I use one of these light meters with a separate sensor that I find useful comparing such stuff as the difference in light levels around exposed ripening tomatoes and those obscured by foliage, etc. Sinometer Pocket Digital Light Meter LX1010BS with lcd: Amazon.co.uk: Camera & Photo I'd just finished this diagram before I saw your post above
I was afraid that might happen, sorry about that. I don’t wish to appear ungrateful, given your efforts with the diagrams, but I think I’ll go with that 3pin>usb converter cable as I’ve got a few usb chargers knocking around. I’ve already ordered the light meter, but thanks for the suggestion
As I've now cleared out most of my ancient collection of jack plug tipped phone chargers I've booked that USB charger as I now seem to be aquiring a huge collection of non-fast charge USB chargers. How times change.
The time is now upon me, to sow some chilli seed. The light meter should be with me in a day or two, and as I won’t be needing lighting for at least a week, there’s nothing to stop me getting started. I managed to source some Perspex to cover the heat mat, FOC. Looking ahead, is there some sort of formula/timetable for the amount of time lighting needs to be switched on?
I think my lights are only on for about 10 hours (7 of which are Economy 7), but growers of 'high value' crops (pun intended) have them on for longer. Chillis appear to copy with any amount of light. Tomatoes can be a bit sensisitive, I'll be pricking out my first tomato seedings this evening and putting them under my less intensive LED lighting (mix of daylight and artificial) for a while as they're starting to go bluey green.
The light meter turned up today. I’d already raised the lighting by a couple of inches. I’m getting readings of around 11,000 at the ends, and around 19,000 at the centre. I tried out the heat mat overnight. It seems it’s struggling in the cold garage, only able to get to 18-19c, with the sensor in a pot directly on the mat. I may well have to consider lighting overnight, and no light during the day.
@Scrungee , in your experience, apart from tomatoes, are there any other plants that don’t do too well when left under lights for too long?
I can remember those that do well better than those that don't. I think leafy green stuff like lettuce and chard suffered, but will try everything again now I have some (cool) LED lights, as the heat from my T5s may have been affecting them. I'm sure that Parsley got scorched under T5s, but Basil absolutely thrives under them.
Ta How about things like Fucshia cuttings? I realise they would probably need more in the red (?) spectrum, but initially? How about flowers (seedlings) in general?
Not taken Fucshia cuttings for many years, not since the days when I could afford heating a greenhouse over winter, and flowers are all sown too late to require additional light, with the exception of Cannas that do well under lights and benefit from early sowings.
Well, heat is proving to be a real problem. I’ve previously ran the lighting and recorded temperatures topping out at around 40c, with everything shut. Today, I bought a cheapo fan heater (£13) to use fan only. With everything shut and with the fan running, it still got up to 30c. Only when I opened the front of the box did it come down to a usable temperature. All of which means I’m going to have to keep opening and shutting the front, open during the day when lights are on and shut when they go off.
