Oakton CON 6 User manual

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Instruction Manual
CON 6/TDS 6
Hand-held Conductivity/TDS Meter
68X243618
ver. 0 11/02

Preface
This manual serves to explain the use of the Conductivity and TDS handheld
meters. The models covered are the CON 6 and TDS 6.
This manual functions in two ways: first as a step by step guide to help you
operate the meter; second, it serves as a handy reference guide.
This manual is written to cover as many anticipated applications of the
Conductivity and TDS handheld meters as possible. If there are doubts in the
use of the Conductivity and TDS handheld meters, please do not hesitate to
contact the nearest Eutech Instruments/ Oakton Instruments Authorized
Distributor.
Eutech Instruments/ Oakton Instruments will not accept any responsibility for
damage or malfunction to the meter caused by improper use of the instrument.
The information presented in this manual is subjected to change without notice
as improvements are made, and does not represent a commitment on the part
of Eutech Instruments Pte Ltd/ Oakton Instruments.
Copyright © 2002
Eutech Instruments Pte Ltd/ Oakton Instruments
All rights reserved. Version 0, 11/02

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 INTRODUCTION 1
2 DISPLAY & KEYPAD FUNCTIONS 3
2.1 DISPLAY 3
2.2 KEYPAD 4
3 PREPARATION 5
3.1 INSERTING & REMOVING RUBBER BOOT 5
3.2 INSERTING THE BATTERIES 5
3.3 BATTERY REPLACEMENT 6
3.4 CONDUCTIVITY ELECTRODE INFORMATION 7
3.5 CONNECTING THE PROBE TO METER 9
3.6 SWITCHING THE METER ON 10
3.7 CHANGE CONDUCTIVITY/ TDS Ù
TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT MODE 12
4 CALIBRATION 13
4.1 IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON METER CALIBRATION 13
4.2 PREPARING THE METER FOR CALIBRATION 14
4.3 SELECTION OF AUTOMATIC OR MANUAL CALIBRATION 15
4.4 AUTOMATIC CALIBRATION (CONDUCTIVITY) 16
4.5 MANUAL CALIBRATION (CONDUCTIVITY OR TDS) 18
4.6 TEMPERATURE CALIBRATION 19
5 MEASUREMENT 20
5.1 WITH AUTOMATIC TEMPERATURE COMPENSATION (ATC) 20
5.2 WITHOUT ATC (MANUAL TEMPERATURE COMPENSATION) 21
5.3 TAKING MEASUREMENTS 22
5.4 USING MANUAL RANGING FUNCTION 22
5.5 HOLD FUNCTION 24
6 ADVANCED SETUP FUNCTIONS 25
6.1 ADVANCED SETUP OVERVIEW 25
6.2 SELECT CELL CONSTANT 29
6.3 AUTOMATIC CALIBRATION (FOR CON 6) 30
6.4 SETTING THE TDS FACTOR (FOR TDS 6) 30
6.5 TEMPERATURE COEFFICIENT 31
6.6 NORMALIZATION TEMPERATURE 32
6.7 SINGLE-POINT CALIBRATION 32
6.8 RESTORE FACTORY DEFAULT VALUES 33
7 PROBE CARE AND MAINTENANCE 34
8 TROUBLE-SHOOTING GUIDE 35
9 ERROR MESSAGES 36
10 SPECIFICATIONS 37
11 ACCESSORIES 39
12 CONDUCTIVITY THEORY 41

13 ADDENDUM 1: CALIBRATION TIPS 45
14 ADDENDUM 2: CALCULATING TDS CONVERSION FACTOR 46
15 ADDENDUM 3: CALCULATING TEMPERATURE COEFFICIENTS 47
16 WARRANTY 49
17 RETURN OF ITEMS 50

Instruction Manual CON 6/TDS 6
1
1 INTRODUCTION
Thank you for purchasing CON 6/TDS 6 Conductivity/TDS meter. These
economy microprocessor-based handheld meters deliver up to ±0.5% full-scale
accuracy. It has a large custom LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) for clear and easy
reading.
CON 6 measures Conductivity (µS/mS) and Temperature (°C) while the TDS 6
measures Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) and Temperature (°C). This sturdy
meter measures up to 5 different ranges with auto-ranging capability that
switches to appropriate measuring range automatically.
Your meter includes a conductivity electrode (cell constant K = 1.0) with built-in
temperature sensor (Order Code: EC-CONSEN91B/ 35606-55), a rubber boot,
4 alkaline “AAA” batteries, instruction manual and warranty card.
Please read this manual thoroughly before operating your meter.
To order other accessories and buffer standard solutions, please refer to the
Accessories Section for more information.

Instruction Manual CON 6/TDS 6
2
mS
ON
OFF
HOLD
ENTER
CAL
MODE
CON 6
Conductivity/ Meter
C
°

Instruction Manual CON 6/TDS 6
3
2 DISPLAY & KEYPAD FUNCTIONS
2.1 Display
The meter has a large custom LCD that consists of 4-digit segments and
operation annunciators for uS/mS (or ppm/ppt for TDS 6 meter) and °C
(Temperature). Other annunciators include “HO” (when the HOLD function is
activated) and “LO” (low battery condition). See Figure below.
pptm
HO LO %
m
S
µ
1
2
3
4
5
67
C°
LCD and Customized Annunciators for CON 6/TDS 6 meter
1. Primary display 4. Temperature indicator
2. Parts Per Million (ppm) or Parts
Per Thousand (ppt) indicator -
available for TDS 6 meter only.
5. Percentage indicator for
Temperature Coefficient.
3. milli-Siemens/cm (mS) or micro-
Siemens/cm (µS) indicator -
available for CON 6 meter only.
6. Low battery indicator.
7. Hold (freezed) reading indicator.

Instruction Manual CON 6/TDS 6
4
2.2 Keypad
The CON 6 / TDS 6 meter has 6 keys on its splash-proof keypad; ON/OFF,
HOLD/ENTER, CAL, MODE, ▲and ▼keys. Some buttons have several
functions depending on its mode of operation.
ON
OFF
•Powers on and shuts off the meter. Takes you directly into
measurement mode when meter is switched on.
CAL
•Enters into calibration mode for Conductivity/TDS and
Temperature.
•To abort calibration or setup mode without confirming any set
value.
HOLD
ENTER
HOLD: Freezes the measured reading. To activate, press HOLD
key while in measurement mode. To release, press HOLD
key again.
ENTER: Press to confirm values in calibration mode, and to confirm
selections in SETUP mode.
•In Calibration Mode: Press to scroll through calibration values.
•In Setup Mode: Press to scroll through the setup sub-group
programs.
•Press ▲key during conductivity measurement mode to
activate manual ranging function. Each key press will move up
higher conductivity range.
MODE
•Selects measurement mode for conductivity/TDS and
Temperature.
•When pressed together with ON/OFF key, it will take you into
the SETUP mode. This allows you to customize meter
preferences such as selecting electrode’s cell constant,
normalization temperature, temperature coefficient factor, TDS
factor (for TDS 6), automatic (only CON 6) or manual
calibration, single-point or multi-point calibrations, and to reset
meter to factory default.

Instruction Manual CON 6/TDS 6
5
3 PREPARATION
3.1 Inserting & Removing Rubber Boot
(Rubber Boot sold separately)
1) To remove meter from rubber boot, push
out from the bottom edges of meter until it is
completely out of boot. Ensure that the
cables of Conductivity electrode or
temperature probe are not connected.
2) To insert meter into rubber boot, slide in
from the top of meter before pushing the
bottom edges of meter down to set it into
position. Lift up the stand at the back of
meter for bench top applications if
necessary.
3.2 Inserting the Batteries
The battery compartment is found at the
back of instrument as shown. To open the
battery compartment:
1) Push in the direction of arrow and lift
up the cover.
2) Note the polarity of battery before
inserting into position.
3) After replacement, place cover back
and press down until it locks tight.

Instruction Manual CON 6/TDS 6
6
3.3 Battery Replacement
A “LO” annunciator in the LCD alerts you when battery power is running low.
See Figure below. Replace with the same type as recommended by the
manufacturer.
LO
S
µ
"LO" Battery Condition
Caution: Power off the meter when changing battery.

Instruction Manual CON 6/TDS 6
7
3.4 Conductivity Electrode Information
The CON 6/TDS 6 hand-held meter is supplied with a
conductivity/TDS electrode with a BNC connector. This
conductivity/TDS electrode (Order Part Number: EC-
CONSEN91B/ 35606-55) comes with Stainless Steel rings,
cell constant of K = 1.0, and a built-in temperature sensor for
Automatic Temperature Compensation (ATC). Its specially
designed Ultem-body housing has good chemical resistant
properties. It provides fast temperature response and
reduces air entrapment, which makes it easy to obtain
accurate, stable readings.
The probe materials used which have good chemical
durability include:
1. Polyetherimide (Ultem) – protective probe guard
2. Polybutylterphalate (Valox) – sensor housing
3. Stainless Steel (SS 304) – 2 steel bands
Proper use of probe is essential to ensure that the optimum
measurement is taken in a short time.
The removable protective plastic probe guard is meant for
simple periodic maintenance and it must be kept intact
during measurement and calibration.
Always immerse the probe beyond upper steel band.

Instruction Manual CON 6/TDS 6
8
NOTE:
1) DO NOT remove the protective probe guard during measurement and
calibration as it may affect your readings.
2) We recommend that you do not submerge the probe above the protective
guard. You can submerge the cable for brief periods of time, but not
continuously.
See Section 7 – “Probe Care and Maintenance” for more information.

Instruction Manual CON 6/TDS 6
9
3.5 Connecting the Probe to Meter
1) To connect electrode into meter, align the connector slots with the posts
of meter’s socket and rotate connector clockwise until it locks.
2) To remove, simply rotate the connector in anti-clockwise direction until it
unlocks, and slide the connector off the socket.
3) Insert the mini phono jack of temperature sensor into the socket on the
meter as shown below.
4) Unplug the phono jack when not in use or when you want to measure
Conductivity or TDS without any temperature compensation (Manual
Temperature Compensation, see Section 5.2).
CAUTION: Do not pull or force on the probe cord or the probe
wires might disconnect.
NOTE: Keep connectors clean. Do not touch connector with
soiled hands.
BNC connector for
conductivity probe
Phono jack for
Temperature probe
Connection for Conductivity & Temperature Probes

Instruction Manual CON 6/TDS 6
10
Measurement Mode
C°
%
ON
OFF
ppm
pptmV
pH %MINMAXLOHO
F
C° °
m
S
µ
pptm
3.6 Switching the Meter On
When switching the meter on, it will go through a series of display, showing the
various setup parameters.
For CON 6
Measurement Mode
m
S
µ
C°
%
pptmV
pH %MINMAXLOHO
F
C° °
m
S
µ S
µ
ON
OFF
For tdS 6

Instruction Manual CON 6/TDS 6
11
Press ON/OFF key to power up your meter.
1) The first screen shows [Con 6] (or [tdS 6]) which is the meter’s name.
2) Second screen shows [C 1.0] which is the conductivity cell constant, k.
You can select different cell constant of 0.1, 1.0 or 10.0. Refer to Section
on Advance Setup. Default value is k=1.0.
3) Third screen shows [t 25.0 °C] which is the Normalization Temperature.
You can set Normalization Temperature at either 25 °C or 20 °C. Refer to
Section on Advance Setup. Default value is 25 °C.
4) Fourth screen shows [t 2.1%] which is the Temperature Coefficient. You
can customise the meter with different Temperature Coefficient value
from 0.0 to 3.0 %/°C from the Advance Setup mode. Default value is 2.1
%/°C.
5) All LCD segments will light up for 2 seconds, and change into
measurement mode.
6) You are now ready for conductivity measurement.

Instruction Manual CON 6/TDS 6
12
3.7 Change Conductivity/ TDS ÙTemperature
Measurement Mode
To switch between Conductivity/ TDS measurement mode and Temperature
measurement mode, simply press the MODE key.
The customized annunciator helps indicate the measurement parameter you
are in.
Annunciator
MODE
S
µ
C°

Instruction Manual CON 6/TDS 6
13
4 CALIBRATION
4.1 Important Information on Meter Calibration
Your meter has five measuring ranges. You can calibrate one point in each of
the measuring ranges (up to five points). If you are measuring values in more
than one range, make sure to calibrate each of the ranges you are measuring.
The following table lists the corresponding conductivity and TDS ranges. You
should calibrate each range using a solution that falls between the values in the
“recommended calibration solution range” column
Conductivity Range Recommended
Calibration
Solution Range
TDS Range Recommended
Calibration
Solution Range
0.00 Æ20.00 µS 6.00 to 17.00 µS 0.00 Æ10.00 ppm 3.00 to 8.50 ppm
0.0 Æ200.0 µS 60.0 to 170.0 µS 10.0 Æ100.0 ppm 30.0 to 85.0 ppm
0 Æ2000 µS 600 to 1700 µS 100 Æ1000 ppm 300 to 850 ppn
0.00 Æ20.00 mS 6.00 to 17.00
mS
1.00 Æ10.00 ppt 3.00 to 8.50 ppt
0.0 Æ200.0 mS 60.0 to 170.0
mS
10.0 Æ200 ppt 30.0 to 170 ppt
When you recalibrate your meter, old calibrations are replaced on a range
basis. For example, if you previously calibrated your conductivity meter at 1413
µS in the 0 to 2000 µS range and you recalibrate at 1500 µS (also in the 0 to
2000 µS range), the meter will replace the old calibration data (1413 µS) in that
range. The meter will retain all calibration data in other ranges.
To completely recalibrate your meter, or when you use a replacement probe, it
is best to clear all calibration data. To erase all the old conductivity or TDS
calibration data completely, see Section 6.8 – Restore Factory Default Values.

Instruction Manual CON 6/TDS 6
14
4.2 Preparing the Meter for Calibration
Before starting calibration, make sure you are in the correct measurement
mode.
For best results, select a standard value close to the sample value you are
measuring. Alternatively use a calibration solution value that is approximately
2/3 the full-scale value of the measurement range you plan to use. For
example, in the 0 to 2000 µS conductivity range, use a 1413 µS solution for
calibration.
Calibrate to all measurement ranges to ensure the highest accuracy throughout
all measurement range. Note that CON 6/ TDS 6 will not accept calibration
values less than 40 µS/cm (20 ppm). All new calibration values will
automatically override existing data.
If you are measuring in solutions with Conductivity lower than 100 µS/cm or
TDS lower than 50 ppm, calibrate the meter at least once a week to get good
accuracy. If you are measuring in the mid ranges and you wash the probe in
deionized water and store it dry, calibrate the meter once a month. If you take
measurements at extreme temperatures, calibrate at least once a week.
Ensure that you use new Conductivity standard solutions or sachets during
calibration. Do not reuse standard solutions as it may be contaminated and
affect the calibration and accuracy of measurements. Use fresh calibration
solution each time you calibrate your meter. Store solutions in a dry and cool
environment if possible.
Always rinse the probe with either deionized water or rinse solution before and
after each calibration/sample measurement to avoid cross-contamination. For
details please refer to Section 7 - Probe Care and Maintenance.
NOTE: These meters are factory set to a temperature
coefficient of 2.1% per °C. For most applications
this will provide good results.
To set the temperature coefficient to different value,
see Section 6.5 – Temperature Coefficient.
Also, see Addendum 3 - Calculating Temperature
Coefficient to determine the appropriate
temperature coefficient for your solution.

Instruction Manual CON 6/TDS 6
15
NOTE: The factory default value for normalization temperature
is 25 °C. If you need to normalize to a value other
than 25 °C, see Section 6.6 – Normalization
Temperature.
4.3 Selection of Automatic or Manual Calibration
This meter is capable of performing either automatic (only CON 6) or manual
calibration.
In the automatic calibration mode, the meter (only CON 6) automatically detects
and verifies the appropriate known calibration standards solutions being
calibrated before accepting these particular calibration standards as one of its
calibration values in a specific measurement range. This automatic calibration
mode frees you from cumbersome calibration procedure.
The known calibration standards used for automatic calibration are:
Meter Temperature
Coefficient (tc °C)
Calibration Standards (Range)
25 °C 1. 84 µS (for 0 – 200 µS/cm)
2. 1413 µS (for 0 – 2000 µS/cm)
3. 12.88 mS (for 0.00 – 20.00
mS/cm)
4. 111.8 mS (for 0.0 – 200.0
mS/cm)
CON 6
20 °C 1. 76 µS (for 0 – 200 µS/cm)
2. 1278 µS (for 0 – 2000 µS/cm)
3. 11.67 mS (for 0.00 – 20.00
mS/cm)
4. 102.1 mS (for 0.0 – 200.0
mS/cm)
Table 1: Conductivity Calibration Standards for Auto calibrations
In the manual calibration, non-standard calibration values can be used for
calibration. You can manually input the appropriate values as your desired
calibration standards in each specific range. This is useful when you have a
customized calibration standard specifically unique for your application.
To select Automatic or Manual Calibration settings, refer to Section 6.3 –
Automatic Calibration for more information.

Instruction Manual CON 6/TDS 6
16
4.4 Automatic Calibration (Conductivity)
In the Automatic Calibration mode, the meter is capable of accepting either
single-point or up to 4 points for multi-point calibration with maximum of 1 point
per specific measurement range. For the known calibration standard values
refer to Table 1 in Section 4.3.
1) If necessary, press MODE key to select
conductivity mode.
2) Rinse the probe thoroughly with de-ionized
water or a rinse solution, then rinse with a
small amount of calibration standard.
NOTE: For Automatic Calibration you must use
one of the calibration standards listed in
Table 1.
3) Dip the probe into the calibration standard.
Immerse the probe tip beyond the upper steel
band (see Figure in Section 3.4). Stir the probe
gently to create a homogeneous sample. Allow
time for the reading to stabilize.
4) Press CAL key to enter conductivity calibration
mode. The [CA] indicator will appear for 1.5
seconds, and a value will appear flashing.
NOTE: To exit calibration without confirmation,
press CAL key again to go back to
measurement mode.
5) Wait for the value to stabilize and press
ENTER key. The calibration standard value
will appear for 3 seconds. If the calibration is
successfully performed, a [donE] will be
displayed for about 3 seconds, and the meter
returns to measurement mode.
6) To perform the next point calibration in the
multi-point calibration, repeat step 1-5 again
until all points have been calibrated if necessary.
mS
mS
mS
mS
CAL
HOLD
ENTER
Measurement Mode