Help please.

[zen archer]

Just received a new E.C. pen today, only I'm confused about how to read/use it. In plain tap water the reading is 199? doesn't seem right that.
This one..http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/EC-3-Handheld-Conductivity-Tester-EC-Meter-/220685331323?_trksid=p5197.m7&_trkparms=algo%3DLVI%26itu%3DUCI%26otn%3D3%26po%3D LVI%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D2447518021439016109#ht_178 0wt_905

[up2nogood]

that doesn't sound right,the ec back ground water I have is 0.3 or 0.33

[up2nogood]

have you calibrated your ec meter in fluid?

[Anonymiss]

199 µS = 0.199 mS

Is that cause of the discrepancy?

[up2nogood]

if it is saying 199 it should be saying 0.19 which is near to 0.2 ec

[Anonymiss]

That was what I was thinking. The meter linked above doesn't measure in 0.01 increments but instead goes from 1 to 9990 µS, which is 0.001 to 9.990 mS.

Zen: Divide the reading by 1,000 to get the expected value in mS. Your 199 µS is 0.199 mS, which is probably within the expected range for tap water (going by Up2's reading).

[v12xjs]

I have 1 of those pens but it is a TDS meter not an EC meter and 199 sounds like background TDS rather than EC. I have on/off, hold and temp/tds buttons on mine, maybe you have a tds/ec button on yours to switch between the 2 types of measurement?
It's no biggie if it measures in TDS instead of EC, you can still work out what you are putting in. Decent meter imo.

[Forest]

no it right bro is in us not ms it also says x 10 as well right? up2 you background tap water would be 033 ish on one of those
they are confusing but why you tap water is 199 with the x 10 factor that would be 1.9 ms which is the ec we mainly use seem very high
there was some the other day on here with the same problem i have a spare pen that reads in 000 x 10 and you just need to put a point in after the first number to get the ms reading we all use ie my tap water is 047 =.47 ms

well it could be tds but it dont say that in the info but yes tds or 199 would be right i think so if that right you are in ppm right? my water is 270 ppm back ground ppm

[teutonic]

That was what I was thinking. The meter linked above doesn't measure in 0.01 increments but instead goes from 1 to 9990 µS, which is 0.001 to 9.990 mS.

Zen: Divide the reading by 1,000 to get the expected value in mS. Your 199 µS is 0.199 mS, which is probably within the expected range for tap water (going by Up2's reading).

would vinegar be any good as a calibration fluid ? or salted water ?

[cocogrower]

would vinegar be any good as a calibration fluid ? or salted water ?

No, Vinegar can be used as PH down, Baking soda as PH up. To calibrate you need 1 of each of these (http://www.greenshorticulture.co.uk/Plant-Nutrition-90/Nutrient-Management-397/EC-Pen-Calibration-Fluid-245.asp).

[up2nogood]

yeah if zens is saying 199 then if you sort of say my is 300 then his will be 0.19 EC and my 0.30 EC
I can't see zens back ground water is 1.9? that's well high

[Forest]

it says its factory set most are

yes agreed up 2 it might be tds it just dont say that, it says u/s and that the same as mine you just add a point in there to be in m,s ec like we all use

[Anonymiss]

no it right bro is in us not ms it also says x 10 as well right? up2 you background tap water would be 033 ish on one of those
they are confusing but why you tap water is 199 with the x 10 factor that would be 1.9 ms which is the ec we mainly use seem very high
there was some the other day on here with the same problem i have a spare pen that reads in 000 x 10 and you just need to put a point in after the first number to get the ms reading we all use ie my tap water is 047 =.47 ms
The 'x10' isn't always in effect. It's a ranging factor which is used to increase the range of the measurement/display from 0-999 to 0-9990. Accuracy will be 1 µS in the range 0 µS to 999 µS, and 10 µS from 1,000 µS to 9990 µS.

His 199 µS is 0.199 mS (without the x10 factor), which doesn't sound too far off.


would vinegar be any good as a calibration fluid ? or salted water ?
No. Vinegar is all about acidity/pH, not conductivity. You should use a proper calibration fluid.

[up2nogood]

why don't they stick to just one type..too many confusions for people who don't understand ;)

[Anonymiss]

why don't they stick to just one type..too many confusions for people who don't understand ;)

It's all about scale/resolution.

1,200 mm
120 cm
1.2 m

They're all the same, and that's no problem.

[Forest]

these pens are confusing, mine has three figures and it also says x 10 on it not flashing led like zens one
ive put mine side by side with my blue lab stick and when mine reads 047 u/s for my back ground ec, it is 0.4/0.5 m/s and 270 ish ppm/tds


dont know if that helps op

[up2nogood]

It's all about scale/resolution.

1,200 mm
120 cm
1.2 m

They're all the same, and that's no problem.

yeah but for a lot of people it is confusing..

[Anonymiss]

these pens are confusing, mine has three figures and it also says x 10 on it not flashing led like zens one
ive put mine side by side with my blue lab stick and when mine reads 047 u/s for my back ground ec, it is 0.4/0.5 m/s and 270 ish ppm/tds
It sounds like yours has sacrificied accuracy at the lower end of the scale (0 - 999) for ease of manufacture and convenience.

Yours can measure with an accuracy of 10 µS (0.01 mS) across the board, whereas Zen's can manage 1 µS (0.001 mS) for values between 0 and 999 µS (0 - 0.999 mS), and 10 µS (0.01 mS) thereafter.

[Anonymiss]

yeah but for a lot of people it is confusing..

Try explaining feet, inches, yards, furlongs, etc. to someone who's never used them!

Ounces, pounds, stones, hundredweights, and all the rest, also come to mind.

And don't even start on pence, shillings, crowns, pounds, guineas...

[Forest]

yes you are probally right miss, i think it could be fact the x10 flashes when you need to multiply ? if it reads 199 with out flashing then ?
perhaps the back ground water is 0.19 m/s which sounds right like you say
it got to complex for the likes of me now ill leave it in you very capable hands miss

[Forest]

Try explaining feet, inches, yards, furlongs, etc. to someone who's never used them!

Ounces, pounds, stones, hundredweights, and all the rest, also come to mind.

And don't even start on pence, shillings, crowns, pounds, guineas...

lol imperial measurements now thats confusing like you say to some one who dont know it lol

[teutonic]

lols
1.2 mts is actually just under 142 barleycorns
http://www.digitaldutch.com/unitconverter/

[zen archer]

I thought I was confused before I posted this question. Now I'm totally bamboozled, flummoxed, and want to send this f***ing thing back. :( :(

[zen archer]

Going to try again folks. This is reading of tap water now. Do I just need to put a decimal point after the first number?? The scale according to instructions is 0-9990uS/cm.

http://www.thctalk.com/gallery/data/2615/medium/DSCN12581.JPG (http://www.thctalk.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/86477/title/dscn12581/cat/2615)

[teutonic]

I thought I was confused before I posted this question. Now I'm totally bamboozled, flummoxed, and want to send this f***ing thing back. :( :(

for a fiver, you can get the calibration fluid to confirm its accuracy. Someone posted the link. But yer, you gotta stick your own decimal point in bro.

u or micro is 'millionths' - your tap water reading is 194 micro units, or 0.194 milli units

[zen archer]

for a fiver, you can get the calibration fluid to confirm its accuracy. Someone posted the link. But yer, you gotta stick your own decimal point in bro.

u or micro is 'millionths' - your tap water reading is 194 micro units, or 0.194 milli units
Thanks mate, so the EC= 0.2 rounded up? please say yes or I'll scream. lol :)

[up2nogood]

Thanks mate, so the EC= 0.2 rounded up? please say yes or I'll scream. lol :)

lol..as stated by me earlier you said it was 199 so 0.19 which is nearly 0.2 and my water is 0.3 so that's good

[Anonymiss]

Going to try again folks. This is reading of tap water now. Do I just need to put a decimal point after the first number?? The scale according to instructions is 0-9990uS/cm

You put the decimal before the first number, unless 'x10' is shown/flashing in which case it goes after the first number.

[zen archer]

Thanks Annonymiss, Up2. This measurement I took of 2.5 ml of Tomorite, in 2 Litres of water. EC value of 1.73, as X10 was flashing is this correct? Sorry if I'm being slow.

http://www.thctalk.com/gallery/data/2615/medium/DSCN12601.JPG (http://www.thctalk.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/86478/title/dscn12601/cat/2615)

[Forest]

yes it right , if flashing you move the imagined point a place more

[zen archer]

Thanks G-man. Simple when you know how lol. ;) :) Seems to be a good quality pen, aimed primarily at aquarium and pool market it seems. Scottish too. Wish they did a pH one.
Thanks to all who replied, I'll go back and click thanks buttons. :) :)