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Post by 58chevy on Feb 28, 2015 10:47:58 GMT -8
Does anybody know if there are LED lights that produce UV wavelenths? If so, has anybody used them to attract bugs? What wattages do they come in? How effective are they compared to MV and fluorescent UV?
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Post by jshuey on Feb 28, 2015 12:01:59 GMT -8
There are - and they are used commercially in a lot of applications to set resins. But I know nothing about how well they work for bugs. I tried to dig into this a year or so ago, with no luck.
John
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Post by catocala59 on Feb 28, 2015 14:57:13 GMT -8
Worldwide Butterflies were selling an LED moth trapping unit a while ago, but I don't have any personal experience with using them.
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ckswank
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Post by ckswank on Mar 1, 2015 23:37:19 GMT -8
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Post by africaone on Mar 1, 2015 23:49:03 GMT -8
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ckswank
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Post by ckswank on Mar 2, 2015 0:02:37 GMT -8
Down a few paragraphs in the article, it mentions the wavelengths that can be produced. 365 nano-meters is supposed to be the optimum for at least moths. I had a small flashlight with these type of LEDs (about 10-12) that did draw in a few moths. To be effective, I would imagine you would have to use one with 100+ LED bulbs, similar to the ones they use in traffic signal lights now. Those things are bright!
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Post by nomihoudai on Mar 2, 2015 0:22:10 GMT -8
Would be better to be a physicist then (I also do this mistake sometimes, physician is a false friend to the French physicien). All the fancy words basically mean "we introduced some charge into the material". Be careful with them as '...the absorption spectrum of DNA, with a peak at about 260 nm, UV LED emitting at 250–270 nm...' means that they are excellent devices for producing skin cancer ^^.
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leptraps
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Post by leptraps on Mar 2, 2015 20:23:59 GMT -8
Yes, the are UV LED. I have had numerous LED manufactures, all from China, send me Light Sticks, Wands, Bars, Poles etc etc...... They have varied in length and the number of LED bulbs vary greatly. Yes they produce a 350/360NM, all are 12 VDC. Yes they will attract insects, however, they UV has no effect beyond 20 feet at best. Part of the problem is the small surface with the Phosphorus coating. Too much light through a small amount of Phosphorus.
I have several UV Meters, beyond 20 feet the meter cannot detect any UV. However, the Pest Control Industry (Fly Traps) are extremely interested in the LED technology. At some point they will figure it out.
I have heard a rumor out of India that a new form of MV may be available in the near future.
I will give you a word of caution. The UV from a LED bulb is like a miniature sun lamp and it may/will burn your skin if exposed even for a short period of time.
Also, I just saw a rather nifty wind generator at 12 VDC 75 Watts. It was part of a battery charging systems for remote locations. They work in conjunction with a solar panel. Think about this. I saw a small freezer for a camping trailer. maybe 3 cubic feet. Set it up with a Solar Panel and wind generator and set it out in the middle of nowhere and let it run 24/7. Check it once a week of every 3 or 4 days. I will look into this.
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Post by alandmor on Mar 5, 2015 8:13:02 GMT -8
Does anybody know if there are LED lights that produce UV wavelenths? If so, has anybody used them to attract bugs? What wattages do they come in? How effective are they compared to MV and fluorescent UV? The Goodden GemLight is supposedly designed as a portable LED UV collecting light. From the manufacturer's Web site: The Goodden GemLight is a leap forward in technology, enabling serious moth trapping in remote areas without weighty batteries, cables, a generator or mains supply. Runs all night on 8 AA cells Daylight sensor puts the GemLight ON and OFF automatically. Built-in safety features. Extremely Lightweight. Ultra compact. No bulb to break. Ideal for travel. The Goodden GemLight, runs on 8 AA rechargeable batteries, weighs only 360g, including batteries, fits in the palm of your hand, and runs for over 10 hours on a single charge. The Gemlight uses specially produced LED emitters that are more powerful and effective than any other battery light. These are no ordinary LEDs. The Ultraviolet emitter is the final choice from many which have been evaluated and tested over several years. The GemLight is the result of years of research and investment. It has been tested both in the tropics and temperate regions. This is not a replacement for powerful Mercury Vapour (MV) but in off-peak seasons it has frequently outperformed MV. www.wwb.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&keyword=gem&product_id=5709
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leptraps
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Post by leptraps on Mar 5, 2015 11:11:05 GMT -8
I have explored the LED Emitters, both 365NM and an UV 372NM. Both are 1 Watt bulbs. I have looked at the Moonlander Moth Trap, which is a "LIVE" catch trap.
I have a 12" LED Bar with 12 - 1 Watt 365 NM UV LED bulbs. I was not impressed. The UV Meter could not read the UV light 100 feet from the trap.
Has anybody used a Moonlander Moth Trap and if so how well did it preform?
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Post by Adam Cotton on Mar 5, 2015 13:18:15 GMT -8
How far away does your UV meter register light from conventional bulbs?
Adam.
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Post by compsulyx on Mar 5, 2015 19:28:23 GMT -8
Hello, I'm Thierry from New Caledonia. I bought a "Goodden GemLight" a few weeks ago, as I was curious to verify the efficiency of this light trap, especially in the rainforest areas. I'm sorry but to be honnest, the results were really disappointing...first the light worked only 6 hours, not all night as mentionned (with good quality batteries), and I got very few moths. I put another light trap about 1 km from this one on top of mountain, with traditionnal MV bulbs and actinic tubes, and I got many moths, same night. I think the problem is not the LEDs quality, this is the power which is too low. I agree 100% with "leptraps", a good light trap is a compromise between power and quality of lights used. But if the power is too low, then the attraction of the trap felt to a few meters around your trap, even if the LEDs are in good rays range. So the attraction is low and you have few moths on your trap. I think this kind of compact light trap can be used under forest to attract some micromoths which stays under canopy, but certainly not for conventional light trapping in opened areas. From my experience, the best light trap is a MV bulb about 125 w (or 250w in very opened areas) + actinic tube 40W. I got the best results with this system. A 80w MV bulb is also excellent if you put the trap into the forest in very closed areas. If it's too powerful, the moths stopped too far from the trap and on the trees / shrubbs, it's a bit hard to get them and you can loose a lot of interesting spms. But if the light is not too powerful, the moths will come to your trap and a few meters around, not too far. Very often, I use in addition of the light, a mix of rotten fruits (bananas is the best), fermented with black beer and brown sugar for a week or so. I spread the mix (with a few 70% alcohol mixed before using) on a trunk not so far from the light trap, and some moths are attracted by the smell of the bait, then come to the light trap. It's quite efficient. But I've noticed that the system doesn't work for some species which are completely not attracted by the light, and will never come to the light trap. But they come to the bait trap in the dark. The best example is a large Noctuid found here : Erebus macfarlanei (Catocalinae). Hereunder a picture of this moth on my fruit mix Hope this helps. Thierry.
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Post by compsulyx on Mar 5, 2015 19:32:22 GMT -8
the second picture is the same moth found eating on a rotten orange in the field. Thierry
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leptraps
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Post by leptraps on Mar 5, 2015 21:28:41 GMT -8
How far away does your UV meter register light from conventional bulbs? Adam. I have several UV Light Meters. I have an older (1990 something) Miller Measurement Instrument Co. NY, NY (Everything went to China). A 15 Watt 18 Inch T8 fluorescent bulb 368 NM. 1200 feet, humid night 800 feet. Clear and cool 1500 feet. It all depends on the amount of moisture in the air. It can read a 500 watt MV almost 2000 feet away. UV meters were not designed to determine distance. They were deigned to measure the light emitted from the bulb at 32 feet. I also have a Ozawa Meter 2009 which is extremely accurate at 9 yards. If you walk any distance from the bulb at night with a full moon, the meter will not read correctly. Fluorescent tubes are coated on the inside with phosphorus powder. The light passes through the phosphorus material and creates the UV light. The larger the wattage and the size of the bulb (T8 or T12)the greater the emitted UV light. LED bulbs work on the same principle. The only problem is the size of the LED. Also, fluorescent bulbs are designed for static horizontal use. If you use a fluorescent tube to collect and you travel, the movement of the bulb will cause the Phosphorus coat to separate form the tube and that will greatly effect the amount of UV light emitted from the bulb. For best results, change the bulb regularly. You will see the difference. However, there is a new series of HID bulbs that will produce UV. The problem is they contain Mercury.
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Post by compsulyx on Mar 6, 2015 16:06:32 GMT -8
Thank you very much for your interesting and useful information. However, I have a question about the phosphorus powder coat. What about the cleared bulbs without this phosphorus coat ?. Are they as effective as the standard MV bulbs with P. coat ?. I saw someone who worked in Paris museum, a Cicadas specialist, who was using some 125 watts MV bulbs, and he often broke them by making a small hole on top, then put a little sand inside, to take off the white coat. He said that UV rays are more important and Cicadas more attracted by the lamp in this way. Sometimes the glass was completely broken and he used the lamp like this, with appropriate protective glasses to prevent any damage on the eyes. Problem when you do that is the heat of the centre of bulb. If specimens touch it, it burns the wings. I think that UV rays are important in terms of attraction when the moths are near the trap, this increases the attraction towards the white sheet. Therefore, in addition of the UV rays, the brightness of the lamp, linked to the power of the lamp, is also very important. More the brightness of the lamp is important, and the more it will be visible from far away by the moths. I agree with your information about fluorescent tubes, I've noticed this problem once. Thierry
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