Janet,
Thanks for your input. I only have 2 bags of shock from the pool store left and I used the Algaecide last week as well. I'm finished with them!!! (as far as dumping anything more in my pool based on their findings) I cannot afford to purchase one of the test kits you mention right now. But I did purchase the 4-way kit just last week so that is brand new and I read somewhere on here that that was a good choice (better than the test strips). I will try the dilution thing to get a better feel for the real chlorine level in my pool and go load up on bottles of bleach and also go get another reading on my CYA level. Thank you. I will check back later this evening