Finally bought a 5.0 meter...now, how to use it???

[northtanman]

Ok, so i finally buy a 5.0 meter and hey, i love this thing...but what the heck do i do with it>? Where do i hold it? Does it also measure HP lamps? Does it measure from the end? From the little tiny window in it? Bought it new from 4 season's...
Please help me...I'm so excited i finally bought one

[solarmeter®]

You saved the MI 6% sales tax by buying it from TN. So Governor Granholm says no advice for you! Just kidding.

Aim and point the little round "window" on top at anything emitting UV (lamps, sun, your nose, etc) to see the intensity reading.

Check individual lamps for "duds" holding meter against acrylic near center of lamps. If one or two read way less than the others you can replace them if you wish. Compare new ones to old to see how far the old ones have aged.

Take overall reading with canopy closed in center of bed with meter on bottom acrylic pointing up. Start with new lamps and keep track of them as they fall toward 70% of original new reading. Then replace them all at the same time.

[northtanman]

Ok, perfect, now what about measuring facials? Against the acrylic point up, towards the facials? each of them? Or a few inches away from them?
I have orbits,omega's and 650 ergo...
Thanks

[solarmeter®]

Just pick a distance where the meter doesn't blow past it's 199.9 limit. If you can hold it to the facial glass/acrylic then fine. Or put it at "nose" position down by the "pillow".

Whatever.... just do it the same way every time. And let the beds warm up about the same 3 minutes every time to be consistent.

HP lamps (facials or full HP body lamps) can be quite squirlly measuring up at the glass/acrylic.... because moving the meter just a little bit can give different readings. This is due to the "hot" lamp beam concentrated in the center, and to reflector geometry. It is generally better to measure farther away for a more uniform illumination geometry.

[northtanman]

So, like in a orbit, i should just measure all of them together...pick a spot away from them, like from the headrest area, pointing up...and not try and do each separately?
ergo 650 may prove challenging...being that there is facials and 9k90's so near to each other....any idea's? Guess i can just try and do those ones separately or a couple of them...for the "new" reading....to go bye.
thanks again

[solarmeter®]

Good point.... unwanted contribution from the tube lamps. So get as close to the facials as you can for a stable reading... even if it's up at the surface dead-center all the time. Maybe others can say what they do. Sparky is the expert - well one of them anyway.