From: Sandy King (sanking@clemson.edu)
Date: 11/04/01-10:54:45 AM Z
I need to add a comment to the statement below about the printing
speed of the Sylvania 350BL tubes. The fact that I found them very
slow in my original tests was only in part due to their age. Another
factor was that they were initially tested with magnetic ballast.
When tested again with electronic ballast they printed much faster,
though still no as fast as the new Philips BL tubes.
Speed of printing may or may not be an issue with some people as flow
rate at which we work is without question the most important
consideration. However, if it is a consideration I advise the use of
electronic ballast, which can add from 10-30% more lumens per watt
when compared to magnetic ballast.
Sandy King
>After discarding the tests from my old bank of Sylvania 350BL tubes
>I compared tests with new GE BLB tubes and new Philips BL tubes. The
>results were virtually identical. The BL tubes were ever so slightly
>faster, and the BLB tubes every so slightly more sensitive. In
>practice one would see virtually no difference in printing.
>
>>
>>Another note re Voltarc -- they manufacture the AQA bulb (or did) which
>>supposedly has major output at 414 nm, or the hot spot for platinum -- so
>>they got those bulbs for ICP and convinced themselves they were faster
>>(which was not my finding)... However the AQA stands for "aquarium," which
>>is what they're made for, and sold through aquarium stores. When I priced
>>them retail, $17 per 24 inch bulb, at least around here.
>
>
>The Super Actinic, which peaks at about the same wavelength as the
>Aqua (415-20 nm), is also a bulb intended for aquarium use. In my
>tests with carbon, cyanotype, gum, traditional kallitype, and van
>dyke, the Super Actinic was slower than all of the other tubes I
>tested, including Actinic, BL, and BLB.
>
>As for platinum, there are many reports from experienced platinum
>printers that the Super Actinic tubes are faster than BL tubes.
>Others claim the opposite!
>
>
>Sandy King
>--
--
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : 12/10/01-11:12:21 AM Z CST