IP 65 Black Light for home use

[ship]

Checked work - nope no IP65 fixtures that do black light - interesting. Don't need much output, just to light a few scarry signs my Daughter paints every year so as to promote Holloween interest to our house. Became a challenge for me to make a margional output black light lighting fixture that was IP-65 (Rain proof.) Not on time in me making it and still not.


Found in reserach https://www.menards.com/main/lighti...544-c-7490.htm?tid=7239418363538442566&ipos=3 undercounter black lights in a LED version. Four available, three should be sufficient for a front yard. Didn't find them initially in the store until asked for help. This will work! Just need to make them IP-65 weather resistant.

A T-12 flourescent lamp shield cover will fit over the light fixture in size. Very difficult to cut - 12"x120 tooth chop saw will chip the T-12 Flourecent lamp shield cover in cutting to length. Best to Sharpee mark and cut over the size with utility kinfe than sanding table refine to size.

Size for me was what UHMW top in Forstner bit in fitting the wiring, or oak bottom in only hole saw fitting the T-12 tubing could be hole sawed out to the size of the outer T-12 tubing. Drill press usage fun! Than came problems..., Long story, if interested ask for more info on the project (router table) and once assembled.... middle tube didn
t light up . Now that it's sealed up... to fix?

 

[macsound]

The marketing is interesting - who would use a blacklight under their kitchen counter.

Great deal at $12. Almost makes me want to buy a few.
Great build too.
How was the output and the effect? We'd love to see!!
Also, are the photos correct? There's no power brick? It just plugs straight in to 110v?

 

[ship]

Patriot Lighting brand is as other brands.. it is as it is in decent store bought. Why under cabinet black light... no idea, other than 20 years ago when I had parties at my house and had a "Lava Lamp Love Lounge" for a room.

Output I tested on a sign and my blacklight poster was ok. Glowing but not popping in a full lit room. Should be fine in output to make the signs glow some. Yet to add a light sensor to the fixture in add on.

Biggest problem I had was in the 120v power in plugs to the strips. I made a mistake in not plugging them in before silicone applied to the plugs. Normally, you plug in a plug to a receptacle, it works. In this case, the center receptacle didn't work, and the right one stopped working. I had thought initially that I had pulled up slack in the cable too much, but after drilling exploritory holes, that was not the case. Later in cutting into the T-12 tubing for better access, I found that the right fixture in working mostly and not... needed to in cord be pushed to the right more. The center connection needed to be pushed down some in cable connection to inlet. Both connections were pre-siliconed into place before installation into the T-12 fluorescent tube cover. I sould have tested these connections before siliconing them into place. That said, the factory plug 120v in's for them is a little light in tolerance for them to be plugged in, but need a little work to make a good connection.

Problem on my part is this is a sealed lighting fixture. I need to create an access hole and insert epoxy or silicone to mount the cable to the fixtures so it stays plugged in. Simple enough to cut an access hole and epoxy or silicone into working the power in.... Just doing so, and buying more T-12 cover tubing to silicone in place once fixed...

And given the ease of the power in plugs to fail in good contact when pushed in.. that's a problem. Overall use of the fixture given it's plug in problems.... sketchy. If you have problems in it working if you push to the right one, or push down on another, consider the arching going on in making good connection long term.

I tried to take off the end cap of a light, and it's glued in no way to make better secure contact to the wiring initially. I think given the lack of tolerances to the plug in, soldering bare wire to the pins of the fixture is best. Connection of light fixture to its power plug is failure point. This in solving not needing an access hole. Switches for each fixture were siliconed to the "on" position.

 

[DMXUser]

The marketing is interesting - who would use a blacklight under their kitchen counter.

A Chef who grows fresh Herbs in the kitchen, (yet some UV BL lights are not true UV producers for plant growth).

 

[tladuke]

amazon has IP66 UV flood fixtures. Most are non-dimmable and have no control interface.

Word of caution if you are new to UV fixtures that use LED's as the source. If the fixture is rated at 365nm for the LED, you need to be extremely careful about direct exposure. This wavelength is right on the edge in terms of skin and eye damage and extended exposure is not advised. There is safety information available online, especially from the more reputable American manufacturers. Local codes do not always take in to consideration these types of fixtures, for these types of applications. If you are a tech who is rigging and focusing these fixtures, wear some inexpensive UV blocking safety glasses. Really, I mean it. Seriously. I had double cataract surgery two years ago because of extensive work with UV light sources.

Designers often specify 365nm because it has a tendency to not exhibit the "purple haze" effect. If you do some testing with 385nm led's, you will find that many fluorescent inks and paints fluoresce much brighter under 386nm than the so called "better" 365nm led's. It's a trade-off. And you pay a premium for the shorter wavelength 365nm led's