Seneye PAR readings vary so greatly

[ItsAName]

Does anyone have experience using the PAR meter from seneye? It's like the slightest tilt or angle when taking a measurement will change the PAR by 100. Also, leaving it in a spot and it will jump up and down a bunch never settling on a number. Does anyone have any advice on how to use and read the results accurately?

Thanks!

 

[jason2459]

Yes, it's very sensitive just like the Apogee MQ510 and Neptune's PMK and I would assume any other kind of light meter. Particles and fish going by and overhead makes it drop a lot.

Stay steady as steady can be. Watch and record numbers for a few minutes (I do around 10-15 minutes). Drop the obvious lows from passing shadows and average it out. And don't do it right after lights on or change. I noticed par increased after initial turn on with T5s.

Edit: you'll also notice in this thread I mounted it to a cleaning stick which helped. Otherwise leaving it sitting in a spot worked too.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/r...-v2-vs-apex-pmk-vs-apogee-mq-510-full.292681/

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Yes, it's very sensitive just like the Apogee MQ510 and Neptune's PMK and I would assume any other kind of light meter. Particles and fish going by and overhead makes it drop a lot.

Stay steady as steady can be. Watch and record numbers for a few minutes (I do around 10-15 minutes). Drop the obvious lows from passing shadows and average it out. And don't do it right after lights on or change. I noticed par increased after initial turn on with T5s.

Edit: you'll also notice in this thread I mounted it to a cleaning stick which helped. Otherwise leaving it sitting in a spot worked too.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/r...-v2-vs-apex-pmk-vs-apogee-mq-510-full.292681/

Other light meters are not that sensitive.
I would assume it has a very narrow angle of view.

 

[roostertech]

Senseye sensor is not cosine corrected so the relative angle to light source is critical. You would need to turn off flow and hold it very steady.

 

[jason2459]

I disagree with all others not being as sensitive. In quite extensively comparing readings with the seneye and the MQ510 the MQ510 was just as intensely sensitive in the live readings.

My experience with the PMK is it is as well but gas delayed readings so don't see the fluctuations as much. But when the MQ510 and Seneye would drop a lot because of a fish I could see the same thing happen with the PMK read out but several seconds later.

So, IME it's just as sensitive as the other two meters I've used.

 

[jason2459]

Also, all of my readings are with flow on. And a lot of it. Lots of surface agitation.

Seemed to not matter and my flow never stops so why measure with out it.

 

[roostertech]

Also, all of my readings are with flow on. And a lot of it. Lots of surface agitation.

Seemed to not matter and my flow never stops so why measure with out it.

If it can do a running average then reading with flow on/off wouldn't matter. Otherwise it would be impossible to do running average in your head especially if your light source is at narrower angle (LED) which lead to wider variations from surface agitation?

 

[Monkeynaut]

I take mine with flow on. I turn the Seneye until the reading is its highest. I figure it doesn't matter if I need to turn it toward the highest light source. Just that I am able to figure out the highest par that is hitting that spot

 

[jason2459]

If it can do a running average then reading with flow on/off wouldn't matter. Otherwise it would be impossible to do running average in your head especially if your light source is at narrower angle (LED) which lead to wider variations from surface agitation?

A running average in a tank full of fish will give you the obviously shaded lows. This can be seen in the logged results which are an average of the past readings just before the snapshot. This leads to inconsistent graphing. Trust me I took considerable time and effort in all my readings.

From that PAR shootout thread. And I've taken many comparison readings before and after this time.

 

[jason2459]

And my PAR results from the PMK. Look at all those ups and downs. That is not my lighting doing that

 

[jason2459]

I take mine with flow on. I turn the Seneye until the reading is its highest. I figure it doesn't matter if I need to turn it toward the highest light source. Just that I am able to figure out the highest par that is hitting that spot

Perfectly valid as long as you're consistent in placement if you want long term tracking.

 

[ItsAName]

Yes, it's very sensitive just like the Apogee MQ510 and Neptune's PMK and I would assume any other kind of light meter. Particles and fish going by and overhead makes it drop a lot.

Stay steady as steady can be. Watch and record numbers for a few minutes (I do around 10-15 minutes). Drop the obvious lows from passing shadows and average it out. And don't do it right after lights on or change. I noticed par increased after initial turn on with T5s.

Edit: you'll also notice in this thread I mounted it to a cleaning stick which helped. Otherwise leaving it sitting in a spot worked too.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/r...-v2-vs-apex-pmk-vs-apogee-mq-510-full.292681/

Hi Jason, I read through the thread, pretty awesome work. Thank you for doing that. I love that this hobby has people willing to go that extra mile to help the community. I'm curious about the mount you made to hold it in place. How did you do it?

 

[jason2459]

Petco's scrubber on an adjustable length arm and zip ties.

 

[ItsAName]

This thing?
http://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/imagitarium-surface-scourer-glass-aquarium-scrubber

 

[jason2459]

This thing?
http://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/imagitarium-surface-scourer-glass-aquarium-scrubber

I don't see it on their website. I fount it on Amazon as unavailable right now
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001VJ1CKG/ref=cm_cr_arp_mb_bdcrb_top?ie=UTF8

I see some other ones out there like it like from TOMs. But the ones I see right now don't have adjustable arms.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I disagree with all others not being as sensitive. In quite extensively comparing readings with the seneye and the MQ510 the MQ510 was just as intensely sensitive in the live readings.

My experience with the PMK is it is as well but gas delayed readings so don't see the fluctuations as much. But when the MQ510 and Seneye would drop a lot because of a fish I could see the same thing happen with the PMK read out but several seconds later.

So, IME it's just as sensitive as the other two meters I've used.

Then your not reffering to light meters in general but only to specific par meters I assume.

 

[jason2459]

Then your not reffering to light meters in general but only to specific par meters I assume.

That's all I've claimed to know about. I have no idea how sensitive to positioning, shadowing by fish and other particles in the water other meters are as I have no experience with them. But I do have direct comparison between 3 different meters and I can report how they respond. I have no problems testing them again in any way necessary.

Edit: and these 3 that I'm comparing I would assume are probably 3 of the most popular par meters for our hobby.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

That's all I've claimed to know about. I have no idea how sensitive to positioning, shadowing by fish and other particles in the water other meters are as I have no experience with them. But I do have direct comparison between 3 different meters and I can report how they respond. I have no problems testing them again in any way necessary.

Edit: and these 3 that I'm comparing I would assume are probably 3 of the most popular par meters for our hobby.

Understood.
Seems like a large possibility of error with such a narrow field of view. In essence it's not reading a source past 45 degrees or less

 

[jason2459]

There's always a large possibility of error but I wouldn't assume how narrow or wide the meter reads... I'll have to try and set up some kind of test to see what it might be. It'll be a rig of sort that keeps the light in track and circles over top of the meters.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

There's always a large possibility of error but I wouldn't assume how narrow or wide the meter reads... I'll have to try and set up some kind of test to see what it might be. It'll be a rig of sort that keeps the light in track and circles over top of the meters.

Yea I've been a bit work swamped to check in on your threads.
A simple flashlight should work.
From theOPs question it seemed this was the difficulty. Going slightly off angle resulted in a no to low reading.