Well great... your friend is one of the lucky ones. We all will face pH problems at some point. It's simply a matter of time, and it's good to be prepared! Soooo.... here ya go!

Here's a pH testing tutorial I slapped together:
http://boards.cannabis.com/plant-pro...hy-how-do.html

I like having a backup test kit. I use liquid indicator, which is pretty darn foolproof. If I had a meter, I'd still check it against the indicator every time I calibrated. If you don't feel like mucking about with buffers and calibration, stick with strips or liquid.

Also, potting-up to the next pot size on a regular schedule, using fresh soil and not making a HUGE jump in size all at once, will often keep pH troubles at bay for longer.