Glowies, Blinkies, UVies & Other Illuminations

MikeVDS · Post by **MikeVDS** » Tue May 08, 2007 9:10 pm

nm: Nano meters (nano 10^-9)

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Wed May 09, 2007 2:48 am

I don't think any frequency of uv is safe for people's eyes.
Best to aim it at the surface you want to fluoresce.

Mister Jellyfish Mister · Post by **Mister Jellyfish Mister** » Wed May 09, 2007 7:33 am

...and I just thought their pupils were dilated because they were rolling at the time.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Wed May 09, 2007 11:17 am

I don't think you can blame dilation on uv.
It probably does allow dilation though.

No doubt the general excitement causing it.

MikeVDS · Post by **MikeVDS** » Wed May 09, 2007 4:45 pm

UV dangers are not just within the specific wavelength, but the intensity as well. Every day you go outside your eyes are bombarded with UV light. I know some of those LEDs can be very dangerous to human eyes and you can't even see that they are energized. If you're going to use them you better do a little research into them. I do know that certain wavelengths in the UV spectrum are far more dangerous than others but I don't recall even if it's the long or shorter that you'll have more problems with. And it's not a real simple thing either since specific sections of wavelengths are absorbed by different materials. Normal window glass for example typically filters out most of one of the UV spectrums (A or B, I don't recall which). I used to work with equipment that measured visible and UV light from the sun and these were considerations that had to be made when designing and placing the equipment to make measurements. But I have never used any of those UV LEDs so you'll have to do some more research.

capjbadger · Post by **capjbadger** » Thu May 10, 2007 3:37 pm

UVA 400 nm - 320 nm
UVB 320 nm - 290 nm
UVC 290 nm - 100 nm

The shorter (tighter) the wavlength, the higher energy it is and the more damage it can do. UVB is what "sunburns" you, but UVA is pretty damaging as well.

Badger

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Sat May 12, 2007 2:13 pm

Mister Jellyfish Mister wrote:When we did the dental work on Mantis, I used the UV LED's and I actually had to pull some "teeth" after I saw how bright they were. Worked great when she gave a smooch to people wearing UV reactive colors or whites. Ahhh... remember that night, Robotland?

Ahhhh, yes. I was just describing Her Majesty to some folks at the Kazoo Arts Institute yesterday, and swelling with the pride of a proud uncle...

Toolmaker · Post by **Toolmaker** » Sat May 12, 2007 4:43 pm

Some stuff to read about UV..

http://www.nas.nasa.gov/About/Education ... ation.html

http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/roc/eleven ... 83uvrr.pdf

http://www.epa.gov/sunwise/uvradiation.html

http://www.preventblindness.org/uv/

http://www.accessexcellence.org/HHQ/HRC/HF/uv.html

http://www.stormfax.com/uvtable.htm

http://www.ehs.washington.edu/rsononion/uvlight.shtm

http://www.biospherical.com/nsf/student/page4.html

http://library.thinkquest.org/27930/spectrum.htm

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Fri May 18, 2007 4:58 pm

http://lunaplast.com/home.html

Cool! I heard the name on a "Modern Marvels" episode about space program-based technology...

Toolmaker · Post by **Toolmaker** » Fri May 18, 2007 9:09 pm

hunter S wrote:Not trying to be commerce! but I found a great source for everthing that glows! http://www.glowsource.com

This is a small west coast business who is very burner friendly

THANKS ALOT!!! I just got my order from them and am very pleased with the service and pricing. You can't go wrong with a 5 dollar blinky jester hat! The stuff isn't the highest quality but considering the prices I am happy.

Aside from the hats which I recommend.. the LED necklaces are dandy and the button cell prices are good. The only thing I wasn't too pleased with was the blinky fish necklaces.. but for 80 cents ya can't really complain.

diane o'thirst · Post by **diane o'thirst** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 11:49 am

Found another solar light source:

http://www.mrlight.com/home.php?cat=7

pepperlime · Post by **pepperlime** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 12:10 am

I was looking around for solar-powered lights to fit this year's theme (and my personal sensibilities) and found this neat water bottle/lantern sold at thinkgeek for $25:

http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/lights/91e8/

Lassen Forge · Post by **Lassen Forge** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 1:17 am

A little pricey for a water bottle, but the top, with the light going through the water, makes it COOL! Nice find!

If one were a rich girl, what an awesome way to outline your camp at night, PLUS have bottles of water in case someone needs one!

bb

diane o'thirst · Post by **diane o'thirst** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 1:39 am

Arrrrgggghh...light...water...solar...cool glowies...arrrrrrgggghhh...
must...resist...

Ah, screw it. It eschews specialty, which is my gear-up motto. I'm there.

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 5:14 am

ALERT PATENT OFFICE!

How about combining those little batt-op tea lights, iderally the flickery ones, with a sturdy baglike structure made from PET (recycled plastic) like those nifty ultralightweight backpacking bags? (A clever soul could also include discrete solar cells...) ...Presto! Green Luminaria!

diane o'thirst · Post by **diane o'thirst** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 2:18 pm

Boy, this is just the Year For Pinching Ideas And Making Them Ourselves, isn't it?

Let me visualize...the tealight gets attached upside-down to the lid of the water bottle? Not permanently because the switch and battery cover are on the bottom and need to be accessed.

One could seal the tealight in the lid by covering it with one of those plastic bubbles that toys from vending machines come in. Gorilla tape and seal it with bathtub caulk? One would have to do it now to let it outgas and air out in time.

Six weeks to go...must focus on the main project...

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 7:10 pm

Actually, I wan't even thinking about the water-bottle thing! I was already on to making luminaria....But that's a really good idea! You'd have to make extra sure that it was a sealed unit, and NOT use something like a big gumball dome that'd crack really easily. AND use non-flavor-imparting sealant. But it's a doer! So is gluing a solar light to the cap of a Lexan bottle, with a peephole for the LED to shine through...

diane o'thirst · Post by **diane o'thirst** » Thu Jul 05, 2007 7:37 pm

I'm making luminarias too, but the old-fashioned kind. Brown paper lunch sacks with designs drawn on with Sharpies, lit with battery tealights.

I just ordered a pair of stained glass solar lanterns from Dr. Leonard's for my doorway. What with 40 solar lights of various types, a few strings of LED lights running off my trailer's on-board battery array and twenty battery tealight luminarias, Wolf Camp will definitely NOT be a dark spot on the Playa. Eclipse or no.

Hoolie · Post by **Hoolie** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 7:28 pm

Can anybody give me an idea about the durability of el wire? Specifically short length (6 foot) with AA battery inverter? Was thinking of attaching them to the wheels of my bike, but I'm not sure if they'd last getting spun and bumped around like that for a week (or subsequent burns for that matter).

Mister Jellyfish Mister · Post by **Mister Jellyfish Mister** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 9:36 pm

Hoolie wrote:Can anybody give me an idea about the durability of el wire? Specifically short length (6 foot) with AA battery inverter? Was thinking of attaching them to the wheels of my bike, but I'm not sure if they'd last getting spun and bumped around like that for a week (or subsequent burns for that matter).

Hi Hoolie. Pretty sturdy stuff if you won't be bending and flexing it and just leaving it threaded through the spokes to spin. Try the 5mm fat high-bright long-life which will last you many years to come.

diane o'thirst · Post by **diane o'thirst** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 10:39 pm

One year (I think it was 2004) it seemed like everyone in our block was doing the "spiral of EL wire woven through the spokes of their bike" thing. It's a fast, easy and very aesthetic enhancement.

Remember to mount the driver on either the rim or the axle, not the frame!

LeChatNoir · Post by **LeChatNoir** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 11:00 pm

Hoolie wrote:Can anybody give me an idea about the durability of el wire? Specifically short length (6 foot) with AA battery inverter? Was thinking of attaching them to the wheels of my bike, but I'm not sure if they'd last getting spun and bumped around like that for a week (or subsequent burns for that matter).

Yeah, it's good stuff and will hold up to what you're wanting to do with it. I outlined the entire frame of my playa cruiser and it''s still doing great. super energy efficient, too.

Hoolie · Post by **Hoolie** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 10:02 am

Thanks for the input y'all. I guess it makes sense that the stuff is durable. I expected the thing most susceptible to damage would be the battery pack itself, or maybe the connection to the wire. But if it's used in bike wheels a lot, it must work.

capjbadger · Post by **capjbadger** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 11:36 am

Hoolie wrote:Can anybody give me an idea about the durability of el wire? Specifically short length (6 foot) with AA battery inverter? Was thinking of attaching them to the wheels of my bike, but I'm not sure if they'd last getting spun and bumped around like that for a week (or subsequent burns for that matter).

Another eye-catching blinkie bit you can add is those "tireflys". They are a strobing valve cap. The playa is bumpy enough that they will go off all the time. Looks cool and keeps you from getting run over. They last a long time too. I'm still running the same set of batteries from last year.

Badger

Hoolie · Post by **Hoolie** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 9:53 pm

capjbadger wrote:
Hoolie wrote:Can anybody give me an idea about the durability of el wire? Specifically short length (6 foot) with AA battery inverter? Was thinking of attaching them to the wheels of my bike, but I'm not sure if they'd last getting spun and bumped around like that for a week (or subsequent burns for that matter).
Another eye-catching blinkie bit you can add is those "tireflys". They are a strobing valve cap. The playa is bumpy enough that they will go off all the time. Looks cool and keeps you from getting run over. They last a long time too. I'm still running the same set of batteries from last year. :)

Badger

Great tip! Thanks!

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 6:02 am

Hoolie wrote:Thanks for the input y'all. I guess it makes sense that the stuff is durable. I expected the thing most susceptible to damage would be the battery pack itself, or maybe the connection to the wire. But if it's used in bike wheels a lot, it must work.

Be sure to secure the driver's battery compartment- A short, sharp shock will otherwise pop the panel off and MOOP it and the batteries. A trick I learned is to get some adhesive Velcro and affix tabs of "hook" stuff to the driver-box and access panel. These can then be "linked" with a strip of Velcro "pile". (Tape eventually gets playad-up and needs constant replacing.)

BLINKY STUFF UPDATE:
I hadn't been into Pep Boys for a while, and though I'd stop by to catch up...It seems (at least locally) that they are no longer carrying ANY electroluminescent products, having moved more heavily into LED stuff. And I found a temptation- both license frames AND rear-window units with scrolling LED message panels. Both were 40 bucks.
*covet*

cjfiller · Post by **cjfiller** » Sun Jul 22, 2007 2:20 pm

have you seen these yet?

http://tinyurl.com/2xruq5

i'd love to get some, but the shipping is double the price of a string because they come from hong kong! these would be great for identifying camp, as well as evening bike decor....woo!

if only someone in north america sold them or made them.

just had to share!

MikeVDS · Post by **MikeVDS** » Sun Jul 22, 2007 3:19 pm

Kind of neat if you're into blinkies, flowers and solar

They have them cheaper on e-bay and I'm sure other places as well.
http://www.amazon.com/SohoDecor-Decorat ... B000PI9CL0

ibdave · Post by **ibdave** » Sun Jul 22, 2007 9:50 pm

a youtube funny

MikeVDS · Post by **MikeVDS** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 10:28 am

I'm looking for amber(ish) colored flashing LEDs. The ones with the blinking circuitry built in. They sell them individually at Fry's but I know I can find a better deal, especially in larger quantities. Anyone know a good place I can find these?

I know I can do the circuitry to make normal LEDs flash, but I'm grouping these together. Because of the "random" nature of the separate circuitry, the indirect light looks like flickering flames. If you know a better way I could make this effect, I'm open to suggestions.

Glowies, Blinkies, UVies & Other Illuminations

solar LED's on ebay