Has anyone used this http://www.palintestusa.com/products-details.aspx?id=3 and what are your thoughts about it? I've been using the Taylor K-2006 but I was thinking that the Palintest would eliminate the "subjectivity" of the reading and replace it with a digital readout.
Palintest Pooltest 5
- Thread starter woodsage
- Start date
It can only test FC and TC up to 5 ppm using DPD tablets, It tests bromine up to 10 ppm, once again using DPD. It uses a colormnetric test for TA and these are not as dependable as titration tests since they will read low as chlorine levels increase. Finally, the only other test it can do is CYA. As you can see it does not test CH nor ph at all and it is very limited in the tests it can do.
The pooltest 3 is basically the same except it only test FC, TC, and CYA.
The question you need to ask is if you think the price of aprox. $450 is worth it for such a limited device. It is NOT cheap.
Also, just because there is a digital readout you are not really getting a more 'precise' test. You are getting a definite number but just how precise is that number? I find it interesting that Palintest does not list the precision for each test on their website (unlike similar photomers from LaMotte, which are a bit more expensive but can do many other tests and have wider ranges on these tests--I am not referring to the ColorQ here but to their professional photometers).
Having worked with such equipment I have to say that I still prefer a Taylor kit for precise and accurate results.
The pooltest 3 is basically the same except it only test FC, TC, and CYA.
The question you need to ask is if you think the price of aprox. $450 is worth it for such a limited device. It is NOT cheap.
Also, just because there is a digital readout you are not really getting a more 'precise' test. You are getting a definite number but just how precise is that number? I find it interesting that Palintest does not list the precision for each test on their website (unlike similar photomers from LaMotte, which are a bit more expensive but can do many other tests and have wider ranges on these tests--I am not referring to the ColorQ here but to their professional photometers).
Having worked with such equipment I have to say that I still prefer a Taylor kit for precise and accurate results.
The Pooltest 5 does test for pH.
As far as the Pooltest 5 only testing FC up to 5ppm, why would I want to test for anything higher? I'm using a SWG and I try to keep the FC at 3.5 ppm.
The reason I was looking at the Pooltest 5, was to eliminate the guesswork on trying to determine what shades are the various colors (pH) and weather the black dot is really not visibile (CYA). I was thinking that a digital readout would be more definitive for me instead of trying to interpret shades of red, pink or if it's 7.5, 7.6 or 7.8.
As far as the Pooltest 5 only testing FC up to 5ppm, why would I want to test for anything higher? I'm using a SWG and I try to keep the FC at 3.5 ppm.
The reason I was looking at the Pooltest 5, was to eliminate the guesswork on trying to determine what shades are the various colors (pH) and weather the black dot is really not visibile (CYA). I was thinking that a digital readout would be more definitive for me instead of trying to interpret shades of red, pink or if it's 7.5, 7.6 or 7.8.
The apparent precision of the digital readout is an illusion. Many people have trouble reading the PH test, though it really does get much easier with practice. While the digital readout will give you a definite number, but it won't necessarily be correct. The digital readout might say the PH is 7.1 when the PH is actually 7.3, while the Taylor test might be vague between 7.2 and 7.4. Is that really any improvement?
you are correct, it does test for pH.ricksass said:
The question you need to ask is it worth about $450 for the digital readout that, as Jason pointed out, is really not going to be more precise than using a comparator and not near as precise as a drop count test. As far as not needing to test over 5 ppm, that is very shortsighted, you WILL need to do so on occasion, either because of needing to shock or because you need ot adjust the output of your unit for some reason (and these are real scenariso with a SWG!) Also, you still have the limitations of DPD testing such as bleachout when the FC is high.
If pH is your main concern I would look into one of the handheld pH meters from Oakton and get an FAS-DPD test for chlorine testing. With a precision as great as .2 ppm and the ability to test chorine up to 50 ppm and a definitive color change from pink to colorless it's a no brainer test!
colorimeters do tend to have some problems with turbidity tests so your CYA results probably are not going to be any more precise than the Taylor disappearing dot test. It's not until you get into the very expensive colorimeter/turbidimeters that the CYA test results gain precison but then you are talking about units that cost well over $1000!
It is interesting that Palintest, who has always been a company that has been based on meter testing, has just recently introduced an FAS-DPD chlorine only test kit!
http://www.palintestusa.com/products-details.aspx?id=72
Could they recognize the limitations of their current chlorine testing methods?