Halogen question

[CooperDragon]

My thinking regarding the wattage and distance is that I like to provide a nice wide beam over the basking area to ensure they can bask evenly. I prefer a more powerful bulb or multiple bulbs sitting a bit further away vs a single less intense bulb closer in. It's just one way of thinking of it though. Ultimately, I wish I could get my hands on an Iwasaki eye color arc bulb. Those aren't easily available from what I've seen though.

 

[Rubble1212]

I originally was using a 65watt indoor floodlight but it was soft white then I read it's not good to use soft white. But then I get confused because the Kelvin rating on the indoor 65watt was 2700 and the Kelvin rating on the halogen flood was 2750 Kelvin.

 

[Claudiusx]

My thinking regarding the wattage and distance is that I like to provide a nice wide beam over the basking area to ensure they can bask evenly. I prefer a more powerful bulb or multiple bulbs sitting a bit further away vs a single less intense bulb closer in. It's just one way of thinking of it though. Ultimately, I wish I could get my hands on an Iwasaki eye color arc bulb. Those aren't easily available from what I've seen though.

Agreed with the wide beam. That's what I get out of the vanity bulbs in a dome fixture. The bulb itself spreads it's light and heat in almost all directions. The fixture focuses that into a decent beam for the basking surface.
My only hesitations with the bulb being so high (and I use the term hesitation... very lightly) is that the further from the bulb, the lower the lumens. There is a want to some degree to provide enough lumens to encourage the pupils to dilate. But, I'm sure with big bulbs like those, the lumen output is still decent that far away. It's most so when you start dimming bulbs IMO that you risk not providing enough eye protection.

Like I said, my only experience with them was with calcifer, and I needed 135F so they were always closer than that haha. :mrgreen:

-Brandon

 

[Claudiusx]

I originally was using a 65watt indoor floodlight but it was soft white then I read it's not good to use soft white. But then I get confused because the Kelvin rating on the indoor 65watt was 2700 and the Kelvin rating on the halogen flood was 2750 Kelvin.

Yeah, different companies and brands seem to have all different ideas of what constitutes soft white, bright white, or daylight.

If you're in the 3k range or above you're great. 2700 while a bit warmer, is ok too. The uvb bulb provides very high kelvin light, so in a sense, it provides a more natural range of light when you have a slightly warmer basking bulb compared to a daylight bulb in the 4k range. You will have a range of light in your tank of 2700-5 or 6k with a slightly warmer basking bulb, and a uvb bulb combined.

EDIT: But, it really doesn't need to be that technical, which is why the statement of, as long as it produces the heat you need, is usually good enough. :study:

-Brandon

 

[Rubble1212]

I was curious what your thoughts were on the ambient temperature created by the halogen flood. I have a good digital thermometer on the warm side and with the halogen it only reads 76 on the hot side. With my megaray it will get into the high 80's also with exoterra basking bulb it raises the ambient temperature alot more to.

 

[Claudiusx]

Are you using the bulb with the hexagon in the middle? I haven't used them in a long time, but from what I remember, some of those bulbs had pretty focused beams of heat, despite wide beams of light. That could be why you're not getting very warm ambients.

But Cooper might know that bulb better.

-Brandon

 

[Rubble1212]

No I'm using the other one 60watt. My guy stays in his basking spot most of the time and doesn't move around much even though the temperature gradient is decent with the temp gun just not very warm with digital thermometer and I've taken the digital outside and in different areas of the house and it's pretty accurate. Not sure what to do

 

[Claudiusx]

Oh I see, How long are you letting the probe rest in place? Sometimes they can take 10 or 15 minutes to really get a decent reading.

What is your basking surface material? Depending on the material, the temp gun might not be calibrated to read it properly. Most temp guns come calibrated to an E value that represents a large majority of most materials. But sometimes odd materials can have lower E values, which would mess up the guns accuracy.

-Brandon

 

[Rubble1212]

It's a accurate digital but it just sticks to whatever surface you want. And by the end of the day it might crack 76 in the hot side. Basking spot is a big chunk of granite

 

[Rubble1212]

I think the digital is fairly accurate because when I use my megaray or my exoterra basking bulb it immediately raises the digital into the mid 80's

 

[Claudiusx]

Ah, thats why :mrgreen:

Granite hs an E value of around .45
Most temp guns come calibrated around .90-.92.

There is some math I believe you can do to convert your temperature reading over, but it would be easier if your gun had the option to adjust E value. Do you know if it does?

-Brandon

 

[Claudiusx]

Hmm, just looked, you can do some math but it still won't be accurate. It's better to adjust E, get a gun that can adjust E, or change basking materials. :?
https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/emissivity-coefficients-d_447.html
https://www.apogeeinstruments.com/emissivity-correction-for-infrared-radiometer-sensors/

-Brandon

 

[Rubble1212]

If mine adjusts I sure wouldn't know how to do it. If used my chunk of mohani? Not sure how to spell it. It's some kind of hard wood. Would that work better with my temperature gun

 

[Claudiusx]

It should be a lot closer at least. Most woods have an E value between .80-.95.

What brand and type of gun do you have?

-Brandon

 

[Rubble1212]

It's etekcity 774 model I don't see any buttons except temp from celcius to Fahrenheit and turning laser on or off