Looking for quality PAR meter - Features for testing bought COB Array

[HazePhase]

Hello Everyone,

I recently had a situation with the company who built my Vero29 12 Cob Array -- It's a one person business and I am not going to say his name yet to see if he is going to be an adult and respond to my emails.

I finally received my array in but knowing now how much this guy lied to me, I am a bit worried that he might have built it differently then he said etc...
I want to get a meter as he does all his own videos online of the PAR reading for chips etc... so I can check them vs his video and see if I got what i paid for.

Any help in a quality device that isn't going to cost a ton as I wont' be using it a lot.
Thank you very much!!!!
Wish the world only had nice and honest people

 

[LEDBud]

The cob chips will have a model number on the face of them.

I suspect your having issues growing and hope to blame the light not yourself ?

Many many people new to leds blame them for their lack of talent / lack of time studing on how to grow.

I see it with the newbies to led all the time Seriously

 

[HazePhase]

The cob chips will have a model number on the face of them.

I suspect your having issues growing and hope to blame the light not yourself ?

Many many people new to leds blame them for their lack of talent / lack of time studing on how to grow.

I see it with the newbies to led all the time Seriously

Nice of you to jump to that conclusion Mr. Friendly.....
No that isn't the case.
The case is the guy who built my light who I was trusting - lied to me about shipping an item and said it was lost in mail to buy himself time etc... then found out was never sent -- he finally sent the missing array and warranty and invoice and has ignored me since...
I don't trust him since he lied to me so much so i want to ensure I paid $1,700 CDN for my light and it's what i asked for.

Here is my 1st ever grow -- i feel I am doing okay....

"I suspect you were wrong..."

 

[Skunkworkz]

Par Meters are readily available on Amazon, they run about $229USD

 

[HazePhase]

Par Meters are readily available on Amazon, they run about $229USD

Do you know of any specific brands to help in my search since I've never used one before?
Thanks have a great weekend.

 

[Skunkworkz]

Do you know of any specific brands to help in my search since I've never used one before?
Thanks have a great weekend.

Hydrofarm LGBQM Quantum PAR Meter Micromol Sensor

 

[HazePhase]

Hydrofarm LGBQM Quantum PAR Meter Micromol Sensor

Thank you so much!
I will be getting this one!

 

[Icemud]

Hello Everyone,

I recently had a situation with the company who built my Vero29 12 Cob Array -- It's a one person business and I am not going to say his name yet to see if he is going to be an adult and respond to my emails.

I finally received my array in but knowing now how much this guy lied to me, I am a bit worried that he might have built it differently then he said etc...
I want to get a meter as he does all his own videos online of the PAR reading for chips etc... so I can check them vs his video and see if I got what i paid for.

Any help in a quality device that isn't going to cost a ton as I wont' be using it a lot.
Thank you very much!!!!
Wish the world only had nice and honest people

If you are trying to check your readings against the companies, it would be in your best interest to get the exact same PAR meter they used.

All PAR meters will read a light differently because they all have different inaccuracies and error percentages, so if you are trying to verify their readings, get the same one they are using, otherwise your readings will be off.

If you want the best PAR meter then get yourself a LICor which is top of the line for accuracy.
Apogee mq-500 is probably the 2nd best for accuracy, and much cheaper although still has inconsistencies.
Apogee Mq-200 is the older model, which I use and still is great for reference but still can be quite off.

The one Referenced in the last post by hydrofarm has no information on its error percentage or accuracy, so I would take the readings with a grain of salt as hydrofarm is just a branding company and sources products from white label companies or slaps their brand on it.

The absolute best way of reading PAR with accuracy is getting a spectroradiometer but this will be anywhere from 3x to 20x the cost of the top of the line par meter and will run at minimum around $3500

 

[HazePhase]

If you are trying to check your readings against the companies, it would be in your best interest to get the exact same PAR meter they used.

All PAR meters will read a light differently because they all have different inaccuracies and error percentages, so if you are trying to verify their readings, get the same one they are using, otherwise your readings will be off.

If you want the best PAR meter then get yourself a LICor which is top of the line for accuracy.
Apogee mq-500 is probably the 2nd best for accuracy, and much cheaper although still has inconsistencies.
Apogee Mq-200 is the older model, which I use and still is great for reference but still can be quite off.

The one Referenced in the last post by hydrofarm has no information on its error percentage or accuracy, so I would take the readings with a grain of salt as hydrofarm is just a branding company and sources products from white label companies or slaps their brand on it.

The absolute best way of reading PAR with accuracy is getting a spectroradiometer but this will be anywhere from 3x to 20x the cost of the top of the line par meter and will run at minimum around $3500

$3,500!! Looks like I'm going to be taking the guys word for it.
All the chips are labeled so I doubt he ripped me off.
He was a good guy and then went bipolar and stopped caring about serving his clients.

Note for this finding a custom light maker in Hamilton - won't name company names but it's a one man show and he isn't a very good business man as I work with local businesses for my career and there is a reason you can't leave reviews on his website.

 

[ConstantGreen]

If you are trying to check your readings against the companies, it would be in your best interest to get the exact same PAR meter they used.

All PAR meters will read a light differently because they all have different inaccuracies and error percentages, so if you are trying to verify their readings, get the same one they are using, otherwise your readings will be off.

If you want the best PAR meter then get yourself a LICor which is top of the line for accuracy.
Apogee mq-500 is probably the 2nd best for accuracy, and much cheaper although still has inconsistencies.
Apogee Mq-200 is the older model, which I use and still is great for reference but still can be quite off.

The one Referenced in the last post by hydrofarm has no information on its error percentage or accuracy, so I would take the readings with a grain of salt as hydrofarm is just a branding company and sources products from white label companies or slaps their brand on it.

The absolute best way of reading PAR with accuracy is getting a spectroradiometer but this will be anywhere from 3x to 20x the cost of the top of the line par meter and will run at minimum around $3500

It's not the same as a datasheet, but there's a youtuber, I think a hydrofarm person, that has a bunch of videos comparing the different sensor brands and they all read basically the same. Looks like they're using the older apogee sensor tho.

Sun light measurements using HF, Apogee and Licor Quantum meters - YouTube

 

[Icemud]

It's not the same as a datasheet, but there's a youtuber, I think a hydrofarm person, that has a bunch of videos comparing the different sensor brands and they all read basically the same. Looks like they're using the older apogee sensor tho.

Sun light measurements using HF, Apogee and Licor Quantum meters - YouTube

Good find on the video, and yea for most of our uses any of them should do for reference for the most part, however a note on the video. Sunlight peaks around the green area of the spectrum, where PAR meters generally are the most accurate.

The red and blue ends of the spectrum is where PAR meters have trouble, so in the sunlight he is showing in the video, there is far less difference between the PAR meter than if he were testing a red/blue mono panel. Cobs also are majority blue and heavy red orange, so the possibility of inaccuracies would be greater than in the video above, however like I mentioned they still would be ok for reference... but may be off from the model the manufacture uses

 

[Mayne]

Wish i could rent one, lol.

Need it for 60 seconds or less.

 

[Icemud]

Wish i could rent one, lol.

Need it for 60 seconds or less.

Check E-bay.... I found my mq200 on there for $100 off the normal cost... brand new.

 

[Mayne]

well, i modded a Lux meter. Found an interesting thread about modding a lux meter, and I did so, and it seemed to work.

took measurements from my Mars300 modded, and unmodded. and to my surprise, it was right on the money.

18 inches, modded, 1450 Par, 18inches without mod, 315 par

just saved $130+ good enough for me till i buy a real one to test.