ABC REAGENTS

[steve 1965]

I purchased the ABC reagents for my Trident to hopefully get a better more accurate reading. I installed them in the trident and used my Hanna tests numbers to calibrate. After calibration it came back with CAL out of range. MAG is out of range. What am I doing wrong?

 

[cperry7467]

It's almost always clogged or kinked sample, waste, or reagent lines. Sometimes the cuvette needs cleaning as well. I like to take the cover off the front of the cuvette and run a test while watching to see if it fills with water all the way, reagent gets added. I'd look at that before assuming it's the ABC reagent.

 

[areefer01]

I purchased the ABC reagents for my Trident to hopefully get a better more accurate reading. I installed them in the trident and used my Hanna tests numbers to calibrate. After calibration it came back with CAL out of range. MAG is out of range.

It would probably help if you provided what numbers you used and steps. Also what makes you feel the reagents are any better than Neptunes?

As far as calibrating using manual test results my recommendation may be a bit more extreme but this is how I have done it in the past.

• Collect water sample as close as you can to the Trident sample line
• You want enough water to run both manual tests and Trident calibration (2 cups or so - depends on how much you need for manual tests)
• To get the manual calibration numbers run at a minimum 3 test, 5 preferred
• Average those numbers (I use the 95th percentile but I actually calculate avg, median, and 95th)
• Once you have your calibration numbers start the Trident calibration task
• Enter your results
• Use the left over water from your manual tests for the sample line
• Follow the Trident task until done

The key for me was to collect enough water to run both manual tests and Trident calibration. You want to use the same water to finish the calibration that you used for the manual test(s). Running 3 tests and using the average or 95th percentile will make for better results. It also helps you confirm both the human factor in the manual test as well as the test kit. If the numbers are all over you will notice it.

Is this what you ran into? I don't know. Just sharing how I go about it. I actually use the supplied calibration solution because it has worked for me. However I have also recently used the manual method I note above. Your mileage may vary.

 

[steve 1965]

So this is a new trident. I just had it replaced. I put the original trident reagents back in and I calibrated them to my own testing and they are actually better. But not sure why the ABC reagents wouldn’t calibrate

 

[steve 1965]

It would probably help if you provided what numbers you used and steps. Also what makes you feel the reagents are any better than Neptunes?

As far as calibrating using manual test results my recommendation may be a bit more extreme but this is how I have done it in the past.

• Collect water sample as close as you can to the Trident sample line
• You want enough water to run both manual tests and Trident calibration (2 cups or so - depends on how much you need for manual tests)
• To get the manual calibration numbers run at a minimum 3 test, 5 preferred
• Average those numbers (I use the 95th percentile but I actually calculate avg, median, and 95th)
• Once you have your calibration numbers start the Trident calibration task
• Enter your results
• Use the left over water from your manual tests for the sample line
• Follow the Trident task until done

The key for me was to collect enough water to run both manual tests and Trident calibration. You want to use the same water to finish the calibration that you used for the manual test(s). Running 3 tests and using the average or 95th percentile will make for better results. It also helps you confirm both the human factor in the manual test as well as the test kit. If the numbers are all over you will notice it.

Is this what you ran into? I don't know. Just sharing how I go about it. I actually use the supplied calibration solution because it has worked for me. However I have also recently used the manual method I note above. Your mileage may vary.

My Hanna test and I also checked with my LFS and these are the test I put in. Alk-8.5 Cal 425 Mag 1400.

 

[steve 1965]

My Hanna test and I also checked with my LFS and these are the test I put in. Alk-8.5 Cal 425 Mag 1400.

For some reason they Cal and Mag came back as out of range. I switched back to the trident reagents but used my input tests and now it’s actually very close to my other tests. So thinking maybe it was the new calibration fluid‍. But it doesn’t explain why the ABC reagents failed to calibrate.