Vivosun pH + TDS Meter Review - How to Calibrate Digital PH Meter

In this video I use and review the Vivosun pH and TDS meters. I also show detailed instructions on how to calibrate the Vivosun digital ph meter.
pH issues are a common cause of disease and malnutrition in hydroponic plants. A pH meter will allow you to monitor your reservoir better and lead to bigger and better harvests from your plants!
This product can be found on Amazon, here:
bit.ly/PHandTDS
And a great water distiller can be found here:
bit.ly/DiSTILLER
Please note that I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for sites/people to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon properties, including but not limited to amazon.com.
#hydroponics #review #vivosun
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[@dustin2250]

Experience has taught me: It's a good idea to have extra solution packets. If you have none and your meter goes out of calibration, you are stuck. Also test the pH of a couple items around the kitchen after calibration so later if you suspect the meter is no longer accurate you can check it against those items. JIMMY B IS THE BEST!!

[@JimmyBHarvests]

A great tip, thanks for sharing bro! 🤙🙏🙏

[@2stroketyson79]

or just buy a better PH meter

[@dustin2250]

@@2stroketyson79 please link in a better pH meter. Ty

[@madisonlane1391]

Thanks for posting this! Best review video I’ve found to help guide me step by step easily! 👍

[@JimmyBHarvests]

Glad it helped you out! Thanks for the kind words! 🙏

[@kennethelder2702]

Me too lol

[@AlonzoWhite]

I've owned the pair for several months. They Work Great!

[@JimmyBHarvests]

Good to hear!

[@nonameforprivacy3303]

How do you calibrate the tds&ec meter? Pls I can't figure it out

[@gdlivo3353]

@@nonameforprivacy3303 See my current comments above? The answer at this point is nobody knows.

[@megalepivolos]

as always excellent video stay strong my man

[@nottofuninja9864]

thanks that was very helpful

[@javiercastaneda3224]

Thank youso much, I've justgot it.

[@JimmyBHarvests]

Awesome - enjoy it!

[@megalepivolos]

excellent my friend i liked that

[@xDBxMitchxDBx420Thegrowshow]

just grabbed these they work great i think its worth the cash greatvideo buddy

[@JimmyBHarvests]

Thanks for the kind words!

[@weebleandwobblebutdontfalldown]

DUDE!!! Thank you sooo much for just saying, PUT THE DARN THING INTO SOME DISTILLED WATER AND IT SHOULD READ 0000. I mean, I watched 4 other videos guys showing HOW to calibrate, but you're 1st to simply test it to see IF it's calibrated. Thank you for that. Happy 2024!

[@JimmyBHarvests]

Happy to hear it provides some value to you! Thanks for the support!

[@craigheartwell5142]

The pH of distilled water is not zero. "Neutral" is 7, but most distilled water will have absorbed some amount of CO2 producing acidic water (carbonic acid). Safer to assume that distilled water is pH of 6 if you have no way to confirm otherwise.

[@HealingNature]

Very good video

[@JimmyBHarvests]

🙏🙏

[@keithcook9539]

Thank you your video definitely helped. They definitely do not make it easy to calibrate as they say you need deionized water which is not distilled water. For sure confusing but will work in a pinch for cheap.🙏🙏🙏

[@kahunablinginz6838]

I've got these to finally

[@Alwightmush]

Can you calibrate using only two of the buffer solutions, the 4 and 9?

[@RithyCHEN]

Thanks you for sharing

[@JimmyBHarvests]

🤙🤙

[@Aethelvlad]

lmfao that chart with rulings made of meter pens gave me a chuckle, quality content brotha

[@JimmyBHarvests]

Thanks for the kind words my dude

[@MyJerzz]

Ty for the info

[@fallofmanbrand]

great video bro

[@JimmyBHarvests]

Glad you enjoyed it, thanks!

[@dankyStank]

Do they need calibration right out of the box?

[@-unclebuck-]

I plan on freezing the little cups with the calibration solution in the freezer. in months time when I need to recalibrate I will just take it out of the freezer and let it turn to liquid and that should work for the year, until it breaks like they always do. I am going to treat this 15 dollar ph pen like it's made of egg shell and see if that makes it last longer.

[@JimmyBHarvests]

Best of luck!

[@debfidler]

Do they have to go in the freezer? Or can they be left at room temp to reuse?

[@guyl9128]

Can you make a video or coment in detail on dwc watering and shit, like when to change the soup and whatever with the soup

[@JimmyBHarvests]

The nutrient companies will say mix a new reservoir every week. I usually just top up my reservoir and do a full change out every month or so, but nowhere close to every week.

[@gdlivo3353]

From the vivosun site "Due to recently reviews about 1413 solution, please note that TDS Meter had been calibrated by 1413 solution in advance; You can use it directly and it could last for 1 year without second calibration; So 1413 calibraiton solution is not included". What they are saying is that it comes pre-calibrated and should last for a year. No explanation about what to do after the year though.

[@gdlivo3353]

I have just requested clarification from the support email address.. 1413 solution appears to be generally unavailable through Amazon. Possibly some environmental or health concern. Still available through eBay, here in Australia at least. Not cheap though. Cheaper to buy a new set of meters than a 500 ml bottle. I guess you could fluff about with making a 1413 microsiemens solution that you could then replicate later on using a known nutrient concentration. I imagine the calibrate button works similarly to the pH meter, but I've asked that as well. Biopharm 1413 solution contains 708 ppm NaCl and 980 ppm of 442. 442 is 40% Sodium Sulphate, 40% Sodium Bicarbonate and 20% Sodium Chloride. Shouldn't be too hard to mix it up with some distilled water to get a reading of 1413 when the meter is new and then repeat as required.

[@JimmyBHarvests]

The Preciva ph meter on amazon comes pre-calibrated, and includes multiple packets of buffering powder for later calibrations if necessary

[@gdlivo3353]

@@JimmyBHarvestsThanks JB, but I've already bought the Vivosun meters and they were delivered yesterday. They are working perfectly out of the box so at this stage there is no problem. 1 week delivery to Australia is pretty good service from Amazon. I have the required salts so I will carefully calculate the amounts to reproduce some 1413 solution and then adjust to get the right reading at the temperature so I can reproduce as required in the future. I notice in your video you don't make mention of the ability to calibrate to 1 decimal or 2 decimal figures. Calibrating to just the 6.86 buffer gives 1 decimal accuracy where using all 3 buffers gives 2 decimal accuracy.

[@JimmyBHarvests]

You’re absolutely right. Good luck with your meter, hope it works well for you!

[@checkforfleas9452]

These are great to get to an approximate tds and ph. Me and my buddy tested it against a 200 dollar meter and the tds is accurate. But the ph meter is about a tenth off. That is a very delicate situation. They are great and amazing if u only have 20 bucks to spend. I recommend the blue labs. It’s 75 bucks but it’s worth every penny. My buddy bought a different one that does every thing for 200 bucks. But I mean u will spend close to that on blue labs ph and tds meter

[@blacklux6774]

I went to calibrate my brand new pH pen ( the yellow one) but I was not able to temperature control. My numbers were off about .50-.70 from the numbers on the packet so I didn't caibrate it and ended up throwing away the water with the solution in it. I was thinking I could use the pen as is, thinking that difference wasn't enough to make a difference in results of my plants. Opinions on how to get it calibrated properly without temp controlled water?

[@JimmyBHarvests]

I used the packs and calibrated to the solutions even though mine weren’t perfectly temp controlled. Without the packs/solution I’m not sure how to best calibrate. Good luck

[@scapes5548]

So.... I dont need to cal the ppm reader?

[@nicpete492]

What would happen if you only have 2 of the 3 buffer powder packets? I lost one I guess... I've got the 9.18 and the 6.86 packs, will that be enough to get at least a somewhat accurate reading with my meter?

[@JimmyBHarvests]

You can calibrate to the 6.86 pack only, and this will make it pretty accurate

[@s.f.morris7331]

looks like you stirred the first solution with the spoon and then dipped it right in the second solution and then again with the third. now the second glass has a bit of the first solution in it and so on...wonder if that has any effect to the reading?

[@JimmyBHarvests]

Yea that likely caused some level of contamination / mixing between them. Highly doubt it’s enough to matter. These cheap digital meters aren’t super precise no matter what you do. If you need real precision, you need one of those $300ish meters

[@thoughtspiller]

Do I have to calibrate

[@michaelmedashefski9755]

So why is it when I do 6.86 ph is reading 9.18 and it won’t let me recalibrate it. It just keeps doing that.

[@bygoneera9521]

Do you have to calibrate to all 3 if only requiring one specifically? For instance I need 6.4 so would I only use that one?

[@JimmyBHarvests]

Calibrating to only the 6.4 makes it accurate to 1 decimal place. Calibrating to all 3 makes it accurate to decimal places. According to the instructions

[@nathantatro1936]

I heard that you can keep the ph solutions in 1/2 qt mason jars for later use and the PH will stay correct is this true?

[@JimmyBHarvests]

Don’t see any reason why that shouldn’t work

[@Babyluthi]

Put the buffer solutions in a jar each. Use over and over again:)

[@daciasdiy1861]

Good video , I’m gonna purchase a better one so i don’t have to suffer

[@JimmyBHarvests]

🙏

[@mariat735]

Since the powders are a one-off use, how will I be able to re-calibrate for future uses? Is there a link to buy these powders or do I have to keep re-buying the meters? Thank you for the video!

[@JimmyBHarvests]

I’m not aware of a solution to that issue, which you’re exactly right about. Some other similar products on the market come with a couple packs of buffering solution so you could recalibrate multiple times. I’d recommend buying two meters of whatever meter you choose, then you’ll have double the buffers, and you can always use both meters to get a reading. With just one meter it’s hard to tell if the meter is getting uncalibrated.

[@davidrosenzweig1380]

buy liquid

[@scapes5548]

Buy the liquid ones. Theyre even faster and easier to use.

[@sebials5101]

since you have just one bag per solution, do you really need 1 big glass of water and spend it all, or can you use just a little in smaller glasses so u could use some for later.

[@JimmyBHarvests]

The packages require a specific amount of water to be mixed with, so that your resulting solutions have the specific ph amounts we are calibrating to

[@keroppiix]

OKAY SO WHAT DOES THE CALIBRATION BUTTON ON THE TDS METER DO THEN?

[@xxxggthyf]

I have both of these. The pH meter is great and the buffer calibration solution can be reused. The TDS/EC meter is complete junk and incapable of giving the same measurement twice in a row. I have an even cheaper TDS only meter that is far more consistent.

[@sonalfonseka3680]

Is it ok to use plastic beaker to mix buffer powder

[@JimmyBHarvests]

Yes

[@gdlivo3353]

Vivosun Customer Service Team, Why are you refusing to provide instruction on how to re-calibrate these meters? My meter is less than 1 month old and requires re-calibration as it is not reading correctly. What are the steps for re-calibration please? I have 1413 solution. How do I use it to perform the procedure? Which buttons need to be used and how? Kind Regards G

[@gdlivo3353]

Answer from Vivosun: (I wont hold my breath. This is the latest reply to the 10th email I've sent them.) Dear Customer, Thank you for contacting VIVOSUN. I will contact our tech team to give you an answer, thanks. Best Regards, VIVOSUN Customer Service Team

[@JimmyBHarvests]

😂 progress? Maybe?

[@generalawareness101]

I have a question as I just received my meters. What is the proper order to measure? If I measure EC then PH then jack with the PH (especially if I have to go up) the EC will change. I had over 9000 EC trying to raise my PH.

[@JimmyBHarvests]

Great questions! I'm not 100% sure. I dont usually pay much attention to EC to be honest

[@generalawareness101]

@@JimmyBHarvests I killed a few plants as my mix was too hot. I think it was so hot that the meter would not go above about 1790 EC no matter how much nutes I added. I thought my meter was broken (may be) but I added half a gallon of water to a small amount and suddenly my EC was 3300. The more distilled water I added to it the lower it went too, so I lay odds I must have been 20k-50k EC since my meter only goes up to 9999.

[@drinkwithphil]

I just tried to calibrate mine. It wouldn't work. I put it in the 8.6ph solution and it immediately calibrated it at 4. Could not get it to calibrate correctly in the solutions. Now it's just stuck at 0. So I've never even been able to use it.

[@JimmyBHarvests]

Bummer bro. Customer support will refund you

[@shanj1421]

How should I store this meter? I’ve read some people say store the meter in KCl but I don’t have any. Could I store it dry? And would it still be accurate?

[@JimmyBHarvests]

I rinse mine, dry it off, and put in the little carrying case it comes with. Then I put it in a drawer where the sun can’t get at it. It should stay relatively accurate for a while. I’d recommend getting two cheap ph meters and using them both so you can average out the readings. You’ll have no way to know if a meter gets uncalibrated unless you have a second. Not ideal, but it’s worked for me.

[@shanj1421]

@@JimmyBHarvests thanks for the reply! That makes sense I’ll look at getting another.

[@deleted6343]

ph levels matched as it said on google

[@robertjamesgallardo]

how often do you do the calibration?

[@JimmyBHarvests]

My single calibration has lasted 8 months so far. Not often.

[@deleted6343]

after the buffers was gone of course

[@maxm1584]

Do you have to recalibrate each time you turn on or is that just the first time use?

[@chicksgrowtoo]

One time calibration.

[@weebleandwobblebutdontfalldown]

Btw, totally worth being forced to watch the ads before getting to you.

[@dimpkelz.88]

You should’ve used a different spoon to mix each one you want right from one solution to the next I would think that would throw off what the pH should be

[@JimmyBHarvests]

You're absolutely right about that. But the impact is going to be pretty minimal

[@gdlivo3353]

These TDS Pens are really not a TDS meter, but an EC meter. Any TDS meter is an EC meter with a built in (estimation) conversion factor. Different conversion factors are used in different parts of the world and for different applications. The most common conversion factors are 0.5, 0.55, 0.64 and 0.7. The only reading that is of anything actually measurable with this meter is the EC in uS/cm. These meters do not have auto calibration as falsely claimed by Vivosun. Vivosun have just used this "as an excuse" to deflect questions because they don't know how easy it is to actually re-calibrate their own product. It wasn't too hard to figure out after watching a few other KZbin videos and running some language translation. These Vivosun TDS meters use a conversion factor of 0.5 with the TDS reading in ppm being exactly half of the measured EC in uS/cm. In other words, an estimated conversion TDS reading of 1000 ppm is actually just telling you the solution has a measured Electrical Conductivity of 2000 uS / cm (microsiemens per centimetre). Here is a big hint towards how to re-calibrate these pens. It can be done and it is easy when you think about it. You cannot directly calibrate to a solution of known "Salt" concentration in ppm using say NaCl C342 or C1000 solutions, but you could theoretically use any "known" solution to reasonably re-calibrate. You can however, directly calibrate to a "known" Electrical Conductivity solution such as KCl C1413. Remember, these pens use 0.5 conversion factor and any TDS measurement reading is just a conversion factor estimate. The Cal/Mode button does work. You just need to know how to use it. How did you go Angus MacTaggart?

[@JimmyBHarvests]

Thanks for the info GD!

[@zerodollarstudio6934]

I came here for information about how to use it, and after watching the video and reading the comments I still don't know. Say I've got a 1413us solution what's the undocumented procedure?

[@gdlivo3353]

@@zerodollarstudio6934 I have posted videos on how to do it. Click on my name and then look at my videos. I show you how to do it with 1413 solution and a plain salt solution.

[@HollowMeech5473]

On to another brand mine was giving me random ph counts

[@deleted6343]

what i did i got diff water bottles diff brands googled there ph levels and and calibrated like that

[@JimmyBHarvests]

Great idea!

[@johnb203]

My calibration powder for my PH METER says to mix with 250ml of DEIONIZED water, not distilled !!! Would the 2 give different results do you think ? Also, i bought an ec/tds meter, used it to test my nutrient solution, fed my plants and they showed signs of nutrient burn, a few days later i ordered a ph meter but in the mail came another ec/tds meter by mistake so i compared the 2 in a made up solution, the first one was showing readings only half as strong as the second one which im guessing is why i had the nutrient burn, i now use the second one but dont really know which if any are actually correct. How could i find out or test/calibrate it ??

[@JimmyBHarvests]

Distilled vs deionized - probably close enough in my opinion. You can most likely calibrate your TDS meters to 0 in distilled water.

[@johnb203]

@@JimmyBHarvests I'll try calibrating it with distilled then and then test it on a few household items with a known ph to check it then, if its out ill redo with deionized. Cheers for the reply 👍

[@gustorres3626]

I don't think these meters are accurate. I bought 2 from Amazon and so far they are giving me two different readings. The TDS meter is way off, when I checked my water it was showing me 4 to 500 different in my ppm and was trying to calibrate and could not do it and had a hydro store calibrate and still would not work so for right now I'm waiting on a better one to see witch one is working right but I'm going to send them back ones I get the better one to see if there is one that is working correctly.

[@chrishershey5033]

Theres several youtube tutorials on how to make buffered calibration solutions from stuff around the house. fear not

[@austinm7750]

My pH meter would not calibrate I sent it back to Amazon and got a replacement the new one calibrated just fine. Btw you didn't rinse your spoon after mixing each solution lol

[@JimmyBHarvests]

Glad to hear they sorted that out for you! I’ve heard nothing but good things about the customer service

[@daciasdiy1861]

Bc what’s the difference in the colors ?

[@JimmyBHarvests]

Yellow is ph, blue is TDS and temperature

[@daciasdiy1861]

@@JimmyBHarvests oh ok thanks , what dies TDS stand for

[@gdlivo3353]

Would you believe that Amazon has just directed me to this video to answer the question?

[@JimmyBHarvests]

😂😂😂 you’re the expert GD!

[@gdlivo3353]

@@JimmyBHarvests Vivosun are flat out refusing to assist. They will only answer to US or Canada customers.

[@JESSTER3377]

I would suggest just buying the blue lab ones, there more expensive but reliable

[@suavraj]

I just got my ph tester I tried to calibrate and everytime it only flashes 4.00 for calibration I tried every solution and all 4.00 when I finished all solution I thought maybe it ok now everything is 4.00 even the 9.00 ph solution I used distilled water for all the solutions

[@JimmyBHarvests]

Sorry to hear it. Customer service is solid and they’ll refund you no questions asked.

[@paulkittell6650]

There's a comment posted that said that all of his calibration packets had contained the 4.0 powder. I would order your own test packets and retest

[@vlogsbycl8738]

Dine smashing bro

[@0wninguplz]

so what if you do not have the buffer powders?

[@JimmyBHarvests]

The ph pen is useless without powders to calibrate to or a second ph pen to compare against.

[@0wninguplz]

@@JimmyBHarvests I do not understand this whole process I bought the pen for nothing? Like I need to buy powders for every time I use it? Feel like I got scammed

[@0wninguplz]

@@JimmyBHarvests How often do I need to calibrate if I use the pen daily? I would literally need hundreds of bags...

[@gdlivo3353]

Multiple comments consolidated.

[@daciasdiy1861]

I want to buy these so bad ! But looking at the reviews i turned away . I dint even know what the differences are

[@Marcoosianism]

I totally agree. Even if some appear to be decent, it seems like a crap shoot in the end. The point of a meter is to establish a reliably referenced value. So if you avoid these $25 ones, the next step up is the high $200s and even those don't have ratings higher than 3.5 or 4. What a shame.

[@daciasdiy1861]

@@Marcoosianism lol ! I went rite ahead and purchased these and never used them 🤣

[@Marcoosianism]

@@daciasdiy1861 Oh no! 🙂

[@jasonthacker5261]

I hate that you don't explain the amount of clicks needed for each ph solution to enter correct calibration. Like we only need shown how to dip it 😂

[@glasslinger]

These meters seem to be a crap shot to get a good one! I bought the PH meter from Amazon and it came in a sealed plastic wrapper so I know it was not tampered with. There were only two of the packs of buffer powder, the third was missing. To REALLY FUCK THINGS UP the pack marked 6.86 actually had 4.01 powder in it! The pack was the right color and marked correctly but the contents were wrong. Using a lab PH meter verified this error! This DEFINITELY can screw up someone trying to calibrate the unit. It simply won't work! If you buy one of these, be ready to return it if you don't have access to lab equipment to see what they got wrong! Once the unit is calibrated properly it works satisfactory for hobby use. Note that more packs of buffer powder are available on ebay for about a buck a pack.

[@710Reefer]

how often should I calibrate it?

[@JimmyBHarvests]

Once calibrated take the ph reading of something- maybe distilled water. Write it down so you dont forget. Every couple months you can measure the ph of distilled water again and see if you get a similar reading. If its different, recalibrate.

[@710Reefer]

appreciate it

[@d12thangel]

Would get more accuracy if different clean spoons were used to stir different solutions.

[@JimmyBHarvests]

Good tip

[@benedicaatutti5715]

I swear, that was the first thing I thought, too!

[@reecemohammed5930]

Do we have to use distilled water

[@JimmyBHarvests]

Yessir

[@2stroketyson79]

it works without it its a shit meter & not 100% accurate anyway so it really dont make much of a difference u will still be in range

[@winkoyt1777]

3:03

[@gdlivo3353]

The Vivosun TDS meter is out by 20% compared to the HM Digital. The HM is calibrated to C342 NaCl so it can be assumed it is using a scale factor from EC to TDS of 500. Even though calibrated to the C342 (it can also be calibrated to C1000 NaCl) it actually read the C1000 solution at 997 - 1000 ppm exactly. The Vivosun gave a reading of 795 ppm. This test was done at exactly 25 ' C. I'm now awaiting further advice from Vivosun who have invited me to contact them when there is the need to re-calibrate.

[@JimmyBHarvests]

Good luck!

[@Bacardimed]

where is the batery? my meter donth turn on , help please

[@JimmyBHarvests]

The black pulls out of the top

[@Bacardimed]

@@JimmyBHarvests thanks

[@user-bw5xf3yr3m]

So do I never need to calibrate my tds Meter ?

[@JimmyBHarvests]

Unlikely. I think you can calibrate to 0 with distilled water if necessary.

[@gdlivo3353]

Not sure. See recent comments.

[@gdlivo3353]

Thank you for contacting VIVOSUN. I will contact our tech team to find a more detailed info about how to calibrate the TDS pen, thanks. Best Regards, VIVOSUN Customer Service Team From: [e-mail] Date: 2020-09-23 06:43:04 To:'Support' Subject: RE: Re:EC / TDS Calibration (Email number 30.) Vivosun Customer Service Team, To answer your first email from yesterday, no, I have not tried to use the 1413 solution to calibrate the pen because there is still no instruction from you on how to do it. The Cal / Mode button just changes the Display Mode when pressed. Even if you hold it in for 5 seconds it does not enter Calibration Mode. You have not provided any clear instruction on how to perform calibration. To answer your second email regarding a full refund. I would prefer you to provide details of how to calibrate the pen I have purchased. If you can’t do that, I will understand this to mean that these pens are faulty, incorrectly calibrated and cannot be re-calibrated. Is this correct? If these pens cannot be re-calibrated, then just say so and we can stop wasting each other time. I will throw it in the rubbish bin and use a meter that does work and is properly calibrated. You should not be selling these defective items as it could cost people a lot in losses of plants or fish or chemicals and possibly cause significant health problems if they assume the faulty readings to be correct. Regards GDLivo

[@FifaSkills4]

Can I calibrate in distilled vodka????? < real question lol

[@JimmyBHarvests]

😂😂😂 no

[@Te4mUp]

You didn't show us how to calibrate the TDS meter....

[@gdlivo3353]

The response from Vivosun is less than encouraging and I suspect there may be a language problem. In answer to my questions about the missing 1413 calibration material and the comment on their website, I was asked to provide my order number and photographs of the problem. I have explained again what I'm asking, provided the quoted passage from the website and the link to the site. I have asked: Question 1. Why is the 1413 solution not included? Question 2. What do you do in 1 year when a second calibration is possibly required? Question 3. How does the calibration button work? (It is not mentioned in the instructions.)

[@JimmyBHarvests]

Thanks for keeping the community updated GD!

[@gdlivo3353]

@@JimmyBHarvests I get the feeling that Customer Service is not Vivosun's strong point. Instead of just answering simple questions, they are now saying that my order number is not in their system. The order number is correct and also completely irrelevant to the questions about calibration.

[@gdlivo3353]

Don't be confident that Vivosun or Amazon will give you any joy if something goes wrong with this equipment. They must train their Customer Support staff in Advanced Stupidity. Vivosun refuse to answer non-warranty operational instruction questions without recognizing an order number in their system. It has nothing to do with warranty or order numbers and I only have the Amazon order number for the purchase of their product. Amazon have instructed me to go through Vivosun and also directed me to a website called Pissed Consumer. An interesting first response option. I have now forwarded Vivosun emails to Amazon and Amazon emails to Vivosun, who are simply refusing to answer the simple questions relating to calibration of the EC / TDS meter and the availability / supply of 1413 solution. Perhaps the calibrate button isn't connected to the inboard circuitry and does nothing.

[@zandrewmorano4747]

So no need to calibrate the TDS meter? O.O

[@JimmyBHarvests]

No sir

[@mortenrobinson]

Why isn't the product calibrated from factory?

[@JimmyBHarvests]

A good question. Many other ph meters are.

[@glasslinger]

At this price level they can't afford the labor cost.

[@JimmyBHarvests]

😂

[@vonippo8371]

puts each pack in own cup then proceeds to use 1 spoon.

[@JimmyBHarvests]

🙃

[@buckknife4899]

I don't think that's distilled water distilled water means there's a distillation process like you're making alcohol it's Steam and its clean through that process

[@azza0575]

Can you calibrate in demineralised water. I just bought a set of them.....Should you have not used 3 separate spoons. Lol

[@JimmyBHarvests]

Demineralized water seems to be slitghtly different than distilled. Distilled would be ideal, you’ll be slightly off calibrating with demineralized instead. And yes I should have 😂

[@dredredringoproject]

U didn't say how to calibrate

[@doublecupking1320]

The first one I got calibrated perfectly but broke after a week. The next two wouldn't calibrate. Going to look into better ph meters 🤦‍♂️

[@npetroco]

Hi! What happened to you? I can't pick the 6,68 point!! It every time flashes 4,01 I'm so mad

[@cmmnsenserules4339]

These are great....the newer Vivosun pH meters SUCKKKKK. Have to click hold, quick press, click hold, click press 2x. IT SUCKS

[@buckknife4899]

yeah I'm totally wrong my mistake sorry bud

[@JimmyBHarvests]

All good bro. For distilled water you evaporate the water, catch the mist, and when it condensates its super clean, it’ll be pure h2o

[@Clan501-Scotland]

You used the same spoon to mix them all 🤦‍♂️

[@greg4673]

The button is there? What r u kiddin me. Surely if you don't know how to cal the TDS meter. eliminate it from the subject title! I wasted 5 minutes waiting for the procedure.

[@JimmyBHarvests]

If you read the title again you’ll see that I do not say how to calibrate a tds meter

[@alext2984]

You can buy more

[@JimmyBHarvests]

🤔

[@gdlivo3353]

WARNING / DISCLAIMER: This is not the official Vivosun instruction and may lead to device failure. Perform at your own risk. I have not tried it. It may not work. It is possible that the calibration of the EC / TDS meter is similar in procedure to the Vivosun pH meter shown in this video and must be done using only 1413 solution. Vivosun have so far refused to answer this question. Perhaps try that first and if it doesn't work then try this method. Explanatory Note: There are other 3 button EC / TDS meters that in some respects appear to be similar. Possibly using the same circuitry and with just different colour and labeling there is a possibility the operation is the same. There is information about calibrating them and in the absence of instruction from Vivosun, you would have nothing to lose from trying the process if your instrument becomes inaccurate and unreliable. If it doesn't work, your meter is junk anyway. THE PROCEDURE: Take a known ppm value solution. (Vivosun unit is pre-calibrated to 1413). In one video the guy uses "Spritzer" Mineral Water drink at 176 which is taken from the label. Another uses NaCl solution at 342. Immerse the unit to the level required to obtain a reading in the TDS mode. (If it reads correctly there is no need to calibrate). If the meter requires calibration, this is possibly the procedure to follow: 1) Press and hold the Middle Button ie; Mode/Cal. The reading will start to flash on and off. 2) Use the other 2 buttons to adjust the LCD output to the known value. On/Off = Up (+) and Hold = down (-). 3) When the flashing value correctly corresponds to the known value of the solution press and hold the middle button again.

[@gdlivo3353]

Ignore this. It doesn't work. I wouldn't be surprised if the Calibration button does nothing on these units. The button when pushed or held simply changes the mode. This could be why they are refusing to answer.

[@TheGrowCave]

THE ec METER SUCKS

[@jamessones4044]

Don’t bother wasting your time having to calibrate these things on your own-I swear to God someone in the factory has put all the same powders in the sachets!!! Spend a bit more money and buy a proper one

[@jjjjjjjjjjj3242]

PH tester is HORRIBLE! DO NOT BUY!

[@1Bigredox]

Wrong. The pH meter you are using has ATC, duh. It's no small wonder you think the procedure is dicey.

[@PictureChasers]

Not for calibration it doesn't...

[@DJ-kb3pl]

No matter how I try to calibrate this cheap pos it will not calibrate correctly. It stays @ 6.86 for all 3 solutions!

[@JimmyBHarvests]

😮 sorry to hear it bro. Customer service should refund you no problem

[@lookanabeauti9386]

If your serious grower, buy yourself a real ph meter. I owned one and wasn't impressed.

[@Marcoosianism]

What brand should we be looking for?

[@lookanabeauti9386]

@@Marcoosianism Bluelab PH pen. It's worth the money.

[@Marcoosianism]

@@lookanabeauti9386 thank you!

[@gdlivo3353]

At what point does this become funny?

[@skyt54]

The TDS METER has four modes and absolutely nothing is explained as to what they do or how to use them

[@gdlivo3353]

VIVOSUN Customer Service Team Are you kidding me? It is not the pH pen. It is the EC / TDS meter. I am publishing your replies on KZbin video about calibration of your pens. You look like idiots. Regards GDLivo Dear Customer, Put the PH pen in the solution, press the CAL button, press the value to jump to stability. Do not exceed the immersion line. Otherwise the pen will break down, thanks. Best Regards, VIVOSUN Customer Service Team

[@JimmyBHarvests]

😂😂😂

[@squarebiz71]

Paid review

[@JimmyBHarvests]

I wish