Any recommendations for a par meter

LeastExpectedGrower

LeastExpectedGrower

Well-Known Member
Just got done feeding and watering, but also got some time to play with meters. Didn't have a tape measure at hand, so I basically took 4 measurements (with boxes of different heights) with both iPhone XS Max/Photone (with diffuser that's .5" off of the lense) and the Phantom PhotoBio. Then I did 4 more sets (as I removed the boxes), but with a basic diffuser on the iPhone that was just 20lb paper wrapped around the phone (not raised off lens).

iPhone XS Max (raised diffuser) vs. Phantom:

Photone: 470 Phantom: 411 Photone: +14%
Photone: 628 Phantom: 550 Photone: +14%
Photone: 852 Phantom: 767 Photone: +11%
Photone: 1262 Phantom: 1135 Photone: +11%

iPhone XS Max (wrapped diffuser) vs. Phantom:

Photone: 1198 Phantom: 1122 Photone: +7%
Photone: 750 Phantom: 735 Photone: +2%
Photone: 672 Phantom: 644 Photone: +4%
Photone: 573 Phantom: 530 Photone: +8%

A few things.
-I'm surprised that most of the previous substantive reviews put Photone/iPhone at 10% UNDER Apogee readings. Every reading I took was over.
-After one of the reviews going on about how a raised diffuser helped accuracy, but obviously for me it was better with one right on the lens.

Maybe they've tweaked the app after all the feedback of 10% low to read a bit higher? Anyway, in my instance (phone type & version, etc.) it actually isn't as far off as other people have with other phones.


Just some photo proof. I didn't take shots of the flat diffuser, as I was doing that as an afterthought:

20220212_192526.jpg

20220212_192716.jpg

20220212_192321.jpg
 
J

Jkooper

Active Member
Photone just updated their app a couple weeks ago changing the algorithms for the types of lights it can measure. Has anyone tried it to see if it compares better any equipment people use here (for full spectrum LED that is)?

Also do people have any opinion on the Apogee MQ-500 vs MQ-610 ePAR? Like why the 500 over 610 at a $50 difference? I'm assuming people grab the 500 because the 610 would just make you dim your lights even more since it picks up a broader range.
 
bk78

bk78

Well-Known Member
Jkooper said:
Photone just updated their app a couple weeks ago changing the algorithms for the types of lights it can measure. Has anyone tried it to see if it compares better any equipment people use here (for full spectrum LED that is)?

Also do people have any opinion on the Apogee MQ-500 vs MQ-610 ePAR? Like why the 500 over 610 at a $50 difference? I'm assuming people grab the 500 because the 610 would just make you dim your lights even more since it picks up a broader range.
Click to expand...

BK’s shit show

glad to see you back at it mate cheers JZ Thanks budd. Hope all is well with you and yours
www.rollitup.org
 
Week4@inCharge

Week4@inCharge

Well-Known Member
Jkooper said:
Photone just updated their app a couple weeks ago changing the algorithms for the types of lights it can measure. Has anyone tried it to see if it compares better any equipment people use here (for full spectrum LED that is)?

Also do people have any opinion on the Apogee MQ-500 vs MQ-610 ePAR? Like why the 500 over 610 at a $50 difference? I'm assuming people grab the 500 because the 610 would just make you dim your lights even more since it picks up a broader range.
Click to expand...
I did .. couple posts up was my conclusion.
 
Week4@inCharge

Week4@inCharge

Well-Known Member
Quick question on PAR ... what's considered Max PAR (in flower) in your grow? I know there's different opinions but what's worked out for you guys?
 
Week4@inCharge

Week4@inCharge

Well-Known Member
bk78 said:
No co2 900-1000
Click to expand...
I had mine like that (900-1000), and the weird thing (for my current grow) was that the shorter pots have thicker buds than the taller ones. I don't get it, just bizzare. And they're (the lower pots) are sitting at 750 PAR. So I toned it down to 900 max (tallest bud).
 
bk78

bk78

Well-Known Member
Week4@inCharge said:
I had mine like that (900-1000), and the weird thing (for my current grow) was that the shorter pots have thicker buds than the taller ones. I don't get it, just bizzare. And they're (the lower pots) are sitting at 750 PAR. So I toned it down to 900 max (tallest bud).
Click to expand...
Go to growweedeasy and research “phenotypes”
 
J

Jkooper

Active Member
Week4@inCharge said:
Quick question on PAR ... what's considered Max PAR (in flower) in your grow? I know there's different opinions but what's worked out for you guys?
Click to expand...
I watched a MIGRO video about 40 DLI (550ppfd for 20/4) being the max for auto flowers without co2 added. This is what I am trying to achieve but I have no real way to measure ppfd. I had the light cranked up to 26k lux on my Dr. Meter but I started seeing copper spots so I now lowered it down to 24k lux which read 513ppfd on my Photone app using 2019 ipad.

I would like to know if these spots are a lack of food or too much light. I've found information by this rkymtnman person stating that they don't go above 1.2ec in their hydro grows, but I went from 400ppms to 600ppms in the past few days and this morning the ppms dropped to 500pmm from 615ppms over night, which would say to use more food. I didn't want to go over 600 assuming that grower has way more experience than I, but they might be starving.

Not to high jack the thread and get off topic, here some pictures of what I'm at almost end of week 6 from seed at 24k lux, 1.2ec... I'm tempted to buy the Apogee but I probably just sell it once I knew the Dr. Meter lux equivalent to my specific setup. I know, I know, defoliate, trying to tuck, not cut.
 

Attachments

Last edited:
Week4@inCharge

Week4@inCharge

Well-Known Member
Jkooper said:
I watched a MIGRO video about 40 DLI (550ppfd for 20/4) being the max for auto flowers without co2 added. This is what I am trying to achieve but I have no real way to measure ppfd. I had the light cranked up to 26k lux on my Dr. Meter but I started seeing copper spots so I now lowered it down to 24k lux which read 513ppfd on my Photone app using 2019 ipad.

I would like to know if these spots are a lack of food or too much light. I've found information by this rkymtnman person stating that they don't go above 1.2ec in their hydro grows, but I went from 400ppms to 600ppms in the past few days and this morning the ppms dropped to 500pmm from 615ppms over night, which would say to use more food. I didn't want to go over 600 assuming that grower has way more experience than I, but they might be starving.

Not to high jack the thread and get off topic, here some pictures of what I'm at almost end of week 6 from seed at 24k lux, 1.2ec... I'm tempted to buy the Apogee but I probably just sell it once I knew the Dr. Meter lux equivalent to my specific setup. I know, I know, defoliate, trying to tuck, not cut.
Click to expand...
They're growing fast, I'd probably bump it to 800ppm and 40 is kinda high at that stage your in. my 2 cents.
 
J

Jkooper

Active Member
Week4@inCharge said:
They're growing fast, I'd probably bump it to 800ppm and 40 is kinda high at that stage your in. my 2 cents.
Click to expand...
Thanks, I'll change my top up to 800ppm so hopefully it don't go below 600ppm. Bucket change is Sunday so maybe I'll add 800ppm then. Not sure what my DLI is currently, I wish I knew. About to pull trigger on Apogee...
 
Billy the Mountain

Billy the Mountain

Well-Known Member
You can get a $20 Uni-T Lux meter which is within a few percent of an Apogee MQ500 PAR meter; more than accurate enough for most purposes.

MiGro has a YouTube segment showing the correlation between the two.

I
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top