help using a Lux Meter

737mech

Enlightened
Joined
Apr 11, 2009
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443
Location
Seattle
I have access to a Lux Meter at work and was curious as to how to measure my flashlight output with it. Can anyone with experience on using these give me some insight on the best way to use this for flashlights. I am thinking the meter needs to be a certain distance from the light, and the measurement needs to be taken in a dark room. Once I get the measurement is it possible to compute it into lumens?
 
All measurements are made at 1 m distance. I suggest you find a place like a shelf, table, etc. with the right elevation and place the luxmeter's sensor on the floor. You can then hold the flashlight in your hand head down with the wrist resting on the chosen surface. In this way you are always sure that all your readings are taken at the same distance and are therefore comparable.
You move very slowly the beam of the flashlight over the sensor until you get the highest reading: this is your lux measurement.

There is unfortunately no way with this system to relate lux and lumen: you can find the reason here at General FAQs #1.

:wave:
 
I use my luxmeter for measuring the percentual difference between different flashlights by shining the light on the ceiling and the luxmeter placed on a table. This will give a quite good estimation of the total output when I know the stated output in lumens. Holding the flashlights close enough to the ceiling and search for the highest value the difference between usual beam patterns will make nearly no sense.

Regards, Patric
 
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