Bluelab Ppm pen Guide

Contents page

Features 2

Quick guide 2

To operate 3

Cleaning 4

Battery replacement 4

Calibration 5

Error messages 5

Troubleshooting guide 6

Technical specications 6

Information about the scales available

on the Bluelab ppm Pen 7

Product guarantee 8

Blulelab Probe Care Kits 9

Contact details 9

Care and use guide

a handy solution made easy

www.getbluelab.com

Features

Backlit LCD display Calibration optional

Hold reading function Fully waterproof

Fully guaranteed for 1 year Auto off function

Low battery warning

Automatic Temperature Compensation (ATC)

Successful calibration indicator Selectable units for conductivity and temperature

Power button / hold

Short press to turn on.

Short press to hold reading.

Long press to turn off.

Calibrate button

See calibration section.

Units button

Hold until units ﬂash then short press to

change units.

Screen will change back when no buttons

have been pressed for 3 seconds.

Quick guide

Low battery warning

Appears when

batteries are low.

Check mark/

tick to indicate

successful

calibration.

ATTENTION: The instrument is only as

accurate as the probe is clean

Shroud

The conductivity probe must be cleaned regularly to remove built up nutrient salts to

ensure an accurate reading (see cleaning instructions in section 2.0).

English

1.0 To operate

Turn pen on

Press power button. The last measurement is recalled

for 3 seconds.

To turn pen off

Press and hold the power button until OFF is

displayed.

NOTE: The pen will automatically turn off after

4 minutes to conserve battery power.

Measure ppm

Place probe in solution and wait for reading to

stabilize.

To hold reading

If you want to “hold” the reading on the screen, short

press the power button. To exit the hold function

press the power button again.

To change units

Hold down the units button for 3 seconds until the

conductivity and temperature units start ﬂashing.

Short press units button again to cycle between unit

combinations. To exit this mode don’t press anything

for 3 seconds.

NOTE: You can change units while in hold mode by

holding down the units button.

Rinse conductivity probe

To reduce the build up of nutrient salts, rinse under

running water after each use.

The probe needs to be cleaned once every two weeks

to ensure accurate readings. To clean the probe follow

the cleaning instructions in section 2.0.

1 second alternating displays

Power button

English

2.0 Cleaning

Cleaning the ppm pen probe periodically ensures accurate readings.

The probe is cleaned using the Bluelab Conductivity Probe Cleaner, or “Jif”

a trade name for a liquid scourer cream used in home bathrooms and kitchens.

Similar products are called “Liquid Vim”, “Soft Scrub”, “Cif cream”, or “Viss”.

Never use scented varieties as they contain oils that contaminate the probe.

Follow the steps below to clean the probe.

Remove shroud.

Hold the body and pull the shroud off. Holding your hand

around the shroud for a few seconds will help with removal.

Clean probe face.

Place one or two drops of probe cleaner onto the probe

face and rub with your ﬁnger or Bluelab Chamois ﬁrmly and

vigorously, to clean the probe face.

If a heavy build up occurs around the temperature sensor

clean with a soft toothbrush to remove contamination.

Rinse probe.

Rinse off all traces of cleaner under running water using the

same ﬁnger or other side of Bluelab Chamois.

Check that the water forms a ﬁlm on the probe face with

no “beads” of water. If beading is present repeat the

cleaning process.

Replace shroud and test in a known solution to ensure

the unit has been adequately cleaned.

3.0 Battery replacement

The ppm pen is powered with 1 x AAA alkaline battery. Do not use rechargeable

batteries. A low battery warning is indicated by a battery symbol appearing on

the screen. Only remove the battery cap when the batteries require changing.

Battery life is expected to be 350 hours.

To remove old battery

Undo battery cap fasteners. Remove battery cap and tip out the

old battery.

Check for corrosion

Flat batteries may leak and cause corrosion. Check battery

contacts and the battery for any sign of corrosion. Battery

contacts should be cleaned ﬁrst if corrosion is found before

proceeding to step 3.

Fit new battery

Insert the new batteries positive (+) end down into the body.

Ensure waterproof battery cap seal is clean

Seal will fail if any dirt is present.

Replace battery cap

Tighten fasteners on battery cap until there is no space left

between the cap and body. This ensures the unit remains 100%

waterproof.

Waterproof seal

English

Pull

5.0 Error messages

The following error messages appear for the following reasons.

4.0 Calibration

Calibration of conductivity is not required for this unit as it is factory calibrated.

However; if you wish to calibrate the unit follow the instructions below.

YOU MUST CLEAN THE PROBE BEFORE

CALIBRATING.

See section 2.0.

Rinse probe in fresh water and place it in a known

standard solution. See chart below for the correct

solution.

Wait for reading to stabilize.

Hold down the cal button for 3 seconds until CAL

appears.

Release button and CAL P should be displayed. If Err

is displayed check the probe is clean and that the

calibration solution is fresh and uncontaminated.

A check mark will appear on the screen to indicate that

the calibration was successful. The check mark will

disappear after 30 days. To reset back to factory default

remove/replace battery.

NOTE: If you need to test or calibrate in a 1500 ppm

solution, you MUST set the pen to EC, then multiply your

result by 540. If calibrating, multiply 2.8 by 540

(2.8 x 540 = 1512).

This unit DOES NOT measure in the 540 ppm scale.

Temperature

over range

ppm over range

Temperature error

Hardware error

Temperature

under range

English

EC ppm 500

(TDS)

ppm 700

(EC x 700)

Solution value 2.77 1385 1940

Displayed value 2.8 1390 1940

1385

ppm

Hold for 3

seconds

6.0 Troubleshooting guide

Trouble Correction

ppm pen gives low

readings

Low readings usually mean the probe is contaminated. Clean the

probe and retest in a known solution. Ensure unscented cleaner is

used eg. Bluelab Conductivity Probe Cleaner, Jif, Liquid Vim, Soft

Scrub, Cif cream or Viss.

ppm pen gives high

readings

Calibrate pen in a known standard solution.

Check the table in section 4.0 for what solution to use for your

selected conductivity unit.

Screen does not

turn on

Replace unit.

7.0 Technical specications

Range

0.0 - 10.0 EC, 0 - 7000 ppm (700 ppm),

0 - 5000 ppm (500 ppm/TDS)

0 - 50 °C / 32 - 122 °F

Resolution 0.1 EC, 10 ppm (700), 10 ppm (500)

1 °C / 1 °F

Accuracy

± 0.1EC @ 25°C (@2.77EC)

± 50 ppm (ppm 500) @ 25 °C (@ 1385 ppm)

± 70 ppm (ppm 700) @ 25 °C (@ 1940 ppm)

± 1 °C / ± 1 °F / ± 2 °F

Temperature compensation Automatic

Operating temperature 0 - 50 °C, 32 - 122 °F

Calibration Factory calibrated / manual calibration optional

Units EC, 700 ppm, 500 ppm, °C, °F

Power source 1 x AAA alkaline battery

Limitation of Liability

Under no circumstances shall Bluelab Corporation Limited be liable for any claims,

losses, costs and damages of any nature whatsoever (including any consequential loss)

that result from the use of, or the inability to use, these instructions.

English

8.0 Information about the scales available on the

Bluelab ppm Pen

Is a measure of electrically charged nutrient ions in a solution and is the only

absolute measure of conductivity.

Pure water will not conduct electricity. Water usually conducts electricity

because it is full of impurities, in our case, electrically charged nutrient ions.

The two black dots on the end of a conductivity probe are called electrodes.

When these are placed in a solution, an electrical current passes from one

electrode, through the water to the other electrode and counts the number

of electrically charged ions present. This represents the units measured - EC.

ppm measures parts per million

There are many different scales used for different industries around the world

and for many different reasons! Did you even know there are more than two

scales? The most widely used scales in Hydroponics are the 500 scale, 650

scale and the 700 scale.

What’s the difference?

The ppm 500 scale is based on measuring the KCl or potassium chloride

content of a solution. The ppm 700 is based on measuring the NaCl or

sodium chloride content of a solution. Individual nutrient ions have different

electrical effects! The true ppm of a solution can only be determined by a

chemical analysis. ppm cannot be accurately measured by an EC meter. They

are present on Bluelab products as a conversion guide only. The conversion is

as follows;

2.4 EC x 500 = 1200 ppm (500 scale) or 1200 ppm / 500 = 2.4 EC

2.4 EC x 700 = 1680 ppm (700 scale) or 1680 ppm / 700 = 2.4 EC

If you are wanting to measure your solution in ppm, you will need to know

the following:

• What ppm scale is your meter using?

• Which calibration standard should you use for your meter?

• What ppm scale is my nutrient referring to?

English

Bluelab ppm Pen product guarantee

Bluelab Corporation Limited guarantees this product for a period of 1 year

(12 months) from the date of sale to the original purchaser. The product

will be repaired or replaced, should it be found faulty due to component

failure, or faulty workmanship. The faulty product should be returned to

the point of purchase.

The guarantee is null and void should any internal parts or ﬁxed external parts

be tampered with or altered in any way, or should the unit have been incorrectly

operated, or in any way be maltreated. This guarantee does not cover reported faults which are shown

to be caused by any or all of the following: contaminated measuring tip (see instruction manual

for cleaning instructions), broken glassware or drying of the pH probe glassware, ﬂat or damaged

batteries or batteries that have been incorrectly inserted, or damaged battery contacts or connections

caused by incorrect battery replacement or ingress of moisture from incorrect positioning of the

battery cap and waterproof seal.

NO RESPONSIBILITY will be accepted by Bluelab or any of its agents or resellers should any

damage or unfavourable conditions result from the use of this product, should it be faulty or

incorrectly operated.

Or ll out the form below and post, email or fax to:

Bluelab Corporation Limited

8 Whiore Avenue, Tauriko Industrial Park, Tauranga 3110, New Zealand

Fax: +64 7 578 0847 Email: suppor[email protected]

Product details

Product name

Serial number

Date purchased

Purchaser details

Purchaser’s name

Address

City

Country

Email (optional)

Purchased from (Dealers details)

Purchased from

Address

City

Country

Phone number

(optional)

year

ear

English

› Cleaning instructions inside box lid

› 500ml 2.77EC conductivity standard solution

› Decanter vessel

› Bluelab Conductivity Probe Cleaner

› Bluelab Chamois (probe cleaning instrument)

Bluelab Probe Care Kit -

Conductivity contents:

Bluelab Probe Care Kits

The instrument is only as accurate as the probe is clean!

Probe cleaning is one of the most important parts of owning and operating any

Bluelab meter, monitor or controller. If the probe is contaminated (dirty) it aects

the accuracy of the reading displayed.

The probe surface is where the instrument takes the reading of the solution. The information is sent back

from the probe to the electronic brain of the instrument. A calculation is then done in the instrument’s

brain or micro computer and a reading is displayed. If the information sent back from the probe is

inaccurate due to probe surface contamination then the reading will be inaccurate. Cleaning the probes is

a very easy task and will prolong the life of the probes.

› Cleaning instructions inside box lid

› 500ml pH4 and pH7 Calibration solutions

› Decanter vessels

› Bluelab pH Probe Cleaner

› Toothbrush (probe cleaning instrument)

Bluelab Probe Care Kit - pH

contents:

If you need assistance or advice - we’re here to help you.

Phone: +64 7 578 0849 Fax: +64 7 578 0847

Email: suppor[email protected]

Looking for speciﬁcations or technical advice?

Visit us online @ www.getbluelab.com

Bluelab Corporation Limited

8 Whiore Avenue, Tauriko Industrial Park

Tauranga 3110, New Zealand

English

Instruction Manual English 620305_V01_260811

This manual suits for next models

Table of contents

Other bluelab Test Equipment manuals

bluelab

bluelab Guardian Monitor Guide

Popular Test Equipment manuals by other brands

SMART

SMART KANAAD SBT XTREME 3G Series user manual

Agilent Technologies

Agilent Technologies BERT Serial Getting started

Agilent Technologies

Agilent Technologies N3280A user guide

Vernier

Vernier Go Direct Voltage manual

Lifeloc

Lifeloc R.A.D.A.R. quick start guide

Fluke

Fluke T5-600 Service information

Mercury

Mercury TSL01 user manual

MAHA

MAHA MBT Series Original operating instructions

Fuji Electric

Fuji Electric P-61 instruction manual

ETC

ETC SealerAtor user manual

Skyfine

Skyfine ETHYWAY V2 user manual

Appion

Appion G5 Twin Operation manual

PCB Piezotronics

PCB Piezotronics 8159-0112A Installation and operating manual

BW Technologies

BW Technologies MicroDock II user manual

Sun Nuclear

Sun Nuclear 1027 user guide

Biomark

Biomark HPR LITE READER user manual

Hioki

Hioki 3169-20 instruction manual

Ashcroft

Ashcroft ATE-100 operating manual

bluelab ppm pen Guide

Popular Test Equipment manuals by other brands