# ZOOMED Digital UV Index Radiometer



## gtc (Jan 12, 2014)

What do you think? Could this be OK instead of going for a solarmeter 6.2??

http://www.zoomed.com/db/products/E...7czoxOiIwIjtzOjg6IlNlYXJjaF95IjtzOjE6IjAiO30=


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## gtc (Jan 20, 2014)

Here is a link to an online shop that sells it:

http://www.bigalspets.ca/uvb-digital-ultraviolet-radiometer.html

Has anyone tried this??


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## jaizei (Jan 20, 2014)

The two links are to different products. The first is a UV index meter and the second measures UVB. I recall reading somewhere that the Zoo Med meters were just rebranded Solarmeters. So if true, they are basically a 6.5 and 6.2 respectively. 

Is your question about the Zoo Med brand or about using a UVI meter in lieu of a UVB meter? 

I think both are useful, but the 6.5 seems to be becoming more popular since they are more 'in tune' with the portion of the spectrum responsible for vit D synthesis (weighted, if you will).


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## gtc (Jan 21, 2014)

jaizei said:


> The two links are to different products. The first is a UV index meter and the second measures UVB. I recall reading somewhere that the Zoo Med meters were just rebranded Solarmeters. So if true, they are basically a 6.5 and 6.2 respectively.
> 
> Is your question about the Zoo Med brand or about using a UVI meter in lieu of a UVB meter?
> 
> I think both are useful, but the 6.5 seems to be becoming more popular since they are more 'in tune' with the portion of the spectrum responsible for vit D synthesis (weighted, if you will).




My question was regarding the zoomed brand vs solarmeter. Thanks, I didn't realize that they were two different brands. I think I will then go for the zoomed UV index radiometer.


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## Tom (Jan 21, 2014)

gtc, I've been looking into this a bit myself. The ZooMed model is a Solarmeter made and calibrated by the same guy in the same building, but with a ZooMed sticker on it. There are basically two types of Solarmeter in use. The 6.2 was the most popular one in years past and it measures UVb output in micro watts per square centimeter. Lately many people have been switching to the 6.5 model, and that one gives it readings as a UV index number. According to the person that I have been talking to that knows all about this stuff, the 6.5 model gives a more useful reading for a reptile owner as it is more tuned to read the specific type of radiation that our animals need to synthesize D3. I will ask her to comment on this thread for you.


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## bouaboua (Jan 21, 2014)

Tom said:


> gtc, I've been looking into this a bit myself. The ZooMed model is a Solarmeter made and calibrated by the same guy in the same building, but with a ZooMed sticker on it. There are basically two types of Solarmeter in use. The 6.2 was the most popular one in years past and it measures UVb output in micro watts per square centimeter. Lately many people have been switching to the 6.5 model, and that one gives it readings as a UV index number. According to the person that I have been talking to that knows all about this stuff, the 6.5 model gives a more useful reading for a reptile owner as it is more tuned to read the specific type of radiation that our animals need to synthesize D3. I will ask her to comment on this thread for you.



Men! Oh Man OH MAN !!!!!

I just got myself a Solarmeter 6.2.......................

Well........Looks like 6.5 are in order.

Also Looking forward to her comment. Thanks!!


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## lilacdragon (Jan 21, 2014)

Hi, GTC and Tom.



Tom said:


> I will ask her to comment on this thread for you.



No problems.... 

Tom has explained this perfectly.

ZooMed are now selling the Solarmeter 6.5 UV Index Meter (still available direct from Solartech, purchase online or by phone for mail order, see www.solarmeter.com

The only difference is that the ZooMed meters have been given the ZooMed branding and have also been "tailored" for use with reptiles, by having a reptile-based guide printed on the label and associated documents. They are categorising the UV Index values in terms of the Ferguson Zones, four zones based on the basking behaviour and sun exposure (or not as the case may be) of different reptile species.
This is based on a scientific paper (a copy of which I've just sent to Tom) and is a concept being developed by the zoo community I work with, as well.

But if you find there is a price difference and this affects your choice, then be reassured, the Solarmeter 6.5 and the ZooMed UV Index Meter are exactly the same under the label.
Just as the original ZooMed "Digital Ultraviolet Radiometer" is a Solarmeter 6.2 in disguise 

I highly recommend them both but Jaizei is right; for most situations the UV Index Meter will give you a better indication of safe and suitable UVB levels for your tortoise, both outdoors and indoors.

Best wishes,

Frances


...oh, Bouaboua... just saw your post...
DO NOT WORRY
Your 6.2 will be invaluable to you. I wouldn't be without mine. (And most people can't afford two!)
You'll just need a bit more research to find out what the readings mean. Because that gives you a reading in microwatts per square centimetre, which isn't quite as simple as the UV Index scale (as seen on weather forecasts)

Tom will probably be able to help you figure it out


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## bouaboua (Jan 21, 2014)

lilacdragon said:


> Hi, GTC and Tom.
> 
> 
> 
> ...





Thank you Frances!!!!

I use the 6.2 to measure the reading in various location and angle towards the sun and at the different time of the day out in my back yard and record it.

Then I compared with the UVB light lamp/tube provided output to measure the heights I hang my UVB lamps/tubes and also let me know the time to lower or retire the old and replace a new. 

Am I using it right??


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## lilacdragon (Jan 21, 2014)

Hi, Bouaboua.



> Am I using it right??


Yes and no... 

I'm sorry, guys. This is going to be a long post. But I honestly don't know any really simple way of explaining this, so I'm going to work through it as carefully as I can, although I know it's a  sort of thing to do to anyone so late at night... 



> I use the 6.2 to measure the reading in various location and angle towards the sun and at the different time of the day out in my back yard and record it.


Yes.  You will get a very good idea of how the UVB changes with time of day and with the seasons - and find the best places for your tortoises to sun-bask.



> Then I compared with the UVB light lamp/tube provided output to measure the heights I hang my UVB lamps/tubes



This is where the problem is, I'm afraid.

The Solarmeter 6.2 is designed to read the whole UVB spectrum. This includes shorter wavelengths, which are very effective at creating vitamin D, and longer wavelengths which have a less powerful effect. Sunlight has a lot of these longer wavelengths, which contribute a great deal to the reading on a Solarmeter 6.2.

But Reptile lamps almost all have a different spectrum from sunlight.
Some have a spectrum that is fairly similar - like most metal halide lamps and fluorescent tubes. Usually these have UVB spectra rather similar to strong tropical midday sunlight - powerful, but fine if positioned at the right distance.
Others, like many of the mercury vapour tubes and a few fluorescent tubes, have a much greater proportion of their UVB in the shorter, more reactive wavelengths. A small amount of this can have as powerful an effect on the skin as a large amount of longer-wavelength UVB.

But the Solarmeter 6.2 can't distinguish between "shorter wavelength" and "longer wavelength" UVB. It just gives you a Total UVB reading. 
So... for some tubes and quite a few mercury vapour lamps, you don't want to match "full sunlight" values, with a Solarmeter 6.2 reading, because although (for example) 300 ÂµW/cmÂ² of sunlight is typical of sunlight at about 9.30 - 10.00am in the tropics, and safe enough.... 300 ÂµW/cmÂ² of UVB from some lamps would contain far too much shorter-wavelength UVB, and could even be hazardous for delicate eyes and skin.

The Solarmeter 6.5 is designed to respond more strongly to the shorter wavelength UVB (by a filter selectively reducing the longer wavelength UVB that reaches the sensor) its readings from lamps and from the sun are much better correlated.
So it is possible to "match" lamp and sunlight readings and be fairly certain that with a good quality lamp, the UV Index you are reading at the tortoise's basking level isn't far off the same "strength" as sunlight giving you the same reading.

Lots of people have asked me if there's a simple formula for converting a UVB reading (ÂµW/cmÂ²) from a 6.2 meter into a UV Index reading.
I wish there was! But because each brand of lamp has a slightly different spectrum, and "new improved" products will doubtless have new spectra too, it's an everlasting game. The only way to do it is to take sets of readings from a lamp, at the same distance, from both meters and plot a graph, from which you can get what's known as a regression formula... (a conversion formula).
Here are some samples, i.e., conversion formulas I've worked out for some lamps I've tested in the last three or four years, using my pair of Solarmeters. You're welcome to use these formulae but please bear in mind that there's no way I can be certain that your lamps are exactly the same as mine; and I only did the calculation on a tiny sample of lamps. So it's not really more than an estimate... (If anyone has 2 meters and some lamps, and wants to set to work plotting some more... _please_ do!  )

So: To get the approximate UV Index from a Solarmeter 6.2 reading, divide the Solarmeter 6.2 reading by the following numbers:

For a ZooMed Reptisun 5.0 or an Arcadia D3 6%UVB tube: *31.4* (average calculated from 4 lamps) 
For a ZooMed Reptisun 10.0 or an Arcadia D3+ 12%UVB tube: *32.7* (average calculated from 14 lamps)
For a 100watt ZooMed Powersun : *12.2* (average calculated from 5 lamps)
For a 125watt ExoTerra Solar Glo: *19.4* (average calculated from 3 lamps)
For a 160watt ExoTerra Solar Glo: *16.7* (average calculated from 2 lamps)
For an ExoTerra SunRay Metal Halide lamp: *36.6* (average calculated from 2 lamps, one 50W and one 70W)

To find out what the approximate Solarmeter 6.2 reading would be, at a specific UV Index, multiply the numbers by the UV Index you need.
e.g. if you want a UV Index of 2 under a ZooMed Reptisun 5.0 tube, multiply *31.4* by 2.
So UVI 2 would read about 63 ÂµW/cmÂ² under a ZooMed Reptisun 5.0 tube.... 
.....ok?

For the sun, it's really complicated because it changes depending on the height of the sun in the sky. My formula requires a calculator!
But here are some calculations I made based on a large number of paired solar readings plotted on a graph...
UVI 1 = 57ÂµW/cmÂ² 
UVI 2 = 108ÂµW/cmÂ² 
UVI 3 = 155ÂµW/cmÂ² 
UVI 7 = 301ÂµW/cmÂ² 
UVI 12 = 437ÂµW/cmÂ² 
UVI 15 = 521ÂµW/cmÂ² 

For example.... suppose I wanted to create a basking zone with a maximum UVI of 3. This is like early morning sunshine about 8.30am in the tropics.
If I was measuring sunlight the Solarmeter 6.2 might read about 150 ÂµW/cmÂ².
To match that, I would need approximately:
98 ÂµW/cmÂ² with a ZooMed Reptisun 10.0 (3 x *32.7*)
37 ÂµW/cmÂ² with a 100watt ZooMed Powersun (3 x *12.2*)

Does this make sense to anyone or have you all lost the will to live 



> and also let me know the time to lower or retire the old and replace a new.



Yes, this is what the Solarmeter 6.2 excels in. Take measurements _always at the same distance from the lamp_, about once a month and you will be able to see how the UVB gradually declines with age.
In the first month, most lamps lose quite a lot, but after that the output from a good quality lamp of most types remains quite good for about a full year, only declining quite slowly... It's usual to replace a lamp when it's lost 50% of the UVB it had at first. With some types, e.g., ones that don't put out a lot of heat, you can keep the basking zone UVB the same over the year by lowering the lamp a little, as necessary, as its output falls.
By taking monthly readings you may discover that some good quality bulbs will keep going for well over a year, without needing changing.
Or when they are getting a bit low for a sun-basking species, you can use them over a shade-dweller - people can sometimes get 2 or even 3 years of life out of a good lamp in this way.

Best wishes,
Frances


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## Tom (Jan 21, 2014)

Frances,

You are awesome.


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## bettinge (Jan 21, 2014)

I know you have worked with Bob Mac in the past. Can you comment on his lamps? Is he on the right track? Is there a "Best Bulb" with what we know today?


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## lilacdragon (Jan 22, 2014)

*ReptileUV MegaRay - new bulb model 2013/4*

Hi, Bettinge.



bettinge said:


> I know you have worked with Bob Mac in the past. Can you comment on his lamps? Is he on the right track? Is there a "Best Bulb" with what we know today?



Ooo... I've just noticed that there is already a thread on this product going, in this forum section.... This is a really good question, Bettinge - so I'm going to copy this post across to there, I hope that's okay... 
So please go there, folks, to carry on talking about MegaRays and stay here to carry on discussing UV Index Meters  

BobMac was one of the first - no, he WAS the first - person to send me a prototype lamp to test and publish a report on.  After that, the folks from ZooMed, Zilla, Arcadia, ExoTerra and quite a few others got in touch and I'm happy to say, all the major companies, and quite a few smaller ones (with a very few exceptions) have worked with me openly and even entrusted me with prototypes over the last 10 years. (Heavens, has it really been that long?.... No wonder I'm going grey..  )

BobMac's brand "ReptileUV MegaRays" have gone through a lot over the past ten years. A one-man, basically one-product business has problems that larger, multinational companies can't even imagine. But in the last six months or so, BobMac has brought out a new version of the MegaRay which, he says, now has the "original" inner coating that made the first MegaRays so good, by spreading and diffusing the beam. (Clear-faced PAR38 bulbs usually create a quite narrow, focused beam which isn't ideal because it can concentrate the UVB in too small an area)
However, he's not sent me any of the latest product to test out, yet. (Only prototypes, sent about a year ago. These did not have the inner coating, only an outer one.) I always insist that before I can publish anything on the internet or anywhere else, I must have a genuine sample of exactly what the public are buying, in its consumer packaging with instruction leaflet... not a prototype in a plain box, which might or might not be the same as the final product that goes out for sale.
However I have good news. About a week ago, BobMac sent me an email that he was shipping me some samples, at last!
So we shall see.... 

Has anyone reading this tested one? Or even, (if you have no meter) could you comment on what the beam looks like and how well the torts seem to like it? And any other comments?

Frances


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## bouaboua (Jan 22, 2014)

lilacdragon said:


> Hi, Bouaboua.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Oh Man, Oh Man, OH MAN! ! ! ! ! ! 

Where I can send you couple Apple?? You just like my High School Science Teacher and providing me with this wonderful lessen of how to properly use the 6.2.

Thank you so much and all my Tortoises  thank you too. 

I owe you couple apple for sure. Thanks again.


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## lilacdragon (Jan 22, 2014)

You're welcome, Bouaboua.

I'm sorry I'm not around on this forum very often. You're a great bunch of folks. 

Frances


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## bouaboua (Jan 23, 2014)

lilacdragon said:


> You're welcome, Bouaboua.
> 
> I'm sorry I'm not around on this forum very often. You're a great bunch of folks.
> 
> Frances



Hi Frances:

May I know how Solarmeter 6.5 works? What the reading means? 

If the reading show 3.2, is it mean the UV Index is at the UVI 3 level? 

Is the UVI level higher the better? At what level of the UVI would consider as danger? Or is there any danger level of UVI.

At what level of so call "shorter wavelength" of UVB would become dangers?

In the same case for the so call "longer wavelength" of UVB would become dangers too? 

Of cause, I'm talking about to become danger to the tortoise.

Thank you in advance. Thanks.


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## lilacdragon (Jan 23, 2014)

Hi, Bouaboua.

Good questions!
The UV Index of sunlight is a scale from zero to 11 or more. It can have a decimal point for readings between whole numbers, so for example UVI 3.1 is just above 3.0, then you'd get 3.2, 3.3 and so on... 3.5 is halfway between UVI 3.0 and 4.0...

On the UV Index Meter the display can go above 10.0 so for smaller numbers it will have a zero in front, too... e.g. a UVI of 3.0 will read 03.0 on your meter.
A reading of UVI 3.5 will say: 03.5
A really low reading, of only half a UV Index, i.e., UVI 0.5 will look like this on the meter: 00.5

Hope that helps!

The UV Index is a standard measurement which estimates the "sunburning power" of sunlight or a UV lamp, (that's the easiest way I can think of saying it).
Have a look at the US Government info on it, here:
http://www2.epa.gov/sunwise/uv-index-scale 

The easiest way of looking at it, is to think that if you have a *sun-loving species* like a Sulcata or a Hermann's tortoise, you can (roughly speaking) allow him to bask freely - he chooses how long to sit out in it - in the same sort of UVI range that you yourself can sunbathe in quite safely for reasonably short periods; i.e., what they call "moderate" UVI (Range 3.0 - 5.0). In fact, humans SHOULD expose head, arms and legs to at least some UVI in this range, every day if possible as humans are said to need at least UVI 3 before the sun is strong enough for them to make vitamin D3 in the skin...



> Is the UVI level higher the better? At what level of the UVI would consider as danger? Or is there any danger level of UVI.



Certainly "the higher the better" is DEFINITELY not true!
In the wild, *sun-loving tortoises* from tropical or subtropical countries may expose themselves briefly to much higher levels, and if you live in an area where the sun gets that strong, you may see them out at UVI 8 or 9 for brief periods, but usually by the time the sun is that high iin the sky they have retreated into the shade. But for safety, because reptile lamps aren't quite like natural sunlight, I would suggest that even at the closest point they can get to the lamp, the reading at the tortoise's level even for sun-loving species should not be above UVI 6-7 (What's called High on the UVI scale).

_Shade dwelling species_ like redfooted tortoises won't ever need the levels to be as high, of course, and levels from UVI 1.0 to 3.0 at the closest point they can get to the UVB lamp should be fine.

Obviously, no matter how sun-loving your tortoise is, he must be able to escape the high UVB into shade, whenever he wants to.
For this reason it's a good idea to keep your UVB lamps up close to the basking lamp, so he hets most of his UVB when basking and the UV gradient and temperature gradient match fairly well. Because of course, that is what happens in sunlight.

Try out your meter, when it arrives, in your backyard, in the park, anywhere and see how sun and shade alter the readings. You'll soon get the hang of it! 

Frances


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## bouaboua (Jan 23, 2014)

Thank you Frances. I owe you a case of apple now. You answered all my questions plus more. You are a such knowledge person and wonderful lady. 

Now I just can't wait for the new meter to arrive so I can play around. I will also need to get some sun for myself. Hahaha....Let's hit the park.

Thank you! Thank You and THANK YOU! ! ! ! ! !


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## gtc (Jan 24, 2014)

Wow, thank you Tom and Frances. Frances, your posts have been extremely useful. I will be buying the solarmeter 6.5. I wonder if we could condense all this useful information into one post and maybe move it to the "important threads" section under "Tortoise Enclosure Lighting". Everyone should read this.


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## bouaboua (Jan 24, 2014)

gtc said:


> Wow, thank you Tom and Frances. Frances, your posts have been extremely useful. I will be buying the solarmeter 6.5. I wonder if we could condense all this useful information into one post and maybe move it to the "important threads" section under "Tortoise Enclosure Lighting". Everyone should read this.



I will 2nd for that.

It will be very useful.


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## Scm133 (Feb 1, 2014)

Hi Frances,
I received today a Mega-Ray 100W from Bobmac @ reptileuv.com for my sulcata tortoise. Right now I am getting a whopping 320uW/cm2 with my solar meter 6.2 at 14 inches. This is a lot more than my previous Powersun. Even though, I am excited with the increase readings...is this an ok amount for my sulcata?


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## bouaboua (Feb 1, 2014)

Scm133 said:


> Hi Frances,
> I received today a Mega-Ray 100W from Bobmac @ reptileuv.com for my sulcata tortoise. Right now I am getting a whopping 320uW/cm2 with my solar meter 6.2 at 14 inches. This is a lot more than my previous Powersun. Even though, I am excited with the increase readings...is this an ok amount for my sulcata?



That volume of UVB are harmful to tortoise and human. You need to rise the distance till your 6.2 read within 100 uW/cm2.


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## Scm133 (Feb 1, 2014)

bouaboua said:


> Scm133 said:
> 
> 
> > Hi Frances,
> ...


OMG!! Thanks, will do!!


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## mikeh (Feb 1, 2014)

I would let the bulb burn in for 100-150 hours before putting it above the tort. In this "burn in" period it will loose ~10-30% of the UVB after which it should stabilize at lover levels. 100 microwats should give you UV index 3-5. Hopefully Frances will share the conversion formula for this specific bulb to give us more precise range, once she has it available for testing.


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## Scm133 (Feb 1, 2014)

mikeh said:


> I would let the bulb burn in for 100-150 hours before putting it above the tort. In this "burn in" period it will loose ~10-30% of the UVB after which it should stabilize at lover levels. 100 microwats should give you UV index 3-5. Hopefully Frances will share the conversion formula for this specific bulb to give us more precise range, once she has it available for testing.


Thanks, that is what I was thinking of doing. I was just amazed at the output at that distance. I plan on letting it burn for a period ( away from my tort), and check the readings again.


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## bouaboua (Feb 1, 2014)

Scm133 said:


> mikeh said:
> 
> 
> > I would let the bulb burn in for 100-150 hours before putting it above the tort. In this "burn in" period it will loose ~10-30% of the UVB after which it should stabilize at lover levels. 100 microwats should give you UV index 3-5. Hopefully Frances will share the conversion formula for this specific bulb to give us more precise range, once she has it available for testing.
> ...



Yes. That is what 6.2 for.


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## John Ramos (Aug 26, 2014)

So, the 6.2 is best? Not the 6.5? Don't go with Zoo-Meds?


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## lilacdragon (Aug 26, 2014)

John Ramos said:


> So, the 6.2 is best? Not the 6.5? Don't go with Zoo-Meds?


Hi, John.
This is a very long and confusing thread, with a lot of heavy info I'm afraid... but I think you'll find the answer to your question in post number 5 in the thread, here: 
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/zoomed-digital-uv-index-radiometer.85716/#post-803072
and in the three or four posts that follow.


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## Scm133 (Aug 26, 2014)

http://www.arcadia-reptile.com/how-uv-meter/
This is a good article on the difference in the two solar meters.


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## Johnenewt1 (Mar 7, 2016)

> Sunlight has a lot of these longer wavelengths, which contribute a great deal to the reading on a Solarmeter 6.2.
> 
> 
> The Solarmeter 6.5 is designed to respond more strongly to the shorter wavelength UVB (by a filter selectively reducing the longer wavelength UVB that reaches the sensor) its readings from lamps and from the sun are much better correlated.
> So it is possible to "match" lamp and sunlight readings and be fairly certain that with a good quality lamp, the UV Index you are reading at the tortoise's basking level isn't far off the same "strength" as sunlight giving you the same reading.




Hi. I have a question... I'm using the Powersun 100-watt bulbs. If you're saying that the sun gives off longer wavelengths, and the 6.5 meter measures shorter wavelengths, then how can you compare your readouts from your bulb with the readouts from the sun?


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