Batista(not competing)

[Naughty.Psychonaut]

2 hours ago, CreX said:

100% not disputing that there are much better pens out there LOL and 100% agreeing that i may be pretty lucky hahaha the only thing that pisses me of about it is me..because 1 out of ten times, im gonna forget to turn the thing off and then i have to go buy some more fucken batteries haha

another cool thing bout Blue labs, they switch off by themself. 

when they read and the value still changes it will stay on, but if it was at a constant value for longer than 1min or so it shuts itself off. 

9 minutes ago, Batista said:

Thanks man, I'm going for the general hydroponics one from Futurama, around R120, good backup

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I also got those drops, they work fine and will help you for sure

when I got oily/sugary substance such as molasses in the water I don't like to use my blue labs pen, don't wana risk any film build up on the glass probe, even though I keep it extra clean with fresh tap water and fresh storage solution after every 3 uses I just don't wana risk any harm to the pen, make it last a lifetime 

[The_StonedTrooper]

12 hours ago, CreX said:

for very accurate calibration i believe you should use them both. calibrate to the higher PH, then test in the lower PH and recalibrate, and then back to the high ph and recalibrate until you find the spot where it is accurate on both fronts. lots of rinsing needed, and lots of time. for my needs, calibrating to one or the other suffices

I've heard, and because I might lowkey sell them

That, you are to calibrate them to the closest pH, that you will be trying to achieve.

Unfortunately the probe with Potassium chloride in, can only be spot on, for the one, and not both. Its literally impossible and that is why you get the higher and lower solution. 

Yes it works, doing both, but why would you need to and feel it would not make the reading any different or better. 

[The_StonedTrooper]

On 6/29/2021 at 10:40 PM, CreX said:

I have found rain water is pretty constantly ultra low in ppm... Under 20 ppm... An ec meter will read 0.01 or something

I hear you, and until I met this guy, who stays next to a school with tall trees, and the hardida sit on his roof, and the rain collected from that roof is fairly high.

Although this is rare, its hest to check before you start using it.

[The_StonedTrooper]

15 hours ago, Naughty.Psychonaut said:

yeah. I think you got the best one made yet brother

I must be honest, when you order them from the supplier, they all look the same, and the prices aren't, and if you are cheap and into profits, you'll order the cheapest the supplier has, and sell it at the same cost, as the shops around you. Making a killing.

You get that yellow one, and a very good one too, it's all about the bulb and internals. And less mark up or rip off.

Edited June 30, 2021 by The_StonedTrooper
Typo

[Naughty.Psychonaut]

interesting story here, I have a friend who dusted off some probes his grandad had in his garage, must've been the shit back in the day, cause it had this leather covered box with the name written in gold, some german or swedish name we couldn't read. shit looked expensive even for today. each pen still takes one single AA battery, this guy pops it in some calibration solution and I shit you not 100% accuracy, took a minute to get there as the tech was a bit delayed, but hey, it worked!!! I almost burst out in laughter but then realised it's not even funny, how the hell....? even when it turned on when putting the battery in, blew me away! this thing must have been in storage over 10 years, maybe muuuuch longer, the plastic even looks like it's going brittle, the probe was onviously drier than a you know what.... and the rule of thumb with the probes are "if it dries, it dies" 

this thing was on point with both calibration solutions..

luck certainly is a factor here, cause in a production line up where millions of the same thing gets made repetitively, you're bound to have that one in each 1000 or so that will be put together better than the others. it's the same with a defective slip up, sometimes you buy something and it only lasts a month, because of a slip in the production line, but sometimes the slip up may result in a better end product.

Edited July 1, 2021 by Naughty.Psychonaut

[The_StonedTrooper]

1 hour ago, Naughty.Psychonaut said:

interesting story here, I have a friend who dusted off some probes his grandad had in his garage, must've been the shit back in the day, cause it had this leather covered box with the name written in gold, some german or swedish name we couldn't read. shit looked expensive even for today. each pen still takes one single AA battery, this guy pops it in some calibration solution and I shit you not 100% accuracy, took a minute to get there as the tech was a bit delayed, but hey, it worked!!! I almost burst out in laughter but then realised it's not even funny, how the hell....? even when it turned on when putting the battery in, blew me away! this thing must have been in storage over 10 years, maybe muuuuch longer, the plastic even looks like it's going brittle, the probe was onviously drier than a you know what.... and the rule of thumb with the probes are "if it dries, it dies" 

this thing was on point with both calibration solutions..

luck certainly is a factor here, cause in a production line up where millions of the same thing get's made repetitively, you're bound to have that one in each 1000 or so that will be put together better than the others. it's the same with a defective slip up, sometimes you buy something and it only lasts a month, because of a slip in the production line, but sometimes the slip up may result in a better end product.

Wow, that's interesting and so cool.

Yes, they will work, they will take some time to be correct or on balance, as the bulb is dry and this is why they recommend you leave the bulb and pen in Potassium chloride solution, to keep the bulb fresh and give readings straight away.

Hope that helps.

[Naughty.Psychonaut]

12 minutes ago, The_StonedTrooper said:

Wow, that's interesting and so cool.

Yes, they will work, they will take some time to be correct or on balance, as the bulb is dry and this is why they recommend you leave the bulb and pen in Potassium chloride solution, to keep the bulb fresh and give readings straight away.

Hope that helps.

yeah got the man kit out with storage solution, 2 x calibration solution and ph up and down. hopefully he will put in the effort to look after his antiques

[The_StonedTrooper]

On 6/29/2021 at 11:19 PM, Batista said:

wondrring if I can shake that bubble out

If you can, you'll be the first person in world history, to shake air out of liquid, in a sealed container. 

You'll only add air unfortunately. 

[Batista]

So I ordered a new cheapie Ph pen, it will come with 2 solutions of Ph 4 and 6.86. I also bought the dropper Ph test and will use that to test my old and new Ph pen when it arrives.

The dropper test showed around 6 for last night's feeding so I let it be and didn't add any vinegar and plants looks good, new growth is green.

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[The_StonedTrooper]

1 minute ago, Batista said:

So I ordered a new cheapie Ph pen, it will come with 2 solutions of Ph 4 and 6.86. I also bought the dropper Ph test and will use that to test my old and new Ph pen when it arrives.

The dropper test showed around 6 for last night's feeding so I let it be and didn't add any vinegar and plants looks good, new growth is green.

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Storage solution, all I'm going to say...

Cheap or expensive pen, storage solution

[Batista]

interesting story here, I have a friend who dusted off some probes his grandad had in his garage, must've been the shit back in the day, cause it had this leather covered box with the name written in gold, some german or swedish name we couldn't read. shit looked expensive even for today. each pen still takes one single AA battery, this guy pops it in some calibration solution and I shit you not 100% accuracy, took a minute to get there as the tech was a bit delayed, but hey, it worked!!! I almost burst out in laughter but then realised it's not even funny, how the hell....? even when it turned on when putting the battery in, blew me away! this thing must have been in storage over 10 years, maybe muuuuch longer, the plastic even looks like it's going brittle, the probe was onviously drier than a you know what.... and the rule of thumb with the probes are "if it dries, it dies" 
this thing was on point with both calibration solutions..
luck certainly is a factor here, cause in a production line up where millions of the same thing get's made repetitively, you're bound to have that one in each 1000 or so that will be put together better than the others. it's the same with a defective slip up, sometimes you buy something and it only lasts a month, because of a slip in the production line, but sometimes the slip up may result in a better end product.

Things were generally built to last back in the day. Nowadays companies put a lifetime on each product (Planned obselecence sp? ) Call it corporate greed or a lack of quality materials due to overmining or whatever.

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[Batista]

Storage solution, all I'm going to say...
Cheap or expensive pen, storage solution

Thanks, I will look into this. Could I try some warm sunlight soap and water to gently wash the probe? I'm thinking there may be an invisible film of sorts on it.

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[The_StonedTrooper]

Just now, Batista said:

Thanks, I will look into this. Could I try some warm sunlight soap and water to gently wash the probe? I'm thinking there may be an invisible film of sorts on it.

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No soap, especially sunlight. 

Tap water rinse, before, after, then storage solution in the cap on the pen, and replace till next use.

[The_StonedTrooper]

I cant stress enough, nothing else but...

Rinse with water and storage solution in the cap

[CreX]

50 minutes ago, Batista said:

So I ordered a new cheapie Ph pen, it will come with 2 solutions of Ph 4 and 6.86. I also bought the dropper Ph test and will use that to test my old and new Ph pen when it arrives.

The dropper test showed around 6 for last night's feeding so I let it be and didn't add any vinegar and plants looks good, new growth is green.

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why are you using vinegar to adjust your ph?  

[CreX]

On 6/29/2021 at 11:19 PM, Batista said:

So there is an issue because no matter how much vinegar I add the Ph doesn't change, Google says that the air bubble is an issue and I agree after doing the above Is it time for a new Ph pen or wondrring if I can shake that bubble out. It's an El cheapo yellow Ph pen.

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this may also be part of your troubles. the vinegar for ph adjustments is not ideal as you often require quite a bit to make a small change.

are you using white or brown vinegar? 

i would go buy a bottle of ph down and ph up from your hydro store, it may make the difference you are needing.

[Naughty.Psychonaut]

Vinegar can actually be used to kill some unwanted weeds in the garden, it's suggested to spray them, because getting vinegar on the soil will even be bad luck for the plants wanting to grow there in the future. 

so you're kinda using a herbicide to feed your plants

unless you're a real sciency guy and wana know a bunch about compound analysis and chemical interactions and put in the time to study the products you giving your plant, don't refer too much to alternatives. stick to using products that are made for plants, even then you'll have to study your products carefully so you don't mix the wrong stuff and what not. this will teach you the dicipline and importance of knowing what's going in your plants. only then I would say to allow yourself to dabble with alternatives and try to save a few rands here and there. first you gotta pay the school fees man. 

[Batista]

Hey gents, so I've been using brown vinegar for years now with no issues.

So new pen arrived today. You guys were laughing at me when I mentioned air bubble hey lol, the new pen doesn't have any air bubble in it and seems the probe is shorter than the old one on the right.

Attached some pics of my last grow using brown vinegar and hortimix. I got no issues with brown vinegar lol

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[Naughty.Psychonaut]

2 hours ago, Batista said:

Hey gents, so I've been using brown vinegar for years now with no issues.

So new pen arrived today. You guys were laughing at me when I mentioned air bubble hey lol, the new pen doesn't have any air bubble in it and seems the probe is shorter than the old one on the right.

Attached some pics of my last grow using brown vinegar and hortimix. I got no issues with brown vinegar lol

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wow fok those are nice results bud!!

not gona argue with that

you can totally disregard what I am saying, because I am agreeing that you get good results, but remember "the exception proves the rule" and there is probably a good reason why we are all not using vinegar and why you got asked why you using the stuff. 

the air bubble hahah I try not even shaking my pen when I clean it and stuff just to save the tech inside that little bit longer. my pen came with a book with instructions and a box of stuff to maintain it, it cleary states don't shake the pen too vigorously or hit the sides of the pen against anything., though people say the one they have is indestructable, that again is an exception and it proves the rule, you hear WAY more stories bout them going to shit for no reason. lay them down without use for too long, fucked. swing them around, fucked. drop them once, fucked... they are quite sensetive little toys and the people who make them clearly warn a person to look after the thing as if it's a baby. 

I keep mine upright in a jar at all times, so the storage liquid don't run out. gets new storage liquid weekly. literally 2 drops, easy. gets cleaned and calibrated once a month or so. done. 

 

[Batista]

wow fok those are nice results bud!!
not gona argue with that
you can totally disregard what I am saying, because I am agreeing that you get good results, but remember "the exception proves the rule" and there is probably a good reason why we are all not using vinegar and why you got asked why you using the stuff. 
the air bubble hahah I try not even shaking my pen when I clean it and stuff just to save the tech inside that little bit longer. my pen came with a book with instructions and a box of stuff to maintain it, it cleary states don't shake the pen too vigorously or hit the sides of the pen against anything., though people say the one they have is indestructable, that again is an exception and it proves the rule, you hear WAY more stories bout them going to shit for no reason. lay them down without use for too long, fucked. swing them around, fucked. drop them once, fucked... they are quite sensetive little toys and the people who make them clearly warn a person to look after the thing as if it's a baby. 
I keep mine upright in a jar at all times, so the storage liquid don't run out. gets new storage liquid weekly. literally 2 drops, easy. gets cleaned and calibrated once a month or so. done. 
 

Lol cool man. Im using vinegar purely out of cost savings. A 500ml Ph down cost around R80, so I'm happy with paying for cheap vinegar, but you are probably right, Ph down solution is prob best in the long run.

Another question please,

I have decided to transplant my plant into coco because I used too much perlite which lead me to daily feedings, throw in a faulty Ph meter and you can see why I want to go back to a 90/10 coco perlite mix lol!

I got a bottle of Terra Aquatica Calmag, can I just expand my coco brick in the recommended 1.2ml per liter?

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[Naughty.Psychonaut]

5 hours ago, Batista said:

I got a bottle of Terra Aquatica Calmag, can I just expand my coco brick in the recommended 1.2ml per liter?

oooh man, I would have to refer to one of the coco gurus for that question!! 

mr @CreX, I know we had an in depth discussion bout the stuff a while back and made me realise how well you know the stuff!

would you be so kind as to advise us on this?

[CreX]

4 minutes ago, Naughty.Psychonaut said:

oooh man, I would have to refer to one of the coco gurus for that question!! 

mr @CreX, I know we had an in depth discussion bout the stuff a while back and made me realise how well you know the stuff!

would you be so kind as to advise us on this?

OH you!!! #Blush!! 

I just hit a bong and have gone blank

But yea, for me, I put a tub in the shower and let it rain down for a while (my totes have drainage holes so draining the water out is a breeze) ... A 5 kilo coco brick will expand anywhere from 60-80 litres of coco... If you do not have a EC or ppm pen to test the run off, I have found that........ Once hydrated with however much it takes you to hydrate it........ From that point I would run 60-80l sometimes 100l of water to get the coco flushed properly, even if it says buffered coco... Still wash the fuck out of it. 

Then you must have your calmag mix ready.... 60g per 5kg brick is fine.. Dissolve it into 20l and pour over the coco and then agitate the coco well to mix in the calmag which will fill the open cation sites, or will exchange cation sites with potassium.... Leave it for 30 min or over night, and then rinse the coco again with 60 - 80l of water and drain. 

Your coco is now ready for anything you want in it! 

 Fresh coco is the hardest to work with... If you reuse your coco it gets easier to use, washing it after eash harvest of coarse

[Batista]

OH you!!! #Blush!! 
I just hit a bong and have gone blank
But yea, for me, I put a tub in the shower and let it rain down for a while (my totes have drainage holes so draining the water out is a breeze) ... A 5 kilo coco brick will expand anywhere from 60-80 litres of coco... If you do not have a EC or ppm pen to test the run off, I have found that........ Once hydrated with however much it takes you to hydrate it........ From that point I would run 60-80l sometimes 100l of water to get the coco flushed properly, even if it says buffered coco... Still wash the fuck out of it. 
Then you must have your calmag mix ready.... 60g per 5kg brick is fine.. Dissolve it into 20l and pour over the coco and then agitate the coco well to mix in the calmag which will fill the open cation sites, or will exchange cation sites with potassium.... Leave it for 30 min or over night, and then rinse the coco again with 60 - 80l of water and drain. 
Your coco is now ready for anything you want in it! 
 Fresh coco is the hardest to work with... If you reuse your coco it gets easier to use, washing it after eash harvest of coarse

Wow thanks man, I am halfway there, expanded a brick, washed it outside with the hose for about ten minutes. I will test the runoff to see if I need more rinsing. Then over night into calmag :)

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[Batista]

I got an ec of about 0.5. Added about 30 ml liquid calmag to 15 l water, might have to dose again tomorrow. Will measure the runoff and see. Ph is around 6.8, a bit high but plan on bringing that down with my fertigation.

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[CreX]

14 hours ago, Batista said:

I got an ec of about 0.5. Added about 30 ml liquid calmag to 15 l water, might have to dose again tomorrow. Will measure the runoff and see. Ph is around 6.8, a bit high but plan on bringing that down with my fertigation.

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Looking good man! 

Where did you get your brick from?