refractometer calibration

[BeGiNeR_7]

I got this refractometer from drsfostersmith.com, it was on sale and I have been wanting one. Anyways I was reading how to calibrate it and it says I need distilled water. Can I use tap or bottled or does it have to be distilled. Just wondering before I go running out to the store to buy a jug of distilled water for just a few drops.


http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Produc...&N=2004+113761

[ryguy]

use bottled water and you'll be fine. I can't see why it would matter, as long as it was pure.

[fishfreek]

You want to use as pure of water as you can to calibrate the unit. The reason is that any level of impurities can affect the light refraction thru the prizim. So to set your base line you want to use the best quality water you can.

[BeGiNeR_7]

Thanks!!!! I will just go ahead and pick up some distilled water when I go out this evening. That way I can be sure it's callibrated right.

[malkore]

Yep, you'd need distilled water ideally...good RO/DI could work in a pinch.

but bottled 'spring water' or tap water has too high a mineral content to be usable for calibration.

[ColdFish]

I just got my refractometer a couple weeks ago and used distilled water to calibrate it. I drink a good bit of bottled Aquafina water when I'm at work, so I decided to take a look at that with the refractometer (love new toys hehe) and it reads exactly what the distilled water reads. Aquafina is not labeled as spring or mineral water. It just says purified drinking water so I guess that would do in a pinch if you don't have any distilled water?