2-in-1 EC + Temp Sensor for Reservoir

What the PCT-1 Does

The PCT-1 is a reservoir-mounted combination probe that simultaneously measures electrical conductivity (EC) and water temperature in a nutrient solution. Both parameters feed directly into the TrolMaster Aqua-X master controller, appearing on the controller's LCD screen and within the TrolMaster app in near real time. There is no separate readout device, no standalone meter to calibrate separately — the probe is fully integrated into the Aqua-X data environment.

EC measures the concentration of dissolved salts in your nutrient solution, which is the most direct indicator of nutrient availability to the root zone. Water temperature affects nutrient solubility, dissolved oxygen levels, and microbial activity in the reservoir — all of which directly influence root health and uptake efficiency. Monitoring both in one probe, on one cable, through one sensor board connection keeps the wiring footprint clean and the data centralized.

System Compatibility and How It Connects

The PCT-1 connects to the Aqua-X ecosystem via a Mini DIN terminal. Depending on which Aqua-X controller you are running, the probe routes through either the AMP-2 sensor board (for the NFS-1 Aqua-X controller) or the AMP-3 sensor board (for the NFS-2 Aqua-X Pro, NFS-3 Aqua-X Plus, Green-X GCS-1, and Tent-X TCS-1 controllers). The sensor board is a required intermediate component — the PCT-1 does not plug directly into the main controller body.

The 3.6-meter cable provides enough reach to position the probe inside a reservoir without having the sensor board or controller mounted directly adjacent to the tank. In a multi-zone commercial room where reservoirs sit at the end of a rack row or on a utility shelf, that cable length covers most standard placement scenarios without an extension.

Where This Fits in a Commercial Fertigation Build

In a licensed commercial cultivation facility running coco, rockwool, or recirculating deep water culture, tracking reservoir EC is a non-negotiable data point for consistent feed delivery. The PCT-1 integrates that monitoring directly into the same controller managing your irrigation solenoids and pumps — meaning EC and temperature data live alongside your irrigation schedule data rather than in a separate instrument silo.

The Aqua-X system logs and graphs EC and temperature over time, so you are not just reading a momentary value — you are building a historical record that helps identify trends like solution concentration drift between reservoir top-offs, or temperature spikes that correlate with specific parts of the light cycle. For facilities running compliance documentation or internal QA records on fertigation, having this data automatically logged through the controller is a meaningful operational advantage versus handheld spot-checks.

The PCT-1 pairs with the PPH-1 reservoir pH sensor and the PCT-2 inline EC/temp probe (used primarily for runoff monitoring) to give a complete water quality picture across the feed-in and runoff sides of your fertigation loop — all within the same Aqua-X interface.

Build Considerations and Companion Hardware

Before ordering the PCT-1, confirm which Aqua-X controller is the base of your system, then verify you have the correct sensor board. NFS-1 builds require the AMP-2; all other Aqua-X and Green-X controllers require the AMP-3. The sensor board and PCT-1 are separate line items — neither is bundled with the main controller.

If your facility runs multiple reservoirs across multiple zones, each reservoir that requires independent EC and temperature monitoring will need its own PCT-1 probe connected to a sensor board. The NFS-2 Pro platform supports monitoring up to 50 sensors when fully expanded with AMP-3 boards, which scales to multi-room or multi-tier builds without requiring a separate controller per zone. Contact HSC to spec the right sensor board count and controller tier for your canopy footprint before purchasing.