Sun Meters

Solarmeter offers NIST-Traceable Factory Calibration service for your instrument. We recommend this service for all meters over 12 months old. The calibration procedure is easy: 1) Order calibration here by adding the quantity desired to the cart. 2) After checking out, please print out the receipt along with your full contact information, and ship that paperwork along with your well-packed Solarmeter back to us: Solarmeter Calibrations 100 East Glenside Ave. Glenside, PA USA 19038 3) If shipping internationally, please make sure to ship door to door. 4) We will calibrate and notify you when finished to arrange shipment back to you.

To operate your Solarmeter, aim the sensor window located on the top panel of the meter directly at a UV source. Press and hold the push-button switch on the face of the meter. For best results take note of the distance the reading was taken from the UV source in order to ensure repeatable results.

The instrumentation used to measure UV index for the U.S. E.P.A./NWS program is directed toward the sky in a global normal (perpendicular to level ground) inclination. Therefore the Solarmeter® Model 6.5 is designed to operate in the same fashion. Solar irradiance measured this way includes direct (reduced by cosine law depending on solar zenith angle) plus diffuse (diffused by the atmosphere).

Outdoors, take the meter reading pointing straight up for global normal (direct plus diffuse) irradiance. Indoors, take the meter reading at “body position” distance from the UVR lamp array. You will note outdoors that clear-sky solar zenith angle (SZA) has the largest effect on meter reading being highest during summer noon times. Sky clarity (deep blue) and altitude will also influence readings higher. Indoors, the percent UVB and wattage of UVR lamps have the largest effect on readings. They are typically 3-5 times higher than solar noon values.