Some of you may be fimilar with Arcadia ProT5 kit available in 6%/12%/14% T5s.
I really like design and probably will use it in my next enclosure, but the thing is..
Their standalone 6% with their corresponding reflector readings are somewhat lower than they advertise on ProT5 kit.
You can check in detail here: http://www.uvguide.co.uk/UVTool-ArcadiaD3T5.htm
As you can see:
- no reflector 15cm/30cm = 2,4UVI/1,1UVI
- Arcadia reflector 15cm/30cm = 7,9UVI/3,3UVI
Which means their standalone reflector triples the output.
Now the thing is, they advertise on their website that 6% ProT5 kit outputs at 30cm 4,5UVI (their don't list reading of lower distance.
Now I don't know if their "special" reflector could make output 4x stronger like they're advertising, or it's just manufacturers trick to sell more of units.
They use I think mylar reflector, same as Sunblaster reflectors.
Now how should I fit that kit in my enclosure? I wanted to put it maybe 17cm from basking site (from link above you can see that normaln T5 6% outputs around 6 UVI at 17 cm), or should I mount it further from basking site according to their reading?
One last thing is: I have their T8 12% which they advertise to use at 25-30cm for 4-6UVI, when we all know and use it at range of 15-20cm - again, you can check on site above, they have readings for this tube too) so that makes me think they just make it stronger on paper as marketing trick.
I haven't tested the Pro kit myself. I don't have an Arcadia T8 on hand to test either, unfortunately. The numbers for the root-it are close to what I see with my very similar fixture. Generally speaking the results from uvguide are quite reliable and I often reference these results to create distance estimates for various bulbs.
I haven't tested the Pro kit myself. I don't have an Arcadia T8 on hand to test either, unfortunately. The numbers for the root-it are close to what I see with my very similar fixture. Generally speaking the results from uvguide are quite reliable and I often reference these results to create distance estimates for various bulbs.
Hello,
I have seen your reply also for my other topic about metal mesh so will answer for both places here:
Good news - I contacted Arcadia themselves and they told all their readings are with installed mesh which seems a bit weird considering 6% having 4,5UVI at 30cm.
Also they told me that 6% is good for my range of 15-20cm but who knows if that's with mesh or not; my guess is without mesh based on normal reflector readings but guess I should invest into solarmeter just in case.
Also ProT5 is very similar design to Sublaster.