lighting Photone app?

[alkhall]

I was reading Tdub's glog, and I noticed the phone being used as a PAR meter by way of the Photone app.

Been wanting to buy a meter for a while, but $500-$600 for a good quality meter was a bit much.

So, I installed it on my iPhone, and, after a little experimentation, decided to buy the Lifetime Pro license to unlock all the features for $80.

Unfortunately, it has not been calibrated for my FS+UV lamps, or my actinic lamps, but seems to work for the fluorescent and LED lamps.

As I am trying to simulate natural daylight, I chose the Daylight fluorescent setting.

My results with all twelve lamps burning at 14 inches away and centered, after allowing a 10 minute warmup:

531 PPFD
30.6 DLI @ 16 hour period.
34000 lux
10300 CCT. The actinic lamps really increase this from ~6400 CCT with the other lamps only.

Anyone else tried this app for their lighting? Would like to see some comparisons between various, e.g. LED, Fluorescent, etc, lighting types.

 

[Tdub]

I was reading Tdub's glog, and I noticed the phone being used as a PAR meter by way of the Photone app.

Been wanting to buy a meter for a while, but $500-$600 for a good quality meter was a bit much.

So, I installed it on my iPhone, and, after a little experimentation, decided to buy the Lifetime Pro license to unlock all the features for $80.

Unfortunately, it has not been calibrated for my FS+UV lamps, or my actinic lamps, but seems to work for the fluorescent and LED lamps.

As I am trying to simulate natural daylight, I chose the Daylight fluorescent setting.

My results with all twelve lamps burning at 14 inches away and centered, after allowing a 10 minute warmup:

531 PPFD
30.6 DLI @ 16 hour period.
34000 lux
10300 CCT. The actinic lamps really increase this from ~6400 CCT with the other lamps only.

Anyone else tried this app for their lighting? Would like to see some comparisons between various, e.g. LED, Fluorescent, etc, lighting types.

I’m with you…i wanted a par meter but didn’t want to spend that kind of money. I experimented with multiple old apple devices I own I and experienced several widely different readings even when using 20 pound paper as a diffuser. I ended up purchasing their “Lightray” diffuser ($24 on their site) and using it with an iPhone 14. I cross-checked the lux readings from the Photone app against my lux meter and they’re almost identical, so I trust the Photone app’s accuracy. Here are the two meters…you can see that they’re lux readings are very close. The Lux Meter reads 20,620 lux and the Photone app reads 20,600. I’m hoping that is a good sign that the other measurements are accurate too.

 

[alkhall]

Tdub,

I ordered the Lightray diffuser as well, should have it next week, and will recheck the measurements then.

 

[alkhall]

Received the Lightray diffuser/cosine corrector today.

I had swapped out some lamps in the meantime, new array is 4 @ AgroMax Pure Par Veg fluorescent, 2 @ Spectralux 6500k fluorescent, 2 @ Eye Hortilux FS + UV fluorescent, 2 @ Fluvial Sea Actinic fluorescent, 2 @ AgroMax 6400K LED.

Again, I am using the fluorescent Daylight setting, approximately 14 inches down and centered.

With all 12 lamps:

PPFD = 519
DLI = 29.9
Illuminance = 34000 lux
CCT = 11700


I turned off the Sea Actinic and AgroMax LED lamps, using only the 4 @ AgroMax Pure Par Veg, 2 @ Spectralux 6500k, and
2 @ Eye Hortilux FS + UV:

PPFD = 262
DLI = 15.1
Illumination = 16800 lux
CCT = 7850

The shape of my ghetto rig fixture is probably affecting these readings, as only 8 lamps are directly horizontal above the iPhone.

https://thehotpepper.com/attachments/lamp-layout-png.74458/

New configuration lamps are, left to right; Pure Par, 6400K LED, Pure Par, FS + UV, 6500K fluorescent, Actinic, Actinic, 6500K fluorescent, FS + UV, Pure Par, 6400K LED, Pure Par.

 

[alkhall]

Decided to try this app out on my iPadAir.

All lamps, daylight fluorescent source selected, 14 inches away and centered:
PPFD = 392
DLI = 23.6
Illumination = 24500 lux
CCT = 8100

All except the Sea Actinic and AgroMax LED:
PPFR = 215
DLI = 13.2
Illumination = 13900 lux
CCT = 7700

Fairly significant difference;
PPFD is 75%/82%
DLI is 78%/87%
Illumunation is 72%/82%
CCT is 69%/98%, which is a wide difference.

Need to do more testing...

 

[alkhall]

Upon further review:

Fired up a 6-lamp T5HO industrial highbay fixture. iPhone equipped with Lightray diffuser, using Daylight fluorescent setting, approximately 14 inches down and centered.

2 @ Eye Hortilux FS+ UV
2 @ AgroMax 6400K LED
2 @ Spectrlux 6500K

PPFD = 339
DLI = 19.6
Illumination = 21900 lux
CCT = 6000


2 @ AgroMax 6400K LED
4 @ AgroMax Pure PAR Veg

PPFD = 300
DLI = 17.3
Illumination = 19300 lux
CCT = 10500


2 @ AgroMax 6400K LED
2 @ Eye Hortilux FS+UV
2 @ AgroMax 6400K LED

PPFD = 304
DLI = 17.5
Illumination = 19600 lux
CCT = 8000


2 @ AgroMax 6400K LED
2 @ Spectralux 6500K
2 @ AgroMax Pure Par

PPFD = 341
DLI = 19.3
Illumination = 21500 lux
CCT = 7600


2 @ Spectralux 6500K
2 @ Eye Hortilux FS+UV
2 @ AgroMax Pure Par

PPFD = 243
DLI = 13.9
Illumination = 15000 lux
CCT = 8100


2 @ Spectralux 6500K
4 @ AgroMax Pure Par

PPFD = 212
DLI = 12.2
Illumination = 13500 lux
CCT = >12000


4 @ Spectralux 6500K
2 @ Eye Hortilux FS+UV

PPFD = 306
DLI = 17.5
Illumination = 19400 lux
CCT = 5750


6 @ Spectralux 6500K

PPFD = 365
DLI = 20.9
Illumination = 24500 lux
CCT = 5600


Seems that although they have the lowest CCT, the highest PPFD, DLI, & lux are the Spectralux 6500K fluorescent.

All the expensive lamps do not do as well.

After all that, I will be going with
2 @ Eye Hortilux FS+ UV
2 @ AgroMax 6400K LED
2 @ Spectrlux 6500K.

 

[alkhall]

Did another test; full spectrum LED setting.

4 @ AgroMax 6400K LED T5HO lamps in narrow distribution industrial highbay fixture, centered, 11 inches down.

PPFD = 566
DLI = 32.4 @ 16 hrs.
Luminance = 34000 lux
CCT = 5800K

These lamps are advertised as being full spectrum, color temperature 6000K - 10000K. I believe the Photone app is not calibrated for these lamps.

They do produce a very intense white light.