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#1
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Blacklights, and way too much info..
Ok, here's pretty much everything you'd ever want to know about blacklights,
or blacklights to be used for sniffing out cat urine stains. I can't guarantee any of this material, or the sources, I've just tried to get some idea of what may work best for stain spotting. And one thing, not all black lights are black lights!!! Or at least when it comes to cat urine. The ideal flourescent type lamp should have the part designation of BLB on the end of the part number. The BLB stands for: Black Light Blue. The problem is, not all BLB tubes work!!! I have a cheap Asian party light myself with a BLB type bulb in it, but it doesn't work!! The key seems to be staying with high end, well known lamp suppliers such as GE (General Electric), Sylvania, and OSRAM. The GE BLB type lamp has a specific black light filter on the glass of the tube that provides a very narrow band of light in the desired 365nm range. "NM" stands for nanometer, and it's used as a way to numerically label a frequency of light (it's actually a measure of the wavelength, in nanometers. It's pronounced "Nan-O-meters", or "Nann Om OMeters". The resources that I could find on the topic of using UV to spot stains is somewhat sketchy, in that some folks use different numbers as the ideal wavelenght. The GE BLB tube is centered on 365nm. I've found another chart that shows that 380 or 395nm is best, so for the time being, I would think that any UV source from 365 to 395nm should work. Also, some of the URL's below are for LED type UV lamps. These lamps can be purchased for a specific wavelength, so you need to pay attention to that when ordering as they have about 10 variations on what wavelenght is used. Some also have multiple wavelengths in one lamp, which might be handy as long as they are in the range that's desired. So, stay away from any lamp that just has a "BL" on the end, that won't work. And then only stick to the big name suppliers when looking for a BLB tube. All the data is here in these URL's, as well as a good selection of sources for them. Oddly, it would appear that probably the best place to buy one of these urine inspection lamps is from the same folks that sell the removal chemicals. Their lamps aren't much more expensive than any other source, and that way you know that you're getting a lamp that has been tested and works for this application!! OK, I'm worn out.. Good luck, please post your results if you try any of these!! Thanks, Doug GEF15T8-BLB 365BLB 368BLB (Good GE part numbers) 380 or 395nm best for cat/human urine. (best suggested if using an LED light source) http://riskreactor.com/Index.htm http://0-0-0checkmate.com/Hot/Portable_Blacklight.html http://www.urine-off.com/ http://www.defensedevices.com/portable-black-light.html *** http://www.sprayalert.com/finding-cat-spray.html (good source for info) (suppliers of flourescent type UV lamps) http://www.acehardwareoutlet.com/(og...productDetails. aspx?SKU=3237435 (large 40 watt BLB bulb) http://genet.gelighting. com/LightProducts/Dispatcher? REQUEST=CONSUMERSPECPAGE&PRODUCTCODE=35885&BreadCr umbValues=Specialty_Colored% 20,_%20Party%20Lights_, T8&ModelSelectionFilter=FT0010:Specialty_Colored%2 0&%20Party%20Lights (Tech Spec's on BLB type lamps) http://genet.gelighting. com/LightProducts/Dispatcher?REQUEST=COMMERCIALSPECPAGE&PRODUCTCODE= 10531 (more tech spec's/detail on BLB lamps) http://genet.gelighting. com/LightProducts/Dispatcher?REQUEST=RESULTPAGE&CATEGORY=Lamps&FILTE R=FT0010: Specialty_Colored+%26+Party+Lights_Blacklight+Blue &CHANNEL=Commercial&FILTERFI ELD=Specialty&BREADCRUMB=Specialty^Blacklight+Blue (GE's master listing of all black light blue lamps) http://www.theledlight.com/uv_flashlights.html (LED type flashlights) http://www.24hours7days.com//Science/Demonstration.html (school science type projects, with blacklights for sale) |
#2
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Blacklights, and way too much info..
On Sep 28, 3:03 pm, (DougD) wrote:
Ok, here's pretty much everything you'd ever want to know about blacklights, or blacklights to be used for sniffing out cat urine stains. I can't guarantee any of this material, or the sources, I've just tried to get some idea of what may work best for stain spotting. And one thing, not all black lights are black lights!!! Or at least when it comes to cat urine. The ideal flourescent type lamp should have the part designation of BLB on the end of the part number. The BLB stands for: Black Light Blue. The problem is, not all BLB tubes work!!! I have a cheap Asian party light myself with a BLB type bulb in it, but it doesn't work!! The key seems to be staying with high end, well known lamp suppliers such as GE (General Electric), Sylvania, and OSRAM. The GE BLB type lamp has a specific black light filter on the glass of the tube that provides a very narrow band of light in the desired 365nm range. "NM" stands for nanometer, and it's used as a way to numerically label a frequency of light (it's actually a measure of the wavelength, in nanometers. It's pronounced "Nan-O-meters", or "Nann Om OMeters". The resources that I could find on the topic of using UV to spot stains is somewhat sketchy, in that some folks use different numbers as the ideal wavelenght. The GE BLB tube is centered on 365nm. I've found another chart that shows that 380 or 395nm is best, so for the time being, I would think that any UV source from 365 to 395nm should work. Also, some of the URL's below are for LED type UV lamps. These lamps can be purchased for a specific wavelength, so you need to pay attention to that when ordering as they have about 10 variations on what wavelenght is used. Some also have multiple wavelengths in one lamp, which might be handy as long as they are in the range that's desired. So, stay away from any lamp that just has a "BL" on the end, that won't work. And then only stick to the big name suppliers when looking for a BLB tube. All the data is here in these URL's, as well as a good selection of sources for them. Oddly, it would appear that probably the best place to buy one of these urine inspection lamps is from the same folks that sell the removal chemicals. Their lamps aren't much more expensive than any other source, and that way you know that you're getting a lamp that has been tested and works for this application!! OK, I'm worn out.. Good luck, please post your results if you try any of these!! Thanks, Doug Bleh. Stay away from blacklights altogether, unless you have a Hendrix poster. I bought one and my living room lit up like Chinatown. I wanted to move. Some things you're better off just not knowing. Sherry |
#3
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Blacklights, and way too much info..
Response from Sherry :
Bleh. Stay away from blacklights altogether, unless you have a Hendrix poster. I bought one and my living room lit up like Chinatown. I wanted to move. Some things you're better off just not knowing. *falls over laughing* We have a 4 foot black light in every room in the house for various occasions, like the upcoming All Hallow's Eve (Samhain) party. Anyway... Not only do you see things that you now wish you could get rid of, but you mostly cannot! Looking down at yourself (even without clothes) is also a scary process! "Aaaaiieeee! What are all these white dots on me?!" Too funny. -- -Lost Remove the extra words to reply by e-mail. Don't e-mail me. I am kidding. No I am not. |
#4
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Blacklights, and way too much info..
DougD wrote:
Ok, here's pretty much everything you'd ever want to know about blacklights, or blacklights to be used for sniffing out cat urine stains. I can't guarantee any of this material, or the sources, I've just tried to get some idea of what may work best for stain spotting. And one thing, not all black lights are black lights!!! Or at least when it comes to cat urine. The ideal flourescent type lamp should have the part designation of BLB on the end of the part number. The BLB stands for: Black Light Blue. The problem is, not all BLB tubes work!!! I have a cheap Asian party light myself with a BLB type bulb in it, but it doesn't work!! The key seems to be staying with high end, well known lamp suppliers such as GE (General Electric), Sylvania, and OSRAM. The GE BLB type lamp has a specific black light filter on the glass of the tube that provides a very narrow band of light in the desired 365nm range. "NM" stands for nanometer, and it's used as a way to numerically label a frequency of light (it's actually a measure of the wavelength, in nanometers. It's pronounced "Nan-O-meters", or "Nann Om OMeters". The resources that I could find on the topic of using UV to spot stains is somewhat sketchy, in that some folks use different numbers as the ideal wavelenght. The GE BLB tube is centered on 365nm. I've found another chart that shows that 380 or 395nm is best, so for the time being, I would think that any UV source from 365 to 395nm should work. Also, some of the URL's below are for LED type UV lamps. These lamps can be purchased for a specific wavelength, so you need to pay attention to that when ordering as they have about 10 variations on what wavelenght is used. Some also have multiple wavelengths in one lamp, which might be handy as long as they are in the range that's desired. So, stay away from any lamp that just has a "BL" on the end, that won't work. And then only stick to the big name suppliers when looking for a BLB tube. All the data is here in these URL's, as well as a good selection of sources for them. Oddly, it would appear that probably the best place to buy one of these urine inspection lamps is from the same folks that sell the removal chemicals. Their lamps aren't much more expensive than any other source, and that way you know that you're getting a lamp that has been tested and works for this application!! OK, I'm worn out.. Good luck, please post your results if you try any of these!! Thanks, Doug GEF15T8-BLB 365BLB 368BLB (Good GE part numbers) 380 or 395nm best for cat/human urine. (best suggested if using an LED light source) http://riskreactor.com/Index.htm http://0-0-0checkmate.com/Hot/Portable_Blacklight.html http://www.urine-off.com/ http://www.defensedevices.com/portable-black-light.html *** http://www.sprayalert.com/finding-cat-spray.html (good source for info) (suppliers of flourescent type UV lamps) http://www.acehardwareoutlet.com/(og...productDetails. aspx?SKU=3237435 (large 40 watt BLB bulb) http://genet.gelighting. com/LightProducts/Dispatcher? REQUEST=CONSUMERSPECPAGE&PRODUCTCODE=35885&BreadCr umbValues=Specialty_Colored% 20,_%20Party%20Lights_, T8&ModelSelectionFilter=FT0010:Specialty_Colored%2 0&%20Party%20Lights (Tech Spec's on BLB type lamps) http://genet.gelighting. com/LightProducts/Dispatcher?REQUEST=COMMERCIALSPECPAGE&PRODUCTCODE= 10531 (more tech spec's/detail on BLB lamps) http://genet.gelighting. com/LightProducts/Dispatcher?REQUEST=RESULTPAGE&CATEGORY=Lamps&FILTE R=FT0010: Specialty_Colored+%26+Party+Lights_Blacklight+Blue &CHANNEL=Commercial&FILTERFI ELD=Specialty&BREADCRUMB=Specialty^Blacklight+Blue (GE's master listing of all black light blue lamps) http://www.theledlight.com/uv_flashlights.html (LED type flashlights) http://www.24hours7days.com//Science/Demonstration.html (school science type projects, with blacklights for sale) Okay, I am squirreling this away and will refer to it when buying a blacklight. Just too busy the next few days (at least). This is such a useful post! Thanks so much for ferreting out this much information! -- Jean B. |
#5
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Blacklights, and way too much info..
Wow this is so great Doug! I will get one of these and try, as soon
as I get some dried cat urine FYI, the ones I tried, were both large and small, so size is not the issue, and also of course I tried them according to instructions, for example, really close to the stain... Will post when I get a chance to try what you recommend |
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