Welcome my friend, if I were you, I would keep it simple and go soil, no ph pen, whatever nutes you have and learn a load on the way. As you progress you can spend more, try new techniques, see what works for you and what does not.
This is just my humble opinion, but I always think it better to start easy and see where it takes you. If this is your first grow, DWC is a lot to take on. Not saying it can't be done..............whatever you choose .....enjoy ........eP.
I can only echo this good advice. Use the first grow to make your mistakes and learn from them. I did! There's a wealth of friendly help and advice here. You've landed on the best site.....