2010 TF-100XL Questions

[jjdurrant]

1. Should you hold the dropper completely vertical when adding drops?
2. The white pad for the pH test. How close should you hold it behind the plastic vial?
3. The reagent on the R-0010 reagent comes out really fast.. normal?
4. Do you really have to swirl after each drop?

Thanks!

 

[frustratedpoolmom]

1. I do (never thought about it)
2. About an inch away
3. Is that for the CH test? Not sure I rarely do that test, sorry
4. Yes, it reduces testing error (on your part LOL) but it's especially important when doing the CH test.

 

[JasonLion]

1) Yes vertical, but not what I would call "completely vertical", any old regular vertical.
2) There are lots of ways to do it. I use the side of a white building lit by sunlight.
3) The bottles vary somewhat in how squeezable they are, but R-0010 shouldn't be all that different from most of the others.
4) Ideally you should be swirling constantly throughout the test. The CH test needs the most mixing of any of them. On the other hand, it is alright to add several drops at once, particularly near the beginning of the test. Just be sure everything mixes together. If you do several drops at once later on you risk going past the point where the color change happened and not being sure how many drops it would have taken if you did them one at a time.

 

[duraleigh]

My answers would be identical to FPM and Jason.......just a quick comment on the R-0010.

All the 1 oz reagent bottles are identical and come from the same manufacturer. The dropper tips are likewise identical and have been from the same "batch" since January of this year and will be for the remainder of the season.

The viscosity of the reagents seem pretty equal to me (except of course, the R-0011L)

What that all points to is your reagents should come out of the dropper reasonably consistent with the exception being the R-0009 which has some known static issues.

Your's would be the first report I've been aware of that involves the R-0010 but let me know if it continues to be an issue.

 

[jjdurrant]

Great, thanks all!

 

[DBergeron]

jjdurrant,

You might want to get a Speedstir Magnetic Stirrer from TFTestkits.net. A magnetic stirrer makes testing so much quicker and easier! IMO, well worth the money! HTH!

-Dennis

 

[Richard320]

1. Should you hold the dropper completely vertical when adding drops?
2. The white pad for the pH test. How close should you hold it behind the plastic vial?
3. The reagent on the R-0010 reagent comes out really fast.. normal?
4. Do you really have to swirl after each drop?

Thanks!

I have some cheap white plastic patio chairs I use as a backdrop. One is usually in the sun when I'm testing, so I just hold the vial in that general direction, several feet away. It works. If I try using the tannish cinderblock wall, the pH looks lower. Using the sky makes it look higher.

I have one reagent that tends to get away from me - comes out real fast. I can't recall which one, at the moment. Anyway, what I've started doing is squeeze out some air while it's upright, then relax a bit as it is upended and the slight vacuum keeps it from running out before I can start counting.