SUPRA meter readings in Sungate

[UV MAN]

Here is another Sungate with the Supra tube lamps. These have only 2 hrs on the lamps and is taken 8 min into session. This unit is run at only 236V. Reading are taken from the bench pointing up. This is the V1 with 180W ballasts in the canopy and 160W ballasts in the bench.

Canopy

5.0 uva/uvb - 89.3
6.0 uvb - 1.2= 1.3%
7.0 Med/Hr - 27.4 = 8.8 Minutes

Bench

5.0 uva/uvb - 83
6.0 uvb - .98 = 1.2%
7.0 Med/Hr - 18.8 = 12.8 minutes

[UV MAN]

I will post again at 20 hrs to see what the drop off is.

[UV MAN]

Ok, here are the meter readings at 20 Hrs after initial break in. Conditions are the same at 236V and 8 min into session with meter pointing up from the bottom acrylic.

CANOPY

5.0 uva/uvb - 82.8
6.0 uvb - 1.11 = 1.3% uvb
7.0 med/hr - 24.8 = 9.7 minute TE time

BENCH

5.0 uva/uvb - 80
6.0 uvb - .94 = 1.3% uvb
7.0 med/hr - 18.3 = 13.1 minute TE time

As you can see drop off in total output is approx 7% while drop off in TE time is approx 9% for the first 20 Hrs in the CANOPY. This is pretty a little better then most of the lamps out there the fist 20 hrs of life. So far no black ends to speak of in the canopy being driven by 180W ballast. In the bench with a 160W ballast we are only seeing a drop off of approx 5% which is much better then average.

Right now the canopy is tanning a little stronger then the bench and customers are happy with the tanning results as it is still aggressive but more browning then the traditional lamp. Still tanning the next day like a HP bed would do.

As far as lasting power we will see as so far it is right in line with most lamps out there in the canopy and a better then average in the bench. We will see where we are at at 100 Hrs as that will give us a better indication of drop off and life of lamp.

[solarmeter®]

Bravo!

So they were already "burned in" (no mercury balls swirling) at 2 hours? Some people say VHO takes ~20 hours to reach full output... then start depreciating.

[Pumpkin]

I'm curious .... any updates on your Supra lamp performance coming soon?

Thanks -- I appreciate your feedback/evaluation on this lamp brand.

[UV MAN]

Yes, as a matter of fact.

These are meter readings at 100Hrs.

CANOPY

5.0 uva/uvb 75
6.0 uvb 1.09=1.5%uvb
7.0 med/Hr 24=10 minute TE time

As you can see the TE time has hung in there pretty damn good after the first 20 hr break in. So did the total output. Much better then I expected at 100Hrs. This is a GREAT lamp for the right application depending on what you want you bed to do. I really LOVE the way it TANS you.

My only knock on this lamp is that I had 6 burnouts in the canopy in ONLY the first 70 hrs. Not sure if it is because of the 180W ballast or not as the bench lamps have not had a single problem. The last 30 Hrs I have not had one burnout. So I will continue to monitor it. They did give replacement lamps without hesitation BUT it is a hassle taking the bed apart. That is my only concern with this lamp. Need to see if this was a one time problem OR if it is common after this batch. I do love this lamp in one or two of my beds so it all depends on how you have your levels set up.

Performance is a thumbs up.

[kpowr82]

Originally Posted by UV MAN

This is a GREAT lamp for the right application depending on what you want you bed to do. I really LOVE the way it TANS you.

I do love this lamp in one or two of my beds so it all depends on how you have your levels set up.

Performance is a thumbs up.

Can you please elaborate on this for me? What application do you think this lamp isn't for? Does this lamp really shine in apps that "overdrive" the lamp (180-220w ballasts)? Does the UVB provide instant gratification (reddening) to the freaks?

Just put them in my Orbit and I'd like to hear an unbiased opinion on these lamps. Thanks.

[EliteMike]

I'm looking for unbiased too, I'm considering running them in my 42 lamp prosun x7

[HYPER 1]

Were can I purchase supra lamps.

[EliteMike]

Supra Technologies

[UV MAN]

Well, I just like levels in my salon so I would NEVER have the same exact lamp in all my 160W units as I charge a different price for each level. I like some units to be a hair more reddening and some like the Supra that has much more BROWNING. The Supra lamps has CRAZY Browning while still keeping the Te time pretty low. Hard to explain but it you take a Sig lamp and add MUCH MORE browning then that is what it tans like. The meter readings speak for themselves so make your own evaluation compared to you own units. I would assume with the Orbit the TE time would be about 1 minute higher and take about 10 points of the 5.0 meter readings as the orbit uses a 160W ballast.

What I am not sold on is the Supra F71 lamp being driven by a 180W or 200W ballast as mentioned above. I have had no burnouts on the lamps driven by 160W ballasts. So on the next batch if I have the same problem then the I will not use that F71 lamp in more then a 160W ballast. I will have to wait and see.

Hope this helps

[solarmeter®]

The meter readings speak for themselves so make your own evaluation compared to you own units.

Spoken by the "UV MAN" himself...

[UV MAN]

Yes, I love the way these lamps Tan. The definitely have a place in every salon at a given level.

[Drew]

I just metered my Sungate with about 100 hours on the lamps....

My Bench metered 75 on a 5.0 meter ....however I had just added 8 new lamps to the canopy (in the middle)....and I only metered it after..and it was
86 on the 5.0 and 21 on the 7.0. The bench was 18.5 on the 7.0.

My Turbo 600 with around 100 hours metered 58 at about 12 inches from the lamps ..I have photos of that but I will post them a bit later..busy now.

[Drew]

here are the Turbo 600 with 140 watt ballasts pics of my meters. Lamps at around 100hours

[Drew]

I metered them a little closer to the lamps than normal as I was using a phone and wanted to keep the meter closer to the phone...the drop off in numbers wasn't too much....you can meter YOUR 600 turbo 10 inches away at 100 hours and I betcha money it won't read this.!!!
(5.0 meter has NEVER been touched and meters very similar to other peoples meters at other stores..even lower than some 5.0s I recently have seen in santa clarita and in long beach.)

[solman]

Funny, your hand doesn't look black.

[sparky]

[RobertK]

Drew you do not have the Oshman upgrade on your Meter?

[solarmeter®]

Brian's meters are dead nuts. Drew's 5.0HP meter might be a tad low. It was calibrated vs LP old-era 100W lamps to the master 5.0. We now have both 9K90 and HP lamps to check 5.0HPs against vs master... more accurate at higher intensity.

The only 5.0 meters (a hundred or so) that might read too high were made in 1995-6 for a company that wanted to "set" the cal-screws to match some EU meter they had for UB beds. The certificate says "calibrated by ".............." (that company).

Otherwise, all ~18000 of them were calibrated my me, myself, and I. The certificate says calibrated by Solartech.