We use a couple of different industrial radiospectrometers when manufacturing, but we use the Spectral Light Meter SRI2000 UV Illuminance Spectrometer for inhouse measuring. The goal of this page is to both explain how we use it, what our methods are and what you can expect from charts and graphs that you find on our website. Generally speaking, all black and white spectral images are our industrial measurements, while the color images are done using this nice hand held model.

Because distance is very important and can greatly modify the readings, we will clearly mark all distances using metric measurements most of the time. We also add SAE equivalents when needed. We do this because we are an international company, and while we are located in the US, half of our customers are not. We do accept donations of equipment from OEM manufacturers who wish to have a series of measurements taken with and without our Flower Power (or other) lamps, with no charge other than the donation of the equipment itself. Call Dennis directly if you are interested.

When we rate the wattage of a system, we are giving the draw power of the ballast, not the output power. Keep in mind, many ballasts are more efficient than others, so this can skew the numbers. For instance, a 13w Fulham Pony will deliver about 25% more UV than a generic 20w, even while drawing 40% less electricity. Most of the measurements are at 20w draw, including the two foot and four foot Flower Power bulbs. Measurements for UV curing rigs will certainly state the power for that configuration, as we sell configurations in a wide array of wattages.

Overview of the SRI2000

We are new to using the SRI2000, so while we are here, we will provide some feedback for the benefit of other users who wish to purchase one. At $3,500 (from alliedscientificpro.com), they are in the lower middle price range. There are two version of this unit available: a 380nm-780nm, and a 250nm-850nm. We have the 250-850, which bumped the price from $3000 to $3500, but we have to be able to read at least down to 280nm, and having the extra spectrum is well worth the extra money.

Using the SRI2000

I've done several tests on a variety of sources, including Flower Power bulbs (34% UVB/66%UVA 280nm-380nm), on red light therapy fluorescent bulbs, and 633nm LED sticks. What we have found is that the unit works fast and gives very reliable results. When trying to test full systems with 8192 LEDs or 32x100w fluorescent tubes, however, it errors out; It can't handle the intensity as it comes stock, we are looking for a filter to cut the sensitivity by 90%.