Mega Ray Bulbs (Reptile UV)

[bettinge]

I'm looking for recent (last 4 months or so) experiences with buying Mega Ray bulbs from Reptile UV. Did they ship fairly qiuck, say arrived within three weeks after you ordered? Is the bulb working as expected? If you have a SolarMeter 6.2, is the bulbs output as advertised?

I am aware of the issues the company has had over the years. They are a very small company, and get overwhelmed easily. I am a firm believer that the owner, Bob MacCargar, has good intensions and is truly trying to develop "A Better UV Bulb". While its just easier to buy a PowerSun, I prefer the Mega Ray if they recently have had their act together.

I'm not interested in hearing about your experiences that are more than four months old, I am fully aware of past issues.

FYI, I did buy two EB60 bulbs from them three years ago and was a happy customer. They no longer list this product on their web site.

 

[jaizei]

Yes to all. Shipped next business day, received it less than a week after ordering. They work as expected and the numbers were great when I tested them.

 

[bettinge]

Which bulb did you buy?

 

[jaizei]

Mega-Ray 100 Watt Self-Ballasted Flood UVB Lamp

 

[nearpass]

I took a chance and ordered one on Nov. 19, and sure enough, it was shipped the next day. Received it two days later, and it's set up and working fine.

I used them years ago, but then had such a hard time ordering, I gave up. I'm really thrilled to have one going again. Don't have a solar meter, though.

 

[bettinge]

Great news! Nearpass, what bulb do you use for hatchlings? Adults? What distance? What other heat source do you use? Ambient temp of your tort room?

I am very excited Reptile UV has their stuff together, at least for now. I truly believe in their efforts and concern for animal safety. I also think the UV output from their bulbs is higher after 6-12 months. And yes, I had the 6.2 UV meter.

 

[bouaboua]

I just ordered two Mega-Ray 160 Watt Self-Ballasted Flood UVB Lamp. This is my 2nd time to order. The first time, I never hear anything from them, I use paypal to pay. First time it seems like they did not took out the money and nothing happen. I waited for another few month till around the Holiday. This time I getting respond within an hour and shipped the next day. Received within 5 business days.

 

[bettinge]

Well, I ordered my bulbs this past Monday and I received them on Thursday. That's incredible considering Tuesday was New Year's Eve and Wednesday was New Year's Day.

The only discouraging thing is the instructions. If you follow the instructions to the letter, this will be an incredibly expensive bulb. Line 2 of the instructions say "Lamp replacement must be carried out by a competent electrician"! That would easily add another $100 to the cost of the bulb, just to have it installed! I went out on the ledge and screwed it in myself. I just had to remember "Righty Tighty, Lefty Loosey".

Sure seemed similar to every other bulb I've screwed in over the past 50 years!

 

[lilacdragon]

Hi, folks.

I'm "cross posting" this from another thread in this forum, because this is a really good question on the MegaRay and I'm hoping some of you will be able to comment more on it....

Bettinge asked me:

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?

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

 

[AnnV]

I missed both of these threads initially. Can't keep up!
Anyway, I ordered my mega ray in July. By Sept I emailed that I hadnt received it. Nov and Dec I called over and over, leaving mesages with customer service person. Finally received it.
By then I had purchased and set up an enclosed chambers for my redfoots and Indian Star. Wasn't sure I could even use it at this point fearing it would elevate the heat too much inside the tort boxes. I tried it in the Indian Star's enclosure. It didn't get too hot. Takes his enclosure right to about 86 on one side and 80 on the farthest end. Perfect.
I do not have a meter, unfortunately. But I love the blueish light it casts over the enclosure.
I swore I would never buy from this company again, considering what I had to go through to finally receive it. But will now order another for the redfoots, since I am hearing the positive feedback.

 

[TortsNTurtles]

Frances did you ever test these bulbs? My bulbs need replaced and I looking for something other than the Powersun. http://www.reptileuv.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=65_67&products_id=183

 

[lilacdragon]

Hi, TortsNTurtles.

No, I've never been sent the samples, unfortunately.
Bob MacCargar at ReptileUV has promised to send me a box of them on several occasions now but nothing has arrived....

If you want to try something a bit different, have a look at the new T5-HO fluorescent tubes - either the ZooMed Reptisun T5HO 10.0 or the Arcadia T5 D3+ 12%UVB. You need HO fixtures with reflectors for these. Both ZooMed and LightyourReptiles.com sell suitable fixtures. You also need ordinary (non-UVB) basking lamps like PAR38 halogen floodlamps, to get basking temperatures up near the tubes, but these T5 tubes give a massive UVB basking zone, ideal for larger torts or a big basking area for turtles.

 

[TortsNTurtles]

Hi, TortsNTurtles.

No, I've never been sent the samples, unfortunately.
Bob MacCargar at ReptileUV has promised to send me a box of them on several occasions now but nothing has arrived....

If you want to try something a bit different, have a look at the new T5-HO fluorescent tubes - either the ZooMed Reptisun T5HO 10.0 or the Arcadia T5 D3+ 12%UVB. You need HO fixtures with reflectors for these. Both ZooMed and LightyourReptiles.com sell suitable fixtures. You also need ordinary (non-UVB) basking lamps like PAR38 halogen floodlamps, to get basking temperatures up near the tubes, but these T5 tubes give a massive UVB basking zone, ideal for larger torts or a big basking area for turtles.

Great! Thanks it all gets so confusing so it helps when someone gives you a good list to go shopping Thanks again