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Last Saturday I finally got my long awaited Extech EC400 ExStik Waterproof Conductivity, TDS, Salinity, and Temperature Meter from Amazon. (I ordered it on November 11th with the free Super Saver shipping.) I needed it to test the Salinity of a soil sample. Well, it would not turn on. I measured the four CR2032 batteries that it came with - they were of three different brands and as Billy Crystal in his role of Miracle Max in The Princess Bride would say, "mostly dead."

I finally made it to a store on Tuesday and picked up four new batteries at an additional cost of $12 + tax. I had an immediate and urgent need and couldn't wait for a replacement unit to arrive. With the new batteries inserted, the ExStik turned on by itself without me pressing any buttons, it then performed a painfully long self calibration routine and displayed a 0 uS.

So far so goo? Not really. It was impossible to turn it off or to change modes. The display continued to show 0 uS no matter what I did, even with the probe end inserted in very salty water. My sincere thanks to Amazon for screwing me over royally with this defective unit. I never expected anything like this from them and will never again trust them with anything, where time is of the essence. Needless to say, I will be shipping this nifty device back to them.