PMK reading 38 par in complete darkness?? Ummm do I have a problem?

[[email protected]]

PMK reading 38 par in complete darkness?? Ummm do I have a problem?

[zombie]

Calibrate the offset.

[[email protected]]

thanks for the response but the directions state to specifically not to allure calibration.

[zombie]

The energy bars aren't "supposed to" require calibration for the amp sensors, but sometimes they read non zero when nothing is plugged in. This requires calibration to adjust the offset. Same thing applies to the PMK.

[Simon P]

Calibrate the offset.

How does someone go about doing this? My PAR reading is 25 in total darkness, I'd like to correct it.
Here's what I've found so far:
Through the native dashboard I go to Probe/Input and select PAR. There is an offset and a scale window, neither of which are "active" so I can't just plug in a different offset. There's also a calibrate button but when I hit that I get a prompt to plug in a zero BMC connector into the ASM... what is that and where do I get one? And do I need one to do this??
Thanks

[RussM]

You don't do it with the Calibrate process.

Go to the Module Setup page, then select the ASM. In the ASM Configuration box, edit the Range Minimum (0-9999) value to be what your sensor reads in total darkness. Finally, click Update.

[Simon P]

Thanks Russ, that did the trick. It's interresting to note that although the box says 0-9999 you can enter a negative number to zero out the meter. Since I had a reading of 25 in darkness I had to enter -25 to get it to read 0.

[bobmroz]

Ok. I guess i need to jump in here. I just interfaced a CO2Meter.com CO2 sensor to my Neptune APEX using an ASM module and am getting pretty high readings in normal atmosphere. My calibrated CO2 monitor reads 398 next to my new sensor... so how do I get the CO2 sensor to read 398? The above discussion gives me a direction but my sensor is a 0-5vdc output and reads to 30% CO2. So what I am reading is 398 ppm and 5vdc should be 30%.

How do I adjust the Neptune to disply that range?

Bob...

[RussM]

Try entering a range of 0-30 to get reading equating to %.

Or 0-1000 which, if my math is correct, should give you a reading in ppt.

[slief]

I wonder if the erroneous PAR readings in darkness have anything to do with compensation for blue lighting that doesn't read well using PAR meters. I think there is a built in compensation factor for 420nm+ that improves accuracy within that range. By adjusting the range to 0 out darkness, could that result in lower and less accurate PAR readings under blue lighting?

[fab]

I am interested in your use of a CO2 meter.
I presume it is for your aquarium system. Is that right?
Are you using it to detect a CO2 leak from CO2 regulator into your home, or do you have a different application? Which meter do you have? Have you gotten it to work correctly yet? Where do you have it positioned?

[bobmroz]

Fab,

I am using the Neptune APEX as the automation system for a commercial Greenhouse Gas emissions mitigation technology that uses a special strain of algae to consume the CO2, NO2 and other GHG emissions. We are located in Baltimore. I am using the CM 0040 sensor from CO2meter.com. It has a 4-20ma current loop output, so all I had to do is place a 270 ohm resistor across the current loop output to get 0-5v output which is what the VDM module accepts. To be accurate, it outputs 1 to 5 volts.

Yes, it is reading properly now that I set the range to 0-30. I would prefer to read ppm but the VDM combination with the current loop isn't that accurate. The 3 Megawatt digester gas fired power plant outputs about 12% CO2 in its flue gas. We inject the flue gas into our photo bioreactors and our algae consumes all of the CO2 and all of the NOx and output 94% Oxygen from photosynthesis.

The CO2 sensors are placed in the output of our photo bioreactors. They are all closed and sealed - vented to the outside through HEPA filters to prevent any insects or pathogens from entering the algal culture.

Sorry... no fish.

That help?
bob...
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HTB BR Facility Inside.jpg
HY-TEK Bio Facility

[Terence]

Really cool stuff. Love seeing the use of the Apex happen across the algae space.

I think you meant ASM, not VDM in your last post, right?

[bobmroz]

Yes, I did mean ASM. I was going to go back and change it but got distracted.
Nice catch!
Thanks
bob...
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[bobmroz]

BTW, here is our Algae Clean Room...
Attachment 5120

[Dxpert]

The most recent file/link didn't work. Can you post it again?

[bobmroz]

HTB_CleanRoom.jpg
Our Clean Room at HY-TEK Bio

[Dxpert]

Awesome looking setup! Why do you have different lighting on the left side tanks vs the main tank. What LED's are you using? What LED's / wave length have you found most effective to grow your algae?

[bobmroz]

Awesome looking setup! Why do you have different lighting on the left side tanks vs the main tank. What LED's are you using? What LED's / wave length have you found most effective to grow your algae?

1.Using WHITE LED 22 watt fluorescent type the same as used for startup in the Lab to acclimate the algae to different nutrient and switch from ambient air to flue gas.
2. 660nm RED, 450-470nm BLUE and some special sauce.

These are all acclimation bioreactors. All are used to move the algae from the Lab with white lites, Lab nutrient and ambient air to special LED Grow Lights we have developed, flue gas with high levels of CO2 and NOx, and special nutrient we produce from chicken manure using a proprietary process we have developed. It takes time to acclimate our special, unique strain of algae (s.HTB1) to go from Lab to Production Scale.

bob...
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[justins13]

As much as I hate dredging up old threads I felt that in this case it might be useful information on this thread and made more sense than starting a new one... I understand adjusting the offset to correct for the low end readings and that the pmk typically reads low anyway... but what is the default high setting supposed to be set at? My defaults were at -15 for low and 5000 for high.