tired of this hydrometer........

[puffdaddy_1]

HI guys,

Usually I have to take 3-4 readings before I feel comfortable with this hyrometers reading.

Where can I get a digital salinity meter for a good price?????


I appreciate your insights

[BraenDead]

I would recommend a refractometer as they are going to be quite a bit cheaper and very reliable. There will usually go for around $35-$40 at some of the RC sponsors. As far as the digital meters, they are usualy a little pricey, but I would take a look at marine depot or premium aquatics.

Bob

[Cannonball888]

Hey swing-arm hydrometers do work!
Just take 100 readings, add them together, then divide by 100 to get the exact SG. :D

[Tommyc]

go with a refractometer. I recently got one from aquatic eco-systems. 42 bucks. I'm happy. No more worrying about airbubbles on the swing arm.

tom

[Fuegofish777]

i just ordered one from premium aquatics. my friend got one there too.....i hated my hydrometer and it finally broke. so it gave me an excuse to buy one

[BigStun]

get a refractometer...i got the blue one. You don't need one that comes with a light. I got mine for about 35 dollars, and it has saved me a lot of time and frustration.

[Phan]

hey hydros are ok in my book. they may not be all that acurate...but they are stable....maintenance free....etc. etc. so you take six readings to get a "general idea"? good enough for me.

get a refracto and lemme know how that works out.

steve

[Hawkdl2]

The problem with hyrometers is not that they do not give repeatable readings, it's that they are consistently inaccruate. It doesn't matter how many readings you take, most (if not all) cheap hydro's are off by some amount. You can, however use one if you've calibrated it against a proper refractometer. It's easier, and cheap enough these days, to just buy the refractometer.

Larry

[Phan]

Hawkdl2 - i agree. totally. but isnt consistancy the goal? over everything else? so id say they are fine. checked against nothing. for most applications

steve

[Hawkdl2]

Steve,

Consistency IS everything, and even a cheap hurdo will work fine for most people as long as it's been calibrated. At frag swaps at my house, we have calibrated peoples hydros against a good laboratory refractometer (mine) and found them to be off as much as 0.03. That is not an exageration and, as you know, is a lot. If you know it's off by that amount, you can adjust, but at $35-40 vs. ~$6, there's not much excuse to avoid buying the refractometer. A few years ago you couldn't get one for less than $100 and for some it was worth it to go with a calibrated hydro, but at today's prices...


Larry

[kayl]

click the sponsors link, look @ drfostersmith for a $34.99 refractometer

[Phan]

i agree with everything...but..... .03 being off "alot". i think that is an acceptable amount to be off by as long as its kept consistant.

thoughts?

steve

[clown2be]

I never new how consistant my S.G was until i bought a reafrator meter. always on the money 1.025 . With the swing arm one day it was 1.026 and few days later 1.024 and was always chasing the #. My two swingarms were both off by .002 one + and other - .