Pinpoint PH moniter help please

[jay357]

Hello:

I bought a pinpoint PH moniter used and am trying to calibrate it. I cannot seem to get the numbers to 7 or 10 while calibrating the unit. I have the probe in the solution and am cranking the appropriate screw to adjust the display and no matter how far I turn the screw it will not reach PH 10 or 7 without adjusting the wrong screw. Does this meen that the probe is bad? Does anyone know where to buy good probes for these units for less than 50 bucks? Would home depo sell these probes?

Thanks for the help.

Jay

 

[BHinAK]

was the cap on the tip when you got it and was there some saltwater in the cap. The tip(ball) cant dry out

 

[BHinAK]

new probes are 58.00 from Marine Depot

 

[BHinAK]

I've had one now for 4 months and only had to move the screw maybe 1/4 turn

 

[prow]

under $50 they are pretty much right at that price everywhere. here is a couple links for ya.
http://www.reefgeek.com/products/categories/controllers_and_monitors/104592.html
http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=AM1411
both of these are the same price. Dr. frost is $5 more here is that link
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=4496&rel=1

 

[prow]

new probes are 58.00 from Marine Depot

they are now $44.95

 

[BHinAK]

your right I was looking at the ORP probe oops

 

[jay357]

The tip was dry with no cap on it. So...guess I need to buy a new one.
Cha ching again....I hate to burn 50 on things like a new probe when I could buy half a tank of gas hahahahaha.

Thanks for the help...I will order one.

How hot are you guys tank this summer? Its 102 here today and my tanks hit 84.5 this evening even with no lights on all day plus fans going across the refugium. I start worring at 85 degrees.

Jay

 

[Kensn]

I am not sure about pinpoint but the ones I had to calibrate are a bit tricky. Is there 2 adjustment screws??? If so The set one will set the display to ..lets say the 7 mark, then when put in the 10 solution I would read the display and see what it said. If it said 9 I would turn the span screw to half of what I want, so if it was suppose to be 10, I would turn it to 9.5. Then put it in the 7 solution, and again if it said 7.4 I would half it and set it to 7.2... Half of what I wanted. I would continue this process until I got it dialed in. Doing it this way will enable you to dial in the span better.

Now with all that said, if it was shipped dry, it is probably better to replace the probe.

 

[prow]

i have a chiller, but keep my tank at 80-82.

I start worring at 85 degrees

thats when i would start to worry too. your right there. might want to check on your O2 levels.

 

[jay357]

When I put the probe in the 7.0 solution and attempt to calibrate the 7. screw I have to turn the screw many many times to get it near 7. Sometimes I can turn it 5 complete revolutions and the moniter will only move mabey from 9.5 to 9.0 for example. Then I will rince the probe in tap water and try to calibrate to the 10 solution the moniter may read 7.5 and I begin to turn the 10 screw and the moniter will move to mabey 8.8 then stop there no matter how many revolutions on the screw I adjust.

Does this sound like a bad moniter or a bad probe. I bought all this by trading a skimmer and cash for the PH Moniter, a Knopp C Calcium Reactor with co2 tank and regulator but had to buy a new pump for the reactor. He threw in the PH Moniter but said it does work but needs calibrated. He gave me the solution packages but the probe was not stored wet, it was dry and exposed.

What do you think? Can I run my Reactor without a moniter? Not a good idea probably but 50 bucks for a probe is a little expensive to. Mabey I should just buy a new moniter with probe.

I was able to keep the temp down to 84.5 and everything is ok now. Once last year it hit 89 when I was at work. The flesh that grows down the skeletin on my Torch corals peeled off leaving it bone white. It grew back after a while. I mostly worry about my Anenome and starfish as far as deaths are concerned. Loose one of these in the heat and if you are not home it can foul the water and nuke everything so Ive heard. I have gallon milk jugs freezing in my freezer and have the fans going on the tank as well as a powerhead pointing up to the surface to help with oxygen exchange. I will be getting a chiller when I get my new tank and move. It only stays really hot here for a few days each year...mabey 2 weeks total.

Thanks for the great help people. You Rock! :whstlr:

Jay

Jay

 

[Splendid]

get a chiller and try to keep it between 76-80!Do not let it fluctuate!!!

 

[Kensn]

I would suspect it is just the probe, it was dried out. I would get a new probe, watching the PH while dialing in a CO2 reactor is important.

 

[Frankie]

it could also be the previous owner messed up the screws and its way off. Bring it into the lfs and see if there probe works on it.