Reptile Lamp Database

Spectrum #852
SW120 (Arcadia Arcadia D3 Desert 12% UVB T5HO 24W) Edit
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(1) Raw Measurement

Spektrum
Lampid SW120
Spectrometer USB2000+
Originator Sarina Wunderlich
Ballast - no ballast or default/unknown ballast -
Reflector Arcadia ProT5 HO T5 UV-B Lighting Kit
Distance 20
Age 100
created by Sarina Wunderlich, 05.06.2026; last updated by , 05.06.2026
Description

(2) Comparison of full spectrum to sunlight

The spectrum is compared to the ASTM spectrum. The measured spectrum is scaled to a lux or UVI value that seems to "make sense" to the database. This can go wrong, depending on the quality and range of the data. Spektrum

(3) Colorimetry

Colorimetry is the science to describe physically the human color perception. The wavelength range 380 nm - 780 nm is visible to humans and detected by three different photoreceptors. Many Reptiles see the range 350 nm - 800 nm and have an additional UV photoreceptor in their retina.

Whereas a spectrometer measures the intensity in every tiny wavelength interval resulting in thousands of individual intensities, the human eye only measures three intensities detected by the three cones. The same is true for the reptile eye with usually three or four photoreceptors. Effectively the detailled spectrum displayed above reduces to a much compacter bar graph displayed below. The photoreceptor sensitivites from these L-Cone, M-Cone, S-Cone, and U-Cone are used, they are chosen as an average of measured reptile photoreceptor sensitivity curves. The bar graph also shows as reference the intensity seen by the three or four photoreceptors for average sunlight (ASTM spectrum).

From these three numbers the colour coordinate and the correlated colour temperature for humans are calculated using the CIE standard method. I adapted this concept to a "3 cone reptile (M,S,U)" and a "4 cone reptile (L,M,S,U)". I am sure, that this adaption to other colour spaces makes sense mathematically and this is also done in scientific research regarding colour vision of animals, however I have not seen calculation of colour temperatures for other animals in the scientific literature. Even if it is hypothetical, at least this shows, how arbitrary the colour temperature is, and that the colour temperature calculated for humans does not apply to reptiles. The colour spaces also show the colour coordinates of different phases of daylight ((ids 1, 338451, 511513 ), indicated by crosses, coloured in the appriximate colour perceived by a human.

Human (CIE) 3 cone reptile 4 cone reptile
Cone Excitation
Colour Coordinate ( 0.29 ; 0.3 ) ( 0.43 ; 0.44 ) ( 0.25 ; 0.32 ; 0.33 )
CCT 8600 Kelvin 4700 Kelvin 5600 Kelvin
distance 0.11 0.099
colour space 3-D-graph not implemented yet

(4) Vitamin D3 Analysis

Vitamin D3 is produced by UVB radiation around 300 nm. 7DHC/ProD3 present in the skin is converted to PreD3 when absorbing an UV photon. PreD3 can be converted back to ProD3, to Lumisterol, or to Tachysterol when absorbing another UV photon or can be converted to Vitamin D3 in a warm environment.

This process prevents any overdose of vitamin D3 from UV radiation with a spectrum similar to sunlight. As a comparison the solar spectra at 20°(id:14) and at 85°(id:21) solar angle are shown.

The ratio of the readings of two solarmeters 6.2 (UVB) and 6.5 (UV index) has proven a useful and very simply number to acess the spectral shape in the vitamin-d3-active region.

(5) Effective Irradiances

Effective irradiances are calculated for all ranges, actionspectra and radiometers currently present in this database.

The calculation method is a numerical implementation (Simpson's rule) of the formula

To learn more about calculating effective irradiances and radiometers I recommend this excellent report on UVB meters: Characterizing the Performance of Integral Measuring UV-Meters (pdf).

The numbers in the following tables can also be used to estimate certain (effective) irradiances from radiomer readings. Example: If the database lists

  • range: UVB (US) = 13.8 µW/cm²
  • radiometer: Solarmeter 6.2 = 19.6 µW/cm²
then any Solarmeter 6.2 reading multiplied with 0.7 (0.7=13.8/19.6) is an estimate of UVB irradiance for this specific lamp. If you do so, always make sure, that the calculated (effective) irradiance is valid. The calculated value is not valid, if the lamp's spectrum is not measured in the relevant range.

(5a) Ranges
total ( 0 nm - 0 nm) 5320 µW/cm² = 53.2 W/m²
UVC ( 0 nm - 280 nm) 6.25 µW/cm² = 0.0625 W/m²
non-terrestrial ( 0 nm - 290 nm) 9.34 µW/cm² = 0.0934 W/m²
total2 ( 250 nm - 880 nm) 5330 µW/cm² = 53.3 W/m²
UVB (EU) ( 280 nm - 315 nm) 279 µW/cm² = 2.79 W/m²
UVB (US) ( 280 nm - 320 nm) 448 µW/cm² = 4.48 W/m²
UVA+B ( 280 nm - 380 nm) 1620 µW/cm² = 16.2 W/m²
Solar UVB ( 290 nm - 315 nm) 276 µW/cm² = 2.76 W/m²
UVA D3 regulating ( 315 nm - 335 nm) 670 µW/cm² = 6.7 W/m²
UVA (EU) ( 315 nm - 380 nm) 1340 µW/cm² = 13.4 W/m²
UVA2 (medical definition) ( 320 nm - 340 nm) 653 µW/cm² = 6.53 W/m²
UVA (US) ( 320 nm - 380 nm) 1170 µW/cm² = 11.7 W/m²
UVA1 (variant) ( 335 nm - 380 nm) 673 µW/cm² = 6.73 W/m²
UVA1 (medical) ( 340 nm - 400 nm) 545 µW/cm² = 5.45 W/m²
vis. UVA ( 350 nm - 380 nm) 250 µW/cm² = 2.5 W/m²
VIS Rep3 ( 350 nm - 600 nm) 3230 µW/cm² = 32.3 W/m²
VIS Rep4 ( 350 nm - 700 nm) 3880 µW/cm² = 38.8 W/m²
purple ( 380 nm - 420 nm) 187 µW/cm² = 1.87 W/m²
VIS ( 380 nm - 780 nm) 3690 µW/cm² = 36.9 W/m²
VIS2 ( 400 nm - 680 nm) 3580 µW/cm² = 35.8 W/m²
PAR ( 400 nm - 700 nm) 3600 µW/cm² = 36 W/m²
tmp ( 400 nm - 1100 nm) 3670 µW/cm² = 36.7 W/m²
blue ( 420 nm - 490 nm) 1320 µW/cm² = 13.2 W/m²
green ( 490 nm - 575 nm) 1220 µW/cm² = 12.2 W/m²
yellow ( 575 nm - 585 nm) 129 µW/cm² = 1.29 W/m²
orange ( 585 nm - 650 nm) 695 µW/cm² = 6.95 W/m²
red ( 650 nm - 780 nm) 137 µW/cm² = 1.37 W/m²
IR2 ( 655 nm - 685 nm) 39.3 µW/cm² = 0.393 W/m²
IRA ( 700 nm - 1400 nm) 68.6 µW/cm² = 0.686 W/m²
IRB ( 1400 nm - 3000 nm) 0 µW/cm² = 0 W/m²
(5b) Actionspectra
Erythema 20.2 UV-Index
Pyrimidine dimerization of DNA 173 µW/cm²
Photoceratitis 30.4 µW/cm²
Photoconjunctivitis 6.11 µW/cm²
DNA Damage 8.52
Vitamin D3 76.4 µW/cm²
Photosynthesis 2530 µW/cm²
Luminosity 10600 lx
Human L-Cone 1560 µW/cm²
Human M-Cone 1390 µW/cm²
Human S-Cone 1040 µW/cm²
CIE X 1390 µW/cm²
CIE Y 1470 µW/cm²
CIE Z 1970 µW/cm²
PAR PPFD 165 µmol/m²/s
Extinction preD3 547 e-3*m²/mol
Extinction Tachysterol 1860 e-3*m²/mol
Exctincition PreD3 288000 m²/mol
Extinction Lumisterol 131 m²/mol
Exctincition Tachysterol 2600000 m²/mol
Extinction 7DHC 136 m²/mol
L-Cone 1250 µW/cm²
M-Cone 1630 µW/cm²
S-Cone 1690 µW/cm²
U-Cone 486 µW/cm²
UVR - ICNIRP 2004 20.1 Rel Biol Eff
Melatonin Supression 1480 µW/cm²
Blue Light Hazard 1150 µW/cm² (108 µW/cm² per 1000 lx)
CIE 174:2006 PreVit D3 84.1 µW/cm²
Lumen Reptil 11600 "pseudo-lx"
Vitamin D3 Degradation 89.5 µW/cm²
Actinic UV 20 µW/cm² (18.8 mW/klm)
Exctincition Lumisterol 168000 m²/mol
Exctincition 7DHC 158000 m²/mol
Exctincition Toxisterols 59300 m²/mol
UV-Index2 17.1 UV-Index (285-400nm)
(5c) Broadbandmeters
Solarmeter 6.2 (UVB, pre 2010) 537 µW/cm²
Solarmeter 6.5 (UV-Index, pre 2010) 22.6
Leybold UVB 382 µW/cm²
Leybold UVA 816 µW/cm²
Leybold UVC 4.21 µW/cm²
DeltaOhm UVB 867 µW/cm²
DeltaOhm UVC 113 µW/cm²
Vernier UVB 135 µW/cm²
Vernier UVA 1030 µW/cm²
Gröbel UVA 1120 µW/cm²
Gröbel UVB 196 µW/cm²
Gröbel UVC 4.67 µW/cm²
Luxmeter 11000 lx
Solarmeter 6.4 (D3) 70.7 IU/min
UVX-31 929 µW/cm²
IL UVB 0.223 µW/cm²
IL UVA 912 µW/cm²
Solarmeter 6.5 (UVI, post 2010) 18.6 UV-Index
Solarmeter 6.2 (UVB, post 2010) 353 µW/cm² (Solarmeter Ratio = 19.1)
Solarmeter AlGaN 6.5 UVI sensor 242 UV Index
GenUV 7.1 UV-Index 13.6 UV-Index
Solarmeter 10.0 (Global Power) (manuf.) 42.6 W/m²
Solarmeter 4.0 (UVA) 11.7 mW/cm²
LS122 (manuf.) -0.0135 W/m²
ISM400 (first guess) 23.4 W/m²
LS122 (assumption) 1.04 W/m²
ISM400_new 17.9 W/m²
Solarmeter 10.0 (Global Power) (assumption) 36.8 W/m²
(5d) Summary of my favourites
UVC (0nm -280nm) [µW/cm] 6.25 0.117 %
non-terrestrial (0nm -290nm) [µW/cm] 9.34 0.175 %
UVB (EU) (280nm -315nm) [µW/cm] 279 5.23 %
UVB (US) (280nm -320nm) [µW/cm] 448 8.42 %
Solar UVB (290nm -315nm) [µW/cm] 276 5.18 %
UVA (EU) (315nm -380nm) [µW/cm] 1340 25.2 %
UVA (US) (320nm -380nm) [µW/cm] 1170 22 %
UVA2 (medical definition) (320nm -340nm) [µW/cm] 653 12.3 %
UVA1 (medical) (340nm -400nm) [µW/cm] 545 10.2 %
UVA D3 regulating (315nm -335nm) [µW/cm] 670 12.6 %
vis. UVA (350nm -380nm) [µW/cm] 250 4.7 %
VIS (380nm -780nm) [µW/cm] 3690 69.3 %
blue (420nm -490nm) [µW/cm] 1320 24.8 %
total2 (250nm -880nm) [µW/cm] 5330 100 %
UV-Index2 [UV-Index] 17.1
Luminosity [lx] 10600
Blue Light Hazard [µW/cm²] 1150 108µW/cm/1000lx
Solarmeter 6.5 (UVI, post 2010) [UV-Index] 18.6
Solarmeter 6.2 (UVB, post 2010) [µW/cm²] 353
Actinic UV [µW/cm²] 20 8.89 at UVI7.6
Vitamin D3 [µW/cm²] 76.4 34 at UVI7.6