BooBop

I just re-lamped my 100 watt booth with these. The compatiblity sheet states compatible with Hi Tan. And I think they are less expensive, (not real sure on that)

Pam tanned in them today. She set her time at 12 mins. but I told her not to go more than 10. Shhhhh, dont' tell her but I knocked it down to 9, not 10 Good thing to, she was quiet pink this evening.

The reason I went with the stronger lamp in this unit is that I needed to cut the session time down and still produce results. Next salon I will go with a VHR booth. But that is another thread.

Tomorrow I am going to try them myself.

Sam James

Mitzi,

Here is a couple of things to note on the StingRay™. First of all, that lamp was designed originally in the F74 configuration to fit into a popular 10 minute / 100w tanning bed that has been around for a long long time. Although there were already several lamp choices out there for this bed, many people were asking me for a new solution that could accomplish a couple of things. First the lamp should deliver the results expected from a 10 minute lamp. That isn't that hard to do. I think all of the choice did that when the lamps were first installed but the customer satisfaction with these "10 minute" sessions was ending way too soon. The lamps would still tan well after a couple humdred hours, but not really in 10 minutes. So many people say they were extending session times to get customers to use these beds.

So the challenge was to create a lamp that would with stand the test of time. In other words, a lamp that could sustain its higher output longer. The first thing to consider was, why were other lamps losing the bite too early in the 400 to 500 hour of expected lamp life? Heat was the primary issue that we found causing sharp losses of output (say within the first 50 to 100 hours). But when you build a lamp with the higher UVB, the phosphor that create this shorter tanning time is the cause of this added heat. So common sense made us look at how the 160 watt lamps could produce more heat and hold up under these conditions as they certainly generate the shorter tanning times with great success. Giving credit to the 160 lamps like Cosmedico and Signature Series in their VHR and VHO/R technology and their ability the hold under their own heat issues, we found that the secret of this success was bassically in the quality of the phosphor. Unfortunately, that was what made those lamps so much more expensive. So we decided to use a phosphor that you typically would only find in a 160w lamp and use it in the 100w StingRay. Yes, it is an expensive lamp, but once you use it, you should find it is worth every penny.

Another issue was that many people were forming their opinion on a lamp by results and / or meter reading when the lamps were brand new. Not that this isn't an factor, but it's not the most important one for sure. By making a lamp too powerful in it's first few hours, it makes it impossible to remain at that level for very long even with the better grade phosphor. So we took the initial output to a more reasonable level and found that the lamp was able to hold at that level for much longer. In other words, the lamps can destroy themselves if we demand too much from them in the first 100 hours.

And that is the history of the StingRay™ and how it came to be. Soon after the lamp was introduced in the F74 configuration, we started getting request for the same lamp in F71 and F73. Now we have expanded it the also include F59 and F72's so we can accomodate almost any request we get.

Hope this helps everyone know what this lamp should do and why we call the StingRay™ - The lamp that America waited for™.

BooBop

thanks for the history lesson Sam. I don't understand the phospher very well, but I know this lamp is goinin to help me get this booth rockin again this season, once I get a few trying it. name suits the lamp.

Roger a. Brown

Hello Mitzi:

Also, remember that the higher the UV"B" the shorter the lamp life. Voltage, heat (cooling)and "B" percentage have a bearing on the life of tanning lamps.

Roger A. Brown
puretna International
800/338-8267
rogerb@puretan.net

uniquelyyours

I have 2 10 minute 100 watt sundash beds. Do you suggest the StingRay for this bed? I am getting ready to rebulb. What about the Genesis Bulb?

Sam James

Hey Roger, that's exactly why this B in this lamp was toned down a bit and the quality was beefed up. I am glad we have agreed on something. Maybe this is a new beginning.

uniqeue, that is THE bed this lamp was designed to go in with the F74 configuration. I hope it's okay for me to jump in with that answer. I feel like I am trying to give you my honest opinion, although it is my lamp and I am sure that I probably have my own pride and joy built into the answer too.

And I am sure there are other good choices out there, but The Black Sun StingRay*™ is gonna get my vote.

BooBop

I ask for a lamp that I could cut the time back in my booth, I got it.