Can anyone give me advice on meauring Led brightness and distance, so on

[Ph 007]

I'm gonna start ordering some tools to mesure is it PAR or lux and remember now lol

I want to order the tools I need for mesuing how much light your plants are getting off the led and what ever mesument I need to take? To set distance and watt

What this mobile app you can get aswell?

 

[Pushrod Monkey]

I'm gonna start ordering some tools to mesure is it PAR or lux and remember now lol

I want to order the tools I need for mesuing how much light your plants are getting off the led and what ever mesument I need to take? To set distance and watt

What this mobile app you can get aswell?

Quantum PAR meter. Look on Amazon. Less than $200 for a serviceable unit.

Quantum Par Meter - High Precision, Rechargeable & Long Standby, Grow Light meter, Indoor Plants meter, Good for Growing droseras and All Indoor Plants… https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08WX8D3LB/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_797EJVSNHPKV9SXPWMBK

 

[Ph 007]

Quantum PAR meter. Look on Amazon. Less than $200 for a serviceable unit.

Quantum Par Meter - High Precision, Rechargeable & Long Standby, Grow Light meter, Indoor Plants meter, Good for Growing droseras and All Indoor Plants… https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08WX8D3LB/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_797EJVSNHPKV9SXPWMBK

Thanks I'll have a look now

 

[freezeland2]

Photone if you decide on the app route.

 

[Ph 007]

Photone if you decide on the app route.

Thanks

 

[phxazcraig]

I'm gonna start ordering some tools to mesure is it PAR or lux and remember now lol

I want to order the tools I need for mesuing how much light your plants are getting off the led and what ever mesument I need to take? To set distance and watt

What this mobile app you can get aswell?

I tried the 3-way moisture/ph/light meter for $10. Works for dim lighting.
Then I went with a more expensive Lux meter, and .. I just got more confused interpreting it trying to convert to PAR.
FInally I bought an Apogee Quantum Flux MQ-200. Problems solved all the way. Simply turn it on and take a reading with the probe. Adjust light. Done.

 

[Pushrod Monkey]

I tried the 3-way moisture/ph/light meter for $10. Works for dim lighting.
Then I went with a more expensive Lux meter, and .. I just got more confused interpreting it trying to convert to PAR.
FInally I bought an Apogee Quantum Flux MQ-200. Problems solved all the way. Simply turn it on and take a reading with the probe. Adjust light. Done.

I checked my $157 (at the time) quantum PAR against my neighbor’s expensive Apogee. Mine was within 5 of his at 1000. More than adequate if you don’t want to pop for the Apogee. Which is fine instrumentation no doubt.

 

[Ph 007]

Thanks guys i see if I can find a cheap one later for about 10 dollars sound good lol,

I not tied the app yet lights been off I'll check later , quite excited to be honest to try a new toy out lol

 

[Observationist]

Thanks guys i see if I can find a cheap one later for about 10 dollars sound good lol,

I not tied the app yet lights been off I'll check later , quite excited to be honest to try a new toy out lol

Honestly, I wouldn’t waste you’re time with the 10$ meters…the phone apps are probably better lol

tentbuddy/PPFD meter for android

photone for iOs

 

[Habosabin]

Migro did a test on the Photone app before it changed to Photone and it did well.

 

[Ph 007]

I just tried the app, I see number but they mean nothing to me lol
What numbers do I need for veg and flower,
Do you bump them up then later in flower or stay the same in flower all the way through

Pics below
My lights at the monent are about 70cm away and dimmed down to 150w, they go to 240w max or about their


What do you guys think about direct led light hitting Thermometers and themroemeters sets of probes?

I did believe that led want effect readings as no ir radiant heat comes off then like Hps,
But
See viedo below, when that white themrometre and my fan probe reads 80f my inkbirds says it's 84f but if just shaded the fan and inkbird sensors probe and now when my white thenromretrs reads 80 the inkbirds now read about the same 80/80 ish quite a big difference their so these light must affect leaf temps like steamroller told me and not just the air temp
Here the sensors shades from the led

And here shaded sensors
That white themro was probbely about to just update its rea6fujg it would of said about 80 now the inknirds read about 84

I did think I may be air flow if messed about with fans no diffrent really, and the are in the same spot the sensors anyway but stiff diffrent readings between shading then and not

 

[Habosabin]

Show us the DLI readings at appropriate hours like 18.

 

[phxazcraig]

I just tried the app, I see number but they mean nothing to me lol\

OK

My lights at the monent are about 70cm away and dimmed down to 150w, they go to 240w max or about their

I see numbers, but they mean nothing to me!

Ultimately you are trying to estimate PAR values.

You want PAR values under 400 for seedlings, and gradually increase to 800 or so at maximum for late flower and all of bloom. Values about 800 are mostly wasted unless pumping in additional CO2. PAR values over 1000 are likely (?) to cause problems before flowering, and possibly then. Values over 1500 are almost certain (my opinion) to scorch leaves and buds, resulting in fox tailing, white flowers, leaf damage and reduced yields. There are a number of related conditions that can cause leaves to react more negatively to strong lighting including temperature, humidity, air flow, watering habits and more.

So, if you have a chart from your manufacturer telling you how much PAR over the canopy based on distance, YOU convert that to a PAR reading and give us that, not 'inches from canopy pulling x watts from the wall'. It's just meaningless to us. Better to just say how your leaves are reacting to the current settings.

 

[Ph 007]

Show us the DLI readings at appropriate hours like 18.

 

[Ph 007]

OK

I see numbers, but they mean nothing to me!

Ultimately you are trying to estimate PAR values.

You want PAR values under 400 for seedlings, and gradually increase to 800 or so at maximum for late flower and all of bloom. Values about 800 are mostly wasted unless pumping in additional CO2. PAR values over 1000 are likely (?) to cause problems before flowering, and possibly then. Values over 1500 are almost certain (my opinion) to scorch leaves and buds, resulting in fox tailing, white flowers, leaf damage and reduced yields. There are a number of related conditions that can cause leaves to react more negatively to strong lighting including temperature, humidity, air flow, watering habits and more.

So, if you have a chart from your manufacturer telling you how much PAR over the canopy based on distance, YOU convert that to a PAR reading and give us that, not 'inches from canopy pulling x watts from the wall'. It's just meaningless to us. Better to just say how your leaves are reacting to the current settings.

Ok they said 50-70cmway so just stuck with that, reason im down to 150w is because I need quite a bit of electric to warm my tent so dimmed them down to save,
And also they where 50cm away always but i had what i though might of been light stress in tips guess not dam these readings as important.

So you mean ignore watt and distance,
Just set distance by par , and this changes by watt I guess so distance will change with more or less watt
Abivously to close you loose footprint coverage.

Do I only use par with led?
Or par , lux and LDI?

Looks like I need to do some reading

 

[phxazcraig]

Ok they said 50-70cmway so just stuck with that, reason im down to 150w is because I need quite a bit of electric to warm my tent so dimmed them down to save,
And also they where 50cm away always but i had what i though might of been light stress in tips guess not dam these readings as important.

And you see why this becomes meaningless? What matters to the plant is the PAR value. Everything except a PAR meter is a problematical way of guessing at it.

So you mean ignore watt and distance,
Just set distance by par , and this changes by watt I guess so distance will change with more or less watt

Yes, you measure the brightness (PAR) on the plants, and then you can adjust the distance and/or dimmer to achieve the proper lighting.

Abivously to close you loose footprint coverage.

Well, that's sort of an issue with LEDs. The strong ones want a lot of space between light and canopy, which of course helps to even the coverage too. But once those plants get too tall on you and start getting to 12 inches from the light (instead of 36), well you start using the dimmer. And while that helps right under the light, it means the corners suffer, and the penetration into the canopy goes down too. I'm at that point now where I'm trying to figure out the maximum amount of PAR I can force on the plants in the center while maintaining an adequate amount at the edges.

Do I only use par with led?
Or par , lux and LDI?

Looks like I need to do some reading

PAR is what you want, but an expensive meter to get it.
LUX and LUMENS are cheaper to measure, and while they measure overall brightness, they don't give PAR, which is a specialized type of brightness measurement. But this is the next best thing.

It doesn't matter whether growing in LED or other lighting, it's just that it was far easier to predict lighting strength in non-LED technology. An HPS bulb is basically an HPS bulb, and the PAR values are generally going to be the same (predictable) at certain distances. LED panels vary too much to be predictable, partly because of LED type, partly due to shape. THat's why you see all these crazy calculations and charts relating PAR to distance. Every light design is different and needs a unique PAR/distance chart, and a different chart for each distance to canopy.

 

[Ph 007]

I just put my light on full watt set at 50cm away from the plant
Par readings diffrent areas now range from 590 - 700ish
Im about 2 days into flower

I'm using the lights below

 

[steamroller]

I use the PAR and VPD to set light height.
I set the strength [%] the light is on according to cycle .
At 100% I can max 750 -800 Par with out losing coverage and still maintaining 3-5 degree leaf surface temp, but it is close .

 

[Ph 007]

I use the PAR and VPD to set light height.
I set the strength [%] the light is on according to cycle .
At 100% I can max 750 -800 Par with out losing coverage and still maintaining 3-5 degree leaf surface temp, but it is close .

What's lux then ? I remember you saying either 40,000 or 4,000 can't remebr I know I was a 4 and a good few 0's lol

 

[Ph 007]

So am I right in thinking Par
Seedling / clones below 400 , 400 max
And flower any stage of flower even the first week of flower 700-800max
^
This is without adding c02
I don't use c02 see