Aqua Master Tools H600 Pro Substrate (pH, EC, temperature)

Product detailed description

Anyone growing in coco or soil needs to know what the plant has available in the root zone - not just what has drained into the tray. Aqua Master Tools H600 Pro Substrate is a handheld monitor that measures pH, EC, TDS, PPM and temperature directly in a soft moist medium, so you do not need to collect runoff or make an extract.

Substrate or runoff

Runoff tells you what has flowed out of the substrate - with a delay and diluted by the last watering. Measuring directly in the medium shows the current state: whether salts are starting to build up in the coco and whether pH has drifted outside the range in which the plant takes up nutrients. As a guide, in coco and hydroponics keep around 5.5 to 6.5 pH, in soil rather 6.0 to 7.0 pH. Measure in a well-moistened substrate.

What the H600 Pro Substrate measures

• pH 0.1 to 14.0 pH,
• EC 0.0 to 19.9 mS/cm,
• TDS 0.0 to 19.99 PPT,
• PPM 0 to 1999 PPM,
• temperature 0 °C to 50 °C.

EC in the substrate shows how many salts remain in the medium. The PPM metre calculates on the factory 700 PPM scale, identical to the basic H600 Pro - when you read a foreign chart written for the 500 scale, the figures will not match, so EC in mS/cm is more reliable for comparison.

Probes and calibration

The Substrate version works with standard Aqua Master Tools pH and EC electrodes, so you can replace a worn probe separately and the device keeps working; the pH electrode connects via a BNC connector. pH is calibrated automatically in two points, with pH 4 calibration solution and pH 7, EC in one point with EC 1,413 solution. Plan calibration roughly once a month; the device itself reminds you after 30 days from the last calibration. Store the glass pH electrode in KCl storage solution and do not let it dry out; after each insertion into the substrate, rinse it with clean water so that no medium residue remains on it.

Operation in the grow room

The monitor comes factory calibrated, so you can measure the first pot without initial adjustment. The monitor runs on one 9 V block battery and the battery status is shown by an indicator on the display, so you will not be caught out in the middle of your pot round. If you forget to switch it off after measuring, it turns itself off after 8 minutes. Measurement takes place with automatic temperature compensation in the range 0 to 50 °C, which is noticeable in the consistency of measured values when there is a difference between morning and afternoon substrate.

Package contents

The package includes a handheld monitor, a 9 V block battery and a durable carrying case - so you do not need to buy a battery separately.

Parameters

• pH range: 0.1 to 14.0 pH
• EC range: 0.0 to 19.9 mS/cm
• TDS range: 0.0 to 19.99 PPT
• PPM range: 0 to 1999 PPM, factory scale 700 PPM
• Temperature range: 0 °C to 50 °C
• Resolution: pH 0.1 pH, EC 0.1 mS/cm, TDS 0.01 PPT, PPM 10 PPM, temperature 0.1 °C
• pH accuracy: ±0.1 pH
• EC, TDS and PPM accuracy: ±2 % F.S.
• Temperature accuracy: ±0.5 °C
• Automatic temperature compensation in the range 0 to 50 °C
• Calibration: pH two-point automatic 4.0 and 7.0 pH, EC one-point automatic EC 1,413
• pH electrode connector: BNC
• Power supply: 1x 9V battery, battery status indicator
• Automatic switch-off: after 8 minutes
• Metre protection: IP62, electrode protection: IP67
• Dimensions: 210 x 120 x 60 mm, weight 430 g
• Manufacturer's warranty: 1 year on the device, 6 months on the pH electrode

The pH electrode has a 6-month warranty, the device one year. After each insertion into the substrate, rinse the probe with clean water, occasionally let it soak in cleaning solution and store it between measurements in KCl storage solution.

Which H600 version to choose

Choose according to the medium, not according to the parameters - the ranges, accuracy and calibration are the same for both versions. Choose Substrate when you grow in coco, peat or soil and want to read values directly from the pot. Choose the basic H600 Pro when you mainly work with solution in a tank, with ready-made watering solution and with water.

Frequently asked questions

Can I also measure nutrient solution in a tank with it?

Yes. The ranges and accuracy are the same as with the basic H600 Pro version, so you can measure solution in a tank or ready-made watering solution without problems. The substrate version differs only in its purpose: it is designed for probes adapted to insertion into a soft moist medium. One device therefore covers both the root zone and the reservoir.

Can the probe itself be replaced on the Substrate version?

Yes. It uses standard H600 series pH and EC electrodes and the pH connects via a BNC connector, so only the probe is replaced and the monitor body keeps working. The warranty is 1 year on the device and 6 months on the pH electrode. After replacement, recalibrate the metre with pH 4.0 and 7.0 solutions and the EC 1,413 standard.