APERA INSTRUMENTS / PH8500-FT / AI5562

A flat sensing face.
A complete wet contact.

PH8500-FT combines the portable PH8500 meter with a LabSen 373 flat pH/temperature electrode. The flat glass membrane and surrounding PTFE ring junction support clean, wet surface contact and general aqueous-solution testing. Choose it when a rounded bulb cannot make suitable contact.

Flat does not mean dry-contact measurement. Establish a continuous wet interface between sample, sensing glass and reference junction. Surface preparation is part of the result.

Contact across the face

The POM-body electrode brings the sensing glass and PTFE ring junction to the sample-facing end. Both need wet contact. Pressing the center against a tiny isolated droplet is not enough if the reference junction remains dry.

One probe, two signals

The integrated NTC 30 kΩ temperature sensor connects by RCA; BNC carries pH/mV. Both leads are needed for automatic temperature compensation. A matching BNC socket on another brand does not establish temperature compatibility.

Records that travel with the work

Save up to 500 sets manually or at timed intervals. The meter clock adds date and time to readings, with temperature and calibration information available for review. Check the clock before starting a new sampling run.

Know what this configuration supplies.

Paper and textile evaluations

Use on compatible clean, wetted material under a defined procedure. Record the wetting liquid, contact time and sample preparation. This is not a promise of a meaningful reading from untreated dry paper or fabric.

Wet culture-medium surfaces

The flat end can support suitable wet surface measurements where a conventional bulb is awkward. Protect the face from abrasion and avoid contaminating the sample. The kit is not presented as sterile equipment or a validated biological testing system.

Small aqueous samples

Small-volume work is conditional on enough liquid to wet the glass and junction together and obtain representative temperature contact. There is no universal minimum volume or vessel size promised for this electrode; confirm your geometry before choosing it.

Wet the interface.
Control the preparation.

Remove the storage bottle, rinse the electrode and calibrate with clean buffers around the expected pH. Start at neutral for the selected buffer series. Support the probe so its flat end cannot strike the vessel or drag across abrasive material.

Use a clean, wet test surface. If your procedure calls for distilled-water wetting, apply it consistently and record it. Establish gentle, continuous liquid contact across the sensing glass and surrounding junction; do not force a dry reading or scrape the surface with the probe.

Allow both pH and temperature to settle before recording. Keep wetting amount, pressure and contact time consistent across comparable samples. Automatic temperature compensation addresses electrode response, not every chemical change with temperature or every difference introduced by surface preparation.

No internal refilling.
Keep the face hydrated.

LabSen 373 is a nonrefillable electrode with a Long-Life AgCl/silver reference. Its blue gel inner solution is not an invitation to open or refill the probe. Use 3M KCl externally in the storage bottle, not as an internal maintenance step.

After each sample, rinse away residue and return the measuring end to its storage bottle. Tighten the cap and replace contaminated storage solution. Do not leave the face dry or store it long-term in pure water or calibration buffer.

Keep the BNC and RCA plugs dry and clean. Inspect the face for deposits and damage before recalibration. Neither the POM body nor PTFE junction makes the glass scratch-proof or immune to fouling.

A stable reading is the start of the record.

Use the physical meter controls for measurement and calibration, then record or save a stable result. A held display and a stored record are different functions. Screen values in photographs are illustrative, not measurements of your sample.

Choose the correct buffer family and calibration points for the intended work. Temperature compensation addresses electrode response; it does not make different sample temperatures, preparation methods or chemistry equivalent. Follow the exact probe instructions before extending the method to a new sample.

Record locally.
Transfer deliberately.

The PH8500 can retain up to 500 sets with date, time, measurement value, unit, temperature and the last calibration record. Manual saving follows a stable indication. Timed logging can be configured from one minute to 99 hours 59 minutes. Keep the clock and sample identification procedure consistent; deleting stored values cannot be undone.

The current Web PC-Link workflow uses USB with a compatible desktop Chrome or Edge browser on Windows or Mac. It supports CSV output and browser-print reporting. Check the exact instructions and connection before relying on a field data workflow; do not assume Firefox, Bluetooth or ZenTest support.

When connected to PC-Link, new records go to software rather than meter memory. Export and back up important records before closing the tool. This does not establish automatic permanent backup, an immutable audit trail, electronic signatures, regulatory compliance or guaranteed background operation.