The MQ-500 has a hand-held meter, attached via cable, that displays and stores measurements. The sensor incorporates a blue-enhanced silicon photodiode and custom optical filters with a rugged, self-cleaning sensor housing design, anodized aluminum body with acrylic diffuser. Typical applications include PPFD measurement over plant canopies in outdoor environments, greenhouses, and growth chambers, and reflected or under-canopy (transmitted) PPFD measurements in the same environments. Quantum sensors are also used to measure PAR/PPFD in aquatic environments, including salt water aquariums where corals are grown.
The meter has a sample and log mode, and will record an integrated daily total in mol m-2 d-1. Sample mode will record up to 99 manual measurements. Log mode will power the meter on/off to make a measurement every 30 seconds. Every 30 minutes the meter will average the sixty 30 second measurements and record the averaged value to memory. The meter can store up to 99 averages, once full it will start to overwrite the oldest measurement with new ones. An integrated daily total will be recorded from the 48 averaged measurements (making a 24 hr period). Sample and log measurements can be reviewed on the LCD display or by downloading the data to a computer, however, the integrated daily total can only be viewed by downloading the data to a computer. Downloading data to a computer requires the AC-100 communication cable (a standard USB cable will not work) and ApogeeAMS software.
How is the MQ-500 different from previous Apogee quantum sensors?
The MQ-500 is a full spectrum quantum sensor with a spectral range of 389 to 692 nm ± 5 nm, which can be seen in the graph below. This improved spectral respose increases the acuracy of LED measurements.
Where is the MQ-500 used?
The MQ-500 is used to measure incoming PPFD measurements in outdoor environments, greenhouses, growth chambers, and aquariums.
Calibration Uncertainty ± 5 %
Measurement Range 0 to 4000 µmol mˉ² sˉ¹
Measurement Repeatability Less than 0.5 %
Long-term Drift (Non-stability) Less than 2 % per year
Non-linearity Less than 1 % (up to 4000 µmol mˉ² sˉ¹)
Response Time Less than 1 ms
Field of View 180°
Spectral Range 389 to 692 nm ± 5 nm (wavelengths where response is greater than 50 % of maximum)
Spectral Selectivity Less than 10 % from 412 to 682 nm ± 5 nm
Directional (Cosine) Response ± 5 % at 75° zenith angle
Azimuth Error Less than 0.5 %
Tilt Error Less than 0.5 %
Temperature Response -0.11 ± 0.03 % Cˉ¹
Uncertainty in Daily Total Less than 5 %
Detector Blue-enhance silicon photodiode
Housing Anodized aluminum body with acrylic diffuser
IP Rating IP68
Operating Environment 0 to 50 C, less than 90 % non-condensing relative humidity up to 30 C, less than 70 % non-condensing relative humidity from 30 to 50 C, separate sensors can be submerged in water up to depth of 30 m
Meter Dimensions 126 mm length, 70 mm width, 24 mm height
Sensor Dimensions 24 mm diameter, 37 mm height
Mass 100 g (with 5 m of lead wire)
Cable 2 m of shielded, twisted-pair wire with santoprene rubber jacket (high water resistance, high UV stability, flexibility in cold conditions), additional cable available
Warranty 4 years against defects in materials and workmanship
Determining Grow Light Position Using a PAR Meter
Determining the best position for your grow light isn’t always a simple task. Each light source distributes light differently on the grow area making it difficult to know where the light should be positioned to produce maximum yield. To help growers determine the right position for their light, lighting manufactures provide a recommended hanging height for the light, the area the light will cover at the recommended height, and the photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) value for the light. Although this information can be a great starting point, it doesn’t tell growers the amount or distribution of usable light throughout the grow space. To give growers a better understanding of usable light in a grow space, MIGRO, a developer of advanced grow lights, purchased an Apogee Instruments Full-Spectrum Quantum Sensor. Find out more...
