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Cheap Accurate PAR Readings


MindSoup

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Ah, the YouTube doctorate, apologies. These meters and apps have already been thoroughly tested by the reef community, where PAR really counts for decent coral growth, and the results have been found to be up to 25% out so what's the point? Fine if you want a ballpark figure but kinda worthless data if it's out by a considerable percentage, why not just buy a dedicated meter and know your numbers are spot on?

 Idk man, wtf is it with trying to Heath-Robinson shit together in the hopes of a few YouTube clicks, and the 20% off if you use this code in the description, shilling cunts. Sponsored by Nord VPN.

 

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Probably not a good time to mention the Photone app had an update lol

 

large.20240812_041512.jpg.179241f2261dc45028138d705ed09182.jpg

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10 minutes ago, Military Grade said:

Probably not a good time to mention the Photone app had an update lol

 

https://growlightmeter.com/improved-measurement-accuracy-for-android/ 

 

We're incredibly proud of this update and its advancements in mobile light measurement technology. Whether you're a professional horticulturist, an indoor gardening enthusiast, or simply someone who wants to optimize the lighting in their space, our app

now offers the precision and reliability you need.

 

Hopefully this update actually makes it worth using, - we calibrated a friends against my PAR meter, and prior to doing so it was miles out! Had it been used as it was, their would've been fried plants. 

 

not sure how the new algorithm is going to work, I was hoping for more info in the article, but it does suggest that they've tested several fixtures (presumably with a proper PAR meter or ulbricht sphere) and use them as pre-sets, or guides, so if unit X displays this many lux, then unit Y outputting the same lux will be closer to this PPFD, rather than what the conversion spits out.

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6 minutes ago, Gsyrup said:

we calibrated a friends against my PAR meter, and prior to doing so it was miles out! Had it been used as it was, their would've been fried plants. 

 

This just makes me wonder how many folks are out there unknowingly cooking the fuck out of their plants. :(  

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I was lucky as the Migro guy tested my light in a video with a proper apogee meter, and my app was only 1% out of that video 10 ppfd difference. Hopefully the app ain't made mine leas accurate while making the ones more out more accurate lol

 

But that was at 11 inches, if I was to raise my light up that all out wack.

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I think my problem recently was when i had my light hanging higher that it was getting a higher center hot spot, then i had to turned my light down to 75%, This was due to one of the plants being taller than the rest, the joys of growing from seed 🤣

 

I sometimes wish i didn't know about these things then i could just hang my light and live in ignorance lol

Edited by Military Grade
Missed a word
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I can see the point of having something if you've never grown a plant under lights before but why you'd need one otherwise is beyond me.

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22 minutes ago, KC said:

why you'd need one otherwise is beyond me.

I think a lot of people switched to leds without realising just how powerful they are, got caught out and bought a meter.

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53 minutes ago, stu914 said:

I think a lot of people switched to leds without realising just how powerful they are, got caught out and bought a meter.

 

I got mine before leds lol

 

1 hour ago, KC said:

I can see the point of having something if you've never grown a plant under lights before but why you'd need one otherwise is beyond me.

 

You can 100% do without one, all the information required comes printed on the lighting units box, and in some cases on the actual unit, and when you've actually mapped your space out with a PAR meter at certain wattages, it's required very little after that. Fine tuning different plants, really.

 

But all that said, the grower with the proper equipment and uses it correctly will consistently produce better quality, and higher yielding, plants than the grower winging it off feeling and intuition alone (which is usually wrong and/or misguided bro science) mainly due to there being actual data to draw upon and replicate  

 

Edited by Gsyrup
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19 minutes ago, Gsyrup said:

I got mine before leds lol

 

19 minutes ago, Gsyrup said:

You can 100% do without one

 Hi bud...(tongue in cheek...)

 

So why did you get one then? :rofl:

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@KC Like I mention in the OP, most people probably don't. If you're using your light in the recommended space and have plenty of headroom then there's usually enough info in the manual to show you appropriate hanging heights etc. but if you're like me, and you have a very low ceiling, or your using a light in a space it wasn't designed for or maybe a DIY unit they're a very useful tool to have. 

 

 

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15 hours ago, Military Grade said:

I was lucky as the Migro guy tested my light in a video with a proper apogee meter, and my app was only 1% out of that video 10 ppfd difference. Hopefully the app ain't made mine leas accurate while making the ones more out more accurate lol

Same, I was happy to be within 2% of the (very) expensive PAR meter Shane used.

 

I bought the UNI-T LUX meter, I'll assume its pretty accurate if its within a few % of Shanes numbers. Going from a 450W LED to a 730W LED it seemed a good idea to test the light and the space.

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I’d rather spend the fancy PAR meter money on something else, as there’s absolutely no need for one outdoors! FTW lol 

 

Anyway, here’s a cheap shitty-nord-vpn-migro-sponsored-YouTube warrior-reason-to-get-arsey-online light meter reading during a dull overcast day outside. 


8060x.017=137.02

 

137.02 PAR! 
 

What a difference a day makes.. lol 

 

large.IMG_4542.jpeg.04cb112826b71c6232ed1d01206e780e.jpeg

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  • 1 month later...

Not sure if they're available over here yet, but this could be a handy tool for the photone users. 

 

 

 They have a list of compatible phones on their website.

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