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
Measuring at around 15 inches from the lamp, similar 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, which is 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.
Testing and Choosing Your Bulbs
For my original build, I purchased four 14% UVB Arcadia fluorescent lights, which, as you saw in the beginning, worked great! However, I’ve since tested several others, so let’s go over how they compare so you can maybe choose something different if you’d like.
I purchased several UVB bulbs for this test:
- Arcadia 6%
- Arcadia 12%
- Arcadia 14%
- Reptisun 5.0
- Reptisun 10.0
- AgroMax
All the fluorescent bulbs were 2 ft versions. I also put the data from the Sperti, the Mitolux, and the DIY build in for comparison. All measurements were taken at 12 inches.
Here is an interactive graph of the data: (disable the DIY lamp to see everything scale more)
You can see that the AgroMax is putting out some serious juice! Comparing it to the Sperti, it actually looks like the same spectrum, just way more power.
This makes sense since the AgroMax is a T5HO bulb, which is a much more recent fluorescent technology than the bulbs used in the Sperti.
At relative strengths, though, the AgroMax is still putting out more shorter wavelength UVB than the Sperti. This will make it likely more effective, but also perhaps a bit less safe as well.
The MitoLux lamp is an LED-based system, so you can see that this peaks at around 295nm, which is optimal for the production of vitamin D without any “unnecessary” UVA. This device also features a dynamic infrared cycle to help with healing and protection from the UV, pretty cool!
But anyway, the Arcadia 14% that I originally bought still seems to be a good option if you don’t mind the extra UVA present in this type of light.
Arcadia 14%
AgroMax
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.
You can also find a 2-foot version as well. Here are some to check out, but you might have to look on your own if these aren’t available, they’re all mostly the same thing.
4 Bulb 4-foot Fixture
4 Bulb 2-foot 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 are installed 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!
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 code OYB10 for 10% 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!
So, theoretically, a combination of (1 or 2) AgroMax 2′ bulbs and (2 or 3) Arcadia 12% 2′ bulbs would give an almost ideal spectrum coverage?
Perhaps? I’d be careful with AgroMax as others seem to have issues with it being too strong.
Hey Derek
Been using 2′ single Agromax bulb for the last month or so, with distance ranging from ~ 18″ to 24″. Though there’s no visible evidence of erythema (no redness), I am breaking out in the chest area and when I stretch, it feels like a mild sunburn (though, once again, the skin is not red and there’s no sunburn type sensitivity to the touch). Note: I used the reptile bulb I referred to in another posting without any issues last winter.
I wonder if anyone else here using the Agromax is experience something similar.
Just to verify: is the single 2′ Agromax similar in ‘power’ to the Sperti Vitamin D lamp?
What would the UVB index be for the Agromax at 15″, 18″ and 24″?
In the article you mention that the Agromax has higher/more UVC; could this be the problem?
Is the high UVB to UVA ratio a possible issue?
Thanks
Hey GB! A tiny amount of UVC could definitely be an issue… Could be some collagen breakdown in that area perhaps leading to the feeling? It is similar in power however the ratios are different. We’re all just experimenting here and none of this is “natural” so it’s not exactly clear what we should or should not be doing… This is the frontier haha
I believe someone else here calculated the UVI to be over 100… which sounds high, though the Sperti rated 25 or something and the DIY even higher if I recall, I’m not sure of what practical use the UVI is for these unnatural light sources.
I`ve been asking myself the same question as GB about UVCs.
I’m interested in upgrading to Agromax (to benefit from its 293 nm wavelengh component – the best for vitamin D production), but I want to clear out the UVC question first.
So far, most of the litterature I found deals with eye exposure (welding generates UVC), and the rest seems to say that it has shallower skin penetration than UVA and UVB (but this simple statement is not enough for me, so I’ll do more research).
I would definitly go for the 4′ tubes, because the more exposure, the more vitamin D in the same amount of time.
For those asking themselves about the number of tubes to use, consider this: with more tubes comes more power, but also less UV index variation when you find the sweet spot distance, and this is not a trivial consideration. If one has a big belly (or a big pair of t*ts”), it’s closer to the lamp than your legs. On top of that, if you don’t stay perfectly still you can easily move +- half an inch. This can make a big difference if the sweet spot for your lamp is at 16″, but way less if the sweet spot is at 28 inch. For this reason, I will not go for fewer than 2 Agromax tubes, if I go for this upgrade.
As for the “over 100” UV index, which “sounds high”, I had the same reaction when I arrived at that number. I doubled checked everything, especially since I goofed in an earlier post (shame on me…), after first attempting this calculation. Unless another reader here has the courrage to extract the numbers from the graphs you published, you and I are the only persons in possession of the raw data needed to carry out this calculation. Would you be interested in me sending you a copy of my Excel spreadheet, to verify my calculation? (if so, I would need to clean it up a bit, and translate it; english is not my first language…).
Do you have any diy red light guides?
Hi, do you have any diy red light guide?
Thoughts on the “Lucky Herp T5 Reptile Light Fixture Combo Kit 54W,” available on Amazon?
I’ve been using two of these (they come as one bulb in an individual reflector housing) for the past several weeks and I think with quite good results. Dark and cold winter over here and I’ve noticed not only a very significant mood boost, but I’ve been going to bed much earlier and waking up much earlier after using these for around 8-10 minutes every day around 12pm-2pm.
Specs: 54W, and…
UVB at 4 inches away is 190 uW/cm2, UVA at 4 inches away is 573 uW/cm2.
UVB at 12 inches away is 85 uW/cm2, UVA at 12 inches away is 258 uW/cm2.
They’re 46″ bulbs. I got a couple AgroMax bulbs as well but didn’t heed the warning, must have gone too long, and got a bad sunburn on my entire face that took about 5 days to clear up after a lot of flaking and peeling.
I’ve been standing fairly close to the Lucky Herp lights (maybe 8 – 10 inches away on average), and am doing 3-4 minutes front, 3-4 minutes back, and 1 minute standing sideways on one side, then 1 minute standing sideways facing the other way. And absolutely zero signs of any burning yet, and I don’t think any tanning has happened yet either, or if it has, it’s very minor.
Easy setup: I just superglued an N52 Neodymium bar magnet to the upper part of the back of the housing, and the lower part, on each of the two that I purchased.
Then I cut some mild steel bar, an upper and lower piece, 3/16″ thick x 7-1/2″ long each.
They stick to the steel magnetically and the hold is OK. Next stop is just getting a couple wooden boards and cutting them to 46″ in length, then I plan on drilling two holes each in the steel bars and attaching them to the boards with wood screws. Solid enough fixture. I might cut longer bars and get another 1 or 2 lights as well for more complete full body light coverage.
I’m currently propping them up against the corner of the wall in my bedroom. Not the safest but once I get the fixture done I’ll probably install a simple hanger for it on the wall like you’ve done.
Just wanted to share in case any other DIY’ers wanted some ideas. I’m using a power strip to plug in the two individual housings. I was concerned with the 4 unit housing, that if I only used 2 bulbs, it would send too much power to each bulb. I could be mistaken but I think those 4 bulb housings put out a fixed amount of power and if you only plug in one or two bulbs it will increase the amount of power going to them. Again – could be wrong, but I was unsure, so I figured I’d just get separate housings for each bulb.
For now, just the two seems to be working well. And there’s enough room to space them apart for a bit better coverage. The 4ft height of each bulb is also great. When I use it, I put it on top of my Hunkering Stool (another device I really recommend – sitting in mine now, I don’t use chairs anymore at all, and my desktop computer ergonomics have never been better…went to the hardware store, got some exercise mat material, and cut a cushion for it too and now it’s absolutely perfect)….and it puts it so the lights start around my shins and end around my neck, somewhere around there.
Yikes! AgroMax ain’t nothing to f**k with that’s for sure.
Thanks for sharing another option Matt 🙂
Absolutely! The “Lucky Herp” UVB 10 bulbs seem to be great. Curious about the benefits of UVA and whether it’s worth it to stick to this or switch to a higher UVB bulb for more vitamin D production.
I’ve been taking MK4 (and MK7) K2, as well as doing this daily light exposure, partly in an effort to treat unilateral testicular atrophy (severe) with microlithiasis, which is calcium deposits. So one of my nuts had calcium deposits in it and they found on ultrasound it has shrunken to just about 1/4 the size of the other (healthy) one.
Not good! My vitamin D levels on a blood test were 23, which is not great. I forget the unit – ng/dL, something like that, but I remember 23. Which was lower than the previous year, when they were 28.
Not saying it caused it but I’m sure vitamin D deficiency won’t help tissue calcification. It’s been a very cold winter here (currently 5 degrees outside and projected to get something like 20 inches of snow), and the Lucky Herp bulbs feel like they’re breathing new life into me every day. Winter actually feels great now and I’m actually preferring it to summer, which is the opposite of how I usually feel.
Also, the Lucky Herp housings are holding up well. They’re quality reflector hoods and the way I do it is plugging them all into a power strip and using that to turn them on or off. I might add one or two more for more full body coverage but for now just the 2 four foot length bulbs seem to be working very well.
Also, the bulbs aren’t as hard to change as I thought. I was so worried about busting them. One thing is I do wear nitrile or latex gloves when changing them as I read that oils from our hands can cause ‘hot spots’ on the bulbs. Probably not a huge deal for the limited usage we’re doing here but always good to get the max life out of the bulbs possible.
“I could be mistaken but I think those 4 bulb housings put out a fixed amount of power and if you only plug in one or two bulbs it will increase the amount of power going to them. Again – could be wrong, but I was unsure,”
Hi Matt,
You are somewhat right.
The ballasts to which the tubes are connected have a characteristic called the “ballast” factor. “1.0″ correspond to the tube’s rating factor. At 0.8 your tube will spit out 80% of its rated power, at 1.2 it will produce 20% more thant its rated power, …
Typically, ballasts capable of handling several tubes have a ballast factor that vary, depending on the number of tubes they are connected to. For example, a 2-tube ballast may have a factor of 0.8 with 2 tubes, and 1.0 with 1 tube. Another one might have ballast factor of 1.2 in a 2 tubes configurations, and 1.0 in a 4 tube configuration. 4-tubes capable ballast are an oddity, so most 4-tubes fixtures contain 2 ballasts.
I built Derek’s DIY build and I am very happy with it, but I’m interested in upgrading to two 4′ Agromax tubes, and if I do this upgrade I will definitly change my ballast(s) for quality one(s) (Philips), just to be sure about the ballast factor values in case I have to change ballast(s) further down the road. Before I make this upgrade I want to clear out uncertainties about UVCs, because the Agromax tube has much more of them than the Sperti lamp (see my other rely to GB).
Hi Matt,
I forgot something in my last post…
I’m sorry about your “sun“burn, and hope you recovered fully. Since you also burned your face, you might want to consider the following.
I found some litterature giving the sun exposure time needed to produce 1000 UI of vitamin D, depending on the amount of skin exposed (legs, legs + torso, legs+torso+arms, …), and exposing the face does not decrease the time by very much. Hence, you don’t get much more vitamin D by also exposing your face, if you already expose the rest of your body. There is also litterature recommending neither exposing the skin areas that have a long history of sun exposure (for most people this includes the face, top of the hands, and maybe the top of the forearms), nor areas where the skin is thinner. For those reasons, I bought a balaklava on amazon, along with UV goggles, and a string,. The string’s material is quite thin, so I use it to hold a small scarf wraped around my junk. I also cover my nipples with 2 eye patches I got at the drugstore. I ripped the elastics, cut them to the appropriate length to fit my torso’s circumference, and sewed them together. That’s a much cheaper solution than buying nipple caps in amazon’s the sex-toy department. Needless to say that even for 1 million dollars I would not let anyone take a picture of me wearing this outfit, but I feel much safer. The only drawback is that I tanned a bit, and have white round patches around my nipples, so you can’t totally eliminate the ridiculousness factor when doing that with tubes that produce their fair share of UVAs, like the Arcadia tubes (but it seems like the Agromax’s decrease proportion of UVA solves this problem, if I understand you correctly).
Thanks so much for the reply. I just started covering up a bit after standing fully naked in front of the light…no seeming harm done, but now that I know exposing the genitals to this stuff is not a good idea — will not be doing that anymore.
Currently I have two of the UVB10, 54W “Lucky Herp” bulbs propped up on my Hunkering Stool, so instead of on the floor, they now start at shin height and end below my neck. So no more direct face exposure.
No burns or anything yet, and I’ve been doing around 10 minutes a day on average. 4 minutes front, 4 minutes back, and a minute or so on each side. I lift my arm up and get the side of my torso exposed and then switch sides.
I haven’t tried the Agromax bulbs again since getting burned. Not sure if the high amount of UVA in the Lucky Herp bulbs is a good thing, but it seems to very noticeably have a positive impact on my mood, and so far, no burning at all.
Interesting about covering the nipples. For now I just wear the Sperti goggles and the usual black cotton boxers I wear to cover myself up. Though today I was standing with my elbows flared to the sides and bunching up my boxers so it would cover my genitals but not much else.
I look absolutely ridiculous as well, might have to look into nipple covers as well. After I burned my face I had white goggle outlines around my eyes for a good week or so.
It did take around a week to fully recover but overall I don’t think it was a super severe burn. But won’t be doing that again and have not plugged in the Agromax bulbs again since. Though depending on my vitamin D levels, I might try it again, and maybe stand 3 feet away and sharply monitor the time I’m using it for, though I’m doing that already.
>“For now I just wear the Sperti goggles and the usual black cotton boxers”
This is where I think you could do some more optimization (we’re on “optimizeyourbiology” here, so all optimization tactics should be discussed!).
On your back side, boxers will cover your butt cheeks (an maybe the top of your tighs, depending on the boxer’s lenght), which counts for a significant portion of skin surface that will not be put to use for vitamin D production. Furthermore, as butt cheek skin is quite thick, you’re not putting to use a skin area that can withstand more UV beating (and other types of beating…) than thinner skin in other areas. This is why I went for a string (and I get a little more skin exposure in the front as well).
Couldn’t agree more! I should probably add this speedo thong as a recommended accessory.
It’s the one I bought! No need to spend a fortune: this one is the cheapest, so the material is thin, hence my previous remark (about the necessity to stuff a piece of fabric down there). The stiches are decent, so I expect it to last long. Last but not least, for those not familiar with the cheapest products on Amazon: order the XL size. I’m of average size, and the XL fits perfectly. If you’re really XL, it will probably be a tight fit, but for something that’s worn 8 minutes a day, in the comfort of your home, it’s probably ok for most people.
So, my strategy has been to tuck them up to just cover my stuff when facing the front, but then I remove them completely when I turn around. So far so good.
I roll up my boxers and tuck them under the elastic so it’s basically like a Speedo when facing the front. Seems to work very well.
Also, surprising with the UVB10 lights, which have a lot of UVA — I’ve been going to bed far earlier. I was a 3AM bedtime kind of guy. Like wicked insomnia and could just never figure it out.
Even after getting TrueDark Twilight Classics (I have them on right now), something was still missing. And I think it was UVA/UVB, especially during the winter.
I’ve been doing 10-15 minutes every day, now about 5 minutes front, 5 minutes back, then I’ll lift my arms up and get the sides of my thighs and torso, one side at a time, for an additional several minutes before I’m done.
And on average I’ve been going to bed around 9PM and waking up around 430AM – 600AM, give or take. Been doing the light exposure around noon to 2PM each day though I shoot for noon, or just before noon.
I think it’s making a huge difference. Sleep is a lot better and more consistent and I’m getting tired far earlier than I have in many years. Blocking out harmful light is only part of the solution, it seems — getting exposure to the good light we need is the other.
And during the winter here, this is great. It’s been below 0 Fahrenheit out here on a pretty regular basis. Not exactly tanning weather. These Lucky Herp lights are making an absolutely colossal difference for me.
I was very focused on UVB, and while these are UVB 10, they have a ton of UVA, and I’ve been reading a bit more about the beneficial effects of UVA. So far so good and at the very least for a fall and winter routine, this is going into permanent rotation for me. One of the best “supplements” I’ve ever gotten on and just wish I hadn’t waited so long as it seems my body really desperately needs this.
I got similar benefits with respect to sleep, plus an unexpected one, on my skin.
For a long time, I had a few chigger bites that never completely healed (these bugs inject a substance that creates a little tunnel – something the skin had a hard time to get rid of), and they’re heating now! So, for women out here looking for tips on skin health, take notice!
Another supplement that I addded to my routine is creatine. I won’t go into details here because it’s a thread on a Vitamin D lamp, but I could not encourage you more to explore this subject on your own.
This is a great article. I want to try making this. So typically outside at noon, UVB is around 5 percent. I want to replicate closer to natural sunlight as I can. should I go with the Arcadia 6% UVB? maybe I’m not understanding quite how this works. which is possible LOL
Hey Sarah! Technically no matter what we can’t really replicate Sunlight… but you’re on track! I use the 6% in my office for ambient UV for this reason. For vitamin D production I went higher because I wanted a larger dose in a shorter amount of time.
Thank you! Do you have any idea if these lights have electronic ballast or magnetic? I have been hearing that magnetic emits much more EMFs. Have you tested the emfs?
Great question! I’ll have to double check that and get back to you.
I just checked my setup and I could not detect any significant increase in magnetic fields outside of ~3 inches away.
Any LED that claims to produce UVB should be suspect. The reason why it is so hard to find LEDs that produce UVB is because of the difficultly for the current technology to produce the spectrums. It is still quite a challenge, and if it is produced, the output to make it useful to generate vitamin D is still suboptimal and ineffective.
It would seem so!
The light that you provided a link for is not available. What do you think of this one?
https://a.co/d/8wBB7p0
Could I use it with a plastic protective cover that it comes with or does that block out the UVB?
Thank you
Sarah
That fixture will work!
But no a plastic cover will almost certainly block all of the UVB :/
I couldn’t find the agro 2 ft available. Would this be the same? The numbers matched up but I see it has bloom and not pure uv on it
I’m also a little confused.
The manufacturer produces several models with different spectrum caracteristrics, but the most prominent thing on the box is “Agromax”, and the spectrum characteristic is often hard to find. Model numbers are also mixed in a word salad comprising trademarks, slogans, alternative designations, because marketing gurus have a ton of fun doing that. They want my money, but make the purchasing act difficult!
Why don’t you use the Arcadia basking lamp so you already have the balanced infrared light in there as well, so you can skip that part.
https://arcadiareptile.com/lighting/d3-basking-lamp/
Not a bad idea to try! I was mainly attempting to create something focused primarily on vitamin d with a very large surface area. But this should work too!
“But this should work too!”
Not only sould this work, but it may work even better, because this bulb has more punch below 300 nm than the Arcadia 14% tube, according to the spectrum data published on the manufacturer’s website.
Maybe its spectrum is closer to that of the Sperti or Agromax tube, especially around the super sought after 293 nm wavelenght that sellers of led-based solution charge a fortune for. The spectrum graph is not very detailed; can you purchase this bulb and use your spectrophotometer to run a spectrum scan at 12 inch and 15 inch, like you did in this article? That would be great!
Have a look at the spectrum data published by the manufacturer. It seem .
“can you purchase this bulb and use your spectrophotometer to run a spectrum scan at 12 inch and 15 inch, like you did in this article?”
I forgot something: since more power means less sensitivity when the sweet spot is found (a topic I discussed in an earlier post), the best bulb to test is the 160W model (the most powerful one. There is also a 100W and an 80W model).
I looked at the UV index map published by the manufacturer for the 160W bulb, and I’m having second thoughts. Look at it, and you`ll notice that the sweet spot to get an UV index of 7 is quite narrow, so tiny movements can easily get you in the danger zone.
Therefore, to use these bulbs safely would require using a number of them (4 or 6, maybe 8), and some optical tweaking with reflectors (to channel the light along a straight path), in order to get a flatter UV output at a distance where small movements don’t put you at risk, and where a wider area of your body could be exposed to a useful light intensity.
The good news is that they have a 160W model, so that’s plenty of power to redirect, and for those willing to put the efforts the end result might be superior to that of the DIY build (dependiong on the spectrum characteristic).
The downside is that this is a non trivial endeavor, and a Solarmeter 6.5 (an expensive piece of equipment) would be needed to verify that everything is ok.
A tube shaped light source like the one used in the DIY build greatly simplifies the optical challenges of such a project, so for people that just want something that works out of the box, 48″ inch tubes are hard to beat. Just buy a standard fixture, and voilà!