Archive of the former Yahoo!Groups mailing list: Homebrew PCBs

----- Original Message -----
From: "tboneuk_2000" <a_reynolds@...>
To: <Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, January 28, 2004 12:46 AM
Subject: [Homebrew_PCBs] Re: UV light sources question


--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "tboneuk_2000"
<a_reynolds@b...> wrote:
> Hello all,
> I would like to make my own uv exposure box, but I am having some
> trouble locating a suitable tube. Could anyone tell me if
replacement
> aquariam uv tubes would work (do they opperate at a different
> wavlength), also can you use disco uv tubes?
>
> If anyone knows of a supplier in the uk other than maplin I would
> appreciate it (RS do sell them but they are very expensive, maplin
> are out of stock)
>
> Thanks for your help

Hello All, sorry for not posting sooner but I have been away on
buisness for a while.
A big thankyou for all your surgestions and comments, this has helped
a lot.
Although this maybe not the best solution I managed to pick up a
couple of blacklight tubes for £5 the pair from a local market
stall
(the guy had a stockpile of them and it wasn't finacialy viable to
stock the 1FT fittings so he was more than pleased to sell at a
reduced price). Also at a local car boot sale (same sort of thing as
a garage sale for our american cousins) I picked up a couple of 1FT
fittings including Balasts, starter etc fot £2. I have made a base
out of plywood with all the part on and put the whole lot into an
aluminium case. I'm using Glass for the top, although perspex may be
preferable (due to UV absorsion on glass) and a timer based on a pic
circuit.

Glass doesn't absorb much of the long-wave UV used for exposing PCBs.

Leon
--
Leon Heller, G1HSM
Email: aqzf13@...
My low-cost Philips LPC210x ARM development system:
http://www.geocities.com/leon_heller/lpc2104.html