Window tint refers to a thin protective sheet of film that is generally installed in the interior or exterior of a glass surface. It is a technology made with the purpose of keeping windows protected from UV rays along with providing privacy and aesthetics. But how does a tint meter work? Let's check out this article to learn what it is, how to use it, and how it works.
What is a tint meter?
A tint meter is something that the police use to make sure that the tinted windows are of a legal standard. Automotive workshops use these to make sure that the custom-tinted windows are of the legal standard.
How does a tint meter work?
These machines usually shine a beam of light at 550 nanometers via the window to the optical sensor from the instrument sensor. When the beam is intercepted by the window, the meter helps to measure the light which passes through & provides a reading in VLT.
Types of tint meters:
You can usually see two kinds of tint meters in the market. These are horseshoe tint meters & tint meters with magnetic probes.
Horseshoe shape tint meters:
These tint meters slide over the side windows to provide a fast and easy reading. When you use this type of tint meter to measure VLT, your job is to make sure that the window doesn't contain any dirt. Otherwise, it will affect the readings. After that, your task is to activate the meter. Now, you should wait until the reading reaches 100%. Next, you need to place the unit onto the window via the slot. You can see a VLT reading within a few seconds. The reading will inform you how much visible light passes through.
Tint meters with magnetic probes:
These tint meters let you measure VLT via the side, front and rear windows. So, as a user, you will get a complete access to the whole window that you need to measure. If you use these magnetic probes to measure VLT, you should ensure that the window must not have any dirt. As soon as you enable the meter, you need to wait until it reaches 100% reading. While you have to keep the reflector probe on the window's one side, your task is to keep the instrument probe on the window's other side with the magnets lining up. When the probes will be aligned, you will get to see the meter displaying a reading within a couple of seconds.
Use of tint meter:
- People use tint meters usually to compute the VLT value after the car window gets tinted. In Australia, 30-35% is the minimum VLT for front & passenger windows that are safe & legal.
- Police use tint meters to make sure that tinted windows are of a legal standard.
- Automotive workshops use tint meters to confirm the legal standard of the custom tinted windows.
- It is necessary to test VLT to make sure that the driver can get to see other vehicles, objects, and pedestrians.
Conclusion:
This article mentioned the tint meter, its use, working process, types, etc. If you have further queries or doubts, let us know via comments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What device is used to measure window tint?
You need to use a tint meter to measure a window's tint percentage.
Q. What is VLR in tint?
VLR, which stands for Visible Light Reflectance, refers to the measurable amount of visible light that a glazing system reflects out.
Q. Is there a tint meter app?
Tint Wiz is an application which is mainly designed for window tint companies.
