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The Apogee Instruments MQ-500 Full Spectrum Quantum Meter, Accurate for All Light Sources Including LED, Lightweight, Waterproof Sensor, Long Warranty. Made in Logan Utah by Apogee.

4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 88 ratings
Currently unavailable.
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Product details

  • Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
  • Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.4 x 2.2 x 0.75 inches; 8.25 ounces
  • Date First Available ‏ : ‎ April 19, 2018
  • Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ Apogee Instruments
  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B077DWXKSY
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 88 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
88 global ratings

Customers say

Customers like the performance, quality and ease of use of the precision meter. For example, they mention it works well, is reliable and easy to use. That said, opinions are mixed on the value.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

10 customers mention10 positive0 negative

Customers are satisfied with the performance of the precision measuring instrument. They mention that it works well, is very capable, and provides accurate readings. Some appreciate the download feature and the ability to keep readings for future use.

"...Very capable, keeps readings and can be downloaded with the sold separately proprietary cord you’ll need. If you’re serious, get this meter...." Read more

"This product works so well and Has met my purpose. Only one thing I’m concern is that How to connect IoT To transfer the data." Read more

"...Glad I bought the unit from them. Works great." Read more

"...I also purchased the extending arm which makes this complete. Awesome product. But it should be given the price. Yikes" Read more

10 customers mention10 positive0 negative

Customers are satisfied with the quality of the light meter. They mention that it's reliable, accurate, and well-made. Some say that the LEDs are powerful, so they need to know the exact distance from fixture to the meter to measure the light.

"Very nice light meter,top of the line and worth every penny. It's easy to use,reliable and accurate. Very happy with this purchase." Read more

"...I made the right choice for my purpose with this unit. It’s sturdy, seems tough, compact and well made also very easy to use...." Read more

"...This unit is very well made and easy to use. I did not buy the extender wand, but plan to fashion one...." Read more

"...LEDs are powerful, so I needed to know the exact distance from fixture to the canopy. No white tips, and more yield." Read more

7 customers mention7 positive0 negative

Customers find the precision measuring wand easy to use and set up. They also say it's accurate.

"Very nice light meter,top of the line and worth every penny. It's easy to use,reliable and accurate. Very happy with this purchase." Read more

"...It’s sturdy, seems tough, compact and well made also very easy to use...." Read more

"...It still gets a five star rating though as it's easy to use and tells me a lot about the light placement and quality of the light I am providing for..." Read more

"...Easy to use and accurate. I added the wand and the case." Read more

5 customers mention5 positive0 negative

Customers are satisfied with the accuracy of the product. They mention that it's incredibly accurate and waterproof. They appreciate that it can measure the deltas and know the distinct values.

"...It's easy to use,reliable and accurate. Very happy with this purchase." Read more

"...I wish i just bought that first, but it’s also nice to measure the deltas and know the distinct values for each. Easy to use and accurate...." Read more

"Great product, accurate readings. No more par issues.Delivered to Ireland in 4 days super service thank you" Read more

"Bought the cheaper ones and wasted my money, this is amazing and is precise." Read more

7 customers mention4 positive3 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the value of the meter. Some say it's worth every penny, while others say it is pricey.

"Very nice light meter,top of the line and worth every penny. It's easy to use,reliable and accurate. Very happy with this purchase." Read more

"...Yes it's a bit pricey, but if you want to maximize your growth potential and yield, this is a must have in my opinion...." Read more

"...Oops sorry getting off topic.the meter is valuable because with good old made in the USA LEDs you can actually dim them down because they're so..." Read more

"This is an excellent PAR meter. Very easy to set up and use!..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

Steven m
5.0 out of 5 stars Easy to use,dependable,accurate and worthy of the price.
Reviewed in the United States on August 27, 2020
Verified Purchase
Very nice light meter,top of the line and worth every penny. It's easy to use,reliable and accurate. Very happy with this purchase.
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Ken Mueller
5.0 out of 5 stars Really good meter for my needs
Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2020
Verified Purchase
I was hesitant too. Did a deep dive into all the information about PAR. Realized I needed a meter. Read all the reviews. I made the right choice for my purpose with this unit. It’s sturdy, seems tough, compact and well made also very easy to use. Very capable, keeps readings and can be downloaded with the sold separately proprietary cord you’ll need. If you’re serious, get this meter. It showed me a big mistake I was making. Helped me set lights correctly, which completely changed growth to phenomenal...
5 people found this helpful
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E. A. Jacques
5.0 out of 5 stars Ends the Guessing Game - Easily Worth the Price
Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2019
Verified Purchase
I waffled for a long time about spending over $500 for a PAR meter, but I am glad I finally did. Yes it's a bit pricey, but if you want to maximize your growth potential and yield, this is a must have in my opinion. Until now I was merely guessing about the height to place my lights and just going by the manufacturer's recommendations. It is nice to finally know for sure what level of light (PPFD) my plants our getting.

This unit is very well made and easy to use. I did not buy the extender wand, but plan to fashion one. Even though I can hold the sensor under the plants easy enough, I see now it will be easier to take readings being able to hold then sensor with an extender of some kind. Especially as the plants grow and get spaced further apart in my grow room. I don't use the storage function the unit provides, so I can't comment on that, but I might use it in the future and if I do I will edit this review.

My only real complaint is it did not come with a pouch for storing the unit. At this price point I would think a nice leather carrying case would be included or any kind of carrying case for that matter. I will find something to server as one although the box it comes in works okay. It still gets a five star rating though as it's easy to use and tells me a lot about the light placement and quality of the light I am providing for my plants versus guessing.

I can definitely recommend this for anyone wanting to measure PAR values which is a must for users of LED lighting and serious indoor growers.

SOME DETAILS

If you want to read a little more about what I found after testing with this meter you can read on.

I found out a couple of things real quick. For one the output of the inexpensive Chinese made lights I have purchased are way over rated by the manufacturer. They are 1500 watt rated lights, which is a common wattage chosen for indoor grows. They have a Veg and Flower switch which is also common. When set to Veg only, which is what I used on my first two grows during the Veg phase, the light output from 15-20 inches is less than 150-100 PPFD. Way below the 400-600 which is recommended. When I add the Bloom setting it gets to a respectable 450 - 550 PPFD. So I am now vegging with both switches on.

The other thing I noted is the extent of coverage, again it is not even close to what the manufacturer shows in their charts, dropping off much more significantly toward then edges of the coverage range than advertised. However, using the meter I was able to confirm the effectiveness of reflective paint (flat white) on the walls which does greatly enhance the PPFD extending the light's effective coverage. I have a large grow room not a tent, so the plants closest to the walls get more of the reflective effect. Ultimately I plan to provide more light using some higher end LEDs so this will not be an issue in the future. More on that later.

I still need to play around with the heights and positions a bit, but suffice is to say, on my last two grows (my 1st and 2nd indoor) my plants were not getting anywhere near the light levels needed for maximum growth and yield. I did surprisingly well though so I am excited to see the results on my next grow which has just started. Of course I will need more and different lights, as the ones I have will fall far short of the levels needed in the flowering phase (where 600-900 PPFD is recommended) unless I put them real close where there is a chance of burning the tops.

In the end, I spent a lot of money on some cheap LEDs based on reviews and no real data. I was told this might be an issue by an expert grower. I won't mention his name here, but if you look at my profile I follow him on Amazon. As I am about to purchase some new higher end LEDs the information I gathered using this meter has really helped me make a more informed decision.

I am going to start moving to quantum board LEDs and just purchased a Mars Hydro TSL 2000W and plan to purchase some even higher end US made NextLights down the road a bit. Do you need to spend this kind cash to grow a decent crop? No you don't. I did it with the LEDs I had that were only $15Oea. However, in the end and lesson learned, if you really want to maximize the potential of your grows, you need the right equipment and, unfortunately, you need to spend some money to get it. Including a $550 PAR meter.

The End
43 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars It cost money to make money
Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2021
Verified Purchase
I’m running LEDs, so I decided to purchase this product, and I’m glad I did. LEDs are powerful, so I needed to know the exact distance from fixture to the canopy. No white tips, and more yield.
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Tomonori Hayamichi
4.0 out of 5 stars Nice product
Reviewed in the United States on December 15, 2019
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This product works so well and Has met my purpose. Only one thing I’m concern is that How to connect IoT To transfer the data.
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Bennino
5.0 out of 5 stars I love Bruce Bugbee and my Apogee PAR meter!
Reviewed in the United States on February 16, 2021
Verified Purchase
Bruce Bugbee is a beautiful man. The Apogee MQ500 is great. You can’t manage what you don’t measure. This is the mother of all measuring tools for PAR. I bought the extended range also as I added some non PAR lights. I wish i just bought that first, but it’s also nice to measure the deltas and know the distinct values for each. Easy to use and accurate. I added the wand and the case.
One person found this helpful
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Fred
5.0 out of 5 stars You need a quality meter if you have quality lights
Reviewed in the United States on May 11, 2019
Verified Purchase
I've had this for a while now. very useful for adjusting your grow room LEDs especially any more,as the quality of some LEDlights have come a long way.in the current age of buyingChinese.Their burplelites,so to speak aren't the only option out there especially since they are basically a joke. Oops sorry getting off topic.the meter is valuable because with good old made in the USA LEDs you can actually dim them down because they're so tuned to best spectrums you save substantial money in electricity. I know my lights that I bought from Forever Green Gardens are so powerful that they need to dimmed because the plants grow so fast I almost can't lift the light up fast enough
4 people found this helpful
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Mark Hackman
5.0 out of 5 stars This is a great PAR meter
Reviewed in the United States on December 2, 2020
Verified Purchase
This is an excellent PAR meter. Very easy to set up and use! You may be surprised by your reading when you first use the device and will need to adjust your light source.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Daniel Ernesto Moschini
5.0 out of 5 stars La qualité des capteurs fait la différence
Reviewed in Canada on May 4, 2019
Verified Purchase
Cet instrument mesure 20 à 30 % plus d'énergie irradiée que d'autres instruments qui mesurent le PAR et sont plus économiques. Parce que le capteur est plus sensible aux énergies inférieures à 450nm que les instruments moins chers qui ne le mesurent pas. C'est un excellent achat pour ceux qui travaillent avec des luminaires pour l'horticulture.
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ML
5.0 out of 5 stars Precision
Reviewed in Canada on April 23, 2020
Verified Purchase
Nice tool.
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Armir Trota
5.0 out of 5 stars brilliant
Reviewed in Canada on April 17, 2020
Verified Purchase
brilliant
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Doug C Chattell
5.0 out of 5 stars Great unit for led lumens
Reviewed in Canada on November 12, 2018
Verified Purchase
Great oroduct
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