How often do you clean and calibrate salinity probes

[Jyetman]

Just curious I've had my apex conductivity probe now for three weeks and its still fussy at times. Decided to cleaned the tip with toothbrush and it went crazy finally after 10 minutes it settled back down to a proper reading is this normal?

 

[DivingTheWorld]

Mine didn't work for the first 3 months I had it. Then it finally started registering correctly. About 4 months later it went wacky again and hasn't read right since... IMO, I wouldn't calibrate it unless you notice it's off.

 

[Jyetman]

I saved up LFS credit by trading frags and purchased 1/2 the price of this apex ad-on with that credit now feel if I had paid full price out of pocket "cash" think I may be a little more ****ed off. Why aren't they making these more reliable or at least more user friendly. I'm afraid to even twirl the damn thing they seem so fragile.

 

[Jyetman]

See the problem I'm having is the probe reads correct at first 33.9 to 34.1 then after 2 to 3 days it within hours slowly drops to 33.0 frustrating! When I take the probe out and twirl it the readings return back to normal. I can understand micro bubbles but after 2 to 3 days and have to shake it to correct that's just plain ridicules!!! Placed in low and high flow areas without bubbles.

 

[DivingTheWorld]

See the problem I'm having is the probe reads correct at first 33.9 to 34.1 then after 2 to 3 days it within hours slowly drops to 33.0 frustrating! When I take the probe out and twirl it the readings return back to normal. I can understand micro bubbles but after 2 to 3 days and have to shake it to correct that's just plain ridicules!!!

Mine reads dead on in the solution, but 2 points low in my sump. I'm planning to re-route my probe cable. It is unshielded and subject to interference. I don't have high hopes of success though.

 

[n2585722]

Have you tried placing the probe with the tip pointing up instead of down.

 

[Jyetman]

Have you tried placing the probe with the tip pointing up instead of down.

Sounds like a interesting idea but won't that submerge the wire making it brittle in time reducing life of the probe?
I may end up trying that months down the road when at wits end. Guess I can water proof the wire somehow.

 

[n2585722]

How often do you clean and calibrate salinity probes

The wire is going to get wet with salt spray anyway. It is just a thought. If it is air bubbles getting trapped in the probe this will let you know. They cannot get trapped that way. I have mine that way. It is a DA probe but I don't think there is a lot of difference. They are both conductivity probes. I don't have it straight up and down but at an angle.

 

[sbarkey]

If shaking the probe corrects the issues, even if only for a few day, the problem is very likely to be the probe location. I know you have tried various locations, but keep trying other placements. Also, put the holder on an angle as it might help with keeping bubbles at bay.