Interesting LED Device (Hand Held Light Therapy)

Ran across this in a newsletter that I received from Walgreens Pharmacy.

web page

The last side effect listed is "mania". If a person experiences mania with one of these things, maybe it just means they are a Flashaholic......

Unfort, even if they were trying to simulate the spectrum of the Sun which us humans have grown accustomed to for millions of years, they have left out one important thing

The White LEDs are not full spectrum

Here is the output of the Sun:

http://www.inretech.com/pictures/sun.jpg

Here is the output of a White LED:

http://www.inretech.com/pictures/whiteled.jpg

Hmmm, one could DYI one of these with 72 NSPW500BSs from www.whitelightled.com
at $1.50 each ($108) and a 72 LED "IR Illuminator" board from Dale Wheat for around $7.95, and a 24V 300 mA power source, and save
quite a few bux. And probably get brighter light
in the deal.

I have done similar with a bank of "full spectrum" fluorescent bulbs, like those available at pet shops, etc (for reptiile tanks). Does help ward off the winter blah's aka SAD (seasonal affected depression).

/ed brown in very rarely sunny NH

Here is the Litebook website:
http://www.litebook.com/htdocs/home.html

Note: It has a link to the Nichia website, and within that is a URL for ordering 96 different types of LEDs Nichia directly. Single quatities are a bit high, but 100 packs are reasonable.
Now yu can get those odd-ball LEDs that no one else has...

/ed brown, needing more sunlight (and LEDlight)

There are easy cures for SADS:

1) Get outside more often
2) Move closer to thr equator

Originally posted by INRETECH:
There are easy cures for SADS:

1) Get outside more often
2) Move closer to thr equator

Click to expand...

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">You forgot one: stare into your Maxabeam for 30 minutes, twice a day. Wearing an arc welding mask is recommended, for some strange reason...

Did anybody read the instructions for this thing??
A few clips for your amusement...

# Instructions
The Litebook® Recommended Usage
# Typical usage time is 15-60 minutes a day
# The Litebook's light beam must be directed at your eyes(The Litebook emits intense beam of white light. DO NOT STARE DIRECTLY AT THE LIGHT SOURCE. It is not harmful to glance at the light for a few seconds at a time), and your eyes must be open to achieve benefit.
# Typically, you will recognize when you've received a sufficient light treatment - most often by feeling of heightened alertness, energy, and/or mood.

Click to expand...

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Or you will have gone completely Blind!!!
How anyone can put...
1. The Litebook's light beam must be directed at your eyes... come again?
2. DO NOT STARE DIRECTLY AT THE LIGHT SOURCE. What, but you just said...??
3. your eyes must be open to achieve benefit. I give!!!

Man, is it me, or does that sound just plain whacked??
Also a bit pricey too for the typical run of the mill "TV guide Wonder whack health item" of the week....

I suppose if you live on the south pole where it's dark for 6 months out of the year or something like that, this light might be the ticket for you, otherwise... I'm not so sure.
Go out into the SUN people! ... Generate some chlorophyll... or something.
Jeez