Hi everyone?

How do you measure light!
Some of my fluorescent are about 10 inches frome my phal, and some are about
6 inches.The brand of fluorescent is the Glow and Show, 20 inch long.
I would like to know if my phal are getting too much light or not enough but
I don`t know how to do it?

Thanks

Claude

"Claude" wrote in message
.. .
Hi everyone?

How do you measure light!
Some of my fluorescent are about 10 inches frome my phal, and some are
about
6 inches.The brand of fluorescent is the Glow and Show, 20 inch long.
I would like to know if my phal are getting too much light or not enough
but
I don`t know how to do it?

If you have a decent light meter, used for photography, that would do the
job. But I would not go to that expense. Rather, I'd let the plant tell
me. You can judge by the colour of the leaves, to an extent. If they are
very dark, they're probably crying out for more light. If they are a very
pale green, or discolouring, they are probably weeping from sunburn. I have
my phals in a room with only a north facing window (for those who don't
know, Claude and I are both in Canada - so a north facing window NEVER gets
direct sunlight), and I provide a little supplementary light in the form of
a fluorescent bulbs in themiddle of the ceiling (i.e. a couple metres from
the plants). They are doing fine, with one that I have already rebloomed
under these conditions and another that is right now growing an
inflorescence.

OTOH, my catts are in south and east facing windows, and I have rebloomed a
couple of them, so I know they are getting enough light.

Whether catt or phal, the colour of their leaves is neither too dark nor too
light.

I recall you writing that your plants are growing well, so I doubt you're
having significant problems with too little or too much light.

Cheers,

Ted

"Claude" wrote in message ...
Hi everyone?

How do you measure light!
Some of my fluorescent are about 10 inches frome my phal, and some are about
6 inches.The brand of fluorescent is the Glow and Show, 20 inch long.
I would like to know if my phal are getting too much light or not enough but
I don`t know how to do it?


The best way is to use a light meter calibrated in footcandles.

Good ones aren't cheap.


J. Del Col

"J. Del Col" wrote in message
The best way is to use a light meter calibrated in footcandles.
Good ones aren't cheap.

Are these too cheap to be good?
http://dansgardenshop.com/liginmet.html $27.95
http://greenhousestuff.com/instruments/lightmeter.htm $29.95
http://www.greenfire.net/hot/E611.html $24.95

But even if they are not very accurate, could they be "accurate enough" for
the purpose of establishing whether the light is good enough?

I am also thinking of getting a light meter. I grow my Phals in only
northern windows with some supplementary grow lights. I know that the window
without the light is not enough because the first year that I had two Phals,
they did not rebloom and one of them keiki'ed, and the new leaves were too
dark. So then I got the lights. The main thing I keep wondering is, how far
from the grow light can I put my Phals -- being an orchid addict I keep
buying more, of course, and not all of them can be equally close to the
lights and windows -- I can get more lights, but I would like to know if it
is needed. I would rather not wait too long -- I don't want to risk the next
blooming season for those orchids that currently might be too far from the
lights.

Joanna

I have read somewhere that you cant give them too much flourescent light. It
just doesnt reach high enough footcandles to burn the leaves. Someone correct
me if Im wrong, but I think thats what I read somewhere.

They all look like the same meter, don't they? The one from Dan's Garden
Shop seems to have a brand name of 'rapitest' I wonder what a google search
on that name would bring up?

Well I ran this search: rapitest "light meter", and it looks like they are
all from Hydrofarm. So why not buy it from Hydrofarm?? Unless the
manufacturer won't discount the price...

I suppose you could check at eBay for other prices.

Nevertheless, I have no opinion on the product. When I bought a meter I
bought a Sperry (~$100). In my short perusal of the Rapitest meter's info
it says it measures up to 5000 ft candles in 3 ranges... I have no idea
what that means. I'm used to reading full sunlight and taking a reading of
anything else in terms of full sun. (ie full sun is ~10,000 ft-cans and my
benchtop is ~2500.) But I'm sure the person who wrote the blurb just didn't
write it well. Its got to measure up to full sun.

That said the item in question seems to be ubiquitous, so I'd bet if you
looked around you could find a store near you where you could actually see
and handle the thing.

Or maybe a club member has one you can see.

Personally, I wouldn't grow under lights without a meter. IMHO there's no
other way to be sure, and I'm the kind of person who likes to know what's
going on, not just guess.

K Barrett

"J Fortuna" wrote in message
...
"J. Del Col" wrote in message
The best way is to use a light meter calibrated in footcandles.
Good ones aren't cheap.

Are these too cheap to be good?
http://dansgardenshop.com/liginmet.html $27.95
http://greenhousestuff.com/instruments/lightmeter.htm $29.95
http://www.greenfire.net/hot/E611.html $24.95

But even if they are not very accurate, could they be "accurate enough"
for
the purpose of establishing whether the light is good enough?

I am also thinking of getting a light meter. I grow my Phals in only
northern windows with some supplementary grow lights. I know that the
window
without the light is not enough because the first year that I had two
Phals,
they did not rebloom and one of them keiki'ed, and the new leaves were too
dark. So then I got the lights. The main thing I keep wondering is, how
far
from the grow light can I put my Phals -- being an orchid addict I keep
buying more, of course, and not all of them can be equally close to the
lights and windows -- I can get more lights, but I would like to know if
it
is needed. I would rather not wait too long -- I don't want to risk the
next
blooming season for those orchids that currently might be too far from the
lights.

Joanna

Kathy, I know you are one of the originals here so maybe you recall that
someone
posted a method of getting fc's using a camera?
I remember a chart showing f-stop #'s converted to foot candles? Or
something to
that effect? Naturally I didn't save it as I did not have access to a camera
& not
a photographer.
How does one find the archives? I would gladly search.
--
Cheers Wendy
Remove PETERPAN for email reply


"K Barrett" wrote in message
news:4EBKb.758639$Tr4.2156191@attbi_s03...
They all look like the same meter, don't they? The one from Dan's Garden
Shop seems to have a brand name of 'rapitest' I wonder what a google
search
on that name would bring up?

Well I ran this search: rapitest "light meter", and it looks like they are
all from Hydrofarm. So why not buy it from Hydrofarm?? Unless the
manufacturer won't discount the price...

I suppose you could check at eBay for other prices.

Nevertheless, I have no opinion on the product. When I bought a meter I
bought a Sperry (~$100). In my short perusal of the Rapitest meter's info
it says it measures up to 5000 ft candles in 3 ranges... I have no idea
what that means. I'm used to reading full sunlight and taking a reading
of
anything else in terms of full sun. (ie full sun is ~10,000 ft-cans and my
benchtop is ~2500.) But I'm sure the person who wrote the blurb just
didn't
write it well. Its got to measure up to full sun.

That said the item in question seems to be ubiquitous, so I'd bet if you
looked around you could find a store near you where you could actually see
and handle the thing.

Or maybe a club member has one you can see.

Personally, I wouldn't grow under lights without a meter. IMHO there's no
other way to be sure, and I'm the kind of person who likes to know what's
going on, not just guess.

K Barrett

"J Fortuna" wrote in message
...
"J. Del Col" wrote in message
The best way is to use a light meter calibrated in footcandles.
Good ones aren't cheap.

Are these too cheap to be good?
http://dansgardenshop.com/liginmet.html $27.95
http://greenhousestuff.com/instruments/lightmeter.htm $29.95
http://www.greenfire.net/hot/E611.html $24.95

But even if they are not very accurate, could they be "accurate enough"
for
the purpose of establishing whether the light is good enough?

I am also thinking of getting a light meter. I grow my Phals in only
northern windows with some supplementary grow lights. I know that the
window
without the light is not enough because the first year that I had two
Phals,
they did not rebloom and one of them keiki'ed, and the new leaves were
too
dark. So then I got the lights. The main thing I keep wondering is, how
far
from the grow light can I put my Phals -- being an orchid addict I keep
buying more, of course, and not all of them can be equally close to the
lights and windows -- I can get more lights, but I would like to know if
it
is needed. I would rather not wait too long -- I don't want to risk the
next
blooming season for those orchids that currently might be too far from
the
lights.

Joanna

They all look like the same meter, don't they? The one from Dan's Garden
Shop seems to have a brand name of 'rapitest' I wonder what a google search
on that name would bring up?

Well I ran this search: rapitest "light meter", and it looks like they are
all from Hydrofarm. So why not buy it from Hydrofarm?? Unless the
manufacturer won't discount the price...

I suppose you could check at eBay for other prices.

Nevertheless, I have no opinion on the product. When I bought a meter I
bought a Sperry (~$100). In my short perusal of the Rapitest meter's info
it says it measures up to 5000 ft candles in 3 ranges... I have no idea
what that means. I'm used to reading full sunlight and taking a reading of
anything else in terms of full sun. (ie full sun is ~10,000 ft-cans and my
benchtop is ~2500.) But I'm sure the person who wrote the blurb just didn't
write it well. Its got to measure up to full sun.

That said the item in question seems to be ubiquitous, so I'd bet if you
looked around you could find a store near you where you could actually see
and handle the thing.

Or maybe a club member has one you can see.

Personally, I wouldn't grow under lights without a meter. IMHO there's no
other way to be sure, and I'm the kind of person who likes to know what's
going on, not just guess.

K Barrett

"J Fortuna" wrote in message
...
"J. Del Col" wrote in message
The best way is to use a light meter calibrated in footcandles.
Good ones aren't cheap.

Are these too cheap to be good?
http://dansgardenshop.com/liginmet.html $27.95
http://greenhousestuff.com/instruments/lightmeter.htm $29.95
http://www.greenfire.net/hot/E611.html $24.95

But even if they are not very accurate, could they be "accurate enough"
for
the purpose of establishing whether the light is good enough?

I am also thinking of getting a light meter. I grow my Phals in only
northern windows with some supplementary grow lights. I know that the
window
without the light is not enough because the first year that I had two
Phals,
they did not rebloom and one of them keiki'ed, and the new leaves were too
dark. So then I got the lights. The main thing I keep wondering is, how
far
from the grow light can I put my Phals -- being an orchid addict I keep
buying more, of course, and not all of them can be equally close to the
lights and windows -- I can get more lights, but I would like to know if
it
is needed. I would rather not wait too long -- I don't want to risk the
next
blooming season for those orchids that currently might be too far from the
lights.

Joanna

They all look like the same meter, don't they? The one from Dan's Garden
Shop seems to have a brand name of 'rapitest' I wonder what a google search
on that name would bring up?

Well I ran this search: rapitest "light meter", and it looks like they are
all from Hydrofarm. So why not buy it from Hydrofarm?? Unless the
manufacturer won't discount the price...

I suppose you could check at eBay for other prices.

Nevertheless, I have no opinion on the product. When I bought a meter I
bought a Sperry (~$100). In my short perusal of the Rapitest meter's info
it says it measures up to 5000 ft candles in 3 ranges... I have no idea
what that means. I'm used to reading full sunlight and taking a reading of
anything else in terms of full sun. (ie full sun is ~10,000 ft-cans and my
benchtop is ~2500.) But I'm sure the person who wrote the blurb just didn't
write it well. Its got to measure up to full sun.

That said the item in question seems to be ubiquitous, so I'd bet if you
looked around you could find a store near you where you could actually see
and handle the thing.

Or maybe a club member has one you can see.

Personally, I wouldn't grow under lights without a meter. IMHO there's no
other way to be sure, and I'm the kind of person who likes to know what's
going on, not just guess.

K Barrett

"J Fortuna" wrote in message
...
"J. Del Col" wrote in message
The best way is to use a light meter calibrated in footcandles.
Good ones aren't cheap.

Are these too cheap to be good?
http://dansgardenshop.com/liginmet.html $27.95
http://greenhousestuff.com/instruments/lightmeter.htm $29.95
http://www.greenfire.net/hot/E611.html $24.95

But even if they are not very accurate, could they be "accurate enough"
for
the purpose of establishing whether the light is good enough?

I am also thinking of getting a light meter. I grow my Phals in only
northern windows with some supplementary grow lights. I know that the
window
without the light is not enough because the first year that I had two
Phals,
they did not rebloom and one of them keiki'ed, and the new leaves were too
dark. So then I got the lights. The main thing I keep wondering is, how
far
from the grow light can I put my Phals -- being an orchid addict I keep
buying more, of course, and not all of them can be equally close to the
lights and windows -- I can get more lights, but I would like to know if
it
is needed. I would rather not wait too long -- I don't want to risk the
next
blooming season for those orchids that currently might be too far from the
lights.

Joanna

Kathy, I know you are one of the originals here so maybe you recall that
someone
posted a method of getting fc's using a camera?
I remember a chart showing f-stop #'s converted to foot candles? Or
something to
that effect? Naturally I didn't save it as I did not have access to a camera
& not
a photographer.
How does one find the archives? I would gladly search.
--
Cheers Wendy
Remove PETERPAN for email reply


"K Barrett" wrote in message
news:4EBKb.758639$Tr4.2156191@attbi_s03...
They all look like the same meter, don't they? The one from Dan's Garden
Shop seems to have a brand name of 'rapitest' I wonder what a google
search
on that name would bring up?

Well I ran this search: rapitest "light meter", and it looks like they are
all from Hydrofarm. So why not buy it from Hydrofarm?? Unless the
manufacturer won't discount the price...

I suppose you could check at eBay for other prices.

Nevertheless, I have no opinion on the product. When I bought a meter I
bought a Sperry (~$100). In my short perusal of the Rapitest meter's info
it says it measures up to 5000 ft candles in 3 ranges... I have no idea
what that means. I'm used to reading full sunlight and taking a reading
of
anything else in terms of full sun. (ie full sun is ~10,000 ft-cans and my
benchtop is ~2500.) But I'm sure the person who wrote the blurb just
didn't
write it well. Its got to measure up to full sun.

That said the item in question seems to be ubiquitous, so I'd bet if you
looked around you could find a store near you where you could actually see
and handle the thing.

Or maybe a club member has one you can see.

Personally, I wouldn't grow under lights without a meter. IMHO there's no
other way to be sure, and I'm the kind of person who likes to know what's
going on, not just guess.

K Barrett

"J Fortuna" wrote in message
...
"J. Del Col" wrote in message
The best way is to use a light meter calibrated in footcandles.
Good ones aren't cheap.

Are these too cheap to be good?
http://dansgardenshop.com/liginmet.html $27.95
http://greenhousestuff.com/instruments/lightmeter.htm $29.95
http://www.greenfire.net/hot/E611.html $24.95

But even if they are not very accurate, could they be "accurate enough"
for
the purpose of establishing whether the light is good enough?

I am also thinking of getting a light meter. I grow my Phals in only
northern windows with some supplementary grow lights. I know that the
window
without the light is not enough because the first year that I had two
Phals,
they did not rebloom and one of them keiki'ed, and the new leaves were
too
dark. So then I got the lights. The main thing I keep wondering is, how
far
from the grow light can I put my Phals -- being an orchid addict I keep
buying more, of course, and not all of them can be equally close to the
lights and windows -- I can get more lights, but I would like to know if
it
is needed. I would rather not wait too long -- I don't want to risk the
next
blooming season for those orchids that currently might be too far from
the
lights.

Joanna

Kathy, I know you are one of the originals here so maybe you recall that
someone
posted a method of getting fc's using a camera?
I remember a chart showing f-stop #'s converted to foot candles? Or
something to
that effect? Naturally I didn't save it as I did not have access to a camera
& not
a photographer.
How does one find the archives? I would gladly search.
--
Cheers Wendy
Remove PETERPAN for email reply


"K Barrett" wrote in message
news:4EBKb.758639$Tr4.2156191@attbi_s03...
They all look like the same meter, don't they? The one from Dan's Garden
Shop seems to have a brand name of 'rapitest' I wonder what a google
search
on that name would bring up?

Well I ran this search: rapitest "light meter", and it looks like they are
all from Hydrofarm. So why not buy it from Hydrofarm?? Unless the
manufacturer won't discount the price...

I suppose you could check at eBay for other prices.

Nevertheless, I have no opinion on the product. When I bought a meter I
bought a Sperry (~$100). In my short perusal of the Rapitest meter's info
it says it measures up to 5000 ft candles in 3 ranges... I have no idea
what that means. I'm used to reading full sunlight and taking a reading
of
anything else in terms of full sun. (ie full sun is ~10,000 ft-cans and my
benchtop is ~2500.) But I'm sure the person who wrote the blurb just
didn't
write it well. Its got to measure up to full sun.

That said the item in question seems to be ubiquitous, so I'd bet if you
looked around you could find a store near you where you could actually see
and handle the thing.

Or maybe a club member has one you can see.

Personally, I wouldn't grow under lights without a meter. IMHO there's no
other way to be sure, and I'm the kind of person who likes to know what's
going on, not just guess.

K Barrett

"J Fortuna" wrote in message
...
"J. Del Col" wrote in message
The best way is to use a light meter calibrated in footcandles.
Good ones aren't cheap.

Are these too cheap to be good?
http://dansgardenshop.com/liginmet.html $27.95
http://greenhousestuff.com/instruments/lightmeter.htm $29.95
http://www.greenfire.net/hot/E611.html $24.95

But even if they are not very accurate, could they be "accurate enough"
for
the purpose of establishing whether the light is good enough?

I am also thinking of getting a light meter. I grow my Phals in only
northern windows with some supplementary grow lights. I know that the
window
without the light is not enough because the first year that I had two
Phals,
they did not rebloom and one of them keiki'ed, and the new leaves were
too
dark. So then I got the lights. The main thing I keep wondering is, how
far
from the grow light can I put my Phals -- being an orchid addict I keep
buying more, of course, and not all of them can be equally close to the
lights and windows -- I can get more lights, but I would like to know if
it
is needed. I would rather not wait too long -- I don't want to risk the
next
blooming season for those orchids that currently might be too far from
the
lights.

Joanna

Kathy, I know you are one of the originals here so maybe you recall that
someone
posted a method of getting fc's using a camera?
I remember a chart showing f-stop #'s converted to foot candles? Or
something to
that effect? Naturally I didn't save it as I did not have access to a camera
& not
a photographer.
How does one find the archives? I would gladly search.
--
Cheers Wendy
Remove PETERPAN for email reply


"K Barrett" wrote in message
news:4EBKb.758639$Tr4.2156191@attbi_s03...
They all look like the same meter, don't they? The one from Dan's Garden
Shop seems to have a brand name of 'rapitest' I wonder what a google
search
on that name would bring up?

Well I ran this search: rapitest "light meter", and it looks like they are
all from Hydrofarm. So why not buy it from Hydrofarm?? Unless the
manufacturer won't discount the price...

I suppose you could check at eBay for other prices.

Nevertheless, I have no opinion on the product. When I bought a meter I
bought a Sperry (~$100). In my short perusal of the Rapitest meter's info
it says it measures up to 5000 ft candles in 3 ranges... I have no idea
what that means. I'm used to reading full sunlight and taking a reading
of
anything else in terms of full sun. (ie full sun is ~10,000 ft-cans and my
benchtop is ~2500.) But I'm sure the person who wrote the blurb just
didn't
write it well. Its got to measure up to full sun.

That said the item in question seems to be ubiquitous, so I'd bet if you
looked around you could find a store near you where you could actually see
and handle the thing.

Or maybe a club member has one you can see.

Personally, I wouldn't grow under lights without a meter. IMHO there's no
other way to be sure, and I'm the kind of person who likes to know what's
going on, not just guess.

K Barrett

"J Fortuna" wrote in message
...
"J. Del Col" wrote in message
The best way is to use a light meter calibrated in footcandles.
Good ones aren't cheap.

Are these too cheap to be good?
http://dansgardenshop.com/liginmet.html $27.95
http://greenhousestuff.com/instruments/lightmeter.htm $29.95
http://www.greenfire.net/hot/E611.html $24.95

But even if they are not very accurate, could they be "accurate enough"
for
the purpose of establishing whether the light is good enough?

I am also thinking of getting a light meter. I grow my Phals in only
northern windows with some supplementary grow lights. I know that the
window
without the light is not enough because the first year that I had two
Phals,
they did not rebloom and one of them keiki'ed, and the new leaves were
too
dark. So then I got the lights. The main thing I keep wondering is, how
far
from the grow light can I put my Phals -- being an orchid addict I keep
buying more, of course, and not all of them can be equally close to the
lights and windows -- I can get more lights, but I would like to know if
it
is needed. I would rather not wait too long -- I don't want to risk the
next
blooming season for those orchids that currently might be too far from
the
lights.

Joanna

http://groups.google.com/groups?q=re...oe=UTF-8&hl=en
There are the archives, but look he
http://www.orchidlady.com/camera.html

And good luck with your CA sun! ;-)
--
Reka

I don't give a damn for a man that can only spell a word one way.
Mark Twain (1835 - 1910)
http://www.rolbox.it/hukari/index.html

"Wendy" schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:ElCKb.17978$7D3.4326@fed1read02...
Kathy, I know you are one of the originals here so maybe you recall that
someone
posted a method of getting fc's using a camera?
I remember a chart showing f-stop #'s converted to foot candles? Or
something to
that effect? Naturally I didn't save it as I did not have access to a
camera
& not
a photographer.
How does one find the archives? I would gladly search.
--
Cheers Wendy
Remove PETERPAN for email reply


"K Barrett" wrote in message
news:4EBKb.758639$Tr4.2156191@attbi_s03...
They all look like the same meter, don't they? The one from Dan's Garden
Shop seems to have a brand name of 'rapitest' I wonder what a google
search
on that name would bring up?

Well I ran this search: rapitest "light meter", and it looks like they
are
all from Hydrofarm. So why not buy it from Hydrofarm?? Unless the
manufacturer won't discount the price...

I suppose you could check at eBay for other prices.

Nevertheless, I have no opinion on the product. When I bought a meter I
bought a Sperry (~$100). In my short perusal of the Rapitest meter's
info
it says it measures up to 5000 ft candles in 3 ranges... I have no idea
what that means. I'm used to reading full sunlight and taking a reading
of
anything else in terms of full sun. (ie full sun is ~10,000 ft-cans and
my
benchtop is ~2500.) But I'm sure the person who wrote the blurb just
didn't
write it well. Its got to measure up to full sun.

That said the item in question seems to be ubiquitous, so I'd bet if you
looked around you could find a store near you where you could actually
see
and handle the thing.

Or maybe a club member has one you can see.

Personally, I wouldn't grow under lights without a meter. IMHO there's
no
other way to be sure, and I'm the kind of person who likes to know
what's
going on, not just guess.

K Barrett

"J Fortuna" wrote in message
...
"J. Del Col" wrote in message
The best way is to use a light meter calibrated in footcandles.
Good ones aren't cheap.

Are these too cheap to be good?
http://dansgardenshop.com/liginmet.html $27.95
http://greenhousestuff.com/instruments/lightmeter.htm $29.95
http://www.greenfire.net/hot/E611.html $24.95

But even if they are not very accurate, could they be "accurate
enough"
for
the purpose of establishing whether the light is good enough?

I am also thinking of getting a light meter. I grow my Phals in only
northern windows with some supplementary grow lights. I know that the
window
without the light is not enough because the first year that I had two
Phals,
they did not rebloom and one of them keiki'ed, and the new leaves were
too
dark. So then I got the lights. The main thing I keep wondering is,
how
far
from the grow light can I put my Phals -- being an orchid addict I
keep
buying more, of course, and not all of them can be equally close to
the
lights and windows -- I can get more lights, but I would like to know
if
it
is needed. I would rather not wait too long -- I don't want to risk
the
next
blooming season for those orchids that currently might be too far from
the
lights.

Joanna








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