Best PAR meter to buy?

MeGaKiLlErMaN

MeGaKiLlErMaN

Well-Known Member
canadian1969 said:
Been looking around but selection is limited and most are killer expensive, what are you guys and gals using?

Also found this, pretty cool if it works.
https://lightmeasurement.en.alibaba.com/product/60528423925-802260435/LMS_6000_Hot_sale_portable_color_spectrometer.html
Of course the price is pretty high at $2K
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Agreed they are all about the same at measuring sunlight off by only a few PPF. Like 10-20 at most. Go with the quantum meter.

There's also a video on YouTube demonstrating this
 
canadian1969

canadian1969

Well-Known Member
Abiqua

Abiqua

Well-Known Member
canadian1969 said:
the Apogee I was the one I was looking at, and seems reasonable, I inquired about the Li Cor a couple years ago but the rep blew me off. Do you have any pricing info for the Li Cor sensors?


Under $200 THANKS! Didn't even know one existed.
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The li-cor is about $2k US unless you find a used one...imho the li-cor has a better cut-off in the spectrum towards UV as compared to the Apogee and their filter....but 10x the price doesn;t equate to the 10x the ability to spot read radiant watts.
Most par meters have cuts at around 430nm and 670-690...the li-cor is minimally broader...but even DIYers have made out because the sensor itself can be had for a couple $, all the tech is the spectrum cutoff in the filters....:peace:

There is even a cheaper apogee attachment for a Multimeter if you have a multimeter of decent quality laying around...
 
CobKits

CobKits

Well-Known Member
canadian1969 said:
the Apogee I was the one I was looking at, and seems reasonable, I inquired about the Li Cor a couple years ago but the rep blew me off. Do you have any pricing info for the Li Cor sensors?
Click to expand...
$430 and can be rigged to work with a multimeter

the LI-190 sensors come up on ebay from time to time, i have a handful of them and a few of the old school analog licor meters as well

licor has good support and you can look up your sensors last test data (to get the constant factor) via serial number
 
Abiqua

Abiqua

Well-Known Member
canadian1969 said:
I do actually, link?
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hmmm well just go look at the Apogee web page now they have over 20 different sensor heads for the PAR. 18months ago they had 1. :)
So I am unsure which head would work, probably the electrically calibrated edition.....

Maybe @captainmorgan has more info, I believe they might have went this route way back when?
 
captainmorgan

captainmorgan

Well-Known Member
Abiqua said:
hmmm well just go look at the Apogee web page now they have over 20 different sensor heads for the PAR. 18months ago they had 1. :)
So I am unsure which head would work, probably the electrically calibrated edition.....

Maybe @captainmorgan has more info, I believe they might have went this route way back when?
Click to expand...
I have the original SQ-120, the electrical type is for indoor lighting.
 
Hybridway

Hybridway

Well-Known Member
I have the Apogee MQ-500 & 200. The 500 is better & reads colors more accurately.
There's a 20-100 difference w/ the 500 reading higher w/ my specific lights. The 200 needs to be on sunshine mode to read my lights most accurately says the rep at Apogee.
 
wietefras

wietefras

Well-Known Member
OK, $124 or $140 better.

@Stephenj37826, The trouble with a phone is that it's lux sensor very sensitive to light direction. I've used it too and it's better than nothing (plus you have it already, so free), but a cheap lux meter does work better. Even then $10 to $15 ones.
 
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