Adventure Sports

Is it possible to get a nice tan from a normal 20 watt black light?

CaseETC PC blacklight and UV fluorescent coolant dye
Review date: 28 June 2001.
Last modified 01-Apr-2008.

Welcome back to the Dan’s Data Tale Of Woe Half-Hour. Today: How I didn’t quite finish reviewing some ultraviolet toys.

You see, CaseETC were good enough to send me…

…this. Ten inch blacklight, modified computer cases for the illumination of, one. $US29.99.

They also sent me…

…this. Dye, water cooled computer coolant for the decoration of, one fluid ounce (about 30cc). $US14.99.

The dye fluoresces under ultraviolet light, which is what the blacklight emits. Put a few drops of the dye into your coolant – because a little goes a long way – and install the blacklight in your case, and your see-through coolant tubing glows spooky green.

The light wasn’t a problem.

The dye was.

So let’s talk about the light first, shall we?

Lighting up
Ten inches – about 25cm – is the length of the light-emitting middle part of this fluorescent tube. The overall length of the light is about 15.75 inches (40cm), plus a little more for the screw tabs sticking out at the ends. If you mount the tube with double-sided tape – which is the way to go, in a PC case – you can cut off the tabs.

This is a 12 volt lamp. It’s got step-up hardware built in that lets the tube run from 12 volts DC. So you can just connect it directly to any 12 volt power supply. Like, for instance, the 12 volt line from your computer PSU.

The tube is obviously made as a car decoration. Well, all 12 volt neon products are made as car decorations, really, but this one’s in its original packaging and comes with its original connection hardware, so its intended purpose is unusually apparent.

Here’s what you get, besides the tube itself. There are four solder-free wire-splicers you clamp together with pliers; they’d probably work OK on a computer’s PSU wires. The tube itself just has a plain unterminated figure-eight cable coming out of it.

There are also some plastic crimp-on wire end-caps, a couple of self-tapping mounting screws, a pre-wired switch, and a pre-wired in-line fuseholder with a one amp fast blow fuse in it. You could botch this setup together with nothing but pliers, but you’d really want to do some soldering to get it looking nice.

The package also contains somewhat tortuously worded instructions for installing the tube in a car. Installing it in a computer isn’t the most difficult feat in history, and any vaguely competent electronics hobbyist could figure it out. But this is not a plug-and-go solution.

The next step up from CaseETC are their more computer-specific “Neon Light Kits”, but they’re still do-it-yourself. You just get more appropriate connectors, some heat shrink tubing, and double sided tape. BYO soldering iron.

If you can’t quite handle that, then for a bit more money they’ll do you a full “Premade Light Kit”, with everything connected up for you.

Getting back to the blacklight – hooked up to 12 volts, it draws about a quarter of an amp, so it’s a three watt unit. That’s not exactly monster light power.

You can get Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL) blacklights now (Aussies can buy them from Jaycar) that have 15 and 26 watt ratings. You can also get ordinary straight blacklight tubes that fit in standard two and four foot fittings, and have the same 20 and 40 watt ratings as normal fluoros for the same fittings.

Incandescent “blacklight” globes, by the way, aren’t much use. They have a hot filament in them (with maybe a 500 hour lifespan…) and a purple coating inside which lets through longer UVA wavelengths, and a fair amount of non-UV light as well. They run hot, and their efficiency is lousy, because even a hot incandescent filament doesn’t emit a whole lot of UV.

Herewith, a brief diversion on the subject of what, exactly, this “UV” thing is, and why you don’t have to worry about getting skin cancer in discos.

“Blacklight” lamps don’t emit any dangerous ultraviolet radiation to speak of, unless you’re taking some drug that increases your sensitivity to mild UV exposure. If a normal person not on any such drugs spends all day staring at a high-powered blacklight, they might eventually suffer eye damage.

So don’t do that.

The UV output of these sorts of lamps is in the “near ultraviolet”, spilling over into the visible spectrum. The light is in the “UVA” band, which has wavelengths of 400 to 315 nanometers (nm). The shortest wavelength humans can see is, canonically, about 400nm. If blacklights emitted nothing above 400nm then they’d seem to be a very dim violet; they actually emit a reasonable amount of visible blue light as well, which is why you can easily see whether they’re on or off, as long as you’re not somewhere brightly lit. The shorter the wavelength, the higher the energy. The higher the energy, the more damage UV can do.

The shorter UVA wavelengths have enough energy to give you a suntan, followed by sunburn. And possi

Alan Watt: Black Uniforms Dictate So You’ll Go Straight Part 1

96 Canadian Solar Black frame CS6P 235-PX modules A grade, 22.5 kW, $1.19/watt $26,847.00

*22* Phono 250 WATT * BLACK ON BLACK* MONO Best Solar Panels ** 5500watts ** $7,678.00

NEW TOM FORD for GUCCI LONG BLACK DRESS NAOMI WATTS OWNS TOO! $4,245.75

LED Light Emitter – 160 LEDs – 480 Watts – 40 X 4 – Waterproof – Black Housing $4,256.40

New BadCat Hot Cat 30R 1×12 Combo Amp Special Edition Black Ostrich 30 Watt 112 $3,499.00

Tone King Galaxy 60 Watt Head Amplifier Amp Black $2,595.00

Orange Rockerverb 100 Mark II 100-Watt Guitar Amp Head – Black $2,349.00

honda black max 8750 Watt Gas Generator TRI FUEL ng lp $1,999.00

Yosemite DF-EFP220 Black 5000 BTU 1500 Watt Electric 120v Standalone Fireplace $2,094.00

12 LED Black Spot Light Emitter – 10 Watt LEDs – 10,800 Lumen – 7100′L X 325′W $2,037.60

Black 180 Watt LED Flood Light – 16200 Lumen 9-48VDC – Adjustable Surface Mount $2,014.56

Fender Super-Sonic Twin 100-Watt 2×12-Inch Amp – Black and Silver $1,999.99

Fender Super-Sonic Twin 100-Watt 2×12-Inch Amplifier – Black and Silver $1,999.99

Infrared LED Flood Light Bar – 240 Watts – 80 LEDs – IR 850NM Wavelength – Black $1,948.00

Pair (2) Peavey SP-4BX Dual 15” Black Widow 4000 Watt 3-Way Pro Speaker SP4 BX $1,919.98

Black 220 Watt LED Spot Light – 19800 lumens – 9-48 Volts DC – Adjustable $1,918.80

Aqua Ultraviolet 240 Watt UV Sterilizer w/ wiper 2″ IO $1,870.40

Aqua Ultraviolet 240 Watt UV Sterilizer w/ wiper 2″ IO $1,870.40

Aqua Ultraviolet 240 Watt UV 2″ barbs w/Wiper BLACK $1,870.40

Carr Mercury Amp Amplifier Black 8 watts of blissful Tube Tone $1,749.00

MACKIE SRM450 V2 – 800 WATT ACTIVE SPEAKERS (BLACK) $1,627.79

Fender Super Sonic 100 100Watt Tube Guitar Amp Head – Black $1,799.99

Fender Super-Sonic 100-Watt Amplifier Head – Black and Silver $1,799.99

EVH 5150 III 100-Watt Guitar Amp Head – Black $1,799.99

Aqua Ultraviolet 240 Watt UV Sterilizer NO wiper 2″ IO $1,744.40

Aqua Ultraviolet 240 Watt UV Sterilizer NO wiper 2″ IO $1,744.40

Aqua Ultraviolet (A00243) 240 Watt UV 2″ barbs BLACK $1,744.00

Fender Super-Sonic Twin 100-Watt 2×12-Inch Amp – Black and Silver (Open Box) $1,699.99

12 LED Black Flood Light Emitter – 10 Watt LEDs – 10,800 Lumen – 7100′L X 325′W $1,698.00

Black 180 Watt LED Spot Light – 16200 Lumen – 9-48VDC – Adjustable Surface Mount $1,678.80

EVH® 5150 III 100-Watt Guitar Amp Head – Black, Brand New Sealed in Box $1,639.00

Fastback Custom 18 Head Black 18 / 8 Watts $1,599.99

Klipsch SW-311 Black Dual 10-inch 500 Watt Powered Subwoofer $1,599.00

Yosemite DF-EFP184B Black 5000 BTU 1500 Watt Electric 120v Standalone Fireplace $1,509.00

Aqua Ultraviolet 200 Watt UV Sterilizer w/ wiper 2″ IO $1,554.00

Aqua Ultraviolet 200 Watt UV 2″ barbs w/Wiper BLACK $1,554.00

Aqua Ultraviolet 200 Watt UV Sterilizer NO wiper 2″ IO $1,449.00

Aqua Ultraviolet (A00203) 200 Watt UV 2″ barbs BLACK $1,449.00

Fender Super-Sonic 60 60-Watt 1×12-Inch Guitar Combo Amp – Black $1,399.99

46″ Xmitter Prime Black Thirty Six 3-Watt LEDs 10° $1,399.00

46″ Xmitter Prime Black Thirty Six 3-Watt LEDs 40° $1,399.00

Black Infrared IR 940NM Emitter Bar Flood Light 120 Watts 40 LEDs 9-42 Volts DC $1,359.44

Aqua Ultraviolet 120 Watt UV (Black) with Wiper $1,316.00

Magnalight 90 Watt LED Spot Light 8100 Lumens – Permanent Mount – Black Housing $1,296.00

Magnalight 90 Watt LED light 8100 lumens Permanent – Black Housing – Flood Beam $1,296.00

1993 Marshall 6100 Anniversary 100 watt head in black covering..super clean! $1,200.00

Aqua Ultraviolet 160 Watt UV Sterilizer w / wiper 2″ IO $1,234.80

Aqua Ultraviolet 160 Watt UV 2″ barbs w/Wiper BLACK $1,234.80

Yosemite DF-EFP130 Black 5000 BTU 1500 Watt Electric 120v Standalone Fireplace $1,162.00

42″ Xmitter Prime Black Thirty Three 3-Watt LEDs 10° $1,199.00

42″ Xmitter Prime Black Thirty Three 3-Watt LEDs 40° $1,199.00

(4) SUNTECH 190 WATT MONO BLACK FRAME SOLAR PANELS $1,131.00

Aqua Ultraviolet 160 Watt UV Sterilizer NO wiper 2″ IO $1,150.80

Aqua Ultraviolet (A00163) 160 Watt UV 2″ barbs BLACK $1,150.80

Black X-Treme XB-610 Electric Scooter Bicycle Moped 600 Watts, 20 AMP Batteries $999.00

(4) SUNTECH 190 WATT MONO BLACK FRAME SOLAR PANELS $1,089.00

90 Watt LED light 8100 lumens Permanent – Black – Spot $1,080.00

Magnalight 90 Watt Seoul Z LED Flood light Produces 8100 Lumens – Black Housing $1,080.00

Fender Super-Sonic 22 22-Watt 1X12-Inch Guitar Combo Amp – Black $1,049.99

Vox AC30C2BC Limited Edition 30 Watt Amp Black Comet $1,049.00

Krups 203 Electric Coffee and Spice Grinder with Stainless-Steel Blades …

Cuisinart CSB-76 SmartStick 200-Watt Immersion Hand Blender The versatile stick design of the Cuisinart Smart stick Hand Blender lets users blend ingredients right in pots, pitchers, bowls, or clear plastic beaker that’s included. A powerful 200-watt motor operates with an easy one-touch control. Blends drinks, purees soup, mixes pancake and crepe batters in seconds! Both stainless steel blending shaft and beaker are dishwasher-safe….

Hamilton Beach Big Mouth Juice Extractor 67650 $64.79 Juice extractor-Drink your fruits and vegetables-Fits whole foods for fast, easy juicing-Powerful 1.1 HP motor-Dishwasher safe parts-Stainless steel strainer-Easy to assemble and store-Cleaning brush included for easy pulp removal-Juice cup included…

Mule Variations $9.65 After Tom Waits’s six-year stint indulging in other artistic endeavors, hearing his familiar growl is like revving up a beloved old motorcycle after driving around in an SUV. The hard-earned wisdom and arcane sensibilities of this set make it one of strongest releases of his entire eclectic catalog. –Matthew Cooke…

Wattstax (30th Anniversary Special Edition) $10.99 Classic concert movie captures the August 1972 show that saw more than 100,000 people pack the Los Angeles Coliseum for what came to be called “the black Woodstock.” Along with vintage performances by Rufus Thomas (“Do the Funky Chicken”), The Staples Singers (“Respect Yourself”), The Bar-Kays (“Son of Shaft”), and Isaac Hayes (who does “Theme from ‘Shaft’” and “Soulsville” in a long-lost ending s…

American Hardcore – The History of Punk Rock 1980 – 1986 $8.27 The history of hardcore punk–the tougher, faster, and more politically minded stepchild of the ’70s punk movement that arose in the ’80s–is examined in exuberant detail in Paul Rachman’s documentary American Hardcore. Rachman’s cameras careen across the landscape of the U.S. to trace the movement’s beginnings in cities like Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and New York, and cherrypicks interviews …

Children of the Corn 4 [VHS] $2.51 …

Martin’s Day [VHS] $10.00 …

EWare EW-8K129 700-watt Black Juice Extractor $52 Enjoy an 8-ounce cup of juice in five seconds thanks to the unique cyclonic system of this 700-watt juice extractor by EWare. This juicer features a stabilizing dual-knife assembly, which increases the juice yield by 30-percent.

ScooterX Electric Power 500-watt Black/Silver Kart $486.99 Roll around the neighborhood in style with this ScooteX Electric Power 500-watt Scooter. Great for kids and adults, this scooter comes with large batteries for a longer ride time and a safety flag.