Types
of Blacklights:
· Fluorescent tubes:
Often found in 48", 24", and 18" varieties,
these are basically fluorescent lamps with a different sort of phosphor
coating. This coating absorbs harmful shortwave UV-B and UV-C
light and emits UV-A light (in the same basic way the phosphor in a
fluorescent lamp absorbs UV light and emits visible light). The
"black" glass tube itself blocks most visible light, so in the end
only benign long-wave UV-A light, along with some blue and violet visible
light, passes through.
Pros: Ubiquitous and you may already own them
Cons: Weak light and limited range means you may need many
of these to cover a volleyball court. Also, the lights need to screw into
a ballast (fixture). The lights are easily breakable and can be very
difficult to store for reuse.
· Incandescent Light Bulbs:
An incandescent black light bulb is similar to a normal
household light bulb, but it uses light filters to absorb the light
from the heated filament. It absorbs everything except the infrared and UV-A
light (and a little bit of visible light.
Pros: They technically can make things glow
Cons: These are the weakest of blacklights. They are
unable to project more than a few feet and are a poor choice for volleyball or
other large events.
·
Mercury Vapor Bulbs:
Mercury
Vapor black light lamps are made in power ratings of 100 to 1000 watts. These
do not use phosphors, but rely on the intensified and slightly broadened
350–375 nm spectral line of mercury from high pressure discharge at between 5
and 10 standard atmospheres (500 and 1,000 kPa), depending upon the specific
type. These lamps use envelopes of Wood's glass or similar optical filter
coatings to block out all the visible light and also the short wavelength (UVC)
lines of mercury at 184.4 and 253.7 nm, which are harmful to the eyes and skin.
A few other spectral lines, falling within the pass band of the Wood's glass
between 300 and 400 nm, contribute to the output. These lamps are used mainly
for theatrical purposes and concert displays. They are more efficient UVA
producers per unit of power consumption than fluorescent tubes.
Pros: These can be powerful units and project a long distance
Cons: Bulbs are breakable. The fixtures tend to be bulky and very heavy. The units will get extremely hot during use and have to have cool down periods between uses. The bulbs take a while to warm up to full power. Risk of bulbs blowing during event
Pros: These can be powerful units and project a long distance
Cons: Bulbs are breakable. The fixtures tend to be bulky and very heavy. The units will get extremely hot during use and have to have cool down periods between uses. The bulbs take a while to warm up to full power. Risk of bulbs blowing during event
·
LED:
LED
blacklights are the newest type of unit on the market. Using solid state
LED's that put out the specific blacklight frequency, they do not need filters
to achieve their effect. Certain LED fixtures can be extremely powerful
and shoot from one side of your volleyball court to the other. They are
the ideal choice for a black light volleyball tournament.
Pros:
Lightweight, instant-on, no bulbs to break, cool to the touch, low power
consumption, no additional fixture needed.
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