Plant Light Meter app
 

:waving
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i wonder if anyone who has iphone is interested in installing this app Plant Light Meter on the App Store <— iphone app.

and report your readings.

very curious about light and when discussing there is no common measure to use for comparison.
other this app gives an accurate light measurement or not I don’t think matters it gives a number and that number can be compared to other users numbers. For example, here’s mine… taken from front leaf most exposed to light and another reading from leaf in rear not as exposed to light:

whether the numbers or advice it gives doesn’t matter, when used to compare with other people’s readings.

thanks 🙏

How interesting! I am guessing this is using the phone camera to assess the luminosity it perceives through the lens. I will try it a bit later and report back - I have an actual what’s it called that measures light and can do it in foot candles which seems to be what the app reports so we can compare what both of them say for the same location and time. Will report back :)

I would join in but I don't have an iPhone, do they do an Android version of the app?

There a number of light meter app suitable for android. I have downloaded some of the free ones and I could see the difference in the app when using inside, under the verandah and stood in the garden.
I didnt understand the measurements (my difficulty I assume) so I didn't use them and subsequently deleted them.

Obviously I was hoping for people maybe to use the one I linked because it’s very simple. Even if it is not accurate for measuring. I believe it would be for comparing, at least something.

I don’t believe the app I linked is also for android I tried to find it so I guess not. But this one is for both: Photone - Grow Light Meter

i’m only talking about stuff that’s free. But the problem is as I’ve tried lots of them, the problem is with the one above is that it has 1 million settings. So even if it’s better I already had it but I never use it I use this little one that I linked in the beginning of the thread. Sorry

Are use anything that’s free, but if there’s 1 million settings you have to tell me what yours *all* are. like that last one I just linked. ;)

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Different phones use different "camera chips", also called charge capture devices or CCDs. Different versions of software interpret CCD output differently. Unless a program is written specifically for the chip in your specific phone, and your operating system, it won't be accurate. It would be probably be impossible to write an accurate generic Android light meter app because so many different camera chips are used.

If the app mentioned above were written for a specific iPhone version and chip, and the author had information about the chip specifications and output, it could be accurate.

If you have an old SLR camera - it almost certainly has a light meter. You can find instructions online for how to use such cameras to measure footcandles. I would believe that more than any phone app.

Even if you have a light meter, how are you going to calibrate it? I ran across this a year or so ago. I bought a used, very old, once very expensive industrial light meter online. Another gardening friend bought one at the same time. Side by side, they don't agree completely. We can have them calibrated at a fine instrument shop but calibration would cost hundreds of dollars.

I think the vast majority of gardeners don't need a light meter. Paying attention to plants is the best teacher; one can soon recognize a plant getting too much or not enough light. The old hand shadow method works fine.

Reporting back, though I think further testing is required. I tried it on a few plants right now and the readings I got were as below - in FC

App. Light meter
1.750-2250 / 765.6
1000-1250 / 515
1750-2000 / 2728

The thing I would note is the one where it was kind of in the ballpark - the last reading was on a hibiscus not an orchid and I think that more testing is needed with leaves of different colors / pigmentation. The first 2 are on a myrme ophila that has very light green to yellowish leaves since it gets a lot of light and the second one on a catt that is the same way so not sure if that is throwing off the readings. I will try it on some more on the other side of my house tomorrow if I remeber to see how it does with some of the other orchid species or other plants.

I agree with the calibration, my grandfather’s job was basically to calibrate measurement tools in a factory all his life so I know that it’s an ongoing process more than a one off, but for a hobby I think it’s a fun thing to do. It can at least give a good benchmark for the same user - for example I can tell that my front balcony gets about twice the light of my back porch. And I love numbers and toys so why not :)

even I don’t need a Light Meter. But I thought it would be fun on a forum with thousands of post. Or at least I was looking for a few to compare with mine since I’m new to growing Phalaenopsis and I use a little artificial light. And considering all the questions that are asked about peoples light exposure I thought someone out to bring a ruler to the conversation. And I thought the simpler the better.

kind of surprised or maybe there is in one of the other millions of threads recommendations that people use in this online form for comparing light sources. Other than expensive equipment, that is.

i’m not looking for something that “works” Looking for something to add to the conversation that simple and easy and free.

---------- Post added at 05:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:55 PM ----------

awesome, thank you.
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i’m not at home right now so I can’t check my records.

---------- Post added at 07:04 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:56 PM ----------

:waving
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apologies, for being antagonistic!

anyone seen a thread here/ have a link to ppl here using the same light meter AND posting numbers?

though, i post only, i hope, in Beginner forum.
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