Hannah or Milwaukee Salinity Tester

[ocncheffy]

My buddy recently picked up a new Hannah Salinity tester and I currently run with the Milwaukee MA887 tester which works pretty well. I understand the margin of error is larger on the Milwaukee compared to the Hannah, and I do like the portability of the Hannah tester as well. He's willing to swap testers with me, but I'd like a couple people to chime in first. The Hannah tester needs to use calibration packs, but the Milwaukee can use RO water which is much easier/cheaper. My tank is also showing 1.025 with the Hannah and 1.026 with the Milwaukee, and I'm partial to believe the Hannah as conductivity is a more accurate measurement. Would you guys swap testers if you had the opportunity?

Here's the units below in question:

Hanna Marine Salinity Tester HI98319

Hanna Marine Salinity Tester

www.reefsupplies.ca

Milwaukee Seawater Digital Refractometer

Buy this Milwaukee Seawater Digital Refractometer in Canada.

www.reefsupplies.ca

 

[infinite0180]

Fwiw i love my hanna. I calibrate monthly. I find it best to keep the calibration packets at about the same temp as the tank water. I will sometimes float it in my sump before calibrating if it feels cold...

 

[homer1475]

Same as above.

Ever since I got my Hanna my milwaukee sits on the shelf. Yes the milwaukee is easier to calbrate(You need to use distilled not RO), and doesn't require any calibration packets, but it's just so easy to use.

 

[dadnjesse]

I have the Milwaukee and a VEE GEE Scientific refractometer, which both read the same after calibration. I just got the Hanna salinity checker and it reads 2ppt lower than the others. I just got off the phone with Hanna and they are sending me a replacement, though I'm not sure which one is reading correct. From a lot of reviews I have seen the Hanna is off by the 2ppt's

 

[infinite0180]

I have the Milwaukee and a VEE GEE Scientific refractometer, which both read the same after calibration. I just got the Hanna salinity checker and it reads 2ppt lower than the others. I just got off the phone with Hanna and they are sending me a replacement, though I'm not sure which one is reading correct. From a lot of reviews I have seen the Hanna is off by the 2ppt's

My Hanna is the same as my refrac and my icp tests. Maybe try warming the calibration solution up to tank temp right before calibrating...

 

[Reefman71]

I have the Milwaukee and a VEE GEE Scientific refractometer, which both read the same after calibration. I just got the Hanna salinity checker and it reads 2ppt lower than the others. I just got off the phone with Hanna and they are sending me a replacement, though I'm not sure which one is reading correct. From a lot of reviews I have seen the Hanna is off by the 2ppt's

Exactly! I’ve been going crazy trying to figure out which one is right and there’s a two point differential I think I trust my Milwaukee one more even though it’s about eight years old

 

[dadnjesse]

It turns out Hanna is not sending me a new one until I send in the one I have so they can test it and probably tell me it's fine. It was only a few days old when I contacted them.

 

[bozo]

It turns out Hanna is not sending me a new one until I send in the one I have so they can test it and probably tell me it's fine. It was only a few days old when I contacted them.

What ended up happening?

 

[K7BMG]

I have had two Hannas.
The first one crashed just quit working but it was off by .002 lower.
The replacement came in and is also .002 low.
So its a thing.
I use the BRS ATC Refractomiter and a Milwaukee with Brightwells universal calibration fluid.
Sure thing the readings are identical and the Hanna reads .002 low as well.

Point is I got the Hanna and found out over time I was running my salinity at 1.028. So if I neglected adding fresh water my salinity was over 1.030
At one point.
Its consistant so as long as you know your good.
Yes I am know there is an adjustment or offset that can be done but.
My thought on that if the unit after a battery change or watever defaults back to the factory setting and I dont know that then I have high salinity.

YMMV.