S.A.D LIGHT.. I wanna make one..

[fire-stick]

I want to build a SAD light..

Does anyone know what bulbs I should use..

The website i read said that 10,000 lux and daylight color temp were needed to in a sad light..

What bulb/bulbs should i use to reproduce this..

thanks

fire-stick

 

[Ken_McE]

>Does anyone know what bulbs I should use..

Which technologies do you like?

>The website i read said that 10,000 lux

What's this in lumens?

>and daylight color temp

Doable.

 

[fire-stick]

Which technologies do you like?
I really like the compact fluorescent lamps.. To me it would just be more simple to have this as kind of a desk lamp type set up and not make it too big..

What's this in lumens?
Well lux is the intensity of the output.. If a million lumens had an intensity of 10,000 lux it would be a super huge flood light but if that same 10,000 lux only had 50 lumens it would be like a laser..

Here is a good way to explain it..

http://www.flashlightreviews.com/features/lux.htm

as far as lumens go tho, im gonna shoot for around 4000 (say a 60w CFL?)

and daylight color temp
5000K-5500K I hear is pretty good to shoot for.. it's like sun at noon

I seen some sad lights online.. some costing as much as 400 bux.. talk about sad..

my main concern is that alot of these lights had UV filters on them.. is there any way i could filter a desk lamp for uv.. (short of slapping on some sunglasses) hehehe

 

[Ken_McE]

4,000 lumens is two four-foot fluorescent tubes, so that's doable. However you want small, so four foot tubes are out. I see two paths.

1.) get a few CFLs and a multi-bulb fixture. Screw them in and you're done, at least for brightness. I don't know if they make high CRI CFLs. This could be a problem. Thread about high cri cfls:

http://www.dvinfo.net//conf/showthread.php?t=79463

2.) Pick up a multiple MR-16 light fixture and get some of the Solux high CRI MR-16 bulbs. This is powerful and simple. The waste heat from the bulbs is useful around the house in the winter anyhow.

Regarding UV, you might want a touch of near UV as part of the treatment, since you're simulating sunlight. If not, try doing a search on "Rosco UV Gel Filter" The Rosco people make theatrical lighting gels. The product looks like a flexible sheet of plastic and you can cut them with a scissors and fit them to whatever you get.

 

[BVH]

Yes, they make hi-cri cfls. IIRC about 91 or 92 CRI. When I have time tonight, I'll find the website I bought them from. Took quite a bit of searching about a year ago.

 

[BVH]

Here ya go. 98 CRI!

www.truesun.com/truesunonline_full_spectrum_light_catalog.pdf

 

[blasterman]

It's funny, but depending on who you listen to there seem to be two different camps regarding the causes and treatment of Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D). Some say it's caused by a lack of white/blue light on legs and arms during the winter. Others say it's strictly limited to the amount, or lack of intense light reaching the eye during the winter.

If you want a full spectrum desk lamp that actually looks decent, easiest thing to do is get a bankers lamp and stuff the biggest, high CRI CFL into it that will fit.

5000K-5500K I hear is pretty good to shoot for.. it's like sun at noon

*Only* if it's high CRI. Being forced to sit in front of a cheap, 5000k CFL all day would make we *want* to commit suicide, not feel better. :shakehead

 

[BVH]

I have two identical banker's desk lamps. One runs the high CRI, 5500K lamp I linked above, the other, a Sylvania "full spectrum" cfl with a color temp of 3300K. Interestingly, I get a much greater feeling of warmth and happiness when using the Sylvania equipped lamp. The High CRI, high temp lamp is much too stark white.

 

[blasterman]

Ditto.

I *HAD* a bankers lamp with a 30watt, 3500K CFL in it until the VP of marketing walked by one day I was out and 'confiscated it' because he liked the light quality so much. I got a case of wine out of the deal, but I still want to replace my lamp.

A common claim in this forum is the average, non light-educated person doesn't really care about light quality, and I disagree. If Office stores had bankers lamps, or other decent looking table lamps on their shelves armed with 3500K CFLs they likely would have trouble keeping them in stock - it's a terrific combination. For marketing reason we either see 2700K CFLs, or 5000-5500K CFLs on store shelves. High CRI 3500-4100K CFL is a significant aethestic improvement over either, IMHO.

3500K CFL looks like late afternoon sun on a sunny day, and I prefer that over the 'North window on a winter day' of 5000-5500k, especially this time of year.

 

[Burgess]

Funny thing . . . .


Most CPF'ers are Happiest when the Days are the Shortest.


:candle:
_

 

[csshih]

nights

 

[blasterman]

And preferably with treelines at regular, 100meter intervals