Brian Oshman

Thanks Don for the correction. The rest of my statement is true.

corvette

brian if you are correct then why does my royal sun with 44-160vhr and 6-500 watt facials have a 15min max time and my tanses with 44-160vhr no facial have 8 min max time all these beds run the same lamps and ballasts.if you can tell me this is not marketing,well you are god.

BOBER96

My 52 lamp Tanses 160 watt has a 7 minute max!!

Chippp

whats up with that?

Don Smith

Corvette:The Cosmedico 160w VHR (and the Heraeus 20/160R) reach 4.0 MED in about 12-13 minutes in most of thelay down sunbeds we have tested and in 11 - 12 minutes in most stand up booths. So why do some sunbed manufacturers (Tanses) "claim" a 7 or 8 minute MTI (maximum timer interval) and another (Megasun) "claim" a 20 minute MTI when they are using the same lamps and both sunbeds come down very close to the tanner? I believe that these claims are marketing, rather than science, driven.Buy yourself a Solartech meter (Model 7.0) calibrated to read MED/hour and find out for yourself where the truth lies. Divide the reading by 60 to get MED/minute and then divide 4.0 MED by the MED/minute. This will tell you what the "real" MTI should be. I'll bet a dollar to a donut that all sunbeds utilizing the VHR lamp will test about the same.Don

Tut

There are other varianbles between each bed also,the distance from the underside of the acrylic and the lamps and machines that have sub-acrylics(160wat benches)and temperature variances of each piece of equipment effect lamp output.and individual machine voltage imput may effect the total output

Brian Oshman

I work for a major manufacturer and we do things by the book. These tests can be altered to achieve different results. When performing an irradiance test the incoming voltage plays a major part in the output of the lamp as also does the amount of capacitance utilized in the test specimen and amount of cooling (or lack of). These three variables create the most impact on the test results. Some bed manufacturers use these tactics to mislabel their equipment to create marketing hype. Once the test is filed any changes in the design need not be filed since the only thing the FDA cares about is that the replacement lamp complies with the original. So be aware. Lamp data from the lamp manufacturer is the most acurate way in determining if the equipment the lamp is installed in is providing proper warning label information.[This message has been edited by Brian Oshman (edited 05-30-2001).]

Tut

Brian,I have worked in the past for two major manufacturers as well!That is the reason I posted what I did.I am well aware of the manipulations,anddownright ignorance of some companies concerning this and many more issues.I worked in production and customer service for many years! So not only was I privy to the testing applications and marketing stratagies, I also know first hand the repurcussions they have on the end consumers.In my experience there are companies that sell beds, and have no idea how the F.D.A.procedures work,and literally wing it to get their beds on the market.It is scary stuff when you think about it!!I for one believe that since the end users are monitored so much, the manufacturers and dist. should also, adhere to more stringentregulations.As you said the origionally tested bed is notalways the same bed that the customer buys.After five yrs on the manufacture side of things I left and started my own service, installation consulting co.I can do more good for the end user and feel alot better about it.Let me make it clear that not all companies operate like this and I have found in the seven years since I have been doing install and service work for over twenty different types of units that there are good ones and bad ones out there.My problem with situations like the one we are discussing is this: Once the beds are sold it is the salon owner that feels the hurt the most! and even if there is support from the man. it is usually at a minimum.One example:A few years ago a company was selling beds for quite a few years,Wellthere was some discrepency in the maximum time exposure.After, several years of putting these beds on the market the company had to contact every person and track down every bed in the states and supply new labels and the F.D.A.changed the maximum tanning time from twenty min. to 13 min.As you can imagine,That was a task for the company to do,But,What about the salon owners that have been offering these beds for twenty min. and then they are left with trying to explain to their customers that they can no longer tan for that long!The salon owner was effected more adversly than the manufacturer if you ask me.So, yes these are very important factors that the average tanning salon owner would never even think that they would have to be aware of!As I said that was a few yrs back, and there may even be some people who read this that have first hand knowledge of what i am talking about, The industry has gotten alot better as a whole. This is where forums like this become so important!Knowledge is power!I have read some of your posts and You give very good advice!Thanks for that!

Chippp

tutyour own words:"It is scary stuff when you think about it!!"You are the pot calling the kettle black.You have a bad memory as well.

Tut

and your point is:?BLAH!BLAH!BLAH!