Best Par meter recommendation

[kingzt]

Looking to buy a par meter. I dont want to break the bank. I’ve seen $500 models that seem to be the best. Hoping someone has a recommendation for a cheaper alternative. If spending less cash on this equipment isn’t the way I’ll have to wait. just looking for tips. Already wasted $5 on the Photon app. Supposedly the best par meter for iphones. Unless I’m reading it wrong and there needs some formula to get the correct measurements. The app was reading 700ppfd roughly 2 ft under a de Gavita at 115%. This cant be correct. ‍

 

[Kgrim]

People usually use some printer paper over the IPhone camera to diffuse the light and get the Photon App to read PAR.
They have reported that it will bring it closer to the correct PAR reading when compared to an actual PAR meter.

 

[myke]

Mines consistent, iPhone.dont care what the number says.With par maps online and after a few grows youll know where to hang the light.
People did just fine with HPS for decades without meters.

 

[kingzt]

People usually use some printer paper over the IPhone camera to diffuse the light and get the Photon App to read PAR.
They have reported that it will bring it closer to the correct PAR reading when compared to an actual PAR meter.

Oh yeah i definitely used the printer paper

 

[kingzt]

Mines consistent, iPhone.dont care what the number says.With par maps online and after a few grows youll know where to hang the light.
People did just fine with HPS for decades without meters.

I agree but information is important to improving and if i can fine tune everything I can get a better return. I been growing for a while now without this and want to see how i can do better. Not sure if my app doesn’t work with my generation of the iPhone. 700 ppfd that close to the light seems real low to me

 

[yesterdaysnews]

Which Gavita? And what does known testing and par maps say concerning the light you have. I use it and was shocked at how close it was with my Iphone.

 

[kingzt]

Which Gavita? And what does known testing and par maps say concerning the light you have. I use it and was shocked at how close it was with my Iphone.

Gavita pro dual ended at 115%. I feel like my iphone is too old. Readinat 700ppfd 2 ft under the lamp

 

[PopAndSonGrows]

I'm betting there's gonna be new instrumentation soon. Look for EPAR meters.

 

[SammyGawith]

You can rent a par meter for like $40USD from a few fish/reef companies. Just a thought

 

[MedicinalMyA$$]

Maybe this

From Amazon comments:

"You can use this Lux meter as a PAR meter for certain lights. Just take the lux reading and for each of the light types listed multiply by the corresponding number :

3000k white LEDs - multiply by 0.023
3500k white LEDs - multiply by 0.022
4000k white LEDs - multiply by 0.024
5000k white LEDs - multiply by 0.02
Metal Halide - multiply by 0.023
High Pressure Sodium - multiply by 0.026

Sorry if your spectrum isn't covered, also this does not work with blurple lights, sorry.

Also this only works up to about 900-1000 par."

PRODUCT LINK

 

[kingzt]

Maybe this

From Amazon comments:

"You can use this Lux meter as a PAR meter for certain lights. Just take the lux reading and for each of the light types listed multiply by the corresponding number :

3000k white LEDs - multiply by 0.023
3500k white LEDs - multiply by 0.022
4000k white LEDs - multiply by 0.024
5000k white LEDs - multiply by 0.02
Metal Halide - multiply by 0.023
High Pressure Sodium - multiply by 0.026

Sorry if your spectrum isn't covered, also this does not work with blurple lights, sorry.

Also this only works up to about 900-1000 par."

PRODUCT LINK

Thank you for the help. Unfortunately my lights should be over that. Not sure why this app is working correctly

 

[yesterdaysnews]

I've been doing a bit of research and digging back through grow journals/testing of what I have left of the oldin days back when I ran LPS, HPS, CMH. I had to ask the wife if she could remember any of those old records and she pulled some of them out of a old box,,, bless her heart. Depending on the condition of the bulb and ballast 700 could be a reasonable number @ 24". I use to change bulbs out every other grow because it was visible how much they degraded over time. And using a photographer's lux meter showed the degrading of the bulbs. And ballast also needed changing over time. And over driving the ballast and bulbs required even more bulb changes. If it was a over driven grow then it was a bulb a grow. I'm soooo glad those days are over.... Good Luck!

 

[smokey0418]

Used the app also for a while.

Then decided to take the guess work out of it, did not go as far as an epar , but I think the Spoton quantum meter was an excellent addition to my hardware.

Enjoy the growing.

 

[kingzt]

I've been doing a bit of research and digging back through grow journals/testing of what I have left of the oldin days back when I ran LPS, HPS, CMH. I had to ask the wife if she could remember any of those old records and she pulled some of them out of a old box,,, bless her heart. Depending on the condition of the bulb and ballast 700 could be a reasonable number @ 24". I use to change bulbs out every other grow because it was visible how much they degraded over time. And using a photographer's lux meter showed the degrading of the bulbs. And ballast also needed changing over time. And over driving the ballast and bulbs required even more bulb changes. If it was a over driven grow then it was a bulb a grow. I'm soooo glad those days are over.... Good Luck!

Maybe but i have buds further away that get larfy and get torched right under if it was that close. Even at 36 inches i see some foxtailing

 

[calvin.m16]

You must put a "diffuser" aka white printer paper over your sensor of your iPhone for the app to work. It does work I thought the same thing!

They recommend what paper to use if you want the exact same results as they're getting but I've noticed any printer paper works the same in my testing with an iPHone XS Max.

Photone - Grow Light Meter

The grow light meter app to measure PAR / PPFD, DLI, lux / fc, or Kelvin with your iOS or Android phone. Including PPFD meter and DLI conversion for plants.

growlightmeter.com

 

[Delps8]

Looking to buy a par meter. I dont want to break the bank. I’ve seen $500 models that seem to be the best. Hoping someone has a recommendation for a cheaper alternative. If spending less cash on this equipment isn’t the way I’ll have to wait. just looking for tips. Already wasted $5 on the Photon app. Supposedly the best par meter for iphones. Unless I’m reading it wrong and there needs some formula to get the correct measurements. The app was reading 700ppfd roughly 2 ft under a de Gavita at 115%. This cant be correct. ‍

Is this still an active topic?

I've tested Corona, the predecessor to Photone, as well as Photone itself.

I use an Apogee MQ-500.

Were I buying a PAR meter today, I'd probably get the SpotOn meter.

I would consider the $200± PAR meters on Amazon to be short term, disposable products.