Post by IguanaKing on Oct 22, 2005 10:46:15 GMT -8
First of all...the disclaimer...the data I am posting is from current, on-going research, of my own, of a product sold by an on-line retailer. This is not meant to promote or recommend this brand of lighting, just to provide information. If you consider using this brand of lighting, please check out ALL information and warnings on the manufacturer's website, and observe all warnings I post here, as well as those on the product packaging. Emitters of UV radiation (and any electrical device for that matter) are ALL extremely dangerous to yourself, your family, and your animals if not used properly. No solution should EVER be considered 100% safe.
Lighting type: UVB
Manufacturer: Original manufacturer unknown, but licensed to vendor.
Model: UVB Mystic Fluorescent Light
Vendor: Big Apple Herpetological
Price: $20.21, each lamp.
Total cost, including shipping: $49.37
Fixture used to test lamps: 48" T-12 flourescent shop light
Manufacturer: Lights of America
Model: 8055 SS (Stainless steel finish)
Vendor: Lowes
Price (before local tax): $16.88
With tax: $18.12
Number of lamps: 2 in single fixture
My initial readings on this lamp, as I have discovered recently, were shortly after initial start of the lamps, but they require a certain amount of time to stabilize. At 18", in the sweet spot (I'll provide an explanation of this term if needed ;D), the UVB output at start is actually around 200uW/cm^2. I posted 184 before, but that was shortly after starting the lamps. The UVB output actually fluctuates at that same point from roughly 200uW/cm^2 to 140uW/cm^2. My decay study, taken after almost the same amount of time of operation every day, in real-world conditions (including ig physical activity, snalt, and regular on-off cycles) is as follows.
10-17-05: (right after starting the lamp, so this figure is not accurate) 184uW/cm^2 at 18"
10-18-05: 155uW/cm^2 at 18"
10-19-05: 155uW/cm^2 at 18"
10-20-05: 158uW/cm^2 at 18"
10-21-05: 160uW/cm^2 at 18"
Now, to be fair, it may look like an upward trend, but I am going to say, at this point, that the bulbs are simply going through a "breaking in" period.
As far as surface temperature goes: At no time has the surface temperature risen above 120 degrees so far, which is only enough to cause moderate discomfort if you hold the lamp in your hand. However, you should NOT do this on a regular basis while the lamp has power applied, I simply did this from the standpoint of, "if its too hot to hold onto, it may damage something else in the area if it comes into direct contact with it".
At 6" from the lamps, the UVB readings are at a low of 598uW/cm^2, which can easily give you a pretty nasty sunburn in minutes. Also...NEVER look directly at this bulb without wearing eye protection. If you are accustomed to using lamps which require maximum distances of 6-8" inches, you MUST change the lamp's location in relation to the basking platform to no less than 18". Aside from this, a place for your animal to seek shelter from the rays is also mandatory. DO NOT use these in a situation where, due to cage design, your ig doesn't have the opportunity to seek shelter.
I will continue the study to see how well they work, and continue to work. Also, keep in mind, that surface temperatures may change (many times for the worse in my experience, as is often the case with ANY electrical device) over time, so I will be monitoring that as well.
I also must warn anybody who buys these: If you momentarily remove power from them after a full day of use, DO NOT expect them to light again. This is not a product defect, it is just a limitation of the system. Just give the lamp and fixture about 10 minutes with no power applied to cool down, and everything will be fine again. ;D
Edit: Also, you MUST provide supplemental, visible lighting along-side these lamps. They give off very little visible light, most of which is in the blue spectrum, and can cause eye damage if not backed up by a good 40 watt pair of standard fluorescent tubes (which will induce proper contraction of your iggy's iris). I have tested UVB levels with and without the supplemental lighting and there is absolutely no destructive interference to worry about.
IK
Lighting type: UVB
Manufacturer: Original manufacturer unknown, but licensed to vendor.
Model: UVB Mystic Fluorescent Light
Vendor: Big Apple Herpetological
Price: $20.21, each lamp.
Total cost, including shipping: $49.37
Fixture used to test lamps: 48" T-12 flourescent shop light
Manufacturer: Lights of America
Model: 8055 SS (Stainless steel finish)
Vendor: Lowes
Price (before local tax): $16.88
With tax: $18.12
Number of lamps: 2 in single fixture
My initial readings on this lamp, as I have discovered recently, were shortly after initial start of the lamps, but they require a certain amount of time to stabilize. At 18", in the sweet spot (I'll provide an explanation of this term if needed ;D), the UVB output at start is actually around 200uW/cm^2. I posted 184 before, but that was shortly after starting the lamps. The UVB output actually fluctuates at that same point from roughly 200uW/cm^2 to 140uW/cm^2. My decay study, taken after almost the same amount of time of operation every day, in real-world conditions (including ig physical activity, snalt, and regular on-off cycles) is as follows.
10-17-05: (right after starting the lamp, so this figure is not accurate) 184uW/cm^2 at 18"
10-18-05: 155uW/cm^2 at 18"
10-19-05: 155uW/cm^2 at 18"
10-20-05: 158uW/cm^2 at 18"
10-21-05: 160uW/cm^2 at 18"
Now, to be fair, it may look like an upward trend, but I am going to say, at this point, that the bulbs are simply going through a "breaking in" period.
As far as surface temperature goes: At no time has the surface temperature risen above 120 degrees so far, which is only enough to cause moderate discomfort if you hold the lamp in your hand. However, you should NOT do this on a regular basis while the lamp has power applied, I simply did this from the standpoint of, "if its too hot to hold onto, it may damage something else in the area if it comes into direct contact with it".
At 6" from the lamps, the UVB readings are at a low of 598uW/cm^2, which can easily give you a pretty nasty sunburn in minutes. Also...NEVER look directly at this bulb without wearing eye protection. If you are accustomed to using lamps which require maximum distances of 6-8" inches, you MUST change the lamp's location in relation to the basking platform to no less than 18". Aside from this, a place for your animal to seek shelter from the rays is also mandatory. DO NOT use these in a situation where, due to cage design, your ig doesn't have the opportunity to seek shelter.
I will continue the study to see how well they work, and continue to work. Also, keep in mind, that surface temperatures may change (many times for the worse in my experience, as is often the case with ANY electrical device) over time, so I will be monitoring that as well.
I also must warn anybody who buys these: If you momentarily remove power from them after a full day of use, DO NOT expect them to light again. This is not a product defect, it is just a limitation of the system. Just give the lamp and fixture about 10 minutes with no power applied to cool down, and everything will be fine again. ;D
Edit: Also, you MUST provide supplemental, visible lighting along-side these lamps. They give off very little visible light, most of which is in the blue spectrum, and can cause eye damage if not backed up by a good 40 watt pair of standard fluorescent tubes (which will induce proper contraction of your iggy's iris). I have tested UVB levels with and without the supplemental lighting and there is absolutely no destructive interference to worry about.
IK
Its to be expected for a healthy male ig this time of year though. 
