I think my boyfriend has SAD. To make that worse, his studio is underground. So I want to buy him a lightbox for his birthday. But I don’t know where to buy one here. Any suggestions?
Maybe you could go to a zhao1pai2 招牌 sign shop and ask them to make one, with metal sides and a handle atop it, a switch and cord, and, say, 6 sockets for corkscrew fluorescent bulbs inside, plus a hinged front with a white translucent plastic cover, and vent holes for the heat.
Of course, if you can find full-spectrum bulbs, build one around them instead.
If fluorescent bulbs were enough 1) he wouldn’t have any problems and 2) they wouldn’t cost so damned much.
send him to sweden. they have special light room places…or check out IKEA (no coincidence probably) but they have a heap of light box type things in the lighting dept (seriously), if I am thinking along the right lines…
I am interested in the spectrum of lighting that you are talking about, SuchaFob. It’s not difficult (for me) to wire lights and I know a place that supplies stuff for contracting purposes. They also order in.
I would guess that you’re looking for “blue” spectrum lighting that’s pretty powerful. If your BF already has a bunch of flourescents, maybe you can change the color of them by buying or ordering new tubes.
I’m pretty handy but dolefully ignorant in this matter. Let us know! Links?
sadbox.co.uk/
Does that help at all?
I really don’t know where to get the info for the full details because I am about as useful as a screendoor on a submarine.
I was so confused by this thread until I saw your link. At first, I thought lightbox was in reference to photography equipment, but was puzzled by it posted under health and fitness. Now I understand. Isn’t there enough sunlight in Taiwan? I’m surprised, but perhaps ignorant.
I was confused about it as well and went off on a totally different tangent. But, when you check it out FOB is onto something. The culture here seems to prefer windowless or curtained rooms. One of the few things I have refused my SO is curtains to cover our large picture window overlooking a park. Even at night it looks great with orange park lamps.
So many locals can be found huddled in dark curtained rooms in the daytime. FOB boyfriend obviously has no choice until he can find another office above ground level.
I suspect the problem harks back to the seige mentality of little closed courtyard house living for safety and security where everything is inward looking.
[quote]
Full spectrum lighting is actually a marketing term. It has no precise scientific definition, but generally describes full spectrum light bulbs that produce light that has certain desirable qualities that make it similar to natural sunlight. Like natural daylight, full spectrum light bulbs produce light that is seen by the human eye in a bluish white tint. The brightness value of the light is similar to that of daylight, and the bulbs have excellent color rendering capability.
[color=red]Full spectrum light bulbs, since they mimic the qualities of natural sunlight, are very appropriate for individuals who suffer from Seasonal Affective Syndrome (SAD). Natural daylight has always had desirable qualities, and is often recommended for improving mood and motivation. Most people will agree, working in an office with no windows can be depressing. The cold winter months and overcast seasons can also be gloomy, but full spectrum light bulbs can make the indoors look like the height of summer.[/color]
There are several types of full spectrum light bulbs. In general, bulbs with color temperatures of 5000K or more produce light that is similar to daytime sunlight. Standard incandescent bulbs coated with neodymium are sometimes marketed under this term, although they do not have the 5000K color temperature. However, they also have desirable qualities, and are able to filter out the harsh yellow tint that is common in standard incandescent bulbs.
The Color Rendering Index (CRI) is a measure used by the lighting industry to indicate a bulb
First, light treatment has been proven effective. See, for example McColl and Veitch, in Psychological Medicine, 2001, vol 31, pp949-964 (Full-spectrum fluorescent lighting: a review of its effects on physiology and health)
But why is it that people believe full-spectrum lighting is more effective for SAD than bright conventional lighting? This does not appear to be true, but people seem keen to jump on this bandwagon without actually seeing any good evidence. I would refer you to the following:
On the need for proper scientific studies, and the kinds of flaws inherent in many of the studies done on this topic:
http://irc.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/fulltext/ir659/gifford.pdf
Since the full-spectrum lights claim to replicate sunlight (and their use is based on the assumption that sunlight is what’s needed to cure SAD), we should begin with an assessment of whether they do in fact replicate sunlight’s properties. They don’t, really, according to McColl and Veitch: [quote]It is debatable whether FSFLs [Full-spectrum fluorescent lighting] produce light similar to daylight. A FSFL is one that emits light in all parts of the visible spectrum and some in the ultraviolet-A region of short-wavelength, high-energy radiation (UV-A, 320-400nm), has a CCT of >= 5000K and a color rendering index (CRI) of at least 90. In contrast, daylight varies in correlated color temperature (CCT) from 5000 to 10000K depending on sky conditions, season, and time of day…Moreover, daylight is more intense than any interior lighting. Daylight is also polarized.[/quote]
Now, we can still examine whether FSFL are superior to conventional (CSFL), but you need experimental (not correlational) evidence with an adequate sample size and proper control group (along with the other factors discussed in article 1 above). Comparing bright FSFL to regular lighting is asinine, as the two differ in both spectrum and intensity. This means that you don’t know which caused the effect, the brightness or the change in spectrum. But some studies have made exactly this booboo (and the researchers should have their credentials pulled :loco: ). When this error is corrected, i.e., when FSFL vs regular bulbs are compared at the same lumens intensity, the evidence does not support FSFL as superior:
… Although there are empirically derived guidelines for most efficacious intensity, timing (albeit controversial) and duration of light therapy (Lam & Levitt, 1998), FSFL is not recommended as necessary to the treatment effect (Rosenthal, 1993; Tam et al. 1995). …effective treatment of SAD has been achieved with a wide variety of bright white lights…and some bright colored lights…a meta-analysis of the literature…found that there was no difference in treatment efficacy between FSFL and CWFL…although bright light therapy reduced depressive symptoms, the presence of UVR was not necessary for the antidepressive effect. Lee et al. (1977) confirmed this observation in their meta-analysis.
Source: http://journals.cambridge.org/production/action/cjoGetFulltext?fulltextid=81690
For further evidence to this effect, see:
http://www.lrc.rpi.edu/programs/nlpip/lightingAnswers/fullSpectrum/claims.asp
[quote]Light therapy treatment of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) usually involves regulated exposure to a white light source, commonly 10,000 lux at the eye for 30 minutes per day (Partonen and L
How? How many lux does a normal light bulb have. How do I get light bulbs strong enough.
I completely wouldn’t mind doing this myself if I have one of you boogers tell me how.
But I kind of wonder if he WOULD use one I set up. He might be all like “Baby this thing will blow up and we will all die.” And then back away from me and the box slowly.
Watts measures the electricity used, but fluorescents are more efficient, so a 13w tube might put out the same light as a 65w incandescent (old style) bulb. The bulbs should say how much light they put out, measured in “lumens”, on the box. Add those up, and that’s how many of a particular bulb you need. Add the watts up, and that’s what the wiring of the box and cord (and your power supply) need to be able to handle. Add to that heat considerations. Better leave making the box to someone who knows what they’re doing, IMO.
As for lux, that’s the measure of the received light at the eye, which decreases with distance from the source. Get a 10,000 lumens box, sit 18" to 36" in front of it, and you’ll be fine.
For more info see http://members.aol.com/biobrite/light.htm
You may be right DB.
I did a bit of searching and posted up the relevant bits I found. It is interesting whatever way you choose to look at it. Last reference I had was an episode of Northern Exposure where the dude wears light bulb glasses.
I looked into building something that pumped out a lot of flourescent light, through using either tubes or compact bulbs. In order to make something that would make enough light and be small enough to (barely) be carried on a scooter or small car it would cost upwards of 5000 dollars. And thats something without diffusion and would in my opinion, be ugly. I don’t like to make ugly things.
I didn’t make much of a plan, it’s just a guesstimation while walking around B&Q.
I would consider buying a proper made thing from the link posted in this thread or else paying some sign maker to make you one to your specifications.
Start by changing the bulbs.
I can’t help you much with calculating the lumins and stuff because I can’t read chinese or ask the right questions.
You could also consider buying (probably online) HD lighting used to grow things hydroponically. That would be very bright and hey, if plants like it…
Just don’t grow any tomatoes for your head!
Not much help, I know…