Milwaukee MC310 EC continuous monitor

Watches your reservoir's conductivity day and night and flashes the moment your set limit is crossed. Runs on an adapter.

The Milwaukee MC310 mounts permanently beside your reservoir with the electrode in the solution. Range 0.0 to 10.0 mS, accuracy ± 2% of full scale, and a setpoint you choose between 1 and 5 mS. Supplied with a 12V adapter, mounting kit, electrode holder, the MA811/2 electrode on a 2 metre cable and a starter bottle of 1413 µS/cm buffer.

What an EC alarm is actually telling you

An alarm is only useful once you know what it means. With conductivity there are a few causes that look identical on the display and are solved in different ways.

EC rising slowly over days. This is normal and usually not a fault: plants take up water faster than salt, so what remains concentrates. Top up with water at a lower EC and the value comes back down. If it keeps climbing despite topping up, you are feeding too strongly.

EC jumping suddenly upwards. Almost always a dosing fault: a dosing pump running on, or something added all at once. This is precisely where an alarm earns its money: it is still correctable, provided you notice within hours rather than at your next visit.

EC dropping suddenly. Usually dilution: water has arrived without nutrient. A float valve stuck open, an automatic top-up running on, or rain on an outdoor setup.

EC falling slowly while the volume stays the same. Your plants are taking nutrient faster than water: common in strong vegetative growth. Topping up the feed is fine, but measure again afterwards.

The thread running through all of it: the speed of the change tells you more than the value itself. A slow drift is part of the job and you correct it at your next round. A jump means something is broken, and that is where you want to go immediately.

Note the ± 2% accuracy: a monitor exists to flag movement and limit breaches. For fine adjustment you use a handheld.

Technical Specifications:

• Range: 0.0 to 10.0 mS
• resolution: 0.1 mS/cm
• accuracy: ± 2% of full scale
• Calibration: manual, 1 point
• Setpoint: freely chosen between 1 and 5 mS
• Alarm: optical LED alarm on breach, high or low
• Electrode: MA811/2 with 2 metre cable and BNC connector
• Power: 12V adapter (included)
• Supplied with: mounting kit, electrode holder, 20 ml 1413 µS/cm buffer

Frequently asked questions

Can it dose nutrient by itself?
No, it measures and alarms. Correcting is up to you.

Can it monitor pH as well?
Not this one. There is a separate monitor for that, or a model showing both values.

Can the electrode stay in the solution permanently?
Yes, that is what it is for. A conductivity electrode lasts a long time; keep it clean, because salt build-up is the only thing that puts it off course.

Why an adapter rather than a battery?
Because on continuous duty a flat battery fails at exactly the wrong moment.