I think I might fall under the "slightly colorblind" or maybe a better term would be "color indecisive" category, as I always think my pH test color can be described as "reddish" at best and I am never satisfied with it's accuracy. So, I have also been considering trying a pH meter instead of drops so have been doing a little research...

A few things I have read:

Temperature compensation is not important in testing pool water, as it is basically irrelevant at pH levels near 7. Only when pH is considerably higher or lower (< 4 or > 10) will temperature significantly alter the reading.

pH meters do need to be calibrated, but I read one opinion that once a month should be enough. I haven't been able to determine how far off your "average" meter will become after a given amount of time, but I wonder would it really be enough to signifcantly alter the reading? Say if even if it was off by +/-0.1 after a month's time, if you are like me that's probably still more accurate than reading a drop test.

I suppose with the need for calibration solution it is likely more expensive overall to use a digital ph meter, but if calibrating once a month is sufficient, I think the convenience and confidence of a more accurate reading might be a worthy trade-off. One particular dealer sells 475ml of calibration for $5 and claims a 1-year shelf life. I figure calibrating using solutions of 7 and 10 ought to be good enough for pool purposes, so that's only $10 a year.

Can anyone comment on the frequency of calibrations? I wonder how often is really necessary and how inaccurate meters become as a function of time.

I welcome discussion and any further insight...