GoodKarma19
Chameleon Enthusiast
Saw this interesting post on FB by Dr. Fran Baines, and thought I'd cross post. I currently use a SunBlaster fixture, and I'm very concerned! Anyone running a SunBlaster have a SolarMeter? Mine's last year's model.
PSA: (New) SunBlaster Reflectors Absorbing UVB!!
- Thread starter GoodKarma19
- Start date
Molly1443
Established Member
Thank you for posting this
! I did test all my uvb last week but it was with the solarmeter 6.2 I believe (the green one) and my 36’’ sunblaster with an arcadia 12% uvb did produce a nice amount of uvb, like they should. My sunblaster model is this one
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GoodKarma19
Chameleon Enthusiast
Thank you for posting this
I did test all my uvb last week but it was with the solarmeter 6.2 I believe (the green one) and my 36’’ sunblaster with an arcadia 12% uvb did produce a nice amount of uvb, like they should. My sunblaster model is this one
Thank you! What readings were you getting at 6-8" with the 12%, if I may ask? I run 6% in both of mine, so I'll be getting substantially lower readings to begin with.
cyberlocc
Chameleon Enthusiast
Are these "Testers" not removing the Plastic Film protector that is found on the Reflector?
Sunblaster doesn't make the reflector, a Chinese maker does, UVB lights are used in Commercial big money growing too, that Sunblaster markets too, so I feel like there is something else going on here.
I wonder if anyone has reached out to Sunblaster to ask? My newest one, is no different from the others, and has no lacquer coating. It did have a protective film that needed to be taken off.
@GoodKarma19 you can check, she also posted this.
"Good question. Quinn Harris has been making charts and different brands do throw the light in different ways. But regarding these, all we can suggest is that if you have a UV meter, test your Sunblaster fixture with and without the reflector in place, at the same distance away. The reflector should approximately double the reading at that distance.
If you have both older and new Sunblasters, test both using the same UVB tube in them, at the same distance. How do they compare? "
I dont understand, how only Sunblaster is affected, they dont make this fixture, a Chinese company does. If Sunblaster is affected, I dont see how VE, Hydrofarms Jumpstart, Arcadias new fixture (which from EU pricing is going to be overpriced, most likely) are all made by the same supplier.
Unless this is a change Sunblaster asked for, I dont see how this is possible. I reached out to Sunblaster, to find out though.
Sunblaster doesn't make the reflector, a Chinese maker does, UVB lights are used in Commercial big money growing too, that Sunblaster markets too, so I feel like there is something else going on here.
I wonder if anyone has reached out to Sunblaster to ask? My newest one, is no different from the others, and has no lacquer coating. It did have a protective film that needed to be taken off.
@GoodKarma19 you can check, she also posted this.
"Good question. Quinn Harris has been making charts and different brands do throw the light in different ways. But regarding these, all we can suggest is that if you have a UV meter, test your Sunblaster fixture with and without the reflector in place, at the same distance away. The reflector should approximately double the reading at that distance.
If you have both older and new Sunblasters, test both using the same UVB tube in them, at the same distance. How do they compare? "
I dont understand, how only Sunblaster is affected, they dont make this fixture, a Chinese company does. If Sunblaster is affected, I dont see how VE, Hydrofarms Jumpstart, Arcadias new fixture (which from EU pricing is going to be overpriced, most likely) are all made by the same supplier.
Unless this is a change Sunblaster asked for, I dont see how this is possible. I reached out to Sunblaster, to find out though.
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Molly1443
Established Member
At 6’’ I get 120 uW
At 12’’ I get 80 uW
This tube is runing 12 hours a day since july 2019.
GoodKarma19
Chameleon Enthusiast
SunBlaster was acquired by another company as I understand, and they may have changed the supplier for the reflectors. Apparently instead of aluminum, they're using some sort of alternative, and it's messing up UVB readings. I'll see if I can find additional quotes on the matter when i have the time.
cyberlocc
Chameleon Enthusiast
Hmm I didn't see that Sunblaster had changed hands.
I'm in that group, I have read it
. And commented on it .So sunblaster, does not make that fixture, nor the reflector. A Chinese company, called "Sheuzan Sunlight Lighting company" makes the that fixture.
They then sell it, as a Manufacturer. Which means they have a MOQ, of 100+ fixtures. If you are to be a large buyer. Such as a company trying to sell the product as your own. For a small fee, they will screen print, on whatever you want them too. They also also, sometimes make small alterations at your request. Hydrofarms Jump-starts are that greenish/brown color. The reflector is larger.
However usually, if they make your alteration, they will add it to the catalog. As they setup the tooling to do so, they will do so for others as well.
If you wanted to right now, you could buy 100 of these fixtures, in any size, either silver or greenish colored, with either sunblaster style or jumpstart style reflectors.
Buy enough, they will screen print and make a box to your specifications, with your printing even. So you can be like sunblaster, hydrofarms, VE, Biodude, Arcadia, ect. And sell these fixtures as your own product.
None of those companies, no matter what they try and say make anything. They do not have the money, or the size to produce their own products. They rely on the "Made in China" world. They are middle men, who make a cut off retailing and branding the product that is made in China.
I'm not trying to throw shade on anyone. So I am not going to tell you what the fixtures cost. Or some other fun facts and fun products this company makes, that your paying through the nose for, because it had a brand name screen printed on it.
Anyway, point in hand. We don't know, why this is happening or honestly if it even is. There may be something else going on here. As of right now, we have a few people behind this claim, only a couple. We are not sure how widespread it, if it is intentional, or how it will play out.
This only seems to be affecting a couple people with fixtures bought in the last month. There seems to be a varnish like coating on the reflectors material, it's not a different reflector, just some type of coating or film on the material. We will have to wait and see, recourse. We may be able to flip that metal sheet as a fix. More testing and more people getting this version will be needed to be sure, or to know where to go from here.
I have reached out to sunblaster, about this issue, as have some others. So hopefully we will know something in the coming days.
If Sunblaster, has indeed requested this change, then we will surely be able to find another brand name that sells the same reflector with out it. As Sunblaster will have to request this for their own lights.
If this change was manufacturer wide, that will present a bigger problem as Arcadia, no matter how much they want to try and deny it, are using the same company. I know Bill said, that John said that isn't the case. However the same company makes the JD spot, and there is no difference between Arcadias and Direct from China's. So I highly doubt that. However that one is chicken/egg. Fun Fact though, the same company is also now selling the JD jungle bars.
cyberlocc
Chameleon Enthusiast
Ya probably, but easier to flip the material, most likely. People are checking into that. I will if they don't soon.
It seems they have added a scratch proof laquer like material to the Alu reflector on the new one. So they likely didn't do so to both sides.
GoodKarma19
Chameleon Enthusiast
To be honest, I don't have a particularly strong grasp on the subject or the nitty gritty of this current situation (or even if it is, in fact, a situation). Just thought I'd cross post to CF for those that don't have/use FB, or aren't part of the relevant groups.
All the more reason to acquire a SolarMeter, I guess!
All the more reason to acquire a SolarMeter, I guess!
cyberlocc
Chameleon Enthusiast
Definitely is!
Also, as it may appear as I don't from that last post. I 100% trust Fran would not lead us wrong. I do question the source of the data, as we don't know who they are.
Also I actually didn't know about this till you posted it here, and I am in the group lol. Thanks for posting this, it's a seriously important thing!
I would recommend, not purchasing Sunblasters, for now. If you have one, that was very recently bought, I would check the surface, there may be a way to tell, hopefully and some photos on the way Hopefully!
With some more knowledge of the situation.
GoodKarma19
Chameleon Enthusiast
No worries! I'm interested to see the situation develop. I'll keep an eye out and post relevant updates here if I see them, just in case. Hopefully we have more news and sources soon!
nightanole
Chameleon Enthusiast
Hmm I didn't see that Sunblaster had changed hands.
I'm in that group, I have read it
So sunblaster, does not make that fixture, nor the reflector. A Chinese company, called "Sheuzan Sunlight Lighting company" makes the that fixture.
They then sell it, as a Manufacturer. Which means they have a MOQ, of 100+ fixtures. If you are to be a large buyer. Such as a company trying to sell the product as your own. For a small fee, they will screen print, on whatever you want them too. They also also, sometimes make small alterations at your request. Hydrofarms Jump-starts are that greenish/brown color. The reflector is larger.
However usually, if they make your alteration, they will add it to the catalog. As they setup the tooling to do so, they will do so for others as well.
If you wanted to right now, you could buy 100 of these fixtures, in any size, either silver or greenish colored, with either sunblaster style or jumpstart style reflectors.
Buy enough, they will screen print and make a box to your specifications, with your printing even. So you can be like sunblaster, hydrofarms, VE, Biodude, Arcadia, ect. And sell these fixtures as your own product.
None of those companies, no matter what they try and say make anything. They do not have the money, or the size to produce their own products. They rely on the "Made in China" world. They are middle men, who make a cut off retailing and branding the product that is made in China.
I'm not trying to throw shade on anyone. So I am not going to tell you what the fixtures cost. Or some other fun facts and fun products this company makes, that your paying through the nose for, because it had a brand name screen printed on it.
Anyway, point in hand. We don't know, why this is happening or honestly if it even is. There may be something else going on here. As of right now, we have a few people behind this claim, only a couple. We are not sure how widespread it, if it is intentional, or how it will play out.
This only seems to be affecting a couple people with fixtures bought in the last month. There seems to be a varnish like coating on the reflectors material, it's not a different reflector, just some type of coating or film on the material. We will have to wait and see, recourse. We may be able to flip that metal sheet as a fix. More testing and more people getting this version will be needed to be sure, or to know where to go from here.
I have reached out to sunblaster, about this issue, as have some others. So hopefully we will know something in the coming days.
If Sunblaster, has indeed requested this change, then we will surely be able to find another brand name that sells the same reflector with out it. As Sunblaster will have to request this for their own lights.
If this change was manufacturer wide, that will present a bigger problem as Arcadia, no matter how much they want to try and deny it, are using the same company. I know Bill said, that John said that isn't the case. However the same company makes the JD spot, and there is no difference between Arcadias and Direct from China's. So I highly doubt that. However that one is chicken/egg. Fun Fact though, the same company is also now selling the JD jungle bars.
Specification can change without notice. It just has to perform to customer specs. My company got nickel plated cubes, that we have to solder a grounding wire to. A new batch came in, the finish was immaculate, incoming inspection raved about it. The only way we could get the ground wire to stick was using acid core from home depot...
But if there is a new varnish ( assume may the aluminum polish machine was not as fast as just treating the raw material with a mylar film, or maybe sunglass tech?) It would have to bounce through the coating twice before it went out into the world.
Reptofreak
Chameleon Enthusiast
Very interesting, guess I’m going to have to finally break down and buy a solar meter this week. My sunblasters are older so I doubt they have the issue, that said I don’t like leaving anything in question when it comes to my animals.
cyberlocc
Chameleon Enthusiast
Alright folks, we have a semi update.
I spoke with Sunblaster, there was NO change according to them. They said they have not changed Manufacturers and there was no change to their knowledge. They did say they would look further into it, they have been being asked this alot. However with the virus, it may be awhile before they hear back, they are not even receiving product atm ect.
There is another new post:
"IMPORTANT NEWS: SUNBLASTER REFLECTORS
We are just compiling evidence that Sunblaster fixtures (designed for horticulture, not reptiles - so no interest in UVB) have recently been obtained by the company from a different Chinese supplier which is coating their reflective aluminium surface with a varnish of some sort to keep them "shiny"; but it absorbs UVB, and hardly reflects it at all.... so this brand of reflector is now useless for us.
I've been in contact with several people. John Courteney-Smith from Arcadia says that he has learned that Sunblaster changed manufacturers from a Chinese company they use, which sells a lot of reflectors that use uncoated aluminium, (which reflects UVB extremely well) to another Chinese company which applies a protective transparent layer, possibly silica, which keeps the reflector very shiny for longer - but which absorbs all the UVB, so the new Sunblasters (manufactured since mid-2019) do not increase the UVB from our T5-HO tubes at all.
We do not know whether any other T5-HO fixtures intended for plants are affected. We do know that Arcadia fixtures are NOT affected.
HOW TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE
If you have a UV meter, it is really easy. Take a UV reading at any sensible distance from the tube. Say, 12" away. Then turn the fixture off, take out the lamp, remove the reflector. Replace the tube and turn it on. Let it warm up then take a reading from the exact same distance you did before.
If the result is the same, or nearly the same, you have a useless reflector.
A good T5-HO reflector will at least double the output, some of them nearly treble it (depends on the brand because reflector shapes differ with brand.)
If you do NOT have a meter, try this:
Brandon Earnest has spotted an observable difference between his old and new Sunblasters. He writes:
"I've been able to spot a visual difference between the working and nonworking reflector thanks to Alan at Sunblaster. He mentioned something about longitudinal lines on the reflective surface. However I don't remember if he said he remembers they've always looked like that, or if he was making a comment about recently noticing that...
Either way, I will attach two pictures. One is a picture of a good reflector, and another a bad reflector.
The bad reflector has those longitudinal lines he was talking about, and has a much clearer reflection (or mirroring effect) when compared to the working one.
The working one doesn't have those longitudinal lines, and instead has what I would call a fine orange peel texture look to it. It also doesn't mirror an image as clear as the non working one.
This is evident in the pictures I took of the two. Working one mirrors slightly distorted (from the apparent orange peel look) as is evident in the ceiling lamp above the reflector being mirrored. The bad reflector mirrors it more clearly." " - Fran Baines
My thoughts and findings:
So this new update post is very confusing to me. We keep hearing about how there is a new coating that is effecting the lights ablility to reflect UVB.
However the pictures above, show a coated side as working. "Orange Peel" is a result of a painted finish, or one that has been coated, not one that is bare. So I took to my sunblaster (older and verified to work). And looked at the surface.
The side that was exposed to the bulb, did have a sort of Brush lines and orange peel effect to it. Like water spotting in lines. It appear to be a coating/ paint there.
I removed the reflector material, and flipped it over. This side is more bare, more shiny, clearer mirror image. And scratches if you look at it wrong, litteraly wiping it with my grainy shirt material to clean the finger prints, scratched it like crazy.
The picture of the non working material seemingly possesses these scratches.
So I had the idea, that maybe this issue is not the material being different, but rather being backwards. That provided a new important aspect.
Folks had tested this for me (I don't have access to a meter atm as I use a friend's) and they found yes. The Laquer Side that came stock out on theirs worked fine. Flipping it over to the bare material side, however causes an issue.
Let's get something out of the way, this is NOT metal. It's a piece of some type of acetate plastic, with a mirror film, or mirror paint on it. When out, it's even transparent in the light it darkens objects but is transparent. Like window tint, that is mirrored.
Wait, another incident?:
Someone in the comments, linked to a past issue that happened in January. That post not only speaks of a similar issue, a similar coating vs non coated, with more testing on it. However from the comments of the new one, and that Post we now know, this is not a sunblaster issue!
This issue has now been seen in a Jumpstart (Hydrofarm Fixture) and the first post about the issue (Receiving a reflector that was in backwards) was an Arcadia Fixture. I'm not sure, what is up with John Courtney Smith's comments in the new update article. Not only did sunblaster not change companies, they have told me. They dont and never have used Aluminium and neither does Arcadia, nor any of the others. All of these companies getting this Chinese fixture, are getting a acetate with a mirror film, however there may be some truth to his scratch coating idea we will come back to that.
This video shows the difference when the material is flipped, proving the case. This DOES NOT only apply to Sunblasters. This is an Arcadia fixture in the Video!
To be fair, the Arcadia is more dangerous than the Sunblaster. Why you ask? Because there is no scratch proof coating on the Arcadia, that is why is able to easily scratch off the coating, He mentions that in the posts. He said the Sunblaster is much much harder to get the coating to scratch off of, however you can. The orange peel effect that is present with the Sunblaster, however is a visual clue, that is pretty obvious when you have seen both sides in person. the Arcadia, finish is more smooth, and literally Impossible to tell, unless you scratch at it. Same Applies to the Hydrofarm, and likely the VE version.
The Sunblaster is the only one that implores the scratch proof coating. Said coating gives us a clue, to which side is right, and also protects that thin reflection material, from being scratched off. The coating, as evidenced by Frans Orange Peel comment is not an issue at all, as this panic has made it out to be.
After seeing this info, from January and that video, I am still perplexed how all this has evolved this far. Its fairly obvious the issue is the same. Folks thinking its not, are writing Fran, flipping their material around in January thinking it was wrong, Arcadia is making strange comments about Sunblaster, which is causing a huge mess, that was never needed. The scratch proof coating that Arcadia keeps talking about is not and never was the problem. Hints when their fixture too has the issue, and was actually the first one to have the issue brought up.
All those with a meter, and a few mins. Give it a shot, with your Arcadia/Jumpstart/Vivarium Electronics/Biodude/Sunblaster ect fixture. Flip that material and see for yourself.
This is a serious issue, for folks with no meter. We have to push the scratch test with these fixtures from here on out, if folks don't have a meter.
I spoke with Sunblaster, there was NO change according to them. They said they have not changed Manufacturers and there was no change to their knowledge. They did say they would look further into it, they have been being asked this alot. However with the virus, it may be awhile before they hear back, they are not even receiving product atm ect.
There is another new post:
"IMPORTANT NEWS: SUNBLASTER REFLECTORS
We are just compiling evidence that Sunblaster fixtures (designed for horticulture, not reptiles - so no interest in UVB) have recently been obtained by the company from a different Chinese supplier which is coating their reflective aluminium surface with a varnish of some sort to keep them "shiny"; but it absorbs UVB, and hardly reflects it at all.... so this brand of reflector is now useless for us.
I've been in contact with several people. John Courteney-Smith from Arcadia says that he has learned that Sunblaster changed manufacturers from a Chinese company they use, which sells a lot of reflectors that use uncoated aluminium, (which reflects UVB extremely well) to another Chinese company which applies a protective transparent layer, possibly silica, which keeps the reflector very shiny for longer - but which absorbs all the UVB, so the new Sunblasters (manufactured since mid-2019) do not increase the UVB from our T5-HO tubes at all.
We do not know whether any other T5-HO fixtures intended for plants are affected. We do know that Arcadia fixtures are NOT affected.
HOW TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE
If you have a UV meter, it is really easy. Take a UV reading at any sensible distance from the tube. Say, 12" away. Then turn the fixture off, take out the lamp, remove the reflector. Replace the tube and turn it on. Let it warm up then take a reading from the exact same distance you did before.
If the result is the same, or nearly the same, you have a useless reflector.
A good T5-HO reflector will at least double the output, some of them nearly treble it (depends on the brand because reflector shapes differ with brand.)
If you do NOT have a meter, try this:
Brandon Earnest has spotted an observable difference between his old and new Sunblasters. He writes:
"I've been able to spot a visual difference between the working and nonworking reflector thanks to Alan at Sunblaster. He mentioned something about longitudinal lines on the reflective surface. However I don't remember if he said he remembers they've always looked like that, or if he was making a comment about recently noticing that...
Either way, I will attach two pictures. One is a picture of a good reflector, and another a bad reflector.
The bad reflector has those longitudinal lines he was talking about, and has a much clearer reflection (or mirroring effect) when compared to the working one.
The working one doesn't have those longitudinal lines, and instead has what I would call a fine orange peel texture look to it. It also doesn't mirror an image as clear as the non working one.
This is evident in the pictures I took of the two. Working one mirrors slightly distorted (from the apparent orange peel look) as is evident in the ceiling lamp above the reflector being mirrored. The bad reflector mirrors it more clearly." " - Fran Baines
My thoughts and findings:
So this new update post is very confusing to me. We keep hearing about how there is a new coating that is effecting the lights ablility to reflect UVB.
However the pictures above, show a coated side as working. "Orange Peel" is a result of a painted finish, or one that has been coated, not one that is bare. So I took to my sunblaster (older and verified to work). And looked at the surface.
The side that was exposed to the bulb, did have a sort of Brush lines and orange peel effect to it. Like water spotting in lines. It appear to be a coating/ paint there.
I removed the reflector material, and flipped it over. This side is more bare, more shiny, clearer mirror image. And scratches if you look at it wrong, litteraly wiping it with my grainy shirt material to clean the finger prints, scratched it like crazy.
The picture of the non working material seemingly possesses these scratches.
So I had the idea, that maybe this issue is not the material being different, but rather being backwards. That provided a new important aspect.
Folks had tested this for me (I don't have access to a meter atm as I use a friend's) and they found yes. The Laquer Side that came stock out on theirs worked fine. Flipping it over to the bare material side, however causes an issue.
Let's get something out of the way, this is NOT metal. It's a piece of some type of acetate plastic, with a mirror film, or mirror paint on it. When out, it's even transparent in the light it darkens objects but is transparent. Like window tint, that is mirrored.
Wait, another incident?:
Someone in the comments, linked to a past issue that happened in January. That post not only speaks of a similar issue, a similar coating vs non coated, with more testing on it. However from the comments of the new one, and that Post we now know, this is not a sunblaster issue!
This issue has now been seen in a Jumpstart (Hydrofarm Fixture) and the first post about the issue (Receiving a reflector that was in backwards) was an Arcadia Fixture. I'm not sure, what is up with John Courtney Smith's comments in the new update article. Not only did sunblaster not change companies, they have told me. They dont and never have used Aluminium and neither does Arcadia, nor any of the others. All of these companies getting this Chinese fixture, are getting a acetate with a mirror film, however there may be some truth to his scratch coating idea we will come back to that.
This video shows the difference when the material is flipped, proving the case. This DOES NOT only apply to Sunblasters. This is an Arcadia fixture in the Video!
To be fair, the Arcadia is more dangerous than the Sunblaster. Why you ask? Because there is no scratch proof coating on the Arcadia, that is why is able to easily scratch off the coating, He mentions that in the posts. He said the Sunblaster is much much harder to get the coating to scratch off of, however you can. The orange peel effect that is present with the Sunblaster, however is a visual clue, that is pretty obvious when you have seen both sides in person. the Arcadia, finish is more smooth, and literally Impossible to tell, unless you scratch at it. Same Applies to the Hydrofarm, and likely the VE version.
The Sunblaster is the only one that implores the scratch proof coating. Said coating gives us a clue, to which side is right, and also protects that thin reflection material, from being scratched off. The coating, as evidenced by Frans Orange Peel comment is not an issue at all, as this panic has made it out to be.
After seeing this info, from January and that video, I am still perplexed how all this has evolved this far. Its fairly obvious the issue is the same. Folks thinking its not, are writing Fran, flipping their material around in January thinking it was wrong, Arcadia is making strange comments about Sunblaster, which is causing a huge mess, that was never needed. The scratch proof coating that Arcadia keeps talking about is not and never was the problem. Hints when their fixture too has the issue, and was actually the first one to have the issue brought up.
All those with a meter, and a few mins. Give it a shot, with your Arcadia/Jumpstart/Vivarium Electronics/Biodude/Sunblaster ect fixture. Flip that material and see for yourself.
This is a serious issue, for folks with no meter. We have to push the scratch test with these fixtures from here on out, if folks don't have a meter.
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nightanole
Chameleon Enthusiast
Is it just a piece of Mylar instead of aluminum?
Im wondering if its not a coating. Maybe 1 side is a first mirror (easy to scratch and does not go through plastic/glass before reflecting, and the other side is a "normal" mirror that the light has to go through the media and gets UVB reduced.
Im wondering if its not a coating. Maybe 1 side is a first mirror (easy to scratch and does not go through plastic/glass before reflecting, and the other side is a "normal" mirror that the light has to go through the media and gets UVB reduced.
cyberlocc
Chameleon Enthusiast
Yep.
Nope, watch the second video.
The stuff is litteraly, this.
It's mirror window tint, with a laquer coating to prevent the surface being scratched. When I was in college I worked a car wash in the detail shop. Put this stuff on car windows all the time, that stuff had an adhesive side, where the mirror film was, to prevent the "Film" from being scratched off.
Without super bright light, inside of the car, it will give the effect of a mirror, if it's dark outside, and the car is well lit, then the effect becomes a darkening tint.
Same stuff.
They could not put the mirror film, or paint on the inside as that causes the reflection to be lost when it comes to light the light would absorb into the plastic base material. So they applied a laquer to prevent scratching.
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cyberlocc
Chameleon Enthusiast
Honestly the biggest take away, of all of this. Is that we either need to find a new fixture we can suggest that possess a metal reflector.
Or we need to advocate buying meters.
I know that @DeremensisBlue was looking for a solution, that was going to just work. And be reliable, however it would seem that Sunblaster/Arcadia/Jumpstart/Vivarium Electronics are not it.
The possibility for the material to show up backwards, is now being found to happen in Arcadia, and Sunblasters and now a Jumpstart.
At the very least, folks are going to have to push the scratch test to everyone that buys these fixtures. To ensure their reflector is in correctly, if they cannot verify with a meter.
I do not know where the laquer being a problem idea is coming from. Fran, posted a video talking about PVD Reflectors, and mentioned their silica layers. Silica is glass, it can not be applied to a plastic material like this.
John Courtney Smith, said his material is different and that Sunblaster changed companies in 2019, and also broguth up the reflective layer.
I spoke with Sunblaster who stated nothing has changed and they use the same company. As you can see from the second video, Arcadia uses the exact same "Window Tint" reflector. So is at the same risk. They were actually the first ones to have the issue.
Short of a different fixture, with a proper PVD aluminum reflector, which costs substantially more, are only options are to ensure education about the materials.
Or we need to advocate buying meters.
I know that @DeremensisBlue was looking for a solution, that was going to just work. And be reliable, however it would seem that Sunblaster/Arcadia/Jumpstart/Vivarium Electronics are not it.
The possibility for the material to show up backwards, is now being found to happen in Arcadia, and Sunblasters and now a Jumpstart.
At the very least, folks are going to have to push the scratch test to everyone that buys these fixtures. To ensure their reflector is in correctly, if they cannot verify with a meter.
I do not know where the laquer being a problem idea is coming from. Fran, posted a video talking about PVD Reflectors, and mentioned their silica layers. Silica is glass, it can not be applied to a plastic material like this.
John Courtney Smith, said his material is different and that Sunblaster changed companies in 2019, and also broguth up the reflective layer.
I spoke with Sunblaster who stated nothing has changed and they use the same company. As you can see from the second video, Arcadia uses the exact same "Window Tint" reflector. So is at the same risk. They were actually the first ones to have the issue.
Short of a different fixture, with a proper PVD aluminum reflector, which costs substantially more, are only options are to ensure education about the materials.
cyberlocc
Chameleon Enthusiast
Actually ashamed to even say this. It feels dirty lol.
I do have a 12" (14 inch fixture) Zoomed fixture here. I had recently tore down, to see if I could stash an LDD driver in there to run LEDs in the dead space.
They do use a quality LEC ballast (very similar to sunblasters) however I had never messed with the refector.
Zoomed is actually using a real aluminum reflector. That appears to have a PVD coating. (Oxidation present on the back, not the front) it's fairly thick alu as well.
So a reliable option that will just work, does exist. It's a Zoomed.
Zoomed Reflector + Arcadia bulb, is looking like the safest most reliable bet tbh.
Bill, you might suggest to John, that he contracts through Zoomeds OEM for a new line of Arcadia T5 Ballasts. The current model, is just not trustable for general sale IMO.
Sure it's fine for people who see this post, know about he scratch test, or have a meter. For others though, it's just not reliable enough, with these issues present. Unless he has them change the design to having both sides coated, and removes all old stock from the market. And that is verified.
Zoomeds reflector being metal, it cannot be installed backwards. It's also very easy to visualize the correct side from the not. As the back is oxidized.
I do have a 12" (14 inch fixture) Zoomed fixture here. I had recently tore down, to see if I could stash an LDD driver in there to run LEDs in the dead space.
They do use a quality LEC ballast (very similar to sunblasters) however I had never messed with the refector.
Zoomed is actually using a real aluminum reflector. That appears to have a PVD coating. (Oxidation present on the back, not the front) it's fairly thick alu as well.
So a reliable option that will just work, does exist. It's a Zoomed.
Zoomed Reflector + Arcadia bulb, is looking like the safest most reliable bet tbh.
Bill, you might suggest to John, that he contracts through Zoomeds OEM for a new line of Arcadia T5 Ballasts. The current model, is just not trustable for general sale IMO.
Sure it's fine for people who see this post, know about he scratch test, or have a meter. For others though, it's just not reliable enough, with these issues present. Unless he has them change the design to having both sides coated, and removes all old stock from the market. And that is verified.
Zoomeds reflector being metal, it cannot be installed backwards. It's also very easy to visualize the correct side from the not. As the back is oxidized.
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