Par Values of LEDs after 1 Year
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Ron Reefman
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My EverGrow IT2080's and IT2040 are over 10 months old and I have seen zero drop in PAR with an Apogee PAR meter. But with that said, let me also say it would be nearly immpossible to measure with lights in use over a functioning aquarium, and here is why.
If leds lose 3% of their intensity a year, and that's probably a high guess, it would be near impossible to measure it with a PAR meter. They are way too sensitive to water clarity, distance from the light source and even angle of the light vs the sensor of the meter. If you take a PAR meter sensor and turn it even just a few degrees, which is a very small change, the PAR readings can change by 5%, 10% or even more. You would need a good fixture to hold the distance and angle stable and the same water quality as a year earlier. All very difficult to do.
When people ask me what PAR readings I get at 24" down, I tell them between 200 and 225. The meter changes that much while I do the very best I can to hold it stable. And even that is an average range. It does move over an even wider range than that if you aren't extremely good at holding the distance and angle very stable. I can see 175 to 250 if I try to hole it free hand.
If leds lose 3% of their intensity a year, and that's probably a high guess, it would be near impossible to measure it with a PAR meter. They are way too sensitive to water clarity, distance from the light source and even angle of the light vs the sensor of the meter. If you take a PAR meter sensor and turn it even just a few degrees, which is a very small change, the PAR readings can change by 5%, 10% or even more. You would need a good fixture to hold the distance and angle stable and the same water quality as a year earlier. All very difficult to do.
When people ask me what PAR readings I get at 24" down, I tell them between 200 and 225. The meter changes that much while I do the very best I can to hold it stable. And even that is an average range. It does move over an even wider range than that if you aren't extremely good at holding the distance and angle very stable. I can see 175 to 250 if I try to hole it free hand.
pickupman66
5000 Club Member
I just put a PAR meter under my custom LED build that has been running for 18 months. I didnt see truly measureable differences.
