Alastair 8050 Posted December 7, 2018 I need a refractometer, a web search shows widely varying prices, massively varying in fact. So, does paying big bucks mean I get a better refractometer? Or should I just go budget? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Trevor Gillbanks 6645 Posted December 7, 2018 I bought a budget one from aliexpress and i have checked it against other NZ expensive ones. Mine came out with the same readings. Getting it graduated correctly is the big factor. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alastair 8050 Posted December 7, 2018 Good to know thanks Trevor. I seen some for sale on that site for under 20 bucks. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kaihoka 2904 Posted December 7, 2018 1 hour ago, Trevor Gillbanks said: I bought a budget one from aliexpress and i have checked it against other NZ expensive ones. Mine came out with the same readings. Getting it graduated correctly is the big factor. How did you calibrate yours. I got mine on ali express too $29 . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alastair 8050 Posted December 7, 2018 they should come with a bottle of calibrating oil. The oil gives the same reading as some stated level of moisture in honey. So you put the oil on, then if the refractometer is saying different to what the calibrating oil is supposed to be, you adjust the refractometer. Good practise is have calibrating solution, and re calibrate the refractometer periodically. I know all this, from when I had a super expensive refractometer, for a non bee related task. 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
yesbut 6056 Posted December 7, 2018 How do you know those chinese things don't have a chip in them and are reporting back the whole time ? 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Trevor Gillbanks 6645 Posted December 7, 2018 26 minutes ago, yesbut said: How do you know those chinese things don't have a chip in them and are reporting back the whole time ? Mine is made by Huawai and it has the chip in it. The non chipped ones are a lot more expensive. It was stated so on the box. Just kidding. 2 hours ago, kaihoka said: How did you calibrate yours. As @Alastair said. Make sure you buy one with the calibrating oil, Or you can use Virgin Olive oil (But I can't remember the %) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DeeGeeBee 204 Posted December 7, 2018 1 hour ago, Trevor Gillbanks said: As @Alastair said. Make sure you buy one with the calibrating oil, Or you can use Virgin Olive oil (But I can't remember the %) I believe that you can use distilled water to zero it, and then use sugar syrup of a known percentage also made with distilled water to calibrate. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kaihoka 2904 Posted December 8, 2018 2 hours ago, Trevor Gillbanks said: Mine is made by Huawai and it has the chip in it. The non chipped ones are a lot more expensive. It was stated so on the box. Just kidding. As @Alastair said. Make sure you buy one with the calibrating oil, Or you can use Virgin Olive oil (But I can't remember the %) i tried a few things in the end i used the measure that my pollen report gave me and the same honey. i knew that one wold be right. remote calibration with a huawei chip to their server sounds the most accurate. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CraBee 1727 Posted December 8, 2018 3 hours ago, yesbut said: How do you know those chinese things don't have a chip in them and are reporting back the whole time ? Yeah I read about that as well. Apparently the refractometer is calibrated to pick up UMF 20+ manuka nectar and it then transmits back via GPS the site location. Quite clever. 1 1 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sailabee 1038 Posted December 15, 2018 Expensive or cheap refractometers , buying replacement calibrating oil is harder to achieve than buying krypton, that's why the NZ virgin olive oil was suggested. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kaihoka 2904 Posted December 15, 2018 1 hour ago, Sailabee said: Expensive or cheap refractometers , buying replacement calibrating oil is harder to achieve than buying krypton, that's why the NZ virgin olive oil was suggested. Do you know the numbers for calibrating with olive oil . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alastair 8050 Posted December 15, 2018 Handy to know Sailabee, I haven't bought one yet so that's something to consider. Guess I could get one, calibrate it with their solution, then test it with some olive oil. If it gives the right result I'll keep the bottle for future calibrating. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sailabee 1038 Posted December 15, 2018 Sorry, I don't have the olive oil number handy, but it was on a thread after the 2016 NBA Conference where a honey testing lab suggested it and gave out NZ virgin olive oil samples to use. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alastair 8050 Posted December 15, 2018 Thanks Sailabee you give great advice! I'll just find a bottle that works, and hang onto it. As a slight aside, I read the Mafia control olive oil in Italy and several other countries, and blend it with cheap oils, or make fake olive oil that does not even have any real olive oil in it at all. As a result, around a third of olive oil on USA supermarket shelves is fake. So I only ever buy NZ produced olive oil just to be safe. 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ali 543 Posted December 15, 2018 @Alastair Christmas greetings! Recalibrate if the temperature is more than 5 degrees different than when calibration was last done. 6. Alternative calibration: Olive oil is defined by UN FAO to have refractive index of 1.4677 to 1.4705. That equals 71 to 72 degrees Brix. You could also calibrate using olive oil to 71.5 and be close. Make sure you are using fresh oil. The above from here: https://www.betterbee.com/images/Manual_Refractometer_Instructions1.pdf probably the best source for this I have found! 2 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sailabee 1038 Posted December 15, 2018 2 hours ago, Ali said: @Alastair Christmas greetings! Recalibrate if the temperature is more than 5 degrees different than when calibration was last done. 6. Alternative calibration: Olive oil is defined by UN FAO to have refractive index of 1.4677 to 1.4705. That equals 71 to 72 degrees Brix. You could also calibrate using olive oil to 71.5 and be close. Make sure you are using fresh oil. The above from here: https://www.betterbee.com/images/Manual_Refractometer_Instructions1.pdf probably the best source for this I have found! Pretty much all of the refractometers - even the cheap ones have automatic temperature adjustment. The most important thing is to make sure that it has had enough time to come to the ambient temperature as well as the honey and oil. 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DeeGeeBee 204 Posted December 16, 2018 5 hours ago, Alastair said: So I only ever buy NZ produced olive oil just to be safe. Very wise. Most olive oils from Europe are rancid by the time they reach the shelves here anyway. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alastair 8050 Posted December 16, 2018 Great information Ali, thanks, and enjoy your Christmas also. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
