SAD Light boxes

[Ian]

I'm looking at light boxes for someone who suffers from SAD. How can they be so expensive -- for example, 4 fluorescent strips in a box for £230? Goodness me!

I'm going to make a box myself. Any tips?

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Choose tubes with the correct spectrum. You might have to go to a specialist rather than a shed. Use high frequency ballasts too - flicker from 50 Hz ones annoys some.

[Andy Dingley]

Search on SAD tubes. Although the boxes are one mighty price, the same fluorescent tubes (small, high power CORRECT SPECTRUM) are reasonably priced.

[Ian]

From: Andy Dingley Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2009 Time: 01:29:39

Any special precautions needed when mounting them vertically, I wonder? Heat dissipation?

[Andrew Gabriel]

Because people will pay that much. Part of the scam is convincing people they need some special expensive tubes, which is complete bullshit.

Buy a 4-tube modular ceiling fitting (as used in offices), the type with an enclosed box rather than just a flimsy reflector. Last time I bought one, it was £20 complete with tubes and gear, and about £2 for a polycarbonate diffuser. You can often find them in skip dives outside an office refurb for nothing. They come in 600x600mm and

600x1200mm, with 2' or 4' tubes respectively (and there are 3 or 4 tube versions, but you want the brighter 4 tube ones).

Hang the thing vertically on the wall like you would a picture (they aren't heavy), and fit the polycarbonate diffuser (you might have to improvise to hold it in place, as they're normally just held by gravity in the frame).

When switched on, it will subconciously feel like a window with bright sun outside. To be effective, it should be positioned close to where the person sits or works - it doesn't work at distance.

[Owain]

Buy a cheap suspended ceiling light fitting. Wrap round the edges with timber. 20mm cable gland for the flex. Eg

(not High Frequency though - HF ones more expensive)

There's a school of thought that says spectrum is moderately immaterial and it's just the brightness that counts.

Owain

[TheScullster]

"Ian" wrote

I saw one recently that appeared to be based on an LED cluster rather than fluorescents!

Phil

[js.b1]

Any benefits to human Vitamin D production - notoriously miserable in northern climates during winter?

Vitamin D supplements are not particularly effective; Vitamin D is particularly beneficial for disease etc resistance, it is suggested that low vitamin D production during winter may be one factor promoting viral transmission.

[john]

This is one I built earlier and it sits about 4' above the workbench.

6 off, 4' Osram Lumilux 'Daylight' tubes. Also fitted with 10 single batten type fittings, for various coloured bulbs. Wired through to a switch bank that'll mix-n-match on colours and levels. At the time thought it a good idea. Just cost chipboard etc, a sheet of acrylic diffuser and the light fittings. Never use it, found I didn't like the light quality. Prefer just an anglepoise with 100W bulb. :)

[dennis]

't look at it directly stick it on top of a kitchen unit and just work in the kitchen for a bit each day.

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember Ian saying something like:

I made one up a few years back. Take one of those 4' long ceiling boxes that contain four fluorescent strips and fit another four into it (I had a few from skip raiding outside some office refurbishment). Sorted. There's also a 2' square version kicking around here.