Are you worried about Vitamin D deficiency or seasonal affective disorder? Are you looking for a cheaper alternative to the Sperti Vitamin D Lamp?
In this guide, I’ll show you how to build your own vitamin D lamp step by step!
Here is the finished product:
Since this setup also emits a lot of UVA, it should also be able to function as a tanning lamp for those of you looking for that.
Why Did I Build This?
I live in Michigan, so the sun and temperature are too low for vitamin D production for several months of the year.
Why not use the Sperti lamp? I was curious to see if I could build something similar for a lower price.
Testing the DIY Light
I finally got my hands on a UV spectrometer, so let’s review its actual output and compare it to the Sperti.
Spectral Output
Mearing at around 15 inches from the lamp, similarly to the distance you’d use the Sperti, here’s the result:
Spikey like a fluorescent! Let’s look more closely at the UV portion now:
Here, we can see that the DIY with the Arcadia bulbs puts out quite a bit more UVA than UVB. The DIY lamp I made is around 15% UVB and 85% UVA, pretty accurate to the advertised ratios. Meanwhile, the Sperti is closer to 42% UVB and 56% UVA, making it more targeted for vitamin D and less for tanning.
So the Sperti is a bit more “purpose” built than my DIY lamp for vitamin D. However, the DIY lamp is cheaper and clearly still works. The DIY UV ratio is also a bit more “sunlike” because it’s closer to the UVA:UVB ratio of natural sunlight.
Testing Flicker
This isn’t really a “visual” device, but for fun I checked the flicker. It looks like there is some 120 Hz flicker here, nothing I’d be too concerned about, especially given the use case.
Does UVA Affect Vitamin D Production?
Kind of.
In this study, in which 75 participants total finished. The researchers compared vitamin D production in 4 groups.
UVB only, UVA only, UVB+UVA, and a control.
It was observed that almost no differences were seen in the full-spectrum UVA+UVB group compared to the UVB-only group.
The full spectrum group actually had a higher mean change in serum D3 than UVB only.
They do note that under longer duration times (≥9 min) UVA may decrease pre-vitamin D3 production. Which is fine; UVA does act as a D3 modulator in nature.
So I don’t think there’s anything to worry about here. It’s likely a good thing as UVA is helpful for nitric oxide production, blood flow, and increasing endorphins.
The Parts You’ll Need to Build It
First, review the parts you’ll want to pick to build our lamp.
Fluorescent UVB Lights
Of course, the most important part of this build is the lights. I went with the 46″ Dragon D3 made by Arcadia for these. However, there are other options out there, which I’ll link to below.
I’ve selected this light because it has the highest output UVB I could find at the time, and Arcadia makes some pretty high-quality stuff.
They’re also large at 4 feet, so you can cover far more surface area than the Sperti lamp.
Arcadia 46″ 14% UVB Bulbs
You’ll need four of these to fill out the light fixture below.
ReptiSun 46″ 10% UVB Bulbs
Here’s an alternative that can be purchased on Amazon if that’s more your style.
Note: I didn’t test these in my setup, but they should work fine. ZooMed is a reputable brand.
AgroMax 75% UVB T5
A reader of ours found this 75/25 UVB/UVA bulb, which might be worth trying if you’re more interested in a pure UVB bulb.
I still need to buy these and test the spectrum myself. Several of our users have gotten bad burns with these, so just be careful!
Grow Light Fixtures
The fixture I used in this project was a 4-foot 4-bulb version explicitly built for 54w fluorescent T5-HO bulbs. However, you can also get one-bulb or two-bulb versions if you want to try something less powerful.
4 Bulb T5 Light Fixture
You don’t have to fill this whole thing if you don’t want to; you could use two bulbs instead of all four.
2 Bulb T5 Light Fixture
1 Bulb T5 Light Fixture
It comes with four bulbs we won’t need, so you can recycle them. I’ve been unable to find a fixture without lights.
The Protective Screen
This setup’s possible downside is that it doesn’t have a protective grate, which is nice because fluorescent UVB bulbs utilize mercury. You don’t want to break these bulbs.
If you live alone and aren’t worried about anyone breaking it, you can always skip this part.
The best option I’ve been able to come up with is attaching a metal wire mesh to the front.
1/2 Inch Galvanized Welded Wire Mesh
This mesh is quite stiff and will work well to protect the lights.
Adhesive Zip Tie Mounts
You’ll need something like this to attach the mesh to the light fixture.
Building the Vitamin D Lamp
Okay, now let’s put it all together!
Preparing the Light Fixture
Here’s what you’ll need to do with the fixture.
- Remove the blue protective film from the reflective trays; this is pretty easy.
- Fit the trays into each other. They come a bit loose, but once you do, you’ll figure out how they fit together.
- Clean up any smudges.
Installing the Bulbs
Now, carefully pull the bulbs out and install them one by one. These are bi-pin lights, so the connectors on either side install vertically into the fixture.
You may have to push the light fixture connecter out on one end to get the light pins to fit into the slot.
Once it’s in the slot on both ends and is pushed down all the way, you can spin it to the right to lock the light into place.
Now repeat for all four lights!
Mounting it on the Wall
To mount the light on your wall of choice, you’ll want to start by installing a hook or screw of some kind into a stud at around 70″ off the floor.
Next, you’ll hang the light using one of the hooks it came with.
I also attached the bottom to the wall using a couple of 3M sticky pads.
Here’s what the finished product will look like:
Not bad!
Installing the Protective Grate
Now for the protective grate, should you want it…
You’ll need tin snips for this part!
Cut off a 49″-long section of the mesh and flatten it so it’s easier to work with.
Next, place the mesh against the panel and bend the top portion over. It’s pretty stiff and rigid mesh, so this isn’t the most effortless process.
Once you have the top done, you can move on to the sides.
The trick here is to bend the sides just a bit near the top so that you know where to bend it down.
Once you have a reference point, remove the mesh and bring it to a flat surface with an edge (like a table or counter). Using that edge, bend the mesh down on both sides. This way’s much easier than trying to do it on the lamp.
Once it’s all bent to shape, you can cut out the corner sections that aren’t needed.
And that’s about it! It’s a little bit of a pain, but once it’s done it’s done.
Stick your zip tie mounts onto the light and start zipping the mesh into place!
UVB LED Options
Several studies have shown that UVB between 293-295nm is the most effective at triggering the production of Vitamin D. However, natural sunlight has almost no light in this frequency range, so I have concerns about trying to emulate this.
It’s not easy to find UVB LED products on the market just yet, but here are some of the options I’ve found so far:
MitoLux Vitamin D Lamp
Pros
Cons
Get 10% off with the link above!
Zoo Med ReptiSun UVB LED
This might be the most legit UVB reptile light out there right now since they provide a spectral graph report:
The UVB portion uses around 306nm LEDs, which may or may not work well; I’m not sure.
I’d try using these for a minute at 1-2 feet away. But I haven’t tried them myself yet.
Aiicioo Reptile LED UVB Light
I’m not sure what wavelength these UVB LEDs are, but they’re a bit larger than the ReptiSun so that the coverage might be better.
The wattage still maxes out at 9w, so overall, they should be similar in output.
Chroma D-Light
It is by far the most expensive Vitamin D light on the market, but it is probably the most legitimate, safe, and effective way to get vitamin D.
The combination of red and Near-IR combined with narrowband 297nm UVB LEDs make this a powerhouse.
Use coupon code OYB5 for 5% off!
How to Use Your Vitamin D Lamp
Okay, so it’s built and mounted, and you’re ready to stand naked in front of it.
But how far away? And for how long?
The Warm-up Period
When first turned on, the lamps aren’t evenly lit; they take a few minutes to warm up fully.
So, wait until they are uniformly lit to use the lamp.
How Far Away Should You Stand
I currently use my lamp at a distance of around 14-16 inches.
I’d start at two feet for safety.
How Long Should You Use the Light
How you react to ultraviolet radiation depends on your situation.
Getting my vitamin D from 23 ng/dL to 39.2 took about a month, and on average, I spent about 10 minutes per day in front of my lamp 5-6 days a week.
The time it takes to develop erythema will vary depending on your skin type, diet, genetics, and other factors.
For those who don’t know, erythema is just a reddening of the skin. If your skin is getting very red, you’ve been standing too close for too long.
It’s as simple as that.
Didn’t get red at all? Feel free to increase the time or stand a little closer. Only change one variable at a time so you know what is and isn’t working for you.
The Best Time for UV Exposure
The best time to use this would be in the middle of the day, preferably after some infrared exposure, as infrared is protective against UV damage.
For most, the best routine would be to use infrared light therapy in the morning, followed by a UV light session when they get home.
You don’t really want to expose your skin to UV first thing in the morning because it’s very unnatural. This might harm your skin and potentially cause problems with circadian timing and hormone rhythmicity.
Alright, that’s it!
Conclusion
I’ve personally used the Sperti, and I can confidently say that my DIY sun lamp feels much better.
It feels warm and powerful, like the sunlight. I’m so fond of standing underneath when I can.
Hopefully, this has inspired you to build your own!
Hi Derek,
Thanks for this great writeup!
I want to avoid tanning as much as possible while increasing my vitamin D levels, so will need to go the higher UVB bulb route. I live in the UK and it appears the AgroMax bulb is not available here, however I have found this:
https://www.1-hydroponics.co.uk/grow-lights/lamps/fluorecent/migro-uvb-310-fixture-and-fluorescent-tube.html
“System Output 75% UVB and 25% UVA, Spectrum peak at 310nm (UVB)”
It appears it comes with a case/reflector, or whatever you call it, for each bulb and they say you can “daisy chain” them together, so I assume you shouldn’t need one of those 4 bulb holders.
However it appears to only be 22 Watts
I’m afraid I don’t know my arse from my elbow when it comes to this stuff. The lights you’ve recommended are 54 watts, so more than double the power. However, if I understand correctly, they produce less UVB as they’re only 14% UVB. Since these produce more UVB, 75%, but are less than half the power, would your setup and my hypothetical setup potentially be not that far off eachother in terms of the amount of UVB being produced, could these 22W 75% UVB bulbs possibly even output more UVB than the the 54W 14% UVB bulbs? Or am I completely missing the mark here.
Any guesswork is still much appreciated as I don’t know what I’m talking about.
Hey Dave! You can certainly give those a shot, they’ll work!
But unfortunately comparing them without testing side by side is impossible. When it comes to UVB specifically, the amount of power output in certain wavelengths makes a big difference. For example saying 75% UVB vs 14% UVB isn’t accurately telling us how much power is in each wavelength within the UVB range itself.
So for wattage and even percentage you can’t do an apples to apples on these since the power ratios within the UVB:UVA bands themselves differ.
These lamps will be very powerful so just be careful with them! Start far away and with short durations.
Thanks for the advice 👍
Just had another look, they appear to be 18W not 22W
They’ve got an image of the spectrum here, not sure if that provides any additional clues: https://www.1-hydroponics.co.uk/image/cache/data/grow-lights/led-grow-lights/MIGRO-UVB-spectrum-Insta-100-510x510_x668x-500×500.jpg
And a comparison to other similar products (it seems similar to the Agromax): https://www.1-hydroponics.co.uk/image/cache/data/grow-lights/led-grow-lights/UVBcomparisonb_x6682x-500×500.jpg
That’s probably similar to the actual spectrum, I’ve just learned not to trust manufacturers data at this point 😅
Hard to say for sure how these compare to others at this point other than they’re likely very high in UVB.
Ah yes, makes sense cheers 👍 I’ll update down the line on how I get on with them
btw, for any fellow UK’ers who might stumble on the previous comment, I ended up getting them from here instead for almost half the price as the other link: https://migrolight.com/collections/uv-grow-lights/products/migro-uvb-310-fixture-and-fluorescent-tube
Look forward to it! And nice find, i’ll update this post in the future once I test these and others. Cheers!
Wangled something together with a cardbord box, here’s my temporary setup for now until I build something better: https://i.imgur.com/1Ouaf6k.png
This thing is no joke. A couple of days ago at noon, I did 4 minutes on chest and back for a total of 8 minutes at a distance of 16 inches. I could feel pleasurable sensations while it was radiating on my back.
I wasn’t expecting any immediate effect, but after my session, I felt rather giddy and felt good throughout the day, with more energy, focus and mood was upbeat. It was a very potent and obvious effect throughout the day.
In the evening however, I started feeling almost manic and a bit on edge and found it hard to stay still. My sleep that night was patchy and I woke up pretty exhausted.
I’ve experimented rather extensively in the past with tyrosine and other dopaminergic things, and I’d say a lot of the effects I was having were probably consistent with increased catecholamines. There was definitely some dopamine / norepenephrine stuff going on.
The next day, I was curious to see if anyone experienced borderline mania from a Vitimin D lamp and did some Googling, I found a couple of people experiencing intense stuff from the Sperti:
https://www.reddit.com/r/VitaminD/comments/rshnwk/weird_symptoms_after_using_sperti_vitamin_d_light/
https://www.reddit.com/r/VitaminD/comments/rn97wh/sperti_vitamin_d_lamp_experience/
So I’m going to take this really slow, I think this DIY lamp is more powerful than the Sperti. Will probably wait until next week to try it again and only try it for a couple of minutes this time and gradually work my way up. I will also start out with an infra-red session this time, I skipped that when I tried it the other day.
Thanks for the update Dave! Wow yeah I’ll bet that is more powerful than the Sperti. You may have even gotten an overdose of vitamin D! Haha
Increasing the distance and/or decreasing exposure time should help. Could very well be that the higher UVB output with that duration and distance is resulting in too much too fast.
Hey Dave – could you update me with how you got on with this? I am also from the UK and am looking at these as an option. Was wondering if maybe 2 would be enough?
Dave you are my new favorite DIY guru! Thank you so much for this comprehensive guide! I’m hoping you’d be able to answer a question unrelated to your primary motivation… that is I am looking for tanning primarily (vit d will just be an added bonus) and I’m wondering which of the lamps you referenced would be best for this? I worked in retail tanning for years and obtained a “SmartTan” certification and we were taught you need both UVA and UVB exposure to get the best tan. UVA supposedly bringing melanin to the surface and UVB darkening it once it’s been stimulated. Most beds have 95-97% UVA and 4-6% UVB.
Now I have zero electrical engineering experience and don’t want to buy bulbs you didn’t say will work in your booth because I don’t know the power input needed or even how to figure that out myself. Are any of the lamps you researched anywhere near this range? Even a 90% UVA / 10% UVB or similar would work fine.
I know tanning wasn’t your motivation for this DIY guide and I fully respect if you decline to answer based on that. I did read through the comments first to see if anyone asked a similar question before bothering you.
Any advice you could provide would be great. Thank you kindly for your time!
Nick Klotz
Hey Nick! No offense taken 😁
So as long as the bulbs are T5HO they will fit and work in these fixtures. Beyond that I’m not as familiar as you may be with the tanning process but what you’ve said sounds right! Most of these lamps do have a similar ratio, meaning they are much higher in UVA and lower in UVB to simulate natural sunlight ratios.
Arcadia for example has anywhere from around 2% UVB up to the 14% I’m using here. Even my 14% lights gave me a nice tan while using them I will say!
Hey Derek, This was super informative. I live in Minnesota, and definitely suffer from lack of sun & vitamin D. I have a tanning club membership, but I also have a lot of skin issues, which in turn lead to me being somewhat reclusive during the winter months (my skin totally clears up if I go on vacation to Hawaii, or spend a lot of time in the sun, or the tanning booth). I was wondering if you had any thoughts on the single round bulbs as opposed to the long tubes (if I was only wanting to target my face on days I didn’t want to go out)? I know this might sound strange, but it has been a huge insecurity for me all of my life, and tanning has literally been h the only cure…
Hi Kristine! I don’t have any specific recommendations at this time but that’s something i’ll be working on over this next season!
Are you referring to bulbs like this? Or this? They should work, you’ll just want to but them in a reflector dome and wear eye protection.
Yes, I was thinking more in terms of the second one… but would one be better than the other? And by a reflector dome, do you mean a fixture where the bulb is enclosed, like this:
PewinGo Reptile Heat Lamp, Lamp for Aquarium Turtle Tank with 25w+50w Basking Spot Light Bulbs and 360° Swivel Clamp for Turtle, Snake, Lizard, Cockatoo, Chameleon Etc, Yellow https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B77K4HCQ?psc=1&ref_=cm_sw_r_apin_ct_10QNGNN9Y4TDEH8DXT8V&language=en_US
?
I truly appreciate your expertise in this, as it’s hard to find this sort of info. Thanks so much!
Or to add on to previous comment, something like this bulb:
PewinGo 4 -Pack 50W UVA UVB Heat Lamp Bulbs for Reptiles, Heating Emitter Bulbs for Amphibian, Terrariums, Cages, for Tortoise, Snake, Frog, Lizard, Chameleon, Hermit Crab, Cockatoo. Halogen, Orange https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CG5WDNKP?psc=1&ref_=cm_sw_r_apin_ct_V423NCZSXGY89T506XR9&language=en_US
Or is this one not appropriate ?
Again, thank you for your help!
You could maybe try this combo out:
UVB15.0 26W + 8.5″ Clamp Lamp
That should work well, I’ve not tested these lights so take this with a grain of salt! I’m hoping to get a nice UV spectrometer soon so I’ll try to test this kind of stuff a bit more thoroughly.
Derek this is such an awesome DIY! I appreciate you so much for taking the time to do this extensive research…and then sharing it with the world! Thank you so much, Monica
Thanks for the comment Monica, you’re very welcome! More to come!
Hi Derek,
This comment is a bit older but I am really interested in knowing your suggestion now for a single bulb vitamin D lamp. I have limited space and it would be so handy to use something small on days with bad weather or very overcast. Also, a bit cheaper to setup. Are these still your best recommendations to accomplish a single lamp setup? I really appreciate on the detail on your site! Thanks for all your hard work.
Hi Becca! I think a single bulb should still work! I’m planning to do a bit more in depth study of bulbs later this season, but right now I still like the 14% UVB bulb from Arcadia.
Thank you so much for your advice! I will try these and give you an update… not sure if anyone here has issues like me… but like I said previously, I was looking for something I could use at home when I was not feeling up to going out in public (when my skin is acting up and looks horrible) & using my “tanning membership” (and because I pay for the “top-of-the-line” monthly membership in Minnesota… I really hate to buy one of those Sperti units… although I’m sure they are high quality…) Sadly I have suffered from horrible acne since my adolescent years, and despite multiple treatments over DECADES… nothing has worked except sun and ocean water. So… I have ordered a light and holder, and will update you on my progress. Thank you so much your advice. May the Sun Gods Bless You 🔆
~Jackie Kristine
You’re very welcome Jackie! The Sun really is a marvelous thing! I hope this works out for you 🙂
Hi Jackie Kristine!
I am very much interested in how this works out for you as well. Please keep us posted!
Thanks for this perfect article, will build one soon! I see you writing about negative ions somewhere else. Could you shine a quick light on your experience with these, do you have experience with generating them at home?
Hi Roman! I’ve dabbled a bit in negative ions and definitely think they’re worth exploring personally. They do seem to positively affect mode and even circadian regulation in many studies I’ve looked into.
Unfortunately there aren’t a ton of commercial products for healthy negative ion production. We own a few TEQOYA products which are really the best you can get and we really like them, they definitely help to clean the air and improve the atmosphere in our house.
Thanks for your reply. What are positve effects you have noticed from the negative ions in your house?
Dust certainly collects around the ion generators, so I know it’s helping cut down on the air particulates. I’ve seen many studies that show mood improvements from negative ion inhalation but we do a lot here to improve mood such as light, biophilia, etc. so it’d be hard to isolate if they’re having an effect that regard.
We do feel great in our home though I can tell you that much!
Love this content by the way, it’s some great information. Do you actually need uv glasses? Would you not want to mimic what it’s like if you were walking in the sun and it shining in your eyes or is the problem that we have to be so close to these lamps?
I would say the amount of UV light coming from these is extraterrestrial in its strength, so it’s not really mimicking sunlight… If we could really mimic the Sun I wouldn’t be as worried.. But that would require implementing visible light as well as the full range of near infrared, and then making sure all of those are in-line with the wavelength ratios and strength of real sunlight.
For now I’d say were best staying on the safe side 😀
Haha ya better safe than sorry 😂 so would you even be able to get away with not buying uv glasses if you don’t directly look at the light, as in if you were looking around the light? I’m guessing the amount of uv light is still way too strong to even consider not wearing them
You might be fine if you just closed your eyes? Eyelids block pretty much all of the short wavelength light, hence the red color you see through them. But don’t quote me on that lol
You only get two eyes though! Probably better safe than sorry.
HI there. Thank you for this valuable info. I’m interested in buying the AgroMax 75% UVB T5 because it looks like it has UVA and UVB. Its seems pretty powerful. Should I only get the one light and single fixture or will the 4 light/4 fixture set up safe for the short amount of time?
Hi Gina!
Just so we’re on the same page, the Arcadia bulbs I used to emit lots of UVA as well as UVB. The AgroMax bulbs differ as they emit far more UVB.
One bulb may be enough, those are very powerful! So if you did a 4 bulb you’d just want to make sure you’re far away and using them for short periods.
It might be possible to desolder the UVA led on the Zoo Med ReptiSun UVB LED and replace it with a resistor of similar voltage drop.
This would allow for a vitamin D lamp that only uses UVB instead of UVB and UVA.
You probably could do this! I’m still concerned with the longevity of these new UV diodes, but time will tell.
Hey Derek,
Very informative article, thankyou!
Has your setup changed in any meaningful way these past few months or are you still using the Arcadia bulbs?
I am asking because the 75% UVB bulbs like those from Agromax or Migro (the one that Dave mentioned) look very tempting.
Not sure if they are the safest option however.
An update on your setup and your two cents regarding the safety of 75% UVB bulbs would be appreciated!
Cheers,
Hodaifa
You’re welcome! We still just use the Arcadia, I haven’t felt the need to “upgrade”!
at this time I haven’t done adequate UV testing on these bulbs so I’m not confident on the safety profile…
You are right, better safe than sorry.
Getting the lights is the easy part, but a fixture like yours however is harder to find than I thought.
Atleast where I am from, the EU.
One last thing if you don’t mind, do you have any idea how much IU your Arcadia setup provides per session?
I really don’t know for sure… It would depend a lot on how close you were and skin type. But more than Sperti I believe. Which was around ~2,300IU per session per Sperti’s study.
I just assembled a 4 bulb lamp using the agromax 75% uvb and I ended up burning myself. I did 5 minutes at 24 inches away.
It’s worth mentioning that the only spot that burned was where my body wasn’t used to the sun on my chest and upper legsm. My arms, face and lower legs were not were not burned.
I am not discouraged though and I plan to begin after I heal at a greater distance and shorter duration.
Oh boy! Yeah these really seem to burn people… Perhaps I need to place a warning on them lol
That’s interesting that only your chest burned. Thank you for the report Ryan!
Best of luck to you on your next attempt!
Be warned, Ryan is not alone!: I just did 4 agromax bulbs for 2 min about 1 ft away and got a VERY bad sunburn.
I am only going to use 2 of them at a time and will be 4ft away and see how that goes.
Thanks for reporting that Will. I’m beginning to think these aren’t such a great idea LOL
I’ll be testing them soon with a UV spectrometer and reporting the results.
Thanks for all your work on this, Derek. I’m curious if you ever got a chance to test AgroMax with the UV spectrometer. What do you think about using only one bulb at a further distance and shorter time, while rotating to maximize exposure?
I haven’t tested it yet, we’re currently waiting on some new equipment after which I will be!
As for you idea, I think that’s probably the best way to use one of these haha
oh my God thank you so much! I had a hunch you could use grow light fixtures but because I’m terrible at math and I’m not an electrician I was scared to move forward with the project. Instead I bought a $3,000 tanning bed a couple years ago but then had to move and lost about $2,000 on that deal 🙁 Lately I’ve been revisiting the idea of building my own and here you are! Thank you! question do I need to be careful when looking at grow lights that they are the right specs or will they generally be the right specs?
Welcome Helen!
So I don’t technically use grow lights. I use “reptile lights” that emit UVA and UVB, specifically the Arcadia Dragon D3 linked in this article. IF you were to use these or any other UV emitting bulb I would recommend wearing some UV filtering glasses when looking at them!
How long should a person with skin type v (dark skin African man) stay under it and for how long. I’m planning to stand around 2 – 5 inches from the lamp, so very close. With that range how long could I stay there? And how frequent per week also?
Hey man! So I’m actually not sure, since everyone is very different and even the bulbs themselves can vary in output.
My recommendation is to use the lamp to erythema and then back off from there. So for African/dark skin this would likely just appear as “darkening” of the area rather than the typical reddening you’d see on whiter skin. Basically the increased inflammation and blood flow should change the color or lightness of the skin in the treated area.
So I’d try 5-10 inches for 5 minutes or so, and judge from there if that was too little or too much? Something like that.
You’ll have to experiment to find the right dose and distance!
Hi, do you have any update? I want to make the lamp. But was wondering the same?
Hi Derek,
Im grateful for your efforts in coming up with this information, really appreciate it.
I understand that flicker rate is also a health factor when it comes to light sources.
Have you measured the flicker rate of both the Sperti and your DIY lamp?
If Yes what are the values?
Thank you very much.
Cheers,
Nanding
I have not! We just got our hands on a new flicker meter so this is something i’ll have to test and update the articles 🙂
Derek I’m so sorry for calling you Dave…I was looking at the wrong part of a communication between you and another commenter.
Hi Derek,
I appreciate all the research you’ve been doing. Just wondering if the wattage for the UVB lights matter. Should I go for 54w or 24? Thanks
No problem! I’d say go with the length you want. The 54w will be 4 foot long, and cover more of the body, while the 24w is I believe 2 feet long, making it more like the Sperti in size.
I was going over the numbers in the spreadsheet, and they seem too good to be true. At 20″, the DIY outputs 9.7 times as much UVA, and 7.4 times as much UVB. That’s a rather major difference. It does so while only consuming 50% more electricity (the 4 recommended bulbs draw 216 watts total, plus there’s probably some overhead for the fixture(?) vs 150 watts for the Sperti). Not only that, the DIY output length is well over double that of the Sperti (eyeballing, it’s around 2.5 times as long). So, on average, 8.5 times more overall UV output with 2.5 times the emission area equals over 20 times more UV output — all for 50% more electricity? Something seems off. Is the Sperti outputting much more visible light?
Hey Joe! So it looks like you might be misreading the data.
I’ve got the following:
DIY UVA @20″: 1210 uW
DIY UVB @20″: 385 uW
Sperti UVA @20″: 109 uW
Sperti UVB @20″: 93 uW
This would give the DIY lamp a roughly 4x UVB output and an 11x UVA output. I’ve also clocked the Sperti at only 72w power draw while the DIY lamp pulls closer to 190w.
It’s worth keeping in mind that the DIY lamps are a newer more efficient type (T5HO) and so can output more energy for less power as well.
Hope that clarifies things!
Bravo! this post has really inspired me to build a Mult- Spectrum “Sol Chamber” to incorporate a UVA, UVB, Full spectrum Visible light, Very near infrared, an abundance of 850nm infrared, and elements even into 1200nm and far infrared. I have been following a molecular biologist who explained why getting all these different types of light in concert, just like in nature, actually produces protective effects from the damaging potential of UV light. This influencer also made the case that your eyes need to recieve it the same time as your body to enhance melanin production and utilization of light. Before finding your post, this type of photobiomodulation setup was completely out of reach for me, but I just ordered all components for under $400, and the specs look like they might surpass pretty much anything I could get off the shelf!
I am curious of safer ways to approach exposing my eyes to the UV, and IR do you have any suggestions… closed eyes while looking away, turning my back and looking at reflected light of a green board… not really sure yet.
Hey Alan! This sounds like a dream come true haha. I’d love to see it if/when you bring it to life!
The challenge will be in getting the output ratios right, but that’s mostly just math.
When it comes to the UV-eye safety thing, some things that come to mind:
– Very high lux to properly constrict the pupil
– Natural VIS:UV:IR output ratios
– Dispersed light, so avoiding high photons per angle
Abiding by these principles would ensure your setup mimics natural light and minimizes any potential consequences of artificially reproducing it.
Curious about the green board, what are your thoughts there?
Hey Derek, thanks for the reply!
These are very good points to consider. I’ll have to do some calculations to see what kind of lux I have with this setup in the visible range.
I know the UV output is much higher than the sun, but I thought to graduate the exposure, doing all 3, then visible and IR, then IR only, I might even use far infrared sauna bag after to try and get closer to the right ratios.
Dispersed light was kinda what I was thinking as well for the UV into the eyes thing as well as mounting at an angle close to the midday sun.
Some of the equipment is already arriving and I got to test out the Vivosun fixture you reccommended with 4 agromax bulbs. It felt really amazing like sun bathing does. I did want to point out that it looks like there’s some problems with that fixture as far as manufacturing defects from the reviews. My unit sparked and burnt out two of the bulbs immediately… and flipped the breaker.
My thoughts with the green board are to mimic how leaves and vegetation reflect IR light when you’re getting actual sun, I thought getting it reflected back from dispersed angles might offer some benifets as it does in nature. I haven’t looked into it enough yet, but I wonder if green might reflect some weakened UV as well to assist with the eyes receiving it safely. I WAS
worked with a few AI models to help me dila in my spectrum, and they also suggested green light might be a little lacking in my visible range compared to our sun, and instead of adding more, I thought to just reflect it with green boards… I’d welcome your thoughts on this or ant other part of my setup.
What ratios might be ideal for UV/Visible/IR?
I don’t know where you’re located but feel free to reach out if you’d like to see the setup once I get it all together and fine tuned and we’ll see if it’s possible to actually come for a visit.
Oh wow! Maybe I’ll change that link! The one I originally purchased is no longer available and it seems like they keep coming and going so I have to constantly change the link.
The green board sounds like a good idea to me! It would be difficult to know if a particular green reflects similarly to that of a leaf, but it’s probably close.
So for the ratios it’s something like this:
UVB: <1%
UVA: 8%
VIS: 44%
IRA: 32%
IRB: 14%
IRC: 2%
But it will vary. Getting somewhere around there with your total power outputs could work? Depends on your goals with the setup ultimately.
I'm located in Michigan, USA
Cool, I’ll see what I can do to achieve these ratios. I’m in Northeast Ohio.
Hey we’re pretty close! I’m actually in southeast Michigan near the Ann Arbor area.
What was the brand and model of your original fixture if you wouldn’t mind saying?
Also, seeing the comments and hearing people discuss using some of the 75% bulbs makes me wonder about blending bulbs. For example could a nice balance be achieved by using two of the bulbs in your build with two of the 75% bulbs?
I actually can’t seem to find it anywhere :/ No branding on it and I can’t find the old order… but yes that might work! I’m planning on doing some more testing this season to try to find out.
Hi Derek, thanks for the very informative article! Do you have any idea as to whether the Sperti tanning lamp will produce vitamin D? The website just says it has not been tested for that. I have one, and I am hoping I don’t need to build a D Lamp as well. Although you certainly have taught me how to make one!
Hi Colleen 🙂 I’d put money on it doing so. As far as I know it does emit UVB in the vitamin D action range, so it must. But you’re correct, since it hasn’t been tested, I really can’t say for sure what kind of net effect it might have. You’d have to test yourself to find out!
Hi Derek,
I am in Europe so I haven’t a wide source of parts, but it seems that Arcadia bulbs are available, much less a nice light fixture for at least two tubes, so it’s probable that I have to build one myself. But in your article I don’t mention what kind of power supply these bulbs need, can you elaborate?
Thanks
I suppose you need only a ballast that supports the total bulbs wattage, for example for two 54W tubes a 2×54-58W ballast, to connect to your AC source and the sockets of the bulbs, is it correct? Thanks
Hi Rual, I’ve only ever hooked them up into all in one units so I don’t have much experience going the DIY route on these. But yes, I believe you’d just need a ballast and some sockets!
Thank you Derek, do you think that two 54W tubes (with their silver reflectors behind) can be sufficient for a good effect (vitamin D and some tanning) or it’s much better to use four? With two would you need to increase time or to reduce distance?
I’m guessing two would work but I’ve never verified it myself so I can’t say with certainty. You would likely have to be closer and increase time yes, but it may all depend on skin type and the bulbs you get as well.
Hi Derek,
I finally found a 4xT5 grow light similar to your vivosun (even though more expensive at $250 equivalent) and I think I will buy this one instead going the DIY route, it’s simpler and surely better. I can find also the Arcadia 14% UVB tubes so I should come up to a setup very similar to yours, so I can assume that the measurements and timings you did with your lamp are reasonably valid for mine too. Am I correct?
Oh sweet! Yea I would think the measurements and everything should match up quite similarly.
Hi Derek,
got the Arcadia 14% and the 4-bulbs fixture, all for about 350€, still less than a Sperti that is unavailable in Europe. Unfortunately one tube doesn’t light up, maybe it was defective or damaged during shipping, I wrote to the seller hoping for a replacement.
Awh bummer. Well it happens sometimes! Hopefully you can get a replacement, and congrats on the setup, I Hope it helps 🙂
Hi Derek,
the company sent me a free replacemente for the defective tube so today I was ready to start with the lamp. I was at about 50cm for 4 minutes front and 4 minutes back, so let’s see if the erythema comes out or not. When you say you spend about 10 minutes a day, do you mean 10 minutes only on front or do you divide the total time of the day between 5 minutes front and 5 back?
Thanks Derek for the reply! I will be keeping an eye out for your upcoming information on bulbs. Is this the bulb you are referring to that I could try to use in a single setup? Arcadio Pro T5 39W – https://www.amazon.com/Arcadia-Reptile-ProT5-UVB-Kit/dp/B09R98Z93P/ref=sr_1_4?crid=2Q1DRQIKUS7BR&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.onSxesqU9J8ErOkgWINe615pTiWrXuz_UfYZGsw8i0KIALOCaFfy1l8FRIwlSiLVF27a6vAypEj9yWPrEFv3u_YxfCz6kjy44iUmi8CJLZ4w3wVyM6Qa0iv_3Z7foiRPmg895Y9135SmK5yECrirlBYpKL1j-qp384GThnmLucoQUqmZcZZoXxilh8BOX2T-Ua1wzcwKRXI-a4ybtxrBwj8d7FNNkhcltIQZbgQfp5kFUuv0rAE_Ds4mz8p5XEtu5ZywQbcKmNyjO0m-fAexpuP1j5kbBor04YP4A0h3ZzE.STCCCa6vC2wNUKgnDzZ7hOGIs9R9rOecJqy-fNB1BJQ&dib_tag=se&keywords=arcadia+14%25+uvb+c&qid=1729708490&sprefix=arcadia+14%25+uvb+c%2Caps%2C104&sr=8-4
Thanks so much!
That is the same bulb yes! We are using the 14% version.
hello, so I bought a 1 Bulb T5 Light Fixture + AgroMax 75% UVB T5 (both are linked on your website) and when I assembled it snd turn the power on the bulb only lights up for 1 second then turns off….I bought another bulb thinking it was a broken one but the same thing happened. I know you’re not an electrician but what would you suggest? thanks.
Oh boy. It sounds like a faulty internal ballast on the lamp, I’d contact the seller and see what they think, might just need to replace the unit :/
Hey Derek, I found this comparison of reptile lamps and Agromaxx pure UV. https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=UC_Bg5zVqG0. I thought it would be really helpful!!!! Let me know what you think!
Cool! Thanks for sharing 🙂 Looks like the AgroMax is indeed very powerful. I hope to test these more in depth soon!
Hi Derek,
Thank you so much for putting this information out.
I was prompted to start the build after finding some 22″ Arcadia lights cheap locally. I bought a mix of the 6% UVB forest and 12% desert types. I found Agrobrite has discontinued their 2 foot/4 light fixture , but managed to find one…I feel the pain of anybody trying to source fixtures for building this thing.
Using the 6% UVB “forest” version of the Arcadia tubes x 4, do you think lengthening the time in front of the light would get me closer to the Arcadia 14% UVB lights you propose? Do you think there would be any issue with mixing the the 6% lights with the 12% “desert” light type?
Hey Bob!
Using lower UVB for longer should work. I haven’t tried it myself so I can’t say for sure. I think the logic is sound! The Sun’s UVB to UVA ratio is like 5:95 after all, and that works.
As for mixing and matching it’s probably not ideal, just because you’ll have parts of your body being exposed to more or less UV than other parts. Now they are quite close together in these fixtures so it might not be that big of a deal.
Thank you for the reply. I’ll try the 6% forest type only for a while and experiment with time in front of the light and record the results.
Did you select the 14% UVB Arcadia light based on UVB output only or were there other considerations?
No problem! Hope it works for you, I’ll be curious to hear your results.
I choose the 14% mostly because I wasn’t sure if this experiment would work. I figured going with the higher UVB option would ensure results if there were to be any.
Hey Derek, I’ve been using the Vitamin D lamp for close to two months now, built according to your instructions but I’m not sure if it’s actually working. I have noticed zero erythema after regular use even after standing 12 inches away from it for about 20 minutes on each side. My upper body still has a tan from the summer but I’m still a Type II everywhere else. I figured that the lights might be faulty but not willing to take the plunge and buy a spectrometer to see if they are emitting any UV. I also did a vitamin D test recently and will be doing another one like yourself in a few months time to see if there is any difference, although I’m not sure if testing for the storage form has any significance. Besides using a spectrometer or testing Vit D levels are there any other ways to see if the lamp is emitting any UV at all? Thanks alot.
PS. For those in Europe struggling to find a light fixture, the Lumii Envirogro is a good substitute for the Vivosun.
Thanks for the fixture suggestion!
They should be working if they’re the same bulbs I’m using. Only way to know for sure would be to test blood levels though. I’m pretty sure any form should be going up if the lights work.
You can get UVB testing cards. They’re used often in the reptile lighting industry as a cheap way to test UVB output.
Hi Derek,
I am using mine (same Arcadia 14% bulbs as yours) 5-6 times a week for 10 minutes (7-8 front and 2-3 back), I started at about 50cm (20″) and now after about ten sessions, I stay at 30cm (12″) distance. Not a real erythema yet, maybe a little rosier tone of the skin (I have a rather pale complexion). Maybe I will try some more time.
Hey Raul! Rosy sounds good! The only way to know for sure is to get tested, but it could be that you need to stand a bit closer? There seem to be varying reports of erythema with these, perhaps the bulbs vary of the effectiveness of the reflective coating on some fixtures varies, I’m not sure. It’s something I’m going to have to look into.
Thank you Derek, when you stay 10 minutes at a time, do you mean 10 minutes only front or divide the time with the back? My maximum stay on front for now is 8 minutes (today, as it was 6-7 minutes the days before).
Arcadia says on the box that these lamps should be replaced after one year of normal use (for reptiles), so if I use it just for 1 hour a week it should last several years before needing replacement, is it correct?
Yes I would think these should last much longer than 1 year given our use case!
My timing was 10 minutes front on day day, 10 minutes back the next, that’s how I did it.