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10/18/2006, 06:53 PM | #1 |
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My refractometer is way off when testing with Pinpoint 53mS calibration fluid
I got some Pinpoint 53mS salinity calibration fluid and tested my blue RHS 10-ATC (the cheap one everyone has) refractometer. It measured 1.030!!
The Pinpoint conversion chart shows it should read 1.0259, which is what I expect a calibration fluid would be set for. Now, if I check with plain RO, it does not measure 0, but is way below the scale. I assume I should believe this calibration fluid?
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10/18/2006, 07:02 PM | #2 |
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Randy has a recipie to make your own calibration fluid of 1.026 from a 2litre bottle and table salt. Worked perfect for me and verified it was accurate too.
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10/18/2006, 07:24 PM | #3 | |
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Yes sjm, we have determined that the inexpensive refracts do not calibrate very well with RO or distilled. My cheapo (properly calibrated) reads distilled water somewhere between - .0025 and -.0030 Here we go again |
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10/18/2006, 07:34 PM | #4 |
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Well brother pony up and get a NON-cheapo salinity meter!!! Get a nice refractometer and be done with it!!
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10/18/2006, 07:37 PM | #5 |
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I tried the DIY calibration fluid, but seemed to get a different result each time a made a batch. I guess my measuring cup skills are not that good. I never got the same amount of salt in the mix each time.
This is why I got the Pinpoint calibration fluid. Takes the me not making the calibration fluid error out of the equation. So again, I can assume the Pinpoint fluid is accurate and now my refractometer is accurate?
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10/18/2006, 07:38 PM | #6 |
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Well brother, mine works just fine now that I know its properly calibrated.
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10/18/2006, 07:39 PM | #7 | |
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10/18/2006, 07:42 PM | #8 | |
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I'll get Boomer to explain it again. (I think) |
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10/18/2006, 07:54 PM | #9 |
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I think $3.45 for a bottle of calibration fluid is money well spent, especially for the "measuring cup impaired" people like us.
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10/18/2006, 07:58 PM | #10 |
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Yes I agree. I just want to make sure your calculations are correct since this has been such an issue. Boomer will be along in a bit.
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10/18/2006, 08:05 PM | #11 |
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I just went from what the Pinpoint conversion chart shows. It shows the 53 mS solution = 1.0259
PINPOINTâ„¢ Salinity Monitor Conversion Chart mS | ppt | SG 51.0 33.50 1.0248 51.5 33.90 1.0250 52.0 34.30 1.0253 52.5 34.60 1.0256 53.0 35.00 1.0259 53.5 35.40 1.0262 54.0 35.70 1.0265 54.5 36.10 1.0268 55.0 36.50 1.0270 55.5 36.80 1.0273 56.0 37.20 1.0276 56.5 37.60 1.0279 57.0 38.00 1.0282 57.5 38.30 1.0285 58.0 38.70 1.0288 58.5 39.10 1.0291 59.0 39.50 1.0294 59.5 39.80 1.0296 60.0 40.20 1.0300
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10/18/2006, 08:13 PM | #12 |
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It doesnt surprise me that once you calibrated with the 53ms solution that your refract registers lower than 1.00 with ro or distilled. Thats my whole point.
My whole point (months ago) was that even though the manufacturer of the inexpensive ones says you can calibrate with RO or distilled, this is just not true. I'm just not good as explaining the reasoning as Boomer. My head still hurts. |
10/18/2006, 11:55 PM | #13 |
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The calibration solution for a conductivity meter likely won't work at all for a refractometer. The conductivity of a solution and its refractive index are not necessarily correlated if the ionic balance isn't fixed. So the conductivity solution is set up to have a certain "resistance", and its components might not at all resemble seawater, so its refractivity could vary greatly from seawater with that same "resistance".
Bottom line: you can't use a calibration standard for both a conductivity meter and a refractometer unless it was carefully designed to work with both.
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10/19/2006, 04:32 AM | #14 |
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Thanks for the reply. That makes sense. I'm going to send American Marine (Pinpoint) an email and see what they say too.
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10/19/2006, 05:22 AM | #15 |
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Wow, I emailed AMI @ 6:30 this morning and got a reply @ 7:00! He said the calibration fluid should read 1.026 on a refractometer.
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10/19/2006, 06:14 AM | #16 |
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Hold on everyone!
The 53 mS standard provided by pinpoint may ONLY acceptable for conductivity meters. It is not likely to be 53 mS/cm seawater, but rather another chemical, and so will not necessarily match the refractive index of 53 mS/cm seawater and cannot necessarily be used to calibrate a refractometer. That said, Lou Dell may have designed it to be suitable for a refractometer as well, but I am skeptical of that, and I'll invite him here to confirm this.
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10/19/2006, 06:31 AM | #17 | |
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The email I got was from Lou Dell:
Quote:
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10/19/2006, 08:24 AM | #18 |
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I know you said that, Lou emailed me this morning the same, but I am still skeptical and will continue to follow up with him.
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Randy Holmes-Farley Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef |
10/19/2006, 08:59 AM | #19 |
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Thanks Randy. As usual, your help is greatly appreciated. I swear, I dont know how I would be able to keep my system going without help from experts such as yourself.
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10/19/2006, 09:58 AM | #20 |
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I'm going to have to see proof that a PinPoint 53 mS works on a refract. No, it is not impossible but I wonder if Lou is just confused. However, it would be great if it did work on a refract and EC meter or even a SG hydrometer. There are solutions that will work on all three but are very, very pricey.
I might add Lou's table is off also 53.0 35.00 1.0259 That table to be std, which it should be, should be 53.0 35.00 1.0264 and not 1.0259 That would have to be a table for a hydrometer calibtated @ 77F and being used in 80F water. And he shows no ref for temp for SG
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10/19/2006, 10:47 AM | #21 |
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Randy, Boomer, Billy. If you would like, I can send some of the fluid to you and you can check it against your refractometer and analyze it. PM me if interested.
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10/19/2006, 10:49 AM | #22 |
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Well, I think we can work it out with Lou. He and I discuss things about his products reasonably frequently (and besides, I don't have a refractometer ).
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10/19/2006, 10:52 AM | #23 | |
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I'm glad you guys interviened before I started raising the SG of my tanks. I'll hold off until things are confirmed.
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10/19/2006, 11:08 AM | #24 |
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We use very expensive EC meters, aka, Conductivity/Salinity meters These are the std for seawater.
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10/19/2006, 11:18 AM | #25 |
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I guess you are still using a Hydrometer
No, I like conductivity. FWIW, the Pinpoint conductivity probe is a good way to go, although I use a more sophisticated lab meter.
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