UV fluorescent tubes

Philip Jackson (p.jackson@nla.gov.au)
Sat, 17 Jun 1995 13:58:56 +22303754 (EET)

Recent discussion about platemakers (how's it going Adam?) has inspired
me to rebuild my UV exposure unit, which was simply two commercial double
24 inch fittings wired together (i.e. 4 NEC BL 20 watt tubes that gave
results similar to Adam's for iron based processes like cyanotype and
argyrotype i.e. up to about 20 min through my admitedly rather dense negs.

I'm planning to go up to 8 tubes more closely spaced together and would
also like to upgrade from 20 to 40 watt tubes. I'm leaving the back open
and also wiring the ballasts further away to keep the thing cool.

Can anybody comment on the difference between 20 and 40 watt tubes?

I've run into problems obtaining 40 watt 24 inch tubes.
A local lighting supplier tells me there ain't any such thing:
ALL 24 inch tubes are 20 watts. ALL 48 inch tubes are 40 watts.

I don't believe him. Thaddeus mentioned the Voltarc F20T12/AQA/BP-40W.
Can somebody confirm this is 24 inch 40 watts? Is there a 240 volt
equivalent? Can anybody else from 240 voltland suggest an alternative?

Philip Jackson
pjackson@nla.gov.au