Any recommendations for a par meter

LeastExpectedGrower

LeastExpectedGrower

Well-Known Member
DoubleAtotheRON said:
Exactly. It’s just a small tool that you’ll use every now and then. Otherwise, I read the plants for light stress.
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For me, given I use the iPhone anyway...it was worth the free app plus the 6$ download to make sure I was doing what I thought I was doing.

There's also all sorts of stuff that people don't really figure on. Like metering your tent with the door open gives you a pretty sizable error in readings...because a big reflective wall has been removed. ;) When I'm being a fusspot, I keep my door zipped except for just enough for me to fit my arm in and be able to see what the phone screen is reading.
 
calvin.m16

calvin.m16

Well-Known Member
LeastExpectedGrower said:
Which iPhone are you using?
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iPhone 10s Max but also tried this app using an iPhone 13 on a friends phone at his grow. I ended up borrowing his Apogee 500 meter. I'm thinking about ordering the PHANTOM BIO PAR meter for 140 dollars so I have something on hand that is reliable.
 
calvin.m16

calvin.m16

Well-Known Member
LeastExpectedGrower said:
Your experience doesn't match a number of other users.
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I'm a former Senior Technical Advisor with Apple with almost 4 years experience in actual on the job experience. The proximity sensors and ambient light sensors from what I'm aware of are the same on the iPhone X (10) and the iPhone 13. The proximity and ambient light sensors are what are used by these apps to calculate the PPFD.

The app sucks. lol it's not my fault or my devices fault. If I turn 4 x T5 bulbs on they read almost 1500 ppfd where turning 2 off makes it read 400 ppfd how does that make any sense?

If you want to trust a $5 app and probably a $10 sensor chip then go for it.
 
LeastExpectedGrower

LeastExpectedGrower

Well-Known Member
calvin.m16 said:
I'm a former Senior Technical Advisor with Apple with almost 4 years experience in actual on the job experience. The proximity sensors and ambient light sensors from what I'm aware of are the same on the iPhone X (10) and the iPhone 13. The proximity and ambient light sensors are what are used by these apps to calculate the PPFD.

The app sucks. lol it's not my fault or my devices fault. If I turn 4 x T5 bulbs on they read almost 1500 ppfd where turning 2 off makes it read 400 ppfd how does that make any sense?

If you want to trust a $5 app and probably a $10 sensor chip then go for it.
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lol.

Yet again people who have tested against much more expensive units report minor variance. That plus my experience in using it says I'll just keep ignoring you, lil buddy!

*Also, as someone who has friends who were engineers at Apple in phone development (particularly the camera), I'm not likely to care about your supposed job with them.
 
2

2com

Well-Known Member
LeastExpectedGrower said:
Photone is known to be accurate on iPhones but not so much on Samsung phones.
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Where'd you read or hear this? I'm just curious.
LeastExpectedGrower said:
There's a number of other apps that people here recommend for Samsung, etc.
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Such as?

Also, not in response to you, just for reference to what's actually being discussed here:
Growing answers test vid (iphone): link
Migro test vid (samsung s20): link
 
calvin.m16

calvin.m16

Well-Known Member
DoubleAtotheRON said:
Mine was way off too (iPhone 13) until I read the damn instructions for IPhone. You have to make a diffuser for it to be accurate… easy to make in 60 seconds. But for the money at $6, it was worth it. This was an in app purchase for what type of light you’re using. After that, you don’t pay anything. Android does not require a diffuser.
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I may have missed the diffuser part of the instructions.. :wall:

@LeastExpectedGrower Let me try again with the diffuser and report back.
 
LeastExpectedGrower

LeastExpectedGrower

Well-Known Member
calvin.m16 said:
I'm starting to feel like you're sponsored or affiliated with this App.
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No need to be sponsored. Its an app that costs between zero and 6 bucks that for me does exactly what it says it should. I have no problem telling people I like something like that. Also, how would a company that makes a free app like this 'sponsor' anyone? Are they going to give me lots and lots of other free stuff that they give to the public for free?

Other things I like and am not afraid to say:
-HLG Lighting
-AC-Infinity fans & controllers
-Pro-Mix soils
-GH Nutirents
-Real Growers Recharge

^If anyone one from this group wishes to 'sponsor' me, I'll be happy to take the discounts or free stuff.

As someone who has had an endorsement deal in a non-related field, it's awesome, but you have to provide value to the company that you're endorsing. In this case, I don't see that telling people that a free download is a good thing will push Photone to greater heights of prosperity.
 
calvin.m16

calvin.m16

Well-Known Member
@LeastExpectedGrower IT WORKS!!!! I just had to put a piece of printer paper over the sensor!!! @DoubleAtotheRON I did the same thing as you lol.

Without the "filter" it was reading 140-150 PPFD which was Wayyy off and with paper it's 1000 PPFD!!

PHOTON WORKS JUST GOTTA USE A FILTER IF YOUR ON IPHONE!
I'm proven wrong the Photon app works. It used to be called Korona when I used it but they switched the name due to the pandemic.
 
LeastExpectedGrower

LeastExpectedGrower

Well-Known Member
calvin.m16 said:
@LeastExpectedGrower IT WORKS!!!! I just had to put a piece of printer paper over the sensor!!! @DoubleAtotheRON I did the same thing as you lol.

Without the "filter" it was reading 140-150 PPFD which was Wayyy off and with paper it's 1000 PPFD!!

PHOTON WORKS JUST GOTTA USE A FILTER IF YOUR ON IPHONE!
I'm proven wrong the Photon app works. It used to be called Korona when I used it but they switched the name due to the pandemic.
Click to expand...
See...a happy ending!

..er...I mean a good outcome.
 
bk78

bk78

Well-Known Member
LeastExpectedGrower said:
No need to be sponsored. Its an app that costs between zero and 6 bucks that for me does exactly what it says it should. I have no problem telling people I like something like that. Also, how would a company that makes a free app like this 'sponsor' anyone? Are they going to give me lots and lots of other free stuff that they give to the public for free?

Other things I like and am not afraid to say:
-HLG Lighting
-AC-Infinity fans & controllers
-Pro-Mix soils
-GH Nutirents
-Real Growers Recharge

^If anyone one from this group wishes to 'sponsor' me, I'll be happy to take the discounts or free stuff.

As someone who has had an endorsement deal in a non-related field, it's awesome, but you have to provide value to the company that you're endorsing. In this case, I don't see that telling people that a free download is a good thing will push Photone to greater heights of prosperity.
Click to expand...
I can sponsor catnip
 
LeastExpectedGrower

LeastExpectedGrower

Well-Known Member
bk78 said:
I can sponsor catnip
Click to expand...
I got some 'mint seeds' a few years back...and they ended up being catnip (Thanks Amazon!)...I planted it on our property anyway, though we don't have cats. And it's fantastic. We have any of the neighbor's indoor/outdoor cats stopping by all spring/summer/fall and flopping into the catnip patch and literally laying there for hours zoned out. Rarely do I look out the back windows and not see a rando cat down for the count on the nip. Amuses me to no end.
 
DoubleAtotheRON

DoubleAtotheRON

Well-Known Member
calvin.m16 said:
@LeastExpectedGrower IT WORKS!!!! I just had to put a piece of printer paper over the sensor!!! @DoubleAtotheRON I did the same thing as you lol.

Without the "filter" it was reading 140-150 PPFD which was Wayyy off and with paper it's 1000 PPFD!!

PHOTON WORKS JUST GOTTA USE A FILTER IF YOUR ON IPHONE!
I'm proven wrong the Photon app works. It used to be called Korona when I used it but they switched the name due to the pandemic.
Click to expand...
Glad you got it sorted!.. I made my paper diffuser just a little wider than recommended to make sure the sensor (camera) is fully covered. Try the DLI feature. Make sure you select the correct light time... like 18/6 or 12/12. Ive taken readings and thought something was off, but I just didn't select the right light time.
 
LeastExpectedGrower

LeastExpectedGrower

Well-Known Member
DoubleAtotheRON said:
Glad you got it sorted!.. I made my paper diffuser just a little wider than recommended to make sure the sensor (camera) is fully covered. Try the DLI feature. Make sure you select the correct light time... like 18/6 or 12/12. Ive taken readings and thought something was off, but I just didn't select the right light time.
Click to expand...
I'm currently running 15/9 lol. They're autos, but they keep telling me I'd do better at 12/12 in flower :D

I use the calculator for what if scenarios. I don't care about fitting into a 18/6 or 12/12 paradigm since the DLI is what's more important to me, so I dialed my DLI to where I wanted it then adjust my lights back a bit which saves energy and all that.
 
2

2com

Well-Known Member
calvin.m16 said:
I'm thinking about ordering the PHANTOM BIO PAR meter for 140 dollars so I have something on hand that is reliable.
Click to expand...
calvin.m16 said:
I would just buy a Phantom meter if you're on a budget. https://growgreenmi.com/photobio-advanced-quantum-par-meter $138.00
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calvin.m16 said:
iPhone 10s Max but also tried this app using an iPhone 13 on a friends phone at his grow. I ended up borrowing his Apogee 500 meter. I'm thinking about ordering the PHANTOM BIO PAR meter for 140 dollars so I have something on hand that is reliable.
Click to expand...
calvin.m16 said:
I'm starting to feel like you're sponsored or affiliated with this App.
Click to expand...
I can't help but point out that...I'm starting to see some hypocrisy. Haha, don't mind the "ribbing".

calvin.m16 said:
I may have missed the diffuser part of the instructions.. :wall:

@LeastExpectedGrower Let me try again with the diffuser and report back.
Click to expand...
calvin.m16 said:
@LeastExpectedGrower IT WORKS!!!! I just had to put a piece of printer paper over the sensor!!! @DoubleAtotheRON I did the same thing as you lol.

Without the "filter" it was reading 140-150 PPFD which was Wayyy off and with paper it's 1000 PPFD!!

PHOTON WORKS JUST GOTTA USE A FILTER IF YOUR ON IPHONE!
I'm proven wrong the Photon app works. It used to be called Korona when I used it but they switched the name due to the pandemic.
Click to expand...
Big respect to you for admitting that you overlooked a crucial part of using the app (with iPhones). When I saw your phone screenshots I thought: aww fuck, either this guys phone is fucked, he's fucked, or I'm fucked... or all three?
Thanks for reporting back, crisis averted, at least for iPhone users... because now I'm concerned about Android/Samsung (thanks, @LeastExpectedGrower)
I use an android phone, for what it's worth.

@DoubleAtotheRON, have you compared the phone app to your par meter (or did you get a replacement yet).

EDIT:
By the way, I've been eyeing that Phantom Bio Par meter for a long time. Holding a phone over the canopy (or wherever), with light blasting off the screen causing glare, is annoying to say the least.
 
DoubleAtotheRON

DoubleAtotheRON

Well-Known Member
2com said:
I can't help but point out that...I'm starting to see some hypocrisy. Haha, don't mind the "ribbing".




Big respect to you for admitting that you overlooked a crucial part of using the app (with iPhones). When I saw your phone screenshots I thought: aww fuck, either this guys phone is fucked, he's fucked, or I'm fucked... or all three?
Thanks for reporting back, crisis averted, at least for iPhone users... because now I'm concerned about Android/Samsung (thanks, @LeastExpectedGrower)
I use an android phone, for what it's worth.

@DoubleAtotheRON, have you compared the phone app to your par meter (or did you get a replacement yet).
Click to expand...
I had taken readings on my HydroFarmer, and yes, they were very close. The HydroFarmer's battery pack had swelled up and popped the back cover off, which is why I looked into the Photone. It was free, and from what you had said, I wanted to try it. Very pleased!
 
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