Ammonia meter

[WhistlingBadger]

You have to use regents with the meter? I always thought one used a meter so one didn't have to mess with regents. I always figured it was like a TDS meter: Stick it in the water and it tells you what's happening. I want one like that.

 

[FishHobby99]

Thats what I thought! Told them I thought it like a pH meter.
Mentioned too bad the pic showed the yellow meter only and not the open case with the 2 test tubes & reagents. probably the same exact stuff API uses for 10X the cost!

 

[Essjay]

I always read the manual before I buy anything from kitchen appliances to laptops
I've just read the manual for the Hanna ammonia meter, and it's a colourimeter, an expensive way of reading the colour in the test tube. This meter will accurately measure the colour and convert it into a number.

 

[FishHobby99]

it is! it would be ok if not for the exorbitant cost of the
reagents. Likely I could shove api chemicals in there.

 

[Uberhoust]

it is! it would be ok if not for the exorbitant cost of the
reagents. Likely I could shove api chemicals in there.

You likely could but you would have to re-reference the output from the device which would make it not much fun to use. I have thought about making a container with a tri-colored LED and a photocell, essentially a cheap colorimeter, driven by a Arduino microcontroller. The sample would go between the LED and the photocell, the microcontroller would then cycle the red, green, and blue LEDs on measuring the transmission through the fluid to determine the RGB value for the fluid. This then would be referenced to the color tests. Once referenced you could enter the color vs (test material concentration) functions into the controller. The largest issues are that the RGB LEDs only generate the appearance of full spectrum, if the color of fluid is between the frequencies of the LEDs it might appear transparent which is why Hanna may have multiple models. Normally you would only need one proper colorimeter for all the tests using colorimetric methods. Unfortunately my interest is only exceeded by my lack of motivation. I hardly test my water anymore.

 

[FishHobby99]

You likely could but you would have to re-reference the output from the device which would make it not much fun to use. I have thought about making a container with a tri-colored LED and a photocell, essentially a cheap colorimeter, driven by a Arduino microcontroller. The sample would go between the LED and the photocell, the microcontroller would then cycle the red, green, and blue LEDs on measuring the transmission through the fluid to determine the RGB value for the fluid. This then would be referenced to the color tests. Once referenced you could enter the color vs (test material concentration) functions into the controller. The largest issues are that the RGB LEDs only generate the appearance of full spectrum, if the color of fluid is between the frequencies of the LEDs it might appear transparent which is why Hanna may have multiple models. Normally you would only need one proper colorimeter for all the tests using colorimetric methods. Unfortunately my interest is only exceeded by my lack of motivation. I hardly test my water anymore.

Like I once said. You are light years ahead of me on all this.
Can be difficult to find motivation when there’s no real necessity. Unless it’s the thrill of the Quest.