Please keep in mind that you shouldn't EVER look at a UVB bulb and really shouldn't have it on when you're in the room. The safest way to run them is to have an override switch on the outside of your cab or flowering chamber so you can turn it off before you go in. UVB will destroy your eyesite over time. The damage it does to your eyes does NOT heal or regenerate. It just adds up until you have vision issues.
I can vouch for this.. the same quick-maturing phenomenon happened to me during my last grow. I caught it in time, I was about 60/40 cloudy:amber. ~Experimentalist
This is all true, but I'm not sure how much UVB you'd get from a light bulb compared to the sun. Anyone know for sure? More or less? So yes, you should avoid extra exposure but we can handle a certain amount over a lifetime with reasonable safety. That said, if I add it to my grow I'll follow this advice and put a switch outside to kill the UVB or have a pair of good sunglasses hanging there.
It puts out an exponentially smaller amount of UVB than the sun, but the sun won't be within 6'-10' feet of you, so the bulb is going to be an awful lot more damaging to your eyes. Don't believe me though, go look up UVB pre-cautions yourself for these lamps. You'll definitely wire a kill switch. Remember that this damage doesn't ever heal, it accumulates over time. By the time you 'notice' a problem, it's already too late.
uvb works well, start in late veg and go 8-10 hrs uvb in the middle of the 12 hour on period til 4 weeks flower, then 5-6 hrs from 4th week flower to 6th week, then back it off as you see trichs mature... (assuming 8wk) UVB like everything else takes time to do perfectly for your girls, but you can get some stick to your finger shit every time if you operate it on a separate timer, changing the timer atleast 3-4 times. You'll still need to rotate them around tho at 18$ a pop the cfl 10.0's aren't cheap, and i've read rumors that they lose over half their potency in 6 months. But damn if your bud isnt stinkier within 5-15 min of turning it on every time. (without a timer, completely randomly) Test for yourself with these things youll have to rotate them out as you see them forming. They cause trichs to develop EVERYWHERE. b careful tho, uvA penetrates outer skin and causes skin cancer and aging (which comprises 33% output of most of these 10%UVB cfls) and uvb causes cateracts. some of the exo terra and older repti suns emit danger levels of near uvc or some shit until they changed the phosphors, so esp if you have old ones whatever you do dont ever get within 3 feet of these things ever while there on -end of pertinent response- I also vouch for 1.5 tbsp/gal molasses (low ash, unsulphured) in soil and 1.5 TSP teaspoon not tablespoon in DWC for last half of flowering (botanicare 1.5-4-5 + hygrozyme.) only try this if you have organics and hygrozyme or root protection equivalent, or if you run botanicare 1.5-4-5 with water temps not leaving 58-65* F. You will see light green new formation and thickness increase overnight. 6500k cfls seem to be cost efficient as well (not as much as uvb) as a supplement for the most efficient (600w) hps setups. try them on your strain, on most they tighten the staggered bud growth, if they dont work use them in your garage and eliminate those incandescents foo!
Just a thought, if the UVb light is from a reptile light source, wouldn't it burn the iguana and owner's eyes? Many people keep iguanas and other reptiles under these lights, and I never heard of such warnings about them, just not to stare at them (like the sun). I'm sure it's less damaging than being outside on a sunny day.
Uh, yeah, a light bulb puts out less total light - of any kind - than the sun. I knew that. What I question is whether it puts out more harmful light at my eye than the sun. It seems unlikely to me that the amount of light a bulb can put out, UVB or otherwise, would have to be significantly less even a few feet away, than the sun does at millions of miles due to the slight difference in size and power. (One fitting easily into a small box and being powered by electricity, the other being a stellar body massive enough to self-ignite a fusion reaction purely due to the gravitational forces created by its mass.) A warning label doesn't make something dangerous. If that were true I'd already have about a billion kinds of cancer. Manufacturers have to cover their asses these days. If there's any reason to believe their product could theoretically cause a tenth of a percent of people to develop a new freckle they need to say so or they could be liable in a class-action suit. Just so I'm clear I'm not saying it's safe to stare at the bulbs or anything. I just wonder how "dangerous" they really are is all.
You are correct about the safely warnings.. the are just there to cover their ass because we have a ridiculous judicial system. <-- not being sarcastic! Anyway.. these bulbs are meant for terrarium use in your home, the light isnt THAT bad for you. As long as you aren't spending hours basking in the glow of a few UVB lights you aren't going to get cancer or blind yourself. That being said, limit your exposure as best as you can, but I wouldn't go all crazy. It's a good idea to wear sunglasses when working in any brightly lit enclosed space, not only from the UVB but from the bright lights in general. I operate two 26W UVB bulbs.. i have metal reflectors that reflect the light into the plant, I go in there and spend 15-20 mins daily, no problems. No sun burns, no sore eyes or blindness, etc. ~Experimentalist
I just started using a UVB bulb on one side of my bloom section. I haven't messed with special timing, just let it run 12hrs with the HPS. Either I'm getting my system down or the UVB bulb works! My buds are covered with resin like I've never had. The surrounding leaves are all coated almost out to the tips. This should be a really good batch.
Here is a link to some of the best info I have read on uvb lights, I really like the test's on different hoods, got me to change mine. Hope this was not already on here.. http://www.uvguide.co.uk/phototherapyphosphor-tests.htm Poor crispy lizards, he...
UVB bulb warnings: 1st off, the cfl i has puts out 10% uvb and 33% uva. UVB only burns outer skin uva goes deep in skin breaks tissues causing rapid aging/cancer 2nd off, the cfl as we all know disperses quickly, but as i said before NEVER under any circumstances get closer than 30 inch to it while its on, if you want to fuck around and get cataracts (From UVA, a third of my bulbs output) looking at it from 8 ft away for 5 secs 3x a week for a year.... you get my point. Don't compare this to the sun. At 10 ft, it is shit compared to the sun, at 6 in it is probably double the sun, and at 4 in, it's is probably 10x. I'm making shit up but the point is it increases at a geometric rate the closer you get to it. These things are way more dangerous than sunligt if you fuck around and get close to them or look at them. Now for mypersonal (bad) experience with them. one of my exo terra repti glo 10.0 26 watters has a short in it. It requires me to jiggle it just right to make it come on. I did this once with my hand, and an instant burning/intching sensation tore at all the surface of my hand. I since jiggle it from a far, and I'm going to return it and get a freshy after this g.ro.w. (they only last six months, might as well get my dough out of this one and take it back...we'll see..) Another bad experience, my buddy turned it on while i wasn't looking and my cheek was near it, I instantly jarred away but not before it left a red line (blood vein?) engorged on my face with the skin feeling nasty and loose. no shit. Moral of the story, respect the dispersal, and respect the UVA!!!! People say no sunburn, you WONT SEE SUNBURN BECAUSE UVB CAUSES SUNBURN (10%) whereas UVA (33%) is carcinogenic and causes rapid again but YOU WON'T KNOW YOU'RE BEING OVEREXPOSED TO UVA UNLESS YOU DEVELOP CANCER, AGING SPOTS/SIGNS OF AGING OR CATARACTS. Cfls suck far away, work good close up. don't test the uv index of these things, stay the fuck away and leave the plant to make its sunscreen. Also, use appropriate schedule/timer 8hrs in the middle max starting late veg, and back it off after mid way flower.
experimentalist: Yea, good info in that article, did you notice about uv and the color white? It's why I changed my hoods to an aluminum reflector, went with the 10 1/2", it seemed to throw the uv the farthest in thier test's. I did not know white will not work with uv as it absorbs all of the radiation, so anyone using a white reflector is wasting half of the bulbs output!
Black people do get sunburned and they do get skin cancer. Black skin is not immune due to the extra pigmentation!
This is WORD. I'm really concerned so many folks are trying to get on this UV bandwagon without perhaps understanding the harmful and permanent eye injury that can result (and WILL result) with prolonged exposure. Is your eyesight really worth and extra 7% - 10% increase in trich production (whatever the increase is it can't be worth your eyesight)? If you want an extra kick out of your grow maybe focus on getting the basics down the best you can, fine tune the remainder, and then make some QWISO with your extra bountiful results. I'd drop this whole UV business. Your eyesight has GOT to be worth more to you than a single or double digit increase in T production. I would think.... I don't know brothers and sisters. This UVB business reads to me like it's pushing the envelope a little bit too much. Why not focus on quality and quantity instead and save your eyes. This UV business is serious folks. Don't loose your eyesight over a bit of increase in trichome production. Just doesn't seem like it's worth loosing your eyesight over to me. I will NEVER try something like this. Be careful people and be smart. Don't blind yourself for something that you may be able to accomplish with better gardening practices and strain selection. Peace ya'll but don't be dumb and I'm not slamming anyone doing this. I'm just saying....be smart dudes.
Clearly there are dangers associated with the use of UV radiation, but I think you are overstating them. It is very easy to eliminate the risk posed to your eyesight. Wear protective glasses, and don't look directly at the light. If you are really worried, and it seems you are, just turn the lights off before you enter the grow room. Pretty simple. I used 1000W 10,000K Sunpulse lights on these plants for the last three weeks of flowering. I will be using them again in the future. I can't say it was the lights, but I can't say it wasn't. The bud turned out pretty dang good. I'm smoking some of the Old Time Moonshine right now. From left to right here is some Sharksbreath, Dutch Passion Blueberry, and Old Time Moonshine. I like your signature.
Those buds look very nice indeed! I agree 100% with everything you say below. And if those precautions are followed there would be no harm in UV augmentation. I'm not confident everyone who would use UV bulbs would take the time to learn how to mitigate the risk. It would just be a doggone shame if someone burnt their retinas out trying to increase THC production. Better to err on the side of caution yes? Thank you. It's true.