Quote Originally Posted by Surfix007 View Post
Is it true that I am the only one having problems with ColorQ Pro7???
Nah. But most people having problems with it, don't know.

The ColorQ is a mini-colorimeter and is potentially accurate, within its limitations. But there are a lot of limitations inherent in low-cost low-capability spectrophotometer. Here's a *real* spectrophotometer from LaMotte: LaMotte 2000-01 SMART Spectro Spectrophotometer

LaMotte would never admit it, but you have the 'Lego' version of a spectrophotometer. But you wouldn't even want the real one! While they are potentially very, very accurate, they require special sample prep and don't measure the ranges you need. So you'd have to do hyper accurate dilutions to actually test your pool.

In a sense, the Taylor K2006 is the 'Lego' version of a titration lab, like this kit used by brewers. But it's much easier to scale down a titration lab, than a spectrophotometer. And titration measurements (drop counts, in this case) intrinsically have the wide range you need to test pool water.

Ok. I hate to say it, but you've really been 'pool-stored' to use CarlD's neologism: not only is the ColorQ Pro not very good, but the ePool is worthless. The temperature gauge works. The rest of it -- unless you routinely calibrate the pH electrode, the pH measurements are unreliable. And the chlorine read-out is worse: it's INFERRED (ie, guessed-at electronically) from an ORP measurement, which is something else I'm not going to explain here, but is NOT chlorine.

Just get a K2006. And a K1000 for quick testing. http://pool9.net/testkits/

Since you travel a lot, you may want to get a phosphate testkit:
Hach (AquaChek) 562227 Phosphate Test Kit
Taylor Technologies Inc K-1106 Test Kit Phosphate
We don't usually recommend messing with lowered phosphates, but maintaining very low phosphates WILL make your pool less likely to grow a nice swamp crop of algae if the pool is neglected for a few days. Low phosphates + polyquat will enable you to leave for a week and return to a problem free pool -- usually. http://pool9.net/polyquat/
Ask me how, once you know more: it's not just a matter of dump it in and forget it. It needs to be a part of a plan.

By the way, Lamotte does have a version of the K2006, complete with FAS-DPD titration (drop counting) for chlorine. It's probably OK, but I haven't heard of anyone using one, since it costs 3x as much as the K2006.