Solarmeter Model 8.0 UVC Meter

Got mine today and tested it with a number of UV-C Sterilization Wands, LEDs, Lamps and some protective eye wear.This Meter registered zero (000) when it should have, and accurately measured UV-C levels from various UV-CLEDs, and from small to large UV-C Lamps including a 36 Watt UV-C Tube which exceeded the maximum readingat several inches distance.At this price, I'd like memory and graphing over time functions, but no one else is doing this well at this price point at this time, so they get my vote and my purchase.

Ok

Easy to use

Can show any UV-C emission from standard fluorescents (shouldn't be any), and measure the emission of UV-C sterilization lamps (aging, efficiency, etc).

good functional meter

July 11, 2017This device, made by Solar Light Company, Inc., is the Solarmeter Model 8.0 UVC meter. You know how you think of light as being in the UVA and UVB ranges (where “UV” means Ultra Violet”). Those ranges of light, whose frequency is so high that they are barely invisible to the naked eye, are generated by the sun as well as other sources of light.UVC rays generated by the sun struggle then give up and die before getting through Earth’s atmosphere (which is why we need the ozone layer of Earth to stop shrinking), but they are emitted by sources here on Earth such as germicidal lamps (on purpose) and welding torches (not on purpose). UVC rays are just as invisible as and arguably more dangerous or more useful than UVA and UVB rays, which means that under certain circumstances those UVC rays should be measured. The product under review does just that.It blocks UVA and UVB rays and measures UVC rays from 0 to 1999 microwatts per square centimeter. You aim it at the source, push a button, and the display at the top of the front of the rectangular box shows how many µw were detected in that square centimeter. If the display shows 17 then everything is probably OK, but if it’s 1,830 and it’s supposed to be only 1,200 then you might have a problem that needs fixing. FWIW, it measures at approximately 254 nanometers.The accuracy of the product under review is what’s called “NIST-traceable,” which means each particular device has been tested according to the standards of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, which is regarded as the universal keeper of such defined knowns as how long a meter is, and a piece of paper attesting to the results is included in each box. Presumably the manufacturer doesn’t sell any devices that fail.I use this product mainly to test my friends’ and family members’ ability to detect and measure UVC rays. First, on a clear day at noon I have them stare into the sun for a couple minutes, then look at a welding torch for a couple more minutes. Second, I ask them how many microwatts they think the welding torch gave off per centimeter squared, which answer I’ve already measured using the Solarmeter Model 8.0 UVC Meter - Measures 254 +/-8nm with range from 0-1999 µW/cm² UVC. Most of them are way off and blind, so don’t try this at home.You can test whether a particular lamp is giving off enough UVC power to kill certain germs, you can test whether a particular lens of a pair of eclipse glasses is really doing its job blocking UVC, and you can test whether it’s safe from the standpoint of UVC rays for a Schrodinger cat to spend 2 hours 7 minutes tanning on an equatorial beach on Venus (Answer: No, the limit appears to 2 hours 6 minutes).For the reasons above I award all five stars.

Cell phones come in better cases, I expected from the description a solid state case capable of an impact or minor drop. This could handle a light breeze, but get serious and take a clue for FLIR! It just cheapens the overall presentation and appearance and adds to our overburdened landfills. A REAL WASTE OF TIME AND MATERIALS. On the positive side we tested three meters, diff makes and models and they all were in the same range. Also be sure to make it plain in the description that every meter measures different wavelengths. LED-UV-C units are fast overtaking conventional UC-C appliances and once the price point reaches a reasonable level, well, do I need to say more?!?!

I purchased this UV-C 254nM meter to measure the output from various UV disinfection devices we have acquired to use at home. Using this meter and some fairly simple math, one can determine how long to leave a given light on in a room to disinfect it, or how long to use a wand to make a surface safe.Keep in mind that this particular meter is set up for low pressure mercury lamps. The 275-280nM LEDs will read on it, but not accurately.Operation is dirt simple: Just aim at the light and hold the button down to read, let button go it turns off.It is zeroed nicely, and is giving readings I would more or less expect and does come with an NIST traceable calibration certificate, so I feel it is probably within its accuracy spec.There are more impressive meters out there, but they seem to be priced several times this one.Okay, I am very happy I choose this one, so far it does exactly what I need it to do.BTW it is sensitive enough to detect stray UV-C as low as 1 micro watt so one can check for reflections orleaks from an enclosure.

I purchased three different brand sterilization lamps and a sterilization personal wand. Only the wand registered on the meter. This meter will show you are using the correct wavelength to sterilize a surface. A narrow bandwidth of specification, is the only way to be sure you are not pay for a harmless wavelength of UV light to do a life or death qualified task.... that brand of wand was Mobile Klean.Stay safe.

As shown in the included picture, this constantly has a false positive reading of 2 even when it's indoors and in its case. And yes, I did try wiping the sensor too which didn't change anything. As such, I find the device to be grossly untrustworthy. This false reading is true during the daytime and at night as well.Secondly, this measures a very narrow band of the UVC spectrum. The UVC spectrum is 100-280nm but this meter measures only 246-262nm. There are other UVC meters sold on Amazon that measure a wider range.Needless to say, I will be returning this item.