Freaking hate refractometers.

[Bent]

So, I must be getting old.

I can't read my refract anymore. I have to stare at the thing for 10min before I finally settle on...."looks like 1.026? 27?"

There has to be a better way.

Even my glass hydrometer I have a hard time reading.

Any accurate digital ones out there?

 

[Piranha_Owns]

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/milwaukee-digital-seawater-refractometer.html

 

[snorvich]

So, I must be getting old.

I can't read my refract anymore. I have to stare at the thing for 10min before I finally settle on...."looks like 1.026? 27?"

There has to be a better way.

Even my glass hydrometer I have a hard time reading.

Any accurate digital ones out there?

Get one of the lighted background ones. Helps a lot. Every instrument will have a standard error of the mean which the the reading you see +/- a factor.

 

[Bent]

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/milwaukee-digital-seawater-refractometer.html

I've always heard those are insanely inconsistent.....is that true?

 

[shifty51008]

pinpoint
http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/pinpoint-salinity-monitor.html

 

[Bent]

Do any of the controllers come with one?

If not I may get the pin point. I didn't know they made one.



Just the probe for the apex is 125 buck....

Pinpoint here I come.

 

[vhuang168]

Freaking hate refractometers.

Are those conductivity probes or salinity probes? I know the Neptune one is a conductivity probe.

While you can calculate salinity from conductivity, the probes are notorious for drifting out of calibration.

Neptune recommends not using the probe to test for salinity to use for the ATO.

I've used the digital Milwaukee refractometer and I like the simplicity and accuracy. Simple check is to drop some rodi and take a reading. 1.000 and you are good.

 

[Harry_Y]

Try looking at different lights

 

[dkeller_nc]

I've always heard those are insanely inconsistent.....is that true?

No. Properly treated they're dead-on accurate. Where people get into trouble is storing them in their tank cabinet (which corrodes the electronics), or not religiously cleaning off the measurement cell after each use. They're awesome - get one.

 

[shadow64]

Milwaukee Digital Seawater Refractometer

 

[jason2459]

Veegee/vitalsine is my goto and favorite device I've used to measure salinity and much easier to read then any other refractometer I've used. The Milwaukee digital and pinpoint are good too and use them as well.

 

[Bent]

Looks like I know what I'm getting next payday.

I need to buy some corals. All this craps getting in the way.

 

[Vinny Kreyling]

Try a magnifying glass on your hydrometer.
Don't know if it would work on a refractometer.
When I use mine I always try to use sunlight for increased clarity and brightness.
Look thru the window.

 

[ryeguyy84]

Agree with above, go outside and look at it. your neighbors might look at you like your a weirdo but its the best light

 

[cmcoker]

I have used my phone's camera to take images on a microscope, I would think you could use it for the refracto meter as well and zoom , might have to make a stand of some sort to line them up easily though...
I know they make iPhone cases that have an attachment to allow lining up to a microscope easily, that might work as well...

 

[Tweaked]

No. Properly treated they're dead-on accurate. Where people get into trouble is storing them in their tank cabinet (which corrodes the electronics), or not religiously cleaning off the measurement cell after each use. They're awesome - get one.

This, great piece of testing equipment!!

 

[RWEngineer]

This, great piece of testing equipment!!

The specs state accuracy of +- 0.002 S.G.

 

[Tweaked]

The specs state accuracy of +- 0.002 S.G.

good enough for government work lol

 

[reefsahoy]

Cheapest fix, get someone else to read it or buy glasses. Lol

 

[Bent]

Cheapest fix, get someone else to read it or buy glasses. Lol

Glasses!?

Nevaaaaaaaaaa!!!