If you watch my how to pick a light video, you know I prioritize results over everything but that’s not to say that efficiency doesn’t matter. Having accurate light readings is vital for setting your lights so I got this Apogee MQ-500. It’s a Full Spectrum Quantum Par Meter that was designed by NASA scientist Bruce Bugbee whose projects include figuring out how to grow plants on mars. Insert x files and alien overlay. Anyhow, this device measures light intensity in the range of 400-700 nanometers which is the best spectrum of colors for photosynthesis. This AM-310 Bundle comes with everything you see here and the only thing added is this wand that makes it easier for you to place your sensor. Installing the cell battery requires a Phillips head screw driver but other than that, it’s good to go. The sensor has a cap which reveals a white dome that absorbs and reads the light. This device is extremely simple and easy to use.

Apogee MQ-500: [ Ссылка ]

0:00 Unboxing & How to Setup
1:55 How to Use the Sample Mode
3:51 How to Use the Log Mode
4:56 Price, Review & Final Thoughts

Recommended Light Meter App for those with Limited Funds: [ Ссылка ]

There’s 5 buttons, the on, sample, mode, up and down. The two modes are sample and log and the sample mode lets you take up to 99 readings. To use this mode, turn the device on, hit mode and use up or down so that sample is blinking, then press mode. You can now place your sensor where you want measure, then hit sample to record it. This will save the reading on the slot listed on the top right and ideally, you want to create a method of knowing where each reading was taken. A major flaw of this device is that you cannot delete individual measurements and the only option is to erase them all. To do this, push the mode button until run is blinking. Then, hold down the down button and simultaneously press mode and that will erase everything so you can start over. To enter log mode, turn the device on, hit mode, and then down so that log is blinking, then press mode twice and your screen will look like this. the log mode is simply timed readings and its usually used to track outdoor light cycles. It will also record the total amount of light every 24 hours. I paid $600 for this bundle. There’s also an option to plug this into your computer, but the cable costs $62 which seems like a cash grab to me. Since I won’t be in a situation where I need more than 20 readings, the cable isn’t really worth it. Overall, this is overkill for a small home grower like myself, especially when there’s more affordable options such as photone. If you have a small grow op or greenhouse, I could see where this would be useful and the value really comes with its accuracy. It comes with a 4 year warranty and they claim the accuracy does not drift more than 2% per year. You can mail the meter to Apogee to calibrate it at your own expense.

Apogee Provided Information:

FOR SCIENTISTS & SERIOUS GROWERS - Designed by world-renowned crop physiologist, Bruce Bugbee, PhD, the MQ-500 full-spectrum quantum meter is the premium tool of choice among leading scientists and growers for accurately measuring the photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) from all light sources. Package includes an AM-310 telescopic sensor wand that extends up to 33 inches for measuring hard-to-reach places and a neoprene carrying case.
MEASURING PAR IS CRITICAL - An accurate PAR meter is critical for measuring the intensity of light used in the precision growing of plants and other photosynthetic organisms in greenhouses, growth chambers, farms, gardens, aquariums, and additional agricultural systems.
QUALITY QUANTUM METER - Unlike cheaper LUX or footcandle sensors which are sometimes marketed as grow light meters, but are meant for measuring light for human vision, our meters feature a laboratory-grade PPFD (photosynthetic photon flux density), or “quantum,” optical detector precisely calibrated to measure the light intensity in µmol m-2 s-1 of the specific color wavelengths emitted by LEDs, HPS, MH, sunlight, and other light sources utilized by plants for photosynthesis.
EXTREMELY ACCURATE & STABLE - Precisely measures and combines the intensity of all photons between 400 and 700 nm to give a single PAR reading in µmol m-2 s-1 within 5 % uncertainty. Unlike hobby-grade PAR meters, our meter has a stable, accurate calibration with an accuracy drift rate of less than 2% per year.
RUGGED & EASY TO USE - Quantum sensor head is machined aluminum and potted solid with epoxy for years of use in harsh environments, including underwater. The handheld meter is attached by a cable and displays real-time readings, records samples, and logs average intensity and daily light integral (DLI) measurements. Unlike the sensor head, the handheld meter is not waterproof.

#apogee #lightmeter #ledgrowlights

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