Hanna Ph Pens

[Your Grandfather]

I just got off of the phone with tech support at Hanna.oh_feefee

Pretty nice people.;)

They told me something that I feel should be passed along to the community.hoo_ka

Do not put your ph pens within 1 meter (3.3 feet) of a digital ballast. Apparently, the digital ballast has a pretty adverse effect on the pens.guillo_tine

If you have had your pens close to the ballast, I would strongly suggest you not only re-calibrate the pen but also keep an eye on the pen's ability to hold calibration.dust_farter1

[tom crudes]

I just got off of the phone with tech support at Hanna.oh_feefee

Pretty nice people.;)

They told me something that I feel should be passed along to the community.hoo_ka

Do not put your ph pens within 1 meter (3.3 feet) of a digital ballast. Apparently, the digital ballast has a pretty adverse effect on the pens.guillo_tine

If you have had your pens close to the ballast, I would strongly suggest you not only re-calibrate the pen but also keep an eye on the pen's ability to hold calibration.dust_farter1

I have a magnetic ballast...:ha ha ha ha: but this is good to know.

[greenacres]

i would go as far as saying keep all meters of any type away from any type of ballast. magnets and electronics period dont mix.

put your monitor near a speaker. or a hard drive near one and see what happens.

good one.

[igrowdro]

I have a magnetic ballast...:ha ha ha ha: but this is good to know.

yeah me too and i think this is just one more reason to stay old school. mine goes out it can be fixed in hours, digi goes out you buy a replacement while you ship it back lol.i dont know how to fix the magnetic ones but i got a guy who does that's all that matters.

[XXXDank]

Whats weird is the other day I was taking a reading in my flower room and I put the cup with the solution in it close to a CFL bulb and I put the pen into the cup and the PH read 4.5 wow. I have learned that before I use my pen I check calibration so the pen was dialed in. I just happen to notice that when my hand passed between the pen and the CFL that the PH reading would jump up real quick so I moved the cup and pen away from the CFL and the PH came up to 5.8 :eek2: So I would say that CFLs have a bad effect on them too. they are measuring electrical current after all.

[greenacres]

thats cause cfl have the ballast in the mogul. the big fat base.

[GrowOne]

If you have had your pens close to the ballast, I would strongly suggest you not only re-calibrate the pen but also keep an eye on the pen's ability to hold calibration.dust_farter1

Maybe that's what happened to mine. I had a Hannah 'Checker' which worked okay for about a month, and then it would never settle...would not stop on a number. I took it bck to the guy I bought it from and he told me that they have those problems, and said he considered the $75 Hannah 'Checker' disposable. I couldn't believe my ears, $75 is not disposable to me. Now that I've read this it seems very likely that this is what happened to it (I recall setting it on top of the ballast more than once)

Great topic, only wish I had read it three years ago :ha ha ha ha:

[greenacres]

sucks but you shouldnt be told not to put anything on a ballast...never mind equipent that has water on it. going near one is one thing.....but leaving it on that thing so hot, surprised it didnt melt

[GrowOne]

but leaving it on that thing so hot, surprised it didnt melt

Well it didn't get that hot, it was a 400w ballast. I didn't leave it there for that long either, just kind of a check, set it down, check again.

[greenacres]

aah i see...all dripping wet...your scarry...lol..im not pickin on ya...just be careful dood.

[GrowOne]

aah i see...all dripping wet...your scarry...lol..im not pickin on ya...just be careful dood.

Ya no worries that was back in the beginning, learning stages. There were scarier moments than that believe me lol

[greenacres]

lalalalalalalalal...i cant hear you.