$40 Par Meter

m4s73r

m4s73r

The Laziest
I am a cheap ass. I make no bones about it. I have been looking for a meter to be able to adjust my lights. However I didnt want to spend 550 on a apogee. Well when browsing ye ole amazon I came across this for $40. Par Meter Now i was not expecting it to be Apogee level accurate. So got it in, put it under my lights, set the light to 18" and compared it to my par charts from ChilLed and this thing is only off by 10-30 ppfd. Im not saying id use this to test led lights but if you are a homegrower needing something to get you close, I like this more than the phone apps.
Thought I would share if anyone is finding themselves in the same cheap boat im in.
 
Zaphod420

Zaphod420

42
m4s73r said:
I am a cheap ass. I make no bones about it. I have been looking for a meter to be able to adjust my lights. However I didnt want to spend 550 on a apogee. Well when browsing ye ole amazon I came across this for $40. Par Meter Now i was not expecting it to be Apogee level accurate. So got it in, put it under my lights, set the light to 18" and compared it to my par charts from ChilLed and this thing is only off by 10-30 ppfd. Im not saying id use this to test led lights but if you are a homegrower needing something to get you close, I like this more than the phone apps.
Thought I would share if anyone is finding themselves in the same cheap boat im in.
Click to expand...
I'm with you m4s73r and I highly recommend the UT383-BT Mini Light Meter - Uni T website page It took a couple of weeks for me to get mine but the thing works great and if you ever want to go down the phone app route you can sync it and make it a straight up par meter as well.

 
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m4s73r

m4s73r

The Laziest
Zaphod420 said:
I'm with you m4s73r and I highly recommend the UT383-BT Mini Light Meter - https://www.amazon.com/UNI-T-Illuminance-Photography-Photometer-Measurement/dp/B098SXQB2T/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=UT383-BT+Mini+Light+Meter&qid=1643307391&sr=8-3
It took a couple of weeks for me to get mine but the thing works great and if you ever want to go down the phone app route you can sync it and make it a straight up par meter as well.
Click to expand...
I remember when Shane dropped that video. I wasent in the market at the time, but when I went back to get one amazon didnt have any. The link you posted is to the version with out Bluetooth.
 
Zaphod420

Zaphod420

42
m4s73r said:
I remember when Shane dropped that video. I wasent in the market at the time, but when I went back to get one amazon didnt have any. The link you posted is to the version with out Bluetooth.
Click to expand...
Good eye, didn't even notice... Changed the link to Uni t product page and if you want the BT version maybe hit them up via their "sales contact us" link on the upper right hand side of the page. (y)

UNI-T Voltage Meter, Multimeter, Oscilloscope | UNI-T

UT383 UT383BT can effectively measure light intensity and display results in units of Lux or FC on screen UT383B
www.uni-trend.com
 
Zaphod420

Zaphod420

42
DougDawson said:
This is the one I use and it works well. At $225 Canadian it was much cheaper than most. Been happy with it.
indoorfarmer.ca

Photobio Advanced Quantum PAR Meter

Buy Photobio Advanced Quantum PAR Meter now at Indoor Farmer!
indoorfarmer.ca indoorfarmer.ca
Click to expand...
Salute DougDawon, another really good option almost in that price range worth taking a look at would be
www.migrolight.com

SpotOn quantum PAR meter

The SpotOn quantum PAR sensor is an affordable meter that provides scientifically accurate Photosynthetic Active Radiation (PAR) light readings under any light source including LED.
www.migrolight.com www.migrolight.com
If I wasn't such a cheap ass I would probably just buy one of them.
 
D

Deleted member 60

Guest
Was gonna buy the Uni-t until the wife reminded me how badly I suck at Math conversions/etc. She would know. She was my Algebra tutor in 9th grade. Still flunked the class. Heehee. Couldn't justify spending big bucks...so I guess I'm gonna be the guinea pig here on this unbranded cheapie that reads in incredibly small shoe sizes...

And I found one that actually ships from the US.

th.jpeg
 
Zaphod420

Zaphod420

42
stiickygreen said:
Was gonna buy the Uni-t until the wife reminded me how badly I suck at Math conversions/etc. She would know. She was my Algebra tutor in 9th grade. Still flunked the class. Heehee. Couldn't justify spending big bucks...so I guess I'm gonna be the guinea pig here on this unbranded cheapie that reads in incredibly small shoe sizes...

And I found one that actually ships from the US.

View attachment 133131
Click to expand...
Probably uses the same sensor as the $300 meters and I am sure will work totally fine dialing in all the sweet spots( hanging heights & intensity )on your new light's & tents. Once you get everything dialed I bet you will be pleasantly surprised with how far they have come(LEDs) compared to even the best of the old tech. 👍
 
D

Deleted member 60

Guest
The reviews...if they weren't canned/employees/etc. (LOL) were pretty good. 2X the $$$ as the Uni-t...so we will see. I'll definitely be interested to see how much light these combined lights will generate in this space and how it's distributed.

LOL about "the best of the old tech". Wasn't much tech then...it was all about who had the balls to go big, spin the dial hard, and bang out the big yiles. :ROFLMAO: Just a different take on the same game in both instances...though there have definitely been more strides in technology in the past decade than in the older days. Back then it was all about discovery. "You can grow dope with streetlights?" and then finding someone with a car to go out and knock over a streetlight.

@ some point LED's will face the same fate and everyone will get to buy new shit all over again.🎯
 
Weedkiller

Weedkiller

Dazed and confused
I have a new phone so now I can check the par reading. How frigging cool lol.. I wish I had this a long time ago,I just took down my timber cobs after years of non stop use they never failed me. I have them in a rigid frame right now. I think I'll break them up so I can move them around. 4 50w cree cobs running at 185w
 
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