Apera Instruments PCO60-Z Bluetooth pH/Conductivity/ORP/Redox/TDS/Salinity/Resistivity Smart Multi-Parameter Meter Tester Kit Powered by ZenTest Mobile App with Cloud-Based Datalogger

First, I like this meter. It is a trusted brand with growers. And it's IP67 waterproof ("6" in the 67 is the highest standard for solids and dust and the "7" means protection against full water immersion for up to 30 min up to a meter) also, it floats. A nice touch is the case. Very sturdy and from the pic you can see cutouts for everything, even a place to hold the test/sample caps while measuring. A nice extra touch. Concerning calibration solution. Seems more expensive than the powers, however, they depend entirely on you having distilled ph 7.0 water. Once you open a jug of water, the ph starts to drop (absorbing CO2) and water likes to be stable at about 5.8 or so - not good for testing. The testing solution is stable and according to Apera, with proper cleaning of probe, can be reused up to 10 times. Just store the solution in the provided test cups. As far as measuring, it's accurate, easy to see and simple calibration (cycle power after each finished cal or it will try to do an extra cal, like 10.01ph which isn't included). The meter feels solid and is encased in heavy duty clear plastic. I have 3 TDS meters and 2 ph meters and could have saved money by buying this meter first and a lot of headache over incorrect ph readings. For the piece of mind it's worth it. Now as far as the app goes. The ZenTest app that works with the bluetooth function for the PC-60Z, is in need of attention. The app has a very poor rating in the Android store and on the first day I installed it, the app crashed and then refused to function. Had to uninstall and reinstall. It has worked since but I am not as confident in the app as the meter. The manual states clearly that it is not for the bluetooth portion of the meter. Got to go to the web for any howtos. If you look at the last pic, that tells a story of this app. For reference it should be "asset and here" not "assect and heree". Small details make a big difference. I could go on about feature requests for a long time but one would be a cycle function. Like autosave but takes 1 (or more) sample from each measurement then autosaves like normal to an asset instead of manually changing to each one. The app has potential once you dig around a bit. Also would be nice to be able to stack data into one file. Currently every save, even to the same asset, creates a new file. Overall I would recommend the meter, it gets the 5 stars. The app gets 3 for trying.

Unfortunately, I go through way too many of these things because I’m clumsy. They are fragile, but not any more than you would expect from a lab grade instrument. Don’t waste your money on cheap generic testers. Don’t get me wrong, they work well….and you will think you’ve gamed the system for a couple weeks. Just when you get comfortable, that cheap ass tester will throw a fever dream reading at you one day. If you’re not paying attention, you’ll probably use that data to murder your plants. I’ve had a couple of generic pH/TDS/EC meters myself. They worked when they arrived, but they just didnt hold their calibration for more than a couple of days. After a couple of weeks, all the readings were haywire. I think I ended up wasting more money replacing multiple cheap ones then if i had bought one good one early on. If you’re still on the fence because of the cost just ask yourself how much time and money that reset will cost. now order the Apera. You only have to buy it once unless you are accident prone…like me:(

So far so good! Easy to use/calibarate Very accurate, The company puts a lot of thought and effort into their products has a laminated instruction sheet how to calibrate comes with everything you need Love the case it comes with!

I purchased the Apera PC60-Z to test my pool water. I use a salt-water chlorination system and never get accurate salt and TDS readings from the two pool stores close to me. This meter appears to be quite accurate with the calibration solutions provided. I also purchased the 10 pH and 84 uS/cm calibration solutions to provide an even more accurate 3-point calibration. The Bluetooth connection to my iPhone was quick and automatic for the ZenTest app. The app makes everything so easy and allows you to record and save your readings. So far, very impressed. I had an issue with Amazon in ordering this device. I ordered it twice and was sent a PC60 (with out the Z) - the Amazon inventory label did say PC60-Z but the device and kit were the PC60. The customer support folks promised to have the warehouse folks actually check the device, not just the inventory label on the second try, but alas, when the second unit arrived it was once again the PC60, not the PC60-Z. I complained once again to the Amazon support staff and asked them to pass along to a supervisor. I eventually gave up on Amazon and ordered the PC60-Z directly from Apera Instruments at the same price and the same 2 day shipping. The PC60-Z arrived just as promised from Apera.

After trying to work with with this meter for the past 6 months... simply because of the wireless aspect, I've given up and replaced it with BlueLabs. This thing is absolute junk. As other have mentioned it is NOT water proof in any way. Perhaps water resistant like a cheap watch is drip/splash resistant... You can let it dry out and it'll work again.. but that's only the start of the issues. If my phone is paired with any other bluetooth device the app refuses to connect to the meter. So good luck working in your garden and listening to music even.. The meter typically takes 30-60 minutes to get a mildly accurate reading. Take it out of the solution, cleann/rinse and put back in.. wait ANOTHER HOUR and get a _completely different_ reading. Like from 700ppms to 300! Drop in some cheap-o $20 meter get the same reading in seconds. pH.. hahahahaha never ever accurate, nor does it stabilize. Again cheap-o $25 meter immediately gets an accurate reading. I have babied the crap out of this device, keeping it clean, calibrated once per month (btw the built-in calibration reminders have NEVER worked). The app is annoying at best. You either create an account (which you have to login EVERY TIME you want to use) or you are constantly selecting "visitor" mode.. why? Oh and the best part. push the mode button on the pen or from the app and watch the magic not happen. Daily i'm pushing the mode button anywhere from 5 to 20 (yes I mean it) times to get it to switch between modes. This thing is junkier than the cheapest meters. Oh and like others said.. Just TRY to get rma replacements of of these folks.. yeah right. I even bought a replacement sensor for $100 thinking I somehow damaged it. Nope. Still works like crap. DO NOT WASTE YOUR $$ ON THESE PEOPLE.

The meter has everything I wanted, and I have little issues with using it or calibrating it. I use the Bluetooth on occasion when I want to record readings for future reference. Bluetooth is quick to connect to my phone, and the app is easy to use. If you like to keep your pH meter in soaking solution, this pen makes it a bit harder to do. The TDS probes can't be left in the soaking solution without getting ruined. I have to fill yp the protective cap to a level that covers the pH bulb, but not so much that it comes in contact with the TDS electrodes.

Works great for my testing purposes. Have not used app but like that it has that functionality. Perfect quick tester for field or home purposes.

I have had this now about 6 months, very easy to use and easy to calibrate. I have not needed to buy more calibration solution yet but I see it for sale on Amazon. I had started with a cheap Ph meter which I eventually realized was lying to me, and the Ph coming out of my faucet had in fact risen dramatically. I caught it after my plant leaves had started to show yellow (I hand water). With this meter and some Ph down I was able to control each watering as the Ph started to drop again. It had never occurred to me that my tap water would change, now I monitor it every watering. I would have never known with the cheapy meter. I'm now starting hydroponics and find this meter is PERFECT for that. In hydroponics you are responsible for every aspect of the plants nutrients / general health, the proxy for this is ppm. The Apera meter reads ppm. Oh - and its Blue tooth - not necessary for usage but really great for saving data, and you can edit and label the data. But also you can hold the meter in the water while the other hand manages the tester using the bluetooth.,