PAR Tests on Lamps and Fixtures

Ok, so how do you get 358 on the top the first time you test in water, with the sheilds, but only get a max value of 255 when you w/o the splash sheild and in air?
Could you also list the bulb brands and type used for the T5 and PC?

 

Bogie
I'm glad you brought that up, I didn't originally post it. The PC in the first set of measurements was placed ON THE TANK with NO legs... So the probe was only about an inch from the lamps in the first tests.

In the second tests, just like the T5 tests, the probe was 7" from the lamps, like stated in the first post. That explains the discrepancy that you are seeing.
As far as which lamps I used, you must've forgotten your reading glasses... I used GMann Aquablue+ and Actinic+, and Coralife 50/50 lamps like stated in the first post!

Thanks

 

Ok... Its been a while since I have posted on this thread and essentially I was waiting to hear back from experts in the lighting field before I took this any further...

First off, DON'T TAKE THESE RESULTS FOR GOSPEL!!!!

This was a VERY CRUDE test in which honestly I should've kept to myself until I could've done it more extensively.

In many of the ways I thought would make the test more accurate and level in all reality did the opposite....
Testing these fixtures in air while removing the variable of water clarity and so on removed the very important variable of reflection/refraction. Refraction is HUGE in lighting, and was left out in this test.

While this test is great if you grow your coral 7" from the light in AIR it is not accurate by any means if you grow coral in an actual tank with WATER and in varying depths.

So, in conclusion, until I, by myself or with a team of others can get a serious concrete test that is repeatable by others just consider this as someone tinkering around with a quantum and nothing more, and it should not affect the decision to purchase any of the said fixures...

 

1stly , Id like to say, its a bit sad, because as a T5 user, I was looking forward to seeing the various results of varying brands of lamps

and Im sure other light users, would also have felt similar

hopefully you will be able to work out a controlled set of test parameters and eventually, we will all be able to see at a glance - how much difference there is between various light sources even when for example the wattages are similar

Steve

 

Oh Steve don't worry I am not throwing in the towel, I have just heard from many people that what I have done is not very scientific. I do have some suspicions that some of my tests are more legit then many of the people I spoke with assume as when I tested these fixtures in water the results were....well not saying anymore...

I will say this, I am not quiting testing T5 lamps or fixtures I just need to get a protocal so that if someone else wants to question my results they can follow my protocal and get the same numbers as me, hopefully.

When I retest the fixtures I will do a 3D grid as compared to 2D and I will have more points and most likely use all the same lamps in all fixtures.

Thank you
Joe

 

Test away! I'm still very interested in what you come up with.

Really I think people need to be careful drawing their own conclusions from any set of data no matter how scientific the process looks at first glance.

 

I agree with this wholeheartedly. Sure, there are going to be unforseen variables in the testing parameters, but as long as we know the the testing conditions, the numbers remain just that......numbers. And they are comparable. What I would like to see next are some Icecap PAR values for their bulbs. Giesemann, ATI and UVL are documented. But I don't think Icecap is. Also, does anyone have any success stories regarding these bulbs, as PAR is just one variable.......

 

I haven't seen any results for the IC lamps yet MH nor T5.... I know they are relatively new, only a couple months on the market... Next time I talk to grim I will ask him if he has tested them...