PH Meter Find

[chuckroast]

This is probably old hat for many of you but ... I've wanted a pH meter ever since I started tinkering with developer chemistry a few years ago. I just ordered (and got) this from zoro.com. The quality of construction and packaging exceeded my expectations considerably, considering the price point:

General Tools Pocket Mini Digital pH Meter PH501 | Zoro

Order General Tools Pocket Mini Digital pH Meter, PH501 at Zoro.com. Great prices & free shipping on orders over $50 when you sign in or sign up for an account.

www.zoro.com

 

[Bill Burk]

I’ve tried using a couple digital pH meters and the values jump around too much for my taste.

How well does this one you found work regarding how the value it displays makes sense to you?

 

[koraks]

The main question with these pen-type meters is if they'll last. I've had quite a few and ultimately just gave up on them altogether. After a few months, they would drift so far out of range that they were impossible to calibrate anymore.

 

[chuckroast]

I’ve tried using a couple digital pH meters and the values jump around too much for my taste.

How well does this one you found work regarding how the value it displays makes sense to you?

So far I've only done the initial calibration, and several simple pH tests: tap water, distilled water (both slightly alkaline to my surprise) and a measurement of Part B of the Pyrocat-HD stock set.

It takes about 10-15 seconds for the reading to settle down but it seems stable thereafter. Again, this is based on VERY limited use.

 

[chuckroast]

The main question with these pen-type meters is if they'll last. I've had quite a few and ultimately just gave up on them altogether. After a few months, they would drift so far out of range that they were impossible to calibrate anymore.

Since I just got it today, I cannot address this. I will say that the construction, storage box, and so forth were better than I expected. The ones I saw on Amazon looked like junk, this one seems better. (Full disclosure: I have a financial/business relationship with zoro.com which is why I ordered from there. But it's not something that would cause me to alter my assessment of something I bought.)

EDIT: One other point. It's important to store these with the cap that covers the sensor filled with storage fluid. Letting the tip get dry can cause them to lose calibration and become less reliable ... or so I have read.

 

[mshchem]

I checked, the ones like I used in my chemist days start at 700 USD and go way up. As long as you use proper buffer solution to check/calibrate the little pocket types should be fine.
If you want to measure pH of 9-11, calibrate with a 10 buffer.
I haven't measured pH for over 30 years so keep that in mind