Hana Instruments TDS Meter any good?

[TygGer]

Found these on ebay for about $20 shipped.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=11780&item=5502357474&rd=1

Are they any good?

 

[reefrunner69]

That's the same one I have, I'm happy with it

 

[saberry]

I don't know but the same guy is selling weight loss pills that promise 75lb weight loss by summer. Snake oil salesman? :|

Edit: Nevermind, if it's good enough for reefrunner... 8)

 

[captivereefs]

Those are good meters. Make sure he has good seller feedback. That sounds like it couldbe cheapcorals.com who also runs a vitamin store.

 

[Atari]

I can vouch for the seller.. just received a Hanna pH meter from them this morning and am very happy, especially since it's had to come all the way to the UK.

 

[TygGer]

I can vouch for the seller.. just received a Hanna pH meter from them this morning and am very happy, especially since it's had to come all the way to the UK.

Which one did you get? The TDS1, 3 or 4?

 

[TygGer]

And while I'm asking... how about the pH meters?

(new thread)
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=26869

 

[fishgeek]

I bought my TDS1 from him and am very happy with it HTH

 

[Atari]

TygGer, It was a pH meter not a TDS meter. I was just saying it's a reliable seller.

 

[TygGer]

Whoops, sorry... misread

 

[TygGer]

My TDS meter came in yesterday and seems to work well. Is there any maintenance I should be aware of? After using the meter, do I need to dry the electrodes or is it ok to just put the cap on and store it?

As for calibration, the instructions says that I would not need to calibrate for several years if used properly. I guess I'll worry about this when the time comes...

 

[TygGer]

I email Hana Instruments and this is what they said:

Yes, you absolutely need to store the electrode in storage solution. DI
water will "kill" a pH electrode if stored in it. And, no, you cannot store
it dry, unless you want to purchase a new electrode once a month.

As far as the TDS meter, as you are testing saltwater, rinsing would be
beneficial. Other than calibrating periodically, no other maintenance is
needed.

If you have any other questions, let me know.

Regards,
xxxxxxxxx
Regional Sales Manager
Hanna Instruments
Tel: 877-694-2662
Fax: 401-762-5064
E-mail: xxxxxxxxxx
Web: www.hannainst.com

Here's their general email address: aquariums-pets@hannainst.com[/b]

 

[Atari]

Their reply sounds arogant to me.. also why would you be testing saltwater with a TDS meter? Notice the reply is from a sales manager..

 

[TygGer]

I think she misread my question regarding the TDS meter maintence.

 

[Atari]

Did you ask them why the electrode is shipped dry? I still don't understand why a dry electrode, once wet, only has a lifetime of a month if it's not kept wet.

 

[TygGer]

Nope, but I will...

I'll post here once I here back.

 

[TygGer]

Here's my email:

>Regarding the pH electrode, why was it shipped dry if you say that it would
>need to be replaced once a month if stored dry?
>
>Just wondering, why would distilled water damage the electrode? I would
>venture to guess that tap water and RO/DI water would also be damaging???
>
>The TDS meter would be used for testing Reverse Osmosis/ Deionized water
>before adding salt for a saltwater aquarium. But I understand you point.

Here's her response:

It's not stored dry originally, but the storage solution can dry up in the
shipping process from us, to the distributer, to the end user.

There are alot of applications that test with RO/DI water such as yours and soil
testing slurries, but you are not storing it for any length of time, that's what
would kill the electrode. The pure water does something to the ions in the
electrode after long periods of time. In a pinch you could store it in tap
water while waiting for storage solution.

You wouldn't have that problem with the TDS meter, just pH.[/b]

 

[Atari]

LOL, well that didn't explain anything

I really don't buy that "storage solution can dry up in the shipping".. I'm pretty sure there was never any fluid in the tiny cap that comes with it. And if they are telling the truth then why on earth would they make a loose-fitting cap that could hold all of 1 ml of solution

I guess I'll have to look into how these electrodes actually work to see if I can figure this out. I can understand that it would take a bit longer to get an accurate reading but I just don't see how AIR could kill it!

 

[TygGer]

Agreed. Her second email sounds like a bunch of bs. Let us know what you find out.

 

[Atari]

Found nothing.. LOL

But I've been storing my electrode dry now for 3 weeks so I guess I better get ready to buy a new one