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ppm Pen
User Manual
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Bluelab ppm Pen User Manual

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Care and use 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
a handy solution made easy
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Quick guide
Check mark/ tick to indicate successful calibration.
Low battery warning
Appears when batteries are low.
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 fl ash then short press to change units.
Screen will change back when no buttons have been pressed for 3 seconds.
Shroud
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ATTENTION: The instrument is only as
accurate as the probe is clean
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).
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 fl ashing. 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.
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Power button
1 second alternating displays
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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 fi nger or Bluelab Chamois fi rmly 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 fi nger or other side of Bluelab Chamois.
Check that the water forms a fi lm 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 fi rst 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.
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Waterproof seal
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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.
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EC ppm 500
(TDS)
ppm 700
(EC x 700)
Solution value 2.77 1385 1940
Displayed value 2.8 1390 1940
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Hold for 3
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Temperature under range
Temperature error
seconds
1385 ppm
Temperature over range
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ppm over range
Hardware error
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.
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8.0 Information about the scales available on the Bluelab ppm Pen
EC
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?
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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
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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.
Bluelab Probe Care Kit - pH contents:
› Cleaning instructions inside box lid
› 500ml pH4 and pH7 Calibration solutions
› Decanter vessels
› Bluelab pH Probe Cleaner
› Toothbrush (probe cleaning instrument)
If you need assistance or advice - we’re here to help you. Phone: +64 7 578 0849 Fax: +64 7 578 0847 Email: support@getbluelab.com
Looking for specifi cations or technical advice? Visit us online @ www.getbluelab.com
Bluelab Corporation Limited 8 Whiore Avenue, Tauriko Industrial Park Tauranga 3110, New Zealand
Bluelab Probe Care Kit ­Conductivity contents:
› Cleaning instructions inside box lid
› 500ml 2.77EC conductivity standard solution
› Decanter vessel
› Bluelab Conductivity Probe Cleaner
› Bluelab Chamois (probe cleaning instrument)
Instruction Manual English 620305_V01_260811
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© Copyright 2011, all rights reserved, Bluelab Corporation Limited
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