Review on ⛲ HM Digital 716160 Professional Waterproof by Ananta Crowley

Updated 6/2/21 I originally gave this meter 5 stars and in terms of accuracy and ease of use it still deserves that rating. However, this is the third I have bought in just over three years. The latest has just started showing inaccurate readings - also by a significant margin. I know this because I had an older one and was able to verify accuracy closely enough to know something was wrong. I've tried swapping out the batteries, which shouldn't really matter, but that's a long go. The first one, I just got up and died with no display. At the time I assumed it might stop working once I dropped it, but now I think it's just defective. I am very disappointed as this is one of the best meters I have found, despite being about three times the price of most other meters in this price range. the quality is doubtful. I think these counters should last for years, not months. Original Review If you've read some of my other reviews of inexpensive ($10-$20) counters that I've tried, you'll know my take on getting a decent one. It's a crappy spin at best. Most of them come pre-calibrated, with little or no way to recalibrate them, and when they do, it's a complex process that doesn't work very well - if at all. I was starting to lose confidence in the gauges I had previously purchased so I settled on this one. This was recommended by a website I trust that specializes in indoor hydroponic growing where EC levels are critical. At this price it was a bit of a risky trade, but at least it was worth sending it back if it didn't work. So far it has worked great. I purchased about 1000 ppm calibration fluid from the manufacturer with the meter and it was field tested the first time it was used. I've tested the other two meters I have and they were close, but I need more than close and confidence that it's accurate across different ranges. I feel much more confident with this gauge. I only use it for EC and not PPM, but I suspect it accurately measures PPM as well. I can tell you that he tested PPM perfectly with the solution. However, PPM is based on a mathematical calculation using EC, which is the true value. So actually I would recommend measuring in EC if you are measuring nutrient salinity for growing. For pools or drinking water, PPM is probably fine. It has multiple modes so it can measure in almost any scale you want, something you won't find in a budget gauge. And most importantly, it can be recalibrated. It's not an easy process, but at least it works. Of course I haven't had to do it yet, but I will for sure sometime and I'm sure it will work fine after a recalibration. The instructions leave a lot to be desired but are by far the best I've seen and what I expected for the price. The other two meters I've tried, and pretty much every budget model you see at Revain, are nearly identical and made in China. This one is unique in that it's said to be designed in the USA and made in Korea, so maybe that's the difference. If you are interested in indoor growing or someone who needs a reliable EC meter, I would highly recommend this device. This counter is worth every penny in my opinion and I only wish I had bought it first before spending about $30 on two other counters that I couldn't trust. Note: Some of the negative reviews on this device appear to be related to older models. I have not experienced any of the issues mentioned in these reviews and use this meter every day.