pH testing

[rjb1211]

In another thread suggestions were given to isolate the bands on the comparator to make it easier to interpret the colors when using drop kits. I have been using the Taylor kit. Are there any others where the bands are easier to read or that use something different than phenol red?

 

[sande005]

I have an old version of this:
LaMotte Test Kit

The "octa-slide" manual comparator is much easier to read differences, and has moderately finer gradations ( pH steps of .2). It generally tracks very well with the results from my newer TFP test kit. I like that one test a lot.
The CYA test a similar dot test, but it is a pain to get their tablet to dissolve vs the TFP liquids. They vary a lot from each other, and not consistently the same direction - so makes it hard to know who to believe. I go with the TFP one.
The others are roughly similar, and all tests depend on dissolving tablets, which except for CYA, do dissolve moderately quickly.
Tests have more limited ranges - so good for day to day, but not so great if your chemistry gets really out of whack.
Overall, I much prefer the TFP kit, but still use the LaMotte pH.
But it would be a pricey option as one has to buy the whole kit to get the "octa-slide"....

 

[key1cc]

In another thread suggestions were given to isolate the bands on the comparator to make it easier to interpret the colors when using drop kits. I have been using the Taylor kit. Are there any others where the bands are easier to read or that use something different than phenol red?

This might not be the popular opinion but I gave up on the drop test for pH because differentiating the colors was just to difficult for me. So I went with a quality digital pH meter which works flawlessly and is very accurate to 2 decimal places. Because I store the electrode in a pH 4 KCL solution I only had to calibrate it twice during the swimming season. (Calibration is easy as well and takes less than 5 minutes)