LED Buyer Guide Part 4: MQ500 v MQ610

Apogee light meters are ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ industry standard the world over; designed by the uber science boffins and used by the experts.ย  ๐Ÿ‘ฉโ€๐Ÿ”ฌ

The question we're often asked: ๐˜ธ๐˜ฉ๐˜ข๐˜ต ๐˜ช๐˜ด ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ฅ๐˜ช๐˜ง๐˜ง๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ค๐˜ฆ ๐˜ฃ๐˜ฆ๐˜ต๐˜ธ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ต๐˜ธ๐˜ฐ ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฆ๐˜ต๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ๐˜ด?๐Ÿคทโ€โ™‚๏ธ

The Short Version

MQ500 measures photons within the 'traditional' PAR range (400-700 nm). PAR = the radiation that triggers plant photosynthesis, and the MQ610 measure a slightly wider range (400 to 750 nm) as apogee have evidence that shows the range of PAR is wider than is currently recognised. ie. the photon count could read higher on the MQ610

The Longer but Easier Versionย ๏ปฟhopefully!

Imagine there's an international standard for measuring how much water a showerhead outputs, and that standard uses a particular bucket with a fixed circumference.๐Ÿšฟ

All the pros and shower manufacturers use this bucket to test/demonstrate their shower output efficiency in filling it in X seconds.ย  i.e. the faster it fills, the more desirable it is.

Many years later, however, through tons and tons and tons of incredible research, the internationally renowned manufacturer of that bucket (and the go-to for all the pros!) makes a discovery: "Guys, THIS new bucket is the one we should all be using; it's a little wider as we've proven that catching some of the water from the far edges of the showerhead is just as important!"
The MQ610 is that new bucket.ย #micdrop๐ŸŽค

We can also use this analogy in context to help better understand PPFD maps; the closer the bucket (meter) is to the showerhead (the light), the bucket fills up quicker (higher PPFD). I.e. when reading these PPFD maps, make sure you know the distance between the light and the meter when manufacturers make their measurements!! E.g. a reading of 1000PPFD is no good if the light was 1mm away from the meter (cheap eBay sellers resort to these tricks)
ย 
Hope this info is helpful, and as always, your thoughts and comments and any corrections welcome! ๐Ÿ™‚๐Ÿ‘

#KnowYourPPFD
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๐Ÿ›’TheHydroBros.com

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