Author Topic: $4 blacklight at Big Lots (Read 5016 times)

Chris · « **on:** October 26, 2006, 02:35:23 pm »

For those who like blacklights, my local Big Lots (Pic 'n Save in some areas) has a 12" GE blacklight fixture for $4.00. It takes 8 AA batteries, which by my math is 12 volts, which means it should easily hack to a PC power supply. I bought one and verified that it's a true UV lamp and not just a purple bulb. Being a huge fan of TRON, I'm thinking of putting it at the back of my CP like TRON's is and labelling my controls with UV-reactive ink, since my family likes to play with the game-room lights off.

You can't really see it, but there's a round clear plastic shell over the bulb; some of the fixtures I was looking at had the bare bulb exposed.

ChadTower · « **Reply #1 on:** October 26, 2006, 02:42:37 pm »

12v but how many amps? Those bulbs are power hungry.

Chris · « **Reply #2 on:** October 26, 2006, 02:49:25 pm »

Not sure, I'm not at home right now. How many amps can 8 AA batteries provide?

ChadTower · « **Reply #3 on:** October 26, 2006, 02:59:36 pm »

A quick Google says a AA gives up (in a good circuit) 2.85A/h... so you'd have to know the current draw of the device to calculate how long the battery should power it.

Chris · « **Reply #4 on:** October 26, 2006, 03:10:07 pm »

Quote from: ChadTower on October 26, 2006, 02:59:36 pm

A quick Google says a AA gives up (in a good circuit) 2.85A/h... so you'd have to know the current draw of the device to calculate how long the battery should power it.

I'll put it on the multimeter when I get home.

shardian · « **Reply #5 on:** October 27, 2006, 11:23:59 am »

since when are flourescent bulbs 'power hungry'??

At most, this thing is 15 watts.

That is 1.3 Amps.

12" flourescent fixtures are dirt cheap at Lowes. Plus, they are standard AC line, so no worries about hacking them.

Chris · « **Reply #6 on:** October 27, 2006, 11:26:03 am »

Quote from: shardian on October 27, 2006, 11:23:59 am

since when are flourescent bulbs 'power hungry'??

At most, this thing is 15 watts.

That is 1.3 Amps.

12" flourescent fixtures are dirt cheap at Lowes. Plus, they are standard AC line, so no worries about hacking them.

8 watts in this case.

For this particular application I didn't want to be running 120 volts to the control panel.

ChadTower · « **Reply #7 on:** October 27, 2006, 11:27:56 am »

Quote from: shardian on October 27, 2006, 11:23:59 am

since when are flourescent bulbs 'power hungry'??

The ones I used to install sure were. Of course, they were much longer, too.

Chris · « **Reply #8 on:** October 27, 2006, 11:32:29 am »

Quote from: ChadTower on October 27, 2006, 11:27:56 am

Quote from: shardian on October 27, 2006, 11:23:59 am
since when are flourescent bulbs 'power hungry'??

The ones I used to install sure were. Of course, they were much longer, too.

This is a really narrow bulb, like the kind you might find in a handheld flourescent lantern or something. It can't be more than a half-inch across.

At this point the hard part is getting it away from my 12 year old daughter. She's taken to scribbling things on her hands and arm in flourescent yellow highliter so it's invisible (or nearly so) and showing her artwork off with the blacklight.

ChadTower · « **Reply #9 on:** October 27, 2006, 11:37:33 am »

Could be worse. Check her myspace page tomorrow for a shot taken straight up her abdomen from about knee height with a message written that way.

Chris · « **Reply #10 on:** October 27, 2006, 11:47:00 am »

Quote from: ChadTower on October 27, 2006, 11:37:33 am

Could be worse. Check her myspace page tomorrow for a shot taken straight up her abdomen from about knee height with a message written that way.

Aieeee!

releasedtruth · « **Reply #11 on:** October 31, 2006, 10:59:34 am »

Quote from: ChadTower on October 27, 2006, 11:37:33 am

Could be worse. Check her myspace page tomorrow for a shot taken straight up her abdomen from about knee height with a message written that way.

Chad, you're a joke machine lately! That was ferocious good... and true!

Glaine · « **Reply #12 on:** November 10, 2006, 09:52:38 am »

I've read on here before that blacklights can be bad for your cabinet's sideart, etc. Buyer beware and all that, but i still really like the way Peter's Luna City Arcade looks with all the black light carpeting.

ChadTower · « **Reply #13 on:** November 10, 2006, 09:54:01 am »

They emit UV light and UV light is what causes fading. The uncertain question is always how much does it and how much are you getting.

Chris · « **Reply #14 on:** November 10, 2006, 09:57:25 am »

Of course, our cabinets are not likely to get the constant exposure that one in a real arcade would. Mine would be lucky to get a couple of hours a week.

ChadTower · « **Reply #15 on:** November 10, 2006, 10:08:49 am »

Then you're probably just fine.

Glaine · « **Reply #16 on:** November 17, 2006, 10:04:14 am »

O yeah if thats all no prob. I would want to cover the room in blacklight and play in it most nights.

ChadTower · « **Reply #17 on:** November 17, 2006, 10:05:48 am »

Been in gamerooms like that. As cool as it looks at first, the novelty wears off and then your eyes start to hurt. Definitely cooler to visit than have.

RayB · « **Reply #18 on:** November 17, 2006, 01:32:03 pm »

I'm curious what prolonged exposure to only "black light" does...

For example, if you stare at nothing but RED for a long time, then you go out and look at normal things, everything appears a bit more blue-green, until your eyes adjust. (Play a Virtual Boy for an hour to see what I mean).

ChadTower · « **Reply #19 on:** November 17, 2006, 01:36:52 pm »

It's because you've disproportionately fatigued certain rods and cones within your eye (retina, I think). They're not as effective during that fatigued period and thus the other rods and cones overpower the signal heading to your brain. You can play some really funky tricks on your eyes that way if you learn some tricks to it.

extremepong · « **Reply #20 on:** January 02, 2007, 11:51:42 pm »

Well, for what it's worth, UV radiation shouldn't cause one's rods or cones to respond if you are human. (That's why we can't see it.) But if it does, think back: did a parent ever report that they were abducted and probed?

richms · « **Reply #21 on:** January 08, 2007, 04:43:36 am »

black light blue which is what you are buying when you get one of the little fluro blacklights is not true UV, its just outside of what you can see.

Real blacklight tubes like used in germicidal lamps and sunbeds are the ones to worry about.


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