Do these cheap water testers really work?

[GeneS]

Has anyone tested one of these water testers to see
if they actually work?
http://www.onestopgardens.com/osg/taf/Displayitem_os.taf?itemnumber=3106

Unfortunately, it does not test dissolved oxygen, that is, the amount
of O2 in the water...

THANKS,
Gene

[Rusty Mase]

On Thu, 23 Sep 2004 15:40:34 GMT, "GeneS" >
wrote:

>Has anyone tested one of these water testers to see
>if they actually work?
No, for that price they cannot work reliably.

>Unfortunately, it does not test dissolved oxygen..........
I'd wager it does not test for anything except whether the battery
still has life to it. For instance the drinking water standard for
mercury is 2 micrograms per liter and there are no $15 water testers
that will touch the level of accuracy needed to determine that.



Rusty Mase

[dt]

Rusty Mase wrote:
> On Thu, 23 Sep 2004 15:40:34 GMT, "GeneS" >
> wrote:
>
>
>>Has anyone tested one of these water testers to see
>>if they actually work?
>
> No, for that price they cannot work reliably.
>
>
>>Unfortunately, it does not test dissolved oxygen..........
>
> I'd wager it does not test for anything except whether the battery
> still has life to it. For instance the drinking water standard for
> mercury is 2 micrograms per liter and there are no $15 water testers
> that will touch the level of accuracy needed to determine that.

I'd be real surprised if it tested *anything* in three seconds, except
the battery, like Rusty said.

Also, I noticed when I clicked on your link, at the bottom of the
browser window it says "Transferring data from harborfreight.com".
That's got to tell us something. ;-)

DT
http://www.thehungersite.com/

[GeneS]

I have nothing whatsoever to do with Harbor Freight -
just buy a lot of their cheap stuff :-)

Gene




"dt" > wrote in message
...
> Rusty Mase wrote:
> > On Thu, 23 Sep 2004 15:40:34 GMT, "GeneS" >
> > wrote:
> >
> >
> >>Has anyone tested one of these water testers to see
> >>if they actually work?
> >
> > No, for that price they cannot work reliably.
> >
> >
> >>Unfortunately, it does not test dissolved oxygen..........
> >
> > I'd wager it does not test for anything except whether the battery
> > still has life to it. For instance the drinking water standard for
> > mercury is 2 micrograms per liter and there are no $15 water testers
> > that will touch the level of accuracy needed to determine that.
>
> I'd be real surprised if it tested *anything* in three seconds, except
> the battery, like Rusty said.
>
> Also, I noticed when I clicked on your link, at the bottom of the
> browser window it says "Transferring data from harborfreight.com".
> That's got to tell us something. ;-)
>
> DT
> http://www.thehungersite.com/

[Rusty Mase]

On Fri, 24 Sep 2004 18:23:52 GMT, "GeneS" >
wrote:

>I have nothing whatsoever to do with Harbor Freight -
>just buy a lot of their cheap stuff :-)

No, the website downloaded an ad from harborfreight. So it created a
sense of "guilt by association".

Rusty Mase

[dt]

Rusty Mase wrote:
> On Fri, 24 Sep 2004 18:23:52 GMT, "GeneS" >
> wrote:
>
>
>>I have nothing whatsoever to do with Harbor Freight -
>>just buy a lot of their cheap stuff :-)
>
>
> No, the website downloaded an ad from harborfreight. So it created a
> sense of "guilt by association".

Oh, I buy quite a bit of their jun...uh, stuff, too: tarps, tire irons,
even a couple of cheap multimeters and a laser level. I'd just be real
suspicious of a Serious Instrument for that price. ;-)

DT
http://www.thehungersite.com/