Hanna phosphate checker goes off before I am ready for C2!

[Trever]

I have only done this once now but my Hanna Phosphate LR checker went into power save mode on me after I had calibrated it against the empty tank sample and before I could finish getting the reagent into the vial and stirred. Then when I turned it on, it wanted to calibrate all over again (too late reagent was in the tube). I grabbed another sample since there are two vials that came with the product but that's not strictly legit I assume (they warn about micro bubbles and finger prints, seems like you'd want to read against the same sample you just zero'd, but maybe tank water is tank water and a vial is vial, so what I did is fine, I dunno).

Am I just a huge moron?

In this Hanna demo the person didn't have the same problem. Is there a way to deal with this with button presses or you just gotta be faster on the draw in getting the sample ready to go for C2, like in the video there?

 

[JaykS]

One mine I fill both vials, put the reagent in one and mix then start the test

 

[Pistondog]

I have only done this once now but my Hanna Phosphate LR checker went into power save mode on me after I had calibrated it against the empty tank sample and before I could finish getting the reagent into the vial and stirred. Then when I turned it on, it wanted to calibrate all over again (too late reagent was in the tube). I grabbed another sample since there are two vials that came with the product but that's not strictly legit I assume (they warn about micro bubbles and finger prints, seems like you'd want to read against the same sample you just zero'd, but maybe tank water is tank water and a vial is vial, so what I did is fine, I dunno).

Am I just a huge moron?

In this Hanna demo the person didn't have the same problem. Is there a way to deal with this with button presses or you just gotta be faster on the draw in getting the sample ready to go for C2, like in the video there?

I had this problem once, then thought 2 minutes of shaking was excessive.
And the reagent is Toxic, so if we spill any on the vial we have to clean it before putting back in colorimeter....
1 minute is enough.
The crap we put up with.

 

[Potatohead]

Two minutes is needed to get a proper reading. It takes five minutes, two shaking plus the three minute timer.

You get three minutes between C1 and C2. Prepare the packet beforehand and get it ready to pour, and then the timing works quite well.

 

[Erick Armanii]

One mine I fill both vials, put the reagent in one and mix then start the test

For best accuracy use 1 vial. Impurities in the glass between 2 vials will cause refractions during the testing that can give inaccurate readings. Never touch the center of the vial after the C1 test as the oils from your finger prints can alter the readings. Final tip; ensure the vial is placed in the same position for C1 and C2. (I have the 10ml logo positioned middle front the same way every time)

 

[Erick Armanii]

Two minutes is needed to get a proper reading. It takes five minutes, two shaking plus the three minute timer.

You get three minutes between C1 and C2. Prepare the packet beforehand and get it ready to pour, and then the timing works quite well.

Agreed. When setting up to preform the test I have the packet prepped and ready so the moment C1 is complete it’s ready to pour

 

[vetteguy53081]

For some reason you have to move quick. I found it easier to have my daughter help me and you keep the steps moving

 

[Trever]

Well, you all are making me feel better, though not about the $50 product I bought! Come on, how difficult can it be to program this thing to allow a resume for us?

 

[Erick Armanii]

Well, you all are making me feel better, though not about the $50 product I bought! Come on, how difficult can it be to program this thing to allow a resume for us?

Also how difficult can it be to just have the button AUTOMATICALLY DO THE 3 MINUTE COUNT DOWN!!?

I have forgotten to press and hold so many times and had to start all over again..

 

[Daddy-o]

Two minutes is needed to get a proper reading. It takes five minutes, two shaking plus the three minute timer.

You get three minutes between C1 and C2. Prepare the packet beforehand and get it ready to pour, and then the timing works quite well.

I have a Hanna checker and you only get 2 minutes and then it is off. I tried contacting Hanna way back in January but they never responded.
Cheers! Mark

 

[NeverlosT]

Also how difficult can it be to just have the button AUTOMATICALLY DO THE 3 MINUTE COUNT DOWN!!?

I have forgotten to press and hold so many times and had to start all over again..

lol I do this ALL THE TIME. There goes a reagent. Or how about making it BEEP WHEN 3 MINUTES ARE UP??? I often forget and it goes back to sleep and I miss seeing the readout!!!

 

[Erick Armanii]

lol I do this ALL THE TIME. There goes a reagent. Or how about making it BEEP WHEN 3 MINUTES ARE UP??? I often forget and it goes back to sleep and I miss seeing the readout!!!

This actually happened to me today first time ever lol.. I had 1:08 left on the countdown went to make a cup of coffee...... came back and was so mad

 

[Trever]

This all sounds like a scheme on Hanna's part to sell more reagent.

Anyways, their kit does (mysteriously) come with two vials. There must be a reason for that.

I'm gonna do an experiment and test using one vial within all the required presses etc., versus the reading with two vials (i.e. use the vial with no reagent to zero the vial with the reagent) and see if there really is a difference (these tests are only accurate to +/- .4 or something like that anyways).

Maybe @ErickArmanii it's ok to do this.

 

[JaykS]

This all sounds like a scheme on Hanna's part to sell more reagent.

Anyways, their kit does (mysteriously) come with two vials. There must be a reason for that.

I'm gonna do an experiment and test using one vial within all the required presses etc., versus the reading with two vials (i.e. use the vial with no reagent to zero the vial with the reagent) and see if there really is a difference (these tests are only accurate to +/- .4 or something like that anyways).

Maybe @ErickArmanii it's ok to do this.

Hanna has responded to the idea of using both vials, they said there could be slight difference in the glass but the reading change would be minimal. Also stated most of the users are using both, one to zero out and the other with reagent.

 

[Potatohead]

FWIW the newest checker, the phosphate ULR one (774 I think) has eight minutes between C1 and C2. The OG phosphate one and the phosphorous one only have three.

 

[Daddy-o]

FWIW the newest checker, the phosphate ULR one (774 I think) has eight minutes between C1 and C2. The OG phosphate one and the phosphorous one only have three.

And some of the phosphate checkers only have 2 minutes before shut down

 

[Trever]

Well, this product design is dumb as bricks, but I guess what @Potatohead said sounds about right.

If I prepare the packet before hand and if the time I'm supposed to shake is 2 minutes and if the thing goes to sleep after 3 minutes, I will have just about the right amount of time.

Still, I think I'm gonna be using two vials. Takes the pressure off. The reagent is expensive, my hands are always very dry (not oily), and the results are plus/minus enough that I don't see how that can be bad science on my part. And @JaykS is saying Hanna has signed off on this anyways.

So, there it is. Wish I had bought the lower resolution one, but my LFS said that wasn't the right one to get. :mad:

I guess the lower resolution Hanna phosphate checker is for stick heads.

Re product design, perhaps the electronics are older generation and really chew up battery so they are at pains to sleep them relatively quickly unlike newer circuit boards. Presumably developing a product like this is expensive, etc., so they can't just redo. But maybe I'm rationalizing for Hanna and shouldn't/needn't.

 

[Erick Armanii]

This all sounds like a scheme on Hanna's part to sell more reagent.

Anyways, their kit does (mysteriously) come with two vials. There must be a reason for that.

I'm gonna do an experiment and test using one vial within all the required presses etc., versus the reading with two vials (i.e. use the vial with no reagent to zero the vial with the reagent) and see if there really is a difference (these tests are only accurate to +/- .4 or something like that anyways).

Maybe @ErickArmanii it's ok to do this.

If you want to test for yourself to see the variations then by all means go for it. If you’re running a test, you have increased accuracy If you use the same vial. I wouldn’t expect to see a large variation between the two vials but I would be interested to see the same test run with vial #1 unreacted and vial #2 with reagent. Record the results. Then run the same test without emptying vial #1 preform C1 then adding the reagent to vial #1 Preform C2 and record the results.

nonetheless, hobby grade test kits such as the Hanna checker won’t provide scientific or medical grade accuracy. My advice is to increase your accuracy chances by using the same vial and make adjustments to your husbandry habits based on upward or downward trend.

 

[Trever]

@Erick Armanii yes it's been an interesting week. My first rounds of testing made me believe these tests were completely useless and I remembered all the posts and videos I've seen in my up front research about people doing XYZ to their tank to fix a parameter(s), only to discover the hobby grade testing device was way off.

By now, I'm settling in. I do find having the cycling data on my parameters has helped, and it has a lot more to do with comparing than absolute values. I can even observe that (for example) while I don't know exactly what that ammonia test kit is trying to tell me, it's clearly darker than it was the day before when I tested, and this becomes useful information- better than being "blind" and having no idea- better than having made no attempt to test the water.

(I decided to test phosphorous and other parameters not necessarily important yet, because I thought it might later be useful to have an early reading, and wanted to see if some rumors about what all of this pukani rock might do to the water were true (so far, they aren't).)

 

[Thaxxx]

One more tip.
If you do forget during the 3 min. count down, and come back within about 15 mins. (I did it!) and it shut off. Just use the second vial with tank water to redo C1, then swap it out with the reagent vial you forgot about, and thenC2.
I got a accurate reading because I immediately retested as normal, and I got the same numbers. Ymmv.