cost 150 to 200 bucks, but for personal use it will last 1 + years so its well worth it. You need good ventilation with any type of light you use, healthy plants only grow with a good ligh, air, water, food, its that simple.


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