problem with PH calibration on acJR and acIII

D

DeMarcusR

IF you have no experience with the acJR or acIII - please do not respond.. This is a serious question for the folks who have used the two referenced products...

I just purchased another ph probe and have tried calibrating it.. I've literally just spent the past four hours trying to get the probe calibrated on two different controllers - I keep getting a message saying that the probe is defective, which I highly doubt simply because this is the second probe I've tried in two weeks...

The current probe is a lab grade ph probe made by neptune..
Ive followed the instructions in the manual for both controllers.. they say to select you low solution's number the enter the probe until the number settles.. Well- HELL, how long is it supposed to take to settle? I just spent the last hour waiting for the 10 packet to fully settle - which didn't happen.

This last attempt was on the acIII, I started at around 10:30 with the 7.0 buffer. I'd write down the last reading then walk off for about 10 minutes, it keep changing, so I write the new reading down and go away. after about 1.5 hrs, I just accepted whatever the reading was.. I did the same on the 10.0 buffer.. After the past two hours - I'm a little pissed at these controllers.. Am I retarded or what?

Is the controller supposed to read "settled" instead of "settling" once it's done? The instructions are not dummy friendly here..
 
When I calibrate the ACJR, it goes something like this:

1. I rinse the probe in RO/DI water.
2. Then I select "Setup -> PH" to enter calibration mode.
3. It tells you to put the "low" (7.0) solution, so I place the probe in the calibration fluid packet (usually the milwaukee fluid I get from Frank's) . I let it sit for a 20-30 minutes to settle "good enough".

(i.e. It may still change readings if you let it stay there longer, but after 20-30 minutes it should be "good enough" if it can hold a steady reading for 10 minutes. After that you tell it that it's done, and it accepts that setting as "7.0". Then it will ask for the 10.0 solution.)
4. I rinse the probe in RO/DI water again in between the first and second test.

I hope this helps, I'm sorry if I wasted your time. The controller doesn't read anything special when it's done, the PH reading just stops moving as much. It shouldn't take more than 20 minutes for that to happen. If the only change between one reading and another 10 minutes later is .01, then it's probably "settled" enough.

I have two PH controllers and chemical test kits, so after calibration I can check them against one another. Things are usually in-line or close enough that it doesn't matter.
 
Thanks for the reply - I thought that .01 was settled enough also however, when I hit the select key, it'll say "updating", then show a message saying the probe is defective. This is happening on both controllers... Whats the liklihood of getting two bad probes within a week?
 
it takes a WHILE to settle.

Also, don't think just because it's a new probe, that it's a GOOD probe.

I got 2 bad back to back from Marine Depot. On the 3rd try, i finally got it to work.



re-calibrate every 60 days for ideal readings.
 
On the AC3, I was told by Neptune that its best to calibrate the pH probe in the same solution with the ORP probe. When I was having problems with getting it calibrated, I called them and they walked me through it several times before having me put the ORP probe in the solution.

They mentioned that if you are running 2 pH probes you'll have to do the same thing.

Now on the ACPro, they have told Frank to do the above, but with the Temp probe in there instead of the ORP probe.

Seems like they would put this in the manual... and it may be hidden somewhere in there but I never saw it.

Good luck.
 
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