View Full Version : Where to purchase a light meter.
trinidiver
10/23/2012, 05:59 AM
Can anyone tell me where i can purchase a good and effective light meter?
I'll be going to houston next week and i'll like to know if i can purchase them at a regular electronics or hardware store (Lowes, Target, Wallmart..........
.etc) I'm not too familiar whith them so, does the probe or sensor come water proof? I would like to get a good one..............and not cheap.
Photobug
10/23/2012, 09:44 AM
Can anyone tell me where i can purchase a good and effective light meter?
I'll be going to houston next week and i'll like to know if i can purchase them at a regular electronics or hardware store (Lowes, Target, Wallmart..........
.etc) I'm not too familiar whith them so, does the probe or sensor come water proof? I would like to get a good one..............and not cheap.
Your not going to find something like that at Lowes. I believe what you are looking for is a PAR meter. From a previous thread I think you will be paying multiple hundreds of dollars for one.
I just realized I have a light meter for photography. I wonder if that would work?
trinidiver
10/23/2012, 09:46 AM
Your not going to find something like that at Lowes. I believe what you are looking for is a PAR meter. From a previous thread I think you will be paying multiple hundreds of dollars for one.
I just realized I have a light meter for photography. I wonder if that would work?
My bad............you're right. a par meter.
Photobug
10/23/2012, 09:51 AM
Just found this.
http://www.apogeeinstruments.com/quantum/
Starting at $475, more if you want a longer sensor. At that price you are better off just buying a high end lighting system and adjust the height or intensity to get what you want out of your corals.
trinidiver
10/23/2012, 10:13 AM
i was now looking at that brand. I just want to be checking my bulbs to see when they are really starting to go
hobbzz
10/23/2012, 10:25 AM
Output doesn't always decrease as bulbs age. It's the spectrum that changes negatively that's the bigger issue. Usually more towards the red end of the spectrum.
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2008/7/aafeature1
jerpa
10/23/2012, 10:56 AM
Just found this.
http://www.apogeeinstruments.com/quantum/
Starting at $475, more if you want a longer sensor. At that price you are better off just buying a high end lighting system and adjust the height or intensity to get what you want out of your corals.
That is the most reasonably priced PAR meter available however the the MQ-200 is the meter with a seperate sensor. It's $379. Alternatively you can by the sensor for $139 and hook it up to a multimeter that reads millivolts. Multiply the millivolts by 5 ans you have PAR.
As an aside, without the meter you would have no reliable way of knowing the intensity you currently have or how adjusting the height will change it.
Photobug
10/23/2012, 10:56 AM
http://www.rapidled.com/apogee-mq-200-par-meter/
Here is another. But you are better off just replacing bulbs at a specific interval.
Rookieofsalt
10/23/2012, 11:39 AM
You can check with your local fish store. They might have one for rent with a deposit.
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