I need info about neon tube light output

[rachel kingsley]

I make neon for signs. I am thinking about making my nice landlady a light to combat her problem with seasonal affective disorder. Do any of you geniuses know if the coated tubing made by EGL can produce light similar to a Sun-a-lux tube with output range between 420-480nm (and what is an nm anyway?) blue light color in a 10,000 lux bulb? The EGL website claims that their CL Designer 83 has an output of 8300 degrees kelvin and 245 lumens per foot. Would that do the trick, do you think? Does the spectrum matter too?
Any help you could provide would be most appreciated.
thanks!
Rachel

 

[StarHalo]

I'm not a neon guy, but I'd think that someone with Seasonal Affective Disorder would want warm light rather than cold (low kelvin rating rather than high - an 8300 kelvin light source is quite blue, a very cold and clinical looking light similar to a garage workshop fluorescent, not very welcoming.)

The "nm" you refer to is nanometers, which is a measure of light wavelength, or what we know as color (read more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visible_spectrum ). ~450nm is way down at the blue end of the scale, so the light you're describing is blue.

Just my own uneducated guess, but I'd only use a blue room light for parties or sleeping.. For someone who needs natural light, I'd go with a warm white color with a tint no higher than 3500 kelvin, though I can't say I've ever seen a "warm" neon light.

 

[rachel kingsley]

Hi, thanks for responding so quick! I don't see how a blue light would make you feel better either. EGL has white tubes that are 2400 degree kelvin. What color would you think those are?
thanks again for your help!
Rachel:candle:

 

[qwertyydude]

It's actually spectrum and strength dependent, s.a.d. and jet lag are both treated with light, but it must be close in spectrum to noon day light since that's what tends to reset the circadian rhythm the best. Also some ultraviolet tends to help but pure white light tends to give the majority of results, ultraviolet just helps the bod produce vitamin d, which a normal diet shouldn't lack for anyways.

 

[StarHalo]

EGL has white tubes that are 2400 degree kelvin. What color would you think those are?

Kelvin, or color temperature, refers to the "tint" of a light, not the full color of the light itself. A cheap household light bulb has a "warm" light that's usually around 2700K, while a fluorescent garage worklight is "cool" at around 6000K. A simple chart illustrates this nicely: http://www.mediacollege.com/lighting/colour/colour-temperature.html

So a 2400K light (which again describes only the "tint", not the color) would be very warm, similar to a chandelier light bulb or ambient light at sunset. Not ideal for bright/"sunny" light, but closer to natural than the aforementioned 8400K.

 

[snakebite]

can you get "950" phosphored tubing?
neon really isnt the way to go here.
i helped build s.a.d lightboxes and ours are 2'x2' boxes with a mirror under 8 phillips 950 t8 tubes.
98 cri.
closest you will come to noonday sun without going outside.
btw we wired these up to double the current while using 2 tubes in series.we used 2 tube instant start sylvania ballasts.
4 in total for 8 tubes.
the tubes are inexpensive compared to the same tube relabled,hyped up with B.S and technobabble,at a 10x markup these socalled "full spectrum" dealers apply.
the phillips tubes you want are f17t8/950.

 

[jrmcferren]

can you get "950" phosphored tubing?
neon really isnt the way to go here.
i helped build s.a.d lightboxes and ours are 2'x2' boxes with a mirror under 8 phillips 950 t8 tubes.
98 cri.
closest you will come to noonday sun without going outside.
btw we wired these up to double the current while using 2 tubes in series.we used 2 tube instant start sylvania ballasts.
4 in total for 8 tubes.
the tubes are inexpensive compared to the same tube relabled,hyped up with B.S and technobabble,at a 10x markup these socalled "full spectrum" dealers apply.
the phillips tubes you want are f17t8/950.

Also another fluorescent alternative is a GE Sunshine tube. The CRI is only 90 and I don't know if that would help. The code for a 15 Watt 18 inch sunshine tube is F15T8/SUN, however if you have access to commercial lighting from GE F15T8/C50 (Chroma 50) is the exact same tube and is the actual code printed on the tube. The Chroma 50 (and other versions) are the halophosphate type version.

 

[Ken_McE]

I make neon for signs.

:welcome: Got any pictures??

I am thinking about making my nice landlady a light to combat her problem with seasonal affective disorder.

You will be the first person I know of to make a neon SAD light. I like the project.

Do any of you... know if the coated tubing made by EGL can produce light similar to a Sun-a-lux tube

Are you able to post spectrums for both of these items? The eye is complicated and quirky, things that are very different can look similar to the eye. A spectrum will bring out the truth.

with output range between 420-480nm

As stated by Starhalo, 420 ~ 480 nm is purple shading into blue.

blue light color in a 10,000 lux bulb?

I don't really work in lux. Can you tell me your desired output in lumens?

The EGL website claims that their CL Designer 83 has an output of 8300 degrees kelvin and 245 lumens per foot.

A bluish white. From looking at the site I am willing to accept those figures as true and accurate.

Would that do the trick, do you think?

There is a problem here in that you need a clear idea of what it is you're trying to build, and I don't think you have one. You need to know how much light you are trying to produce, what color(s) you are after, and what spectral distribution you are after. You can certainly build a nice light, my concern is if you can produce an effective SAD light by guessing.

For example, if you know how many lumens you want for your total output you can figure out how many feet of EGL tube you will need to generate that much light, that will give you a minimum cost for the project and minimum size for the completed work. If you know the spectral distribution you are after, and compare that with the spectral output of neon tubes you will then know if you have a good match between the raw materials and the desired output.

I'm curious about what form the project will take. If you are thinking wall-mounted or ceiling-hung then I think you should mount it on a mirrored background to keep output high. If you are thinking free-standing like a light fixture or sculpture no mirror is needed. A nice thing about neon is that you can get artistic with it.

Does the spectrum matter too?

My off hand recollection is that the spectrum is critical, that what you are doing is supplementing real sunlight with your own artificial sunlight.