{"id":40524,"date":"2014-07-16T11:02:47","date_gmt":"2014-07-16T03:02:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.chengduliving.com\/?p=40524"},"modified":"2015-08-20T16:20:03","modified_gmt":"2015-08-20T08:20:03","slug":"samoair-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chengduliving.com\/samoair-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Measuring PM2.5 for 200rmb: the SamoAir Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

Please note: A commenter below revealed that the Sharp particle detector within this device (model\u00a0GP2Y1010AU) cannot detect particles as small as pm2.5, so this device\u00a0is\u00a0not suitable for detecting those values. It still works for detecting larger particles, specifically those over 0.1mg\/m3.<\/em><\/p>\n

Spend some time in Chengdu and you might find that the most common concern among expat residents\u00a0is the polluted air. Many of us\u00a0track pollutant levels using our smartphones everyday, wear protective masks when running or cycling, and\u00a0outfit our homes with low (and high) cost air filters<\/a> and automation systems<\/a>.<\/p>\n

For me, the next step after setting up filters and automation in my home was to measure indoor pollutant levels myself to identify and troubleshoot potential problems. A common and trustworthy device used to measure air pollutants is the Dylos 1100, which is American-made and costs\u00a0around $300 on Taobao depending on the options you select (like an optional\u00a0PC interface for downloading graphs).<\/p>\n

Although data gathered from the Dylos is rock-solid (it’s what Smart Air uses to gather data for their Particle Counting blog<\/a>), the cost is high. Surprisingly, I was able to find something 1\/10th the cost on Taobao\u00a0called the SamoAir: an unadorned circuit board encased\u00a0in clear plastic.\u00a0Does it work and is\u00a0it worth the cost?<\/p>\n

\"SamoAir\"
The SamoAir device surrounded by the two included USB cables<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Overview & Features<\/h2>\n

The SamoAir is a tiny, imported monitoring device made by Sharp, attached to a circuit board with a small LCD display and an optional battery pack. It comes pre-assembled and operation couldn’t be much simpler: you plug it into a power source using the supplied USB cable and within seconds it begins displaying data.<\/p>\n

\"SamoAir\"
Powered on and displaying pm2.5 levels by microns per square meter<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It’s important to note that the SamoAir only displays PM2.5\u00a0levels, displayed in the\u00a0form of microns per cubic meter (\u00b5g\/m3). This is a different value than the US and Chinese government commonly use to report pollutant levels (which is\u00a0an aggregate value derived from a handful of pollutants called the AQI, or Air Quality Index). The SamoAir is probably best for relative measurements in situations like:<\/p>\n