bluelab ph controller

Axiom Solutions

February 11, 2019

Pros:

- remote access to ph data so you’re not always wondering.
- added benefit of remote access to water temperature level in hydroponic system, again so you’re not always wondering
- auto dosing to help control PH levels.
- you can change the ph dosing settings from your grow-site laptop, this makes it really easy to tweak dosages without having to go into your grow room and mess with the controller.
-great addition to my hydroponics setup where ph tends to rise after nutrients... this will keep dosing ph down until it hits my lower limit of 5.5, and then reactivate and pull ph back down when it spikes again.
-nothing else on the market that can do what this does.

Cons:

- high price tag
- you need to spend another $100+ on the connect stick separately. And then a laptop that’s dedicated solely to this device at home which you can’t remove..
- you need to have a separate laptop that’s on 24/7 near the controller in order to be able to remotely view (but not control) the ph levels on mobile app (can not be in sleep mode, but you can still lock it - just make sure software is running and sleep mode is disabled on your comp).
- you have to go through some trial and error to figure out how to have this provide control of PH. The dosing is not based on PH level (I.e. it does not read the ph level and bring it down or up, instead based on time and intervals). You need to guess what will keep ph in levels you need by monitoring data, but it will automatically stop dosing once it hits your limit. And if you have the connect you can keep an eye on it all on your phone.
-need to recalibrate every two weeks.
- cannot remotely adjust dosing with mobile app, you have to rely on internal setting to stop dosing if it goes outside of limits... but at least you can know when you need to go home and tweak it. And you can do so from the grow site laptop, without having to go in the room.
- you can’t use both PH up and PH down with this at the same time, it can only dispense one or the other. I use mine with ph down to help control the ph of the resovoir in my hydro system, because the ph tends to rise and not fall.
- you will still need ph up and ph down solution on hand to manually adjust if necessary. But at least you can look at the level in real time on the wall and no need to use messy devices and get all in the water.
-need to keep grow site laptop fairly close to controller. Maybe within 20 feet.

Overall makes managing a hydro system ph easier, but not 100 percent automation and does require a separate computer that can stay home and be on 24/7... plus extra ph up / ph down + good ph tester to help get ph in check if there are swings that this thing can’t control.. and if you’re away from home and this happens, you can’t do anything to change the dosing settings or solution it is using. Will need second unit if you want to ph in the opposite direction.

Joe

January 06, 2023

I wouldn't recommend this to someone just starting out. I would at least get an idea of how your system behaves first (maybe half a grow) and then grab one of these. With that being said this thing is amazing! I have two for two DWC setups and it saves me so much time. My PH always tends to drop. This thing keeps at a solid 5.9 without a blip. I was ph'ing my system 2x a day. Such a hassle. I haven't ph'd since I bought this. I wish I would have bought it years ago. Just set it where you want your ph, how many seconds of solution you want it to dose, and how long to wait before dosing again. I have mine set for 2sec on and 5 min off. Works great. It never overshoots. I can put it online but haven't found the need to. I generally don't adjust my ph to different points often. Nice feature though. My only complaint is Bluelab didn't make an option that offered up and down. I never have to ph down now, but it would be nice to have total control. I've run nutrients that sway up at first and then hard down later. If you know how your system behaves and you want more time for other things this is a great option. Plus plants enjoy a stable ph. Worth the money.

J. Hall

September 22, 2020

My plants much prefer a consistent Ph over a constantly drifting one, and this little guy solves that dilemma nicely. The dilemma, of course, being the constantly drifting (typically rising in hydro) Ph between manual spot checks. I won’t bother covering what others have, as the features/minor frustrations are fairly consistent. I will say it is awesome Bluelab included items in the package such as initial calibration solution packets, suction cups for the probes, and even a screw cap for the ph solution going through the pump.

My one frustration is the current iteration of remote monitoring that requires an extra hundred or two dollars for another piece of hardware and an always-on laptop within range to receive the signal from the device.

That said, I’d buy this again in a heartbeat. I’m willing to deal while bluelab continues to make improvements.

Robert Lopez

June 30, 2016

Great device so far, but I am really disappointed with the way it was marketed.
Adding a hundred+ dollars to get the "Connect" device is ridiculous. It diminishes their product not to include it with the controller.
The packaging is mis-leading in my opinion. The ad says....."Bluelab pH Controller Connect with Clever Monitoring, Dosing and Data Logging of Solution pH Levels Excludes Bluelab Connect Stick".
"Excludes Bluelab Connect Stick", means...without the Connect Stick,,,, the entire ad is null. It is just a Bluelab pH Controller

Ryan Vandervoort

January 14, 2017

This item gets 5 stars just for the stress load lifted by having this machine keep my PH in check. I definitely don't miss repeatedly testing, PHing, mixing my res. This product keeps it right on the money once you get it dialed in to your specific setup (res size, circulation within the res, etc). My only complaint is that with both of my units, the calibration drifts within a month or two. I calibrate every two weeks to be safe and because it's easy but that's not enough for me to not give it 5 stars. Great product.

Matthew Thomason

October 14, 2020

this product works great after 2 weeks of use it has become a crucial tool! the software does require an older version of java so do not uninstall old versions of java; and this product will work awesome. It is so customizable that it can be used on virtually any size system. I recommend any serious gardener looking for consistent ph. Customer service is friendly and helpful.

J Hardy

July 29, 2020

Perfect item perfect delivery!
Works great. 10 minute set up and mounting. Monitors and controls ph beautifully. My problem was ph getting out of range and young plants damage. I would try to adjust manually but always over done and had to do more adjustments. Now I set it and forget it.

Gavin

December 11, 2021

Thing is very easy to setup and use, keeps the PH within a .1. Was a little pricey though but im happy so cant complain.

Richard A Hall

March 18, 2019

Great unit and holds the pH exactly at the right level. Well worth the cost.

TheDude

October 28, 2022

Works well, gives me great peace of mind. Easy to adjust, easy to use.