Salinity Probes that work with the Apex

[esquare]

Anyone tried this one ?
https://aperainst.com/2310-c-high-range-conductivity-electrode-k100-bnc-connector

If you try it, please report back.

I just installed This $33 one from AliExpress and it works but isn't too accurate (off by about 1.5 psu) and bounces around a bit.

 

[nunoml]

The k rating is on point, give it a shot and let us know. Still will need to mod the bnc connector.

I leave in Portugal and i didn't find yet where to buy it. Im waiting a reply from Apera

 

[nunoml]

If you try it, please report back.

I just installed This $33 one from AliExpress and it works but isn't too accurate (off by about 1.5 psu) and bounces around a bit.

I have that one too and its not good !

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

Pasco probe still doing it's thing. Saw this thread update, figured I'd double check the #'s. PPT (top) to SG (bottom photo) is still jiving.

 

[esquare]

Pasco probe still doing it's thing. Saw this thread update, figured I'd double check the #'s. PPT (top) to SG (bottom photo) is still jiving.

That is great news.
I wish they hadn't discontinued that particular probe. I went the cheap $33 AliExpress route as I wanted to make sure my Apex Head Unit wasn't the problem as my Apex Probe has always settled out to the 32.5 area regardless of how I calibrate or the actual salinity. By the time I figured this out (I'm a little dense sometimes) a year had passed so I couldn't do anything under warranty. I didn't want to spend $210 until I could confirm the issue was probe related and not Apex so I went with the cheap one. Now I have to decide whether to get a $210 Neptune probe, source a more accurate probe (Since I now have the bnc adapter) or switch to Hydros which isolates the Salinity probe so "should" be more accurate. I just can't find any accuracy comparisons between the Hydros and Apex and I don't know what to look for in a more accurate bnc probe that isn't $1,000.

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

That is great news.
I wish they hadn't discontinued that particular probe. I went the cheap $33 AliExpress route as I wanted to make sure my Apex Head Unit wasn't the problem as my Apex Probe has always settled out to the 32.5 area regardless of how I calibrate or the actual salinity. By the time I figured this out (I'm a little dense sometimes) a year had passed so I couldn't do anything under warranty. I didn't want to spend $210 until I could confirm the issue was probe related and not Apex so I went with the cheap one. Now I have to decide whether to get a $210 Neptune probe, source a more accurate probe (Since I now have the bnc adapter) or switch to Hydros which isolates the Salinity probe so "should" be more accurate. I just can't find any accuracy comparisons between the Hydros and Apex and I don't know what to look for in a more accurate bnc probe that isn't $1,000.

I've tried everything with the Apex and salinity... Used a VCA kit, tried upside down, right side up, inside out all the tips and tricks. None of it did it for me.

Frankly it works in my case on both tanks by being in a fairly low flow section of the sumps and try to keep electrical interference away from it. Everything is liable to cause interference if it's plugged into an EB8(4)/EB832 (seems to be more sensitive). At one point I could tell when my T5 lighting would come on and go off as the numbers shifted 2ppt, daily, accordingly.

I'm on a few different online emails chains for the availability for the Hydros Launch controller, as I will go fulltime with that module and retire the A1 Apex I'm using currently with the probe in my earlier post.

As you saw, the Pasco probe we have deduced is the same one Neptune uses, just with a proprietary connector (which sucks) as Hydros just uses the standard bnc for its probes. The fact that they are more open to using another brands product in their ecosystem makes me want to take the plunge, badly.

Which bnc to mini din adapter did you use, all of those that I've tried that are in the wild aren't "pinned" properly for the apex?!

 

[esquare]

I've tried everything with the Apex and salinity... Used a VCA kit, tried upside down, right side up, inside out all the tips and tricks. None of it did it for me.

Frankly it works in my case on both tanks by being in a fairly low flow section of the sumps and try to keep electrical interference away from it. Everything is liable to cause interference if it's plugged into an EB8(4)/EB832 (seems to be more sensitive). At one point I could tell when my T5 lighting would come on and go off as the numbers shifted 2ppt, daily, accordingly.

I'm on a few different online emails chains for the availability for the Hydros Launch controller, as I will go fulltime with that module and retire the A1 Apex I'm using currently with the probe in my earlier post.

As you saw, the Pasco probe we have deduced is the same one Neptune uses, just with a proprietary connector (which sucks) as Hydros just uses the standard bnc for its probes. The fact that they are more open to using another brands product in their ecosystem makes me want to take the plunge, badly.

Which bnc to mini din adapter did you use, all of those that I've tried that are in the wild aren't "pinned" properly for the apex?!

I ended up Making my own as per the instructions on this thread. It would be nice if we could use the Hydros Salinity kit with the Apex, maybe someone smarter than me will work that out.

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

I ended up Making my own as per the instructions on this thread. It would be nice if we could use the Hydros Salinity kit with the Apex, maybe someone smarter than me will work that out.

Interesting way to go about it! Have you tried it with calibration solution to see if anything changes?

That hydros salinity kit is just an Apera 2310-C conductivity probe with calibration fluid. Amazon link below.

Apera Instruments 2310-C PVC-Body High Range Conductivity Electrode, Measuring up to 20,000 mS/cm (K=10.0, BNC Connector) https://a.co/d/6ouJbAQ

 

[esquare]

Interesting way to go about it! Have you tried it with calibration solution to see if anything changes?

That hydros salinity kit is just an Apera 2310-C conductivity probe with calibration fluid. Amazon link below.

Apera Instruments 2310-C PVC-Body High Range Conductivity Electrode, Measuring up to 20,000 mS/cm (K=10.0, BNC Connector) https://a.co/d/6ouJbAQ

Yes, I have calibrated it with Neptune calibration solution but it still isn't too accurate. Thanks for the link to the Apera, I may try that one.

 

[alabella1]

I'm still sitting on the Pasco one because I'm afraid to mess with the connector part of things. All that said my stock Apex one broke, so I could use that connector but i still don't really know how to do it.

 

[esquare]

I'm still sitting on the Pasco one because I'm afraid to mess with the connector part of things. All that said my stock Apex one broke, so I could use that connector but i still don't really know how to do it.

The way I did it involved soldering 2 wires to 2 pins using the pinout in this thread. I'm not very good at soldering and was able to pull it off, I'm sure you could too.

 

[esquare]

Interesting way to go about it! Have you tried it with calibration solution to see if anything changes?

That hydros salinity kit is just an Apera 2310-C conductivity probe with calibration fluid. Amazon link below.

Apera Instruments 2310-C PVC-Body High Range Conductivity Electrode, Measuring up to 20,000 mS/cm (K=10.0, BNC Connector) https://a.co/d/6ouJbAQ

I was today old when I realized there was a difference between Microsiemens uS/cm and Millisiemens mS/cm. I couldn't figure out why the Hydros/Apera probe had a max of 20,000 and the Neptune Calibration was 53,000. The Hydros/Apera uses Millisiemens mS/cm and the Neptune Microsiemens uS/cm. I just found a converter that indicates 53,000 Microsiemens uS/cm is equivalent to 53 Millisiemens mS/cm. I thought the Hydros/Apera would read the needed range but it evidently will.

My brain hurts

 

[alabella1]

Someone posted this in the Neptune Systems Facebook group. Very interesting as it has the same connector as the Neptune probe.

Reed instruments r3100sd probe

Probe

 

[esquare]

Someone posted this in the Neptune Systems Facebook group. Very interesting as it has the same connector as the Neptune probe.

Reed instruments r3100sd probe

Probe

Nice price point

 

[alabella1]

Who's going to take one for the team and test it??

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

Who's going to take one for the team and test it??

Be my guest!

 

[braaap]

Someone posted this in the Neptune Systems Facebook group. Very interesting as it has the same connector as the Neptune probe.

Reed instruments r3100sd probe

Probe

Looks like the device it plugs into sets its K rating? But maybe I'm wrong. For $90 I wouldn't want to test it. Especially with that baby cord.

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

Looks like the device it plugs into sets its K rating? But maybe I'm wrong. For $90 I wouldn't want to test it. Especially with that baby cord.

Also it's going to be sourced from somewhere where returning it may have some issues. If Amazon stocked it, sure, I'd try it. But a hard pass for a possible 90$ paperweight.

 

[braaap]

Also it's going to be sourced from somewhere where returning it may have some issues. If Amazon stocked it, sure, I'd try it. But a hard pass for a possible 90$ paperweight.

Exactly. If it had some data I would maybe take the risk. But there isn't even a spec sheet that I could find.

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

Exactly. If it had some data I would maybe take the risk. But there isn't even a spec sheet that I could find.

This. I also hunted for some info, it LOOKS like it's a mini din, but who knows. Even if it is a mini din is the pin out the same?!