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Thread: Air quality meter, what make model, what do they cost?

  1. #1
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    Air quality meter, what make model, what do they cost?

    Want to get an air quality meter for my shop to see the particle count and how good or bad my system is. What makes and models are recommended? Don' want to spend lots of $ if I don't have to (like anybody I guess). Tx. Randy
    Randy Cox
    Lt Colonel, USAF (ret.)

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    This is a really decent, inexpensive one:

    https://www.banggood.com/PM1_0-PM2_5...r_warehouse=CN

    They have another model for a few bucks more that can be connected to a computer for data logging, if that's something you want. You do have to provide your own USB power supply. I have a USB battery velcroed to the back of mine so I can move it around the shop to keep track of what the air's like where I'm working.

  3. #3
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    I have the same one. Not sure how accurate it is (may be very accurate, I just don't know), but it's nice visually. I had a friend buy one who was getting pounded by the air from the wildfires. Readings were scary.

    Frank's idea about the USB battery is a very good one.

    They will non-stop spam you after purchase though...
    - After I ask a stranger if I can pet their dog and they say yes, I like to respond, "I'll keep that in mind" and walk off
    - It's above my pay grade. Mongo only pawn in game of life.

  4. #4
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    I also bought the unit that Frank mentions and it's useful for showing relative air quality. I have no idea if it's "accurate" in a pure scientific way, but it serves a good visual purpose with both the numbers and the color coding. If things start to ramp up, I know that I have to deal with it. It's in a visible place and actually uses my communication system UPS for power as it has USB power ports on it for convenience.

    BTW, once you get your order if you buy it, you'll need to be proactive to stop the marketing emails. Companies like Bangood are very agressive marketers.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  5. #5
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    Yes, they do love to send the promo emails. I won't call them spam, because I consented to them when I made the purchase & I can always opt out.

    WRT accuracy, I've read other users' experience with testing the accuracy & it seems like they are not too bad. My use methodology is to look at the counts when I first go into my shop to get a baseline & then use it as a relative measurement. The baseline count in the shop is always much lower than in the house, and it has a top end 3M electronic filter. When working in the shop, I can usually keep counts as low, or lower than in the house.

  6. #6
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    That's how I do it, too, Frank...check the reading before I start doing stuff and keep track relative to where it moves to as I'm working. (assuming I remember to do so...but that's a separate issue. LOL)
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Randall J Cox View Post
    Want to get an air quality meter for my shop to see the particle count and how good or bad my system is. What makes and models are recommended? Don' want to spend lots of $ if I don't have to (like anybody I guess). Tx. Randy
    I've had the Dylos for years (bought in 2012), recommended by Bill Pentz, also others here and on other forums use it. Not cheap.
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004AWEG0Y

    The one discussed here is so inexpensive that unless someone else says they've already done it I think I get one and compare it to the Dylos. Might be interesting.

    JKJ

    EDIT: Hmmm. Tried to order and pay with PayPal and gave up waiting after about 5 minutes. Site locked up?
    Last edited by John K Jordan; 09-17-2021 at 1:38 PM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Becker View Post
    (assuming I remember to do so...but that's a separate issue. LOL)
    and there's the rub...

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by John K Jordan View Post
    I've had the Dylos for years (bought in 2012), recommended by Bill Pentz, also others here and on other forums use it. Not cheap.
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004AWEG0Y

    The one discussed here is so inexpensive that unless someone else says they've already done it I think I get one and compare it to the Dylos. Might be interesting.

    JKJ

    EDIT: Hmmm. Tried to order and pay with PayPal and gave up waiting after about 5 minutes. Site locked up?
    I looked at the two of them side-by-side when I first bought mine, but didn't know the conversion formula for the particle count to AQI so I never really did that. One of these days I'll get around to it.
    - After I ask a stranger if I can pet their dog and they say yes, I like to respond, "I'll keep that in mind" and walk off
    - It's above my pay grade. Mongo only pawn in game of life.

  10. #10
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    Once upon a time I learned what that meant, but then forgot

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by John K Jordan View Post
    I've had the Dylos for years (bought in 2012), recommended by Bill Pentz, also others here and on other forums use it. Not cheap.
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004AWEG0Y

    The one discussed here is so inexpensive that unless someone else says they've already done it I think I get one and compare it to the Dylos. Might be interesting.

    JKJ

    EDIT: Hmmm. Tried to order and pay with PayPal and gave up waiting after about 5 minutes. Site locked up?
    I just now (7:50AM 9/18/21) placed a PayPal order there (for something else) and it went through with no problem and no delay. You might try again.

    If you do try to compare them use the .5micron and 2.5micron counts multiplied by 2.8 to get the equivalent Dylos readings.
    Beranek's Law:

    It has been remarked that if one selects his own components, builds his own enclosure, and is convinced he has made a wise choice of design, then his own loudspeaker sounds better to him than does anyone else's loudspeaker. In this case, the frequency response of the loudspeaker seems to play only a minor part in forming a person's opinion.
    L.L. Beranek, Acoustics (McGraw-Hill, New York, 1954), p.208.

  12. #12
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    So after reading this discussion I ordered one. This is one of many reasons I like SMC, polite discussions and people trying to help each other. John J it will be interesting to hear a comparison if you get one.

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by David L Morse View Post
    I just now (7:50AM 9/18/21) placed a PayPal order there (for something else) and it went through with no problem and no delay. You might try again.

    If you do try to compare them use the .5micron and 2.5micron counts multiplied by 2.8 to get the equivalent Dylos readings.
    Thanks. The PayPal worked this time.

    Oddly, or not so oddly, shipping from the US is the same cost as buying from Amazon, well $53.98 vs $53.99.

    I'll definitely compare the two. How did you calculate the conversion factor?

    JKJ

  14. #14
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    I got the Dylos Pro 2 years ago and I like it. High humidity can cause spurious readings. It look like the much cheaper bang good only reads to 1 micron particle size ( the website is not fully loading for me, but the Dylos Pro reads to 0.5 micron.

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by John K Jordan View Post
    I'll definitely compare the two. How did you calculate the conversion factor?
    The Plantower(1) based monitor displays particle densities in the metric unit particles per deciliter. The Dylos display is imperial, particles per one hundredth cubic foot.

    28 liters per cubic foot is .28 liters per one hundredth cubic foot. 10 deciliters per liter then makes 2.8 deciliters per one hundredth cubic foot. So, 2.8 times as many particles in .01 cubic foot as there are in one deciliter at the same particle density. Or, Dylos count = 2.8 x Plantower count.


    (1) Plantower is the manufacturer of the sensor used in this and many other air quality monitors.
    Beranek's Law:

    It has been remarked that if one selects his own components, builds his own enclosure, and is convinced he has made a wise choice of design, then his own loudspeaker sounds better to him than does anyone else's loudspeaker. In this case, the frequency response of the loudspeaker seems to play only a minor part in forming a person's opinion.
    L.L. Beranek, Acoustics (McGraw-Hill, New York, 1954), p.208.

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