FAS-DPD Testing for the colorblind

[waterbear]

Now if someone would come up with a color blind friendly way to read the PH that would be excellent. Although, my girlfriend is very sufficient at letting me know what the PH is

Now please don't spam me regarding ORP meters because from my research they are not near as reliable as I need unless I plan on spending plenty of money!

It's not an ORP meter but a pH meter and LaMotte has a decent one for under $100. I've used it for saltwater reef tanks.
ORP meters measure the redox potential of the water--in -other words, is there any available oxidizer (I won't say sanitizer becuase they will also measure Non chlorine shock) in the water.

check out this thread:
http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?t=289

[ScottS]

It's not an ORP meter but a pH meter and LaMotte has a decent one for under $100. I've used it for saltwater reef tanks.
ORP meters measure the redox potential of the water--in -other words, is there any available oxidizer (I won't say sanitizer becuase they will also measure Non chlorine shock) in the water.

check out this thread:
http://www.poolforum.com/pf2/showthread.php?t=289

Hey waterbear I appreciate it. I was in on some discussions last year regarding the ORP meters as well as the pH meters and they seem more of a hassle than it's worth with the calibration and so forth.

Something that has changed between now and then is that my girlfriend now lives with me so testing the pH is much easier

[apoolman]

I can do the Ph but the CAL levels, ARUGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

I know Red looks nothing like blue but it is that in-between color when the red "breaks" and transitions to blue on the High scale. Then you have to dump it out and do the low scale to get it down to the closest 10PPM.

I want a digital everything meter that costs $1000.00. INLINE, WI-FI so I can sit in my car and get the readings without leaving the AC of my car. AHAHAHAH!!!!!!

[waterbear]

Many moons ago when I was in high school (I was wearing bell bottom jeans and had long hair!) I was in a special advanced science program and spent half the day at the Univeristy of Miami School of Marine and Atmospheric Science doing "reseach" in oceanagraphic physical chemistry. I was actually an unpaid lab assistant! I spent many hours calibarating pH meters(I even had to mix my own buffers and standards!) and I never wish to repeat that experience again in my life! I did get to do titrations to determine the precipitation of calcium carbonate (you all know it as "scale") from seawater and simple seawater like solutions. Did you know that high concentrations of phosphates cause the precipitation of the aragonite form rather than the calcite form? Hope this is not too off topic but apoolman's post brought back the memories!

[ScottS]

I spent many hours calibarating pH meters(I even had to mix my own buffers and standards!) and I never wish to repeat that experience again in my life!

Haha I've never done and I definitely take your word for it. Thanks for understanding

[PoolDoc]

Waterbear;

You need to work up an account of the calibration process that you can post everytime somebody starts dreaming about all-electronic testing. People get tired of hearing it from me, but they also forget that 'all-electronic' testing STILL has to have a wet-end somewhere!

I was gullible enough, years ago, to sail to the that 'all-electronic' siren song, wasting a lot of time and money on the way.

I finally threw out some old boxes of useless (!) Hanna ORP, pH and TDS meters, replacement electrodes of various types, and several flavors of ORP and pH controllers. Some ORP controllers have a valid place in commercial operation . . . but Hanna Instruments' products? -- faugh, a plague upon them!

Ben

[waterbear]

Waterbear;

You need to work up an account of the calibration process that you can post everytime somebody starts dreaming about all-electronic testing.

Ben

And will you then pay for the psychonalysis I will need after dredging up repressed tramatic teenage memories after all these years?
Suffice to say it is an exercise in bordom, frustration, and tedium (and then you screw it up and have to do it over again!) Oh, did I add that the probes are delicate and they do need to be replaced from time to time, like when you accidently tap them against something (like the 3 beakers with the calibartion standards) and they break? I'd rather fill a vial with water, add a few drops of indicator, and look at the color. Much faster and easier. In my previous post I said that I have used them in salt water aquariums (and not for routine testing--I use a drop based pH test for that). I have NEVER used one in my pool!
Oh yeah, I forgot, the probes need to be stored wet or they become useless and need to be replaced!
Oh yeah, I forght, the probes wear out after a while and need to be replaced!
Oh yeah, I forgot, the buffers need to be mixed up fresh with deionized water (4-column) daily!
I could go one but it's just becoming too painful! I think I'll just curl up in a dark corner in a fetal position now.

[CarlD]

ScottS:

I think you are better off using the "cultivate girlfriend" method. $1000 of equipment buys a lot of dinners, movies, flowers--and think of the fringe benefits