Yes my next purchase is a light meter so I can do a better grow, was looking at the Dr.meter LX1330B Digital Illuminance Light Meter and what do you experts think, is it good or should I look for something else ?. I should also mention I am a new grower and harvested one plant and about to harvest my second.
Looking for a PPFD meter
- Thread starter Vondetour
- Start date
terry the trich
Active member
I know hardly anything about light meters but I ordered one off of ali last night.
Goyojo PAR meter
It cost me £73 and I saw the same light meter on fleabay for like £100+.
I should know in a couple of weeks how good or bad it is
Goyojo PAR meter
It cost me £73 and I saw the same light meter on fleabay for like £100+.
I should know in a couple of weeks how good or bad it is
I found that one on amazon for $89, I hate spending $35 on the Dr.meter LX1330B Digital Illuminance Light Meter
terry the trich
Active member
To be honest there's probably not much difference between the two. They both have the light sensor on a springy cable. I downloaded a light meter app to my phone but it maxes out at a certain light intensity lol.
Yeah I have PPFD meter and 700 something is all it does.
Hard to go wrong with apogee meters.
Stone
Active member
Go with the app Photone for now.
Unless you’ve maxed out all your other equipment, which I doubt as you said you were new.
It’s surprisingly close, but more so consistent in readings.
For your purposes consistency in measuring and being close to the real reading is what’s important.
You can get a little 25$ clip on attachment so you don’t have to mess with the paper diffuser.
Unless you’ve maxed out all your other equipment, which I doubt as you said you were new.
It’s surprisingly close, but more so consistent in readings.
For your purposes consistency in measuring and being close to the real reading is what’s important.
You can get a little 25$ clip on attachment so you don’t have to mess with the paper diffuser.
Good to know, I won't be growing anything till it starts cooling down in September so I can save up for more gear like a PPFD meter.
I have a AC infinity controller, fans and humidifier, lights, timer not sure what else I would need. I don't understand the C02 as the exhaust fan would remove it I would think
Stone
Active member
Sounds like you have basics already.
You could get an AC and CO2 tanks for example for the price of a high end light measure.
And you won’t get almost any difference compared to photon for your purposes.
Plus LED spectrum research is expanding quickly.
400-700nm is getting outdated already. The newest high end units measuring 360-760nm.
I’m just really trying to drive the point home that money can be spent far better on something else.
I get wanting a meter like that.
I’ve had to have this done conversation with myself.
You can always add more to dial things in
I can recommend something specifically if you like.
What AC controller do you have?
I have many of those and can recommend.
Do you have your light connected to controller?
I got the ac infinity cloudline pro t4 so I think the 69 pro and I don't really need the meter as I know what light level and hight should be now using my notes from the last grow I think but I'm learning how a UV Supplemental LED Grow Light 30W 365-420nm could do a lot of good so maybe that instead. As for the lights I have them on a timer, had no idea the 69 pro can control lights as well. The manual was little help and I had to watch videos to learn how to set it up.Sounds like you have basics already.
You could get an AC and CO2 tanks for example for the price of a high end light measure.
And you won’t get almost any difference compared to photon for your purposes.
Plus LED spectrum research is expanding quickly.
400-700nm is getting outdated already. The newest high end units measuring 360-760nm.
I’m just really trying to drive the point home that money can be spent far better on something else.
I get wanting a meter like that.
I’ve had to have this done conversation with myself.
You can always add more to dial things in
I can recommend something specifically if you like.
What AC controller do you have?
I have many of those and can recommend.
Do you have your light connected to controller?
Hiddenjems
Well-known member
It depends. If you have multiple lights and you want to figure out the maximum square footage you can cover with a minimum intensity, the light meter is invaluable.
I have two 100 watt grow lights so say 6 square feet for veg and 4 SF for flowering and it's in a 2x4x5 tent so I am still needing a better light. Say 3oo watts for 2-3 plants.
Stone
Active member
You may have missed my earlier recommendations to use Photone in place of a high end light meter.
I’d you get the subscription (like 4 a month) it has multiple types of light, dli, and kelvin color meter.
They have a free version but it only does HPS and sunlight I believe.
Im also in the camp of using a lux meter; par meters/ppfd was more important when leds where blurple and it was hard to measure, but with white based light a lux meter works well enough. We had a par meter, it broke fairly quickly and now use our trusty lux meter which have lasted for about 10 years
In any case neither lux or par meter, determines how much light your plant can take: even if you have accurate ppfd readings your plant may not be able to handle what you throw at it. Learn to recognize over lighting rather than measuring it.
In any case neither lux or par meter, determines how much light your plant can take: even if you have accurate ppfd readings your plant may not be able to handle what you throw at it. Learn to recognize over lighting rather than measuring it.
yep, a par meter is not something that you use daily. i have a spectrum. it's about a $400 meter. it's in the same accuracy class as an apogee.
i use it initially when setting up a room or to check sometimes to see what the plants are getting under different areas of the lights. but not daily or even monthly.
nice to have but not essential. i would not recommend that a small scale hobbyist buy one. for the same money you can buy a co2 meter and a handheld infrared thermometer. much more useful tools.
I like your idea, will do some reading on the subject. Thanks
Tmik
Active member
The Photone app works well. It tends to read 10%-15% under actual compared to my apogee meter But it’s cheap and it works fairly well. I have been coaching 2 new growers. Both initially would not buy a meter or photone. Light is light they said. After either burning up their plants or having them out stretch their tent they both finally got the app and started managing their light level with much improvement in their plants.
