How long before testing kits become inaccurate?

[psy_taco]

Hi, I've been reading through pill reports and certain people have commented on their testing results of pills being inaccurate due to haivng a testing kit that has been sitting around for a while.
I bought my testing kits (ez test extreme - simmons, marquis and robadope; and mandelin- made by chemical solutions) in march. I havent used it since july (I haven't been dropping much) and it gave an accurate indication of the substances within the pill.
Just wondering how long beofre the kits will turn inaccurate and if it is about time to get a new testing kit.
Also what kind of results might an old testing kit give to an otherwise good MDMA pill?

Thanks guys

 

[phase_dancer]

Marquis - should last ~10-12 months from manufacture, but if the room temp gets too high it may not last very long. Preferably, Marquis should be kept in a fridge (not with food).

Simons - seems to have a good shelf life is and is not so affected by climate or seasonal changes.

Mandelin - should not be kept in the fridge. This reagent usually has a good shelf life >12 months

Robadope - unsure

 

[2C-R2D2]

Robadope - unsure

Robadope is fairly inaccurate and useless from day #1. :D

 

[hoptis]

I had the experience, and I'm sure many others had too, of a Marquis going off and giving wrong results. Pills that I knew were good, started testing up as crap, other pills tested up as 'opiates' (WTF??).

Ten to twelve months is a pretty good guide for the Marquis anyway.

 

[aesops]

They go off?

I just wanted to say that I had no idea the testers expired at all. This thread is all news to me - and I consider myself informed!

Upon checking the Marquis tester I bought from Enlighten a few months back, I see no expiry date on the container, the little bottle or the pamphlet. They really should have one on there somewhere. They are the sort of thoing that people have lying around unused for months or years.

How many false positives, false negatives and "undecideds" are going on out there? May as well just be using a Magic 8 Ball...8)

 

[ld50 vs ssri]

Robadope is fairly inaccurate and useless from day #1. :D

If you are using robadope for testing of adulterents in pills, it is a handy reagent to have. I find with robadope rather then using a scraping of the pill, 1/4 of a pill seems to get a much more apparent result.

Obviously if you only have 1 or 2 pills in your possesion you are not going to use more then a scraping.

 

[phase_dancer]

There are plans afoot to include use-by or production batch dates in products sold through Enlighten. Stay tuned.

Remember that kits generally contain very reactive chemicals. In some cases such as marquis, reactions are going on in the solution as it stands.

Marquis usually becomes discoloured when it goes off. It should be a clear or very near clear solution. Storing in the fridge helps to preserve this by slowing down polymerization of the formaldehyde occuring. Light and heat accelerate this reaction, catalyzed by the sulphuric acid in the reagent.

If it turns yellowish it means the formaldehyde has polymerized. Neutralize with a large amount of bicarb solution until fizzing stops, then flush down the sink with plenty of water.


Mandelin solution can sometimes appear yellow but it will still work OK. But fresh Mandelin will often have greater sensitivity i.e. better at detecting substances at lower concentrations.

 

[aesops]

^
Thanks for the info. The liquid had indeed turned a smokey orangey-yellow. I thought this was normal. What an idiot I feel now, as I remember proselytizing to my friends about their pills and powders.

I'm not gonna tell them.

I bought that tester in march-april 2004, less than 9 months ago anyway. Kept it in my bathroom cabinet. You learn something everyday.