Tanning with LEDs?

NightShift · #1 09-15-2003, 07:08 PM

Do such LEDs exist? ...if you had a big enough array of them?

Steelwolf · #2 09-15-2003, 08:58 PM

What's the point? At this time, the efficiency of UV LEDs is no where near as good as mecury vapour tubes, and because the UV degrades standard epoxy, the encapsulation has to be made with glass for any decent life, which means that it can't really fit in with current volume production which turns out epoxy encapsulated LEDs, which results in increased costs for the glass stuff or reduced life for the standard epoxy stuff.

To get the output of just one mercury vapour tube would probably mean a hundred UV LEDs and each LED would cost as much as one tube. So unless you're looking for a low powered, battery operated, shock resistant, hand-held tanning device, it just wouldn't make sense to use LEDs. Not yet anyway.

RevDavid · #3 09-15-2003, 11:25 PM

Then again, you could use very small UV leds in direct contact with the skin to create artificial freckles. Or would they be real freckles? Who knows? It could be the next big thing with college students.

David <><

IsaacHayes · #4 09-16-2003, 10:21 AM

you could make a UV tanning wand flashlight so you could tan under and in hard to reach uhm, areas? [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif[/img]

Maybe a bad idea.... hehehe I'm sure someone would buy it though!

NightShift · #5 10-01-2003, 08:24 PM

[ QUOTE ]
IsaacHayes said:
you could make a UV tanning wand flashlight so you could tan under and in hard to reach uhm, areas? [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif[/img]

Maybe a bad idea.... hehehe I'm sure someone would buy it though!

[/ QUOTE ]

Well actually thats kinda what i meant...not like a big booth of LEDs, like just an area tanner like for your face. Im just wondering would it work with regular UV LEDs?