Help, I can't figure out my new light meter?

[ValorieBoyer]

I jus bought a light meter lx 801 with the hopes of figuring out if I've got enough light in my tiny indoor greenhouse, but I'm not sure I'm reading it right and the manual is NO help at all. I've got two T5 bulbs and the meter says it's 001lux? Here's a pic of the read out

[katrina]

If you truly have 1 lux...then your space is very dark. It would take something like 25,000 lux to be in the realm of low catt light (just over 2000 footcandles).

My light meter reads footcandles...which is (IMO) a better way to gauge light. Can you take that light meter back and get one that reads footcandles?

[Hiester]

How to use:

1.Turn on the power
2.Choosing the suitable measuring place
3.Open the light test cover, and put the front of the Digital Light Meter face the tested light source
4.Read the testing value on the LCD illuminometer
5.The LCD screen display “1” means that it is overloaded, you should choose the higher gear to test the light
6.Data-hold switch, pull the swith on “HOLD”, LCD display “H” sign, and the displayed value is locked, pull the switch on “ON”, you can cancel the read number locking function
7.After finish the testing work, please carefully cover the Light Meter, and turn off the power.

So, according to the directions, a reading of "1" means the meter is on overload (the light is too bright at this gear level to read) and needs to be shifted using the switch at the top.

[ValorieBoyer]

Ok, found the problem! There's a REMOVABLE COVER on the light sensor. The manual didn't mention it and there weren't any instructions in the box, plus the cover is the same color as the surrounding plastic so it just blended right in. Still...huge DOH on my part!

[ValorieBoyer]

Hiester, you prompted me to look closer at the sensor, thanks

[Hiester]

Well, I didn't want to ask if you had removed the sensor cover... *smile* and since I couldn't see the sensor in your image, I assumed you had. But anywho, I'm glad you figured it out. There's a conversion function on this link to change lux to foot candles...

Lux to Foot-Candles Conversion Calculator