UVB output

[mlafort2]

so I bought 2 mini compact zoo med 5.0 UVB bulbs and one 18 inch 5.0 tube for my 36x18x36 inch cage for my panther chameleon. I have been using the bulbs for about 3 weeks. I recently bought the UV checker from Amazon ($25) to check the UVB in my cage. It so happened that all the bulbs are reading zero if you go more than an inch from the bulb and when I go as close as 1/4 inch I still get very low readings... Maybe 1 or 2 and that is from all 3 bulbs. I don't know if I have bad bulbs or the device is bad/not accurate. These numbers I mentions are NOT through the screen top. If I use the meter under the screen top no matter how close I get I get a zero reading. I am not sure what to think.

 

[ChameLIonLover]

I'm not sure if you can trust a $25 UVB meter. The reliable solarmeters start at around $200. I just make sure to change the bulb out every year (for arcadia bulbs... the 5.0 UVB bulbs that you get at places like PetCo aren't quite as long lasting or powerful).

I've found (as well as anybody else who uses arcadia from lightyourreptiles.com) that the arcadia bulbs are top notch and put out a lot more light than the reptisun fixtures. Although, I did have a dome fixture before and not a tube, which I'm sure would make a difference.

If you have 3 of those 5.0 bulbs, I probably wouldn't worry about it personally, but it's always better to be safe than sorry.

 

[trickedoutbiker]

Very odd indeed. I would tell them the UV device is defective and get a new one and check em again. Or go with a different brand that is a lil more pricey - but in this world, you tend to pay for what you get. The device should DEFF NOT be reading low levels after three weeks on all three bulbs. If it was just one bulb, I might assume that the bulb is the culprit. But you said all three bulbs are reading very low or at zero.... so I'm gonna take a wild guess and say that the UV checker is defective. Now when you say "UV Checker" do you mean those little pieces of paper that check UV or are you talking about a Solarmeter here? Did it had ANY good reviews on it on Amazon?

 

[gotwqqd]

Just something to know

The intensity of bulb will be the square of the inverse of the distance

So if you double the distance you will get 1/4 the effect
Triple the distance 1/9th

 

[Vanjan]

If you have something like this:
http://r.ebay.com/HLLiLj
Well that is not useful at all.

I have this one from ebay:
http://r.ebay.com/8gRWhI
This is a little bit better. Problem is that it measures UVA&UVB together. So when you put it under a "normal" household bulb it will show some uW/cmˇ2.
This can be used to compare UV bulbs: turn off other light sources and check them from same distance.
Or you can use it to measure the decrease in UV output: measure at first day of operation and then check same bulb, same distance after couple of months.

Check out this page:
http://www.uvguide.co.uk/
huge amount of useful info about UV and reptiles. My favorite is the shed skin test: http://www.uvguide.co.uk/skintests.htm

 

[Venutus1]

so I bought 2 mini compact zoo med 5.0 UVB bulbs and one 18 inch 5.0 tube for my 36x18x36 inch cage for my panther chameleon. I have been using the bulbs for about 3 weeks. I recently bought the UV checker from Amazon ($25) to check the UVB in my cage. It so happened that all the bulbs are reading zero if you go more than an inch from the bulb and when I go as close as 1/4 inch I still get very low readings... Maybe 1 or 2 and that is from all 3 bulbs. I don't know if I have bad bulbs or the device is bad/not accurate. These numbers I mentions are NOT through the screen top. If I use the meter under the screen top no matter how close I get I get a zero reading. I am not sure what to think.

I am sorry because we could have saved you 25.00.
Those UV meters absolutely do not work.
The only UV meter for less than thousands of dollars that works are Solarmeters 6.2 and 6.5.

You may want to watch this in terms of using CFL bulbs, note the projection....


Cheers.
Todd

 

[trickedoutbiker]

I am sorry because we could have saved you 25.00.
Those UV meters absolutely do not work.
The only UV meter for less than thousands of dollars that works are Solarmeters 6.2 and 6.5.

Well there you go, from the master of lighting himself. I think that answers all questions.