UVB_Meter_Owners World UVB Recording Day 1 :
Spring Equinox 2005
Sunday, March 20th 2005 from Dawn to Dusk.
What's this about?
Owners of Solarmeter 6.2 Radiometers are in a unique position to do real research which has never been done before, and could be of value to herp keepers everywhere.
There are plenty of meteorological records available giving UVB levels in different places at different times, but how do we relate these to our Solarmeter readings? A big problem is that what research has been done, has been done with all sorts of different brands of spectrometer and it's very hard to compare readings from different machines. We're all using the same machine so all our results can be collected together. We can develop a Solarmeter World Data Base, if you like.
We are all gathering data from hundreds of UVB lamps everywhere. Most of us can already say what our tubes or lamps put out. But how does "20uW/cm2 at 12" relate to what a wild reptile gets in his habitat? How much UVB could a lizard get outdoors in Toronto or in Texas, at 9am or at dusk? What's the highest UVB at noon in midsummer in New York? Is it worth putting my iguana out in the sunshine in September in Seattle? Which is best: keeping my bearded dragon under his Mercury Vapour Lamp for 8 hours or giving him an hour of sun outdoors in London in July?
Let's find out!
Diane, owner of the UVB_Meter_Owners Group has kindly given me permission to set this up and I think we can do this, if we all work together....
Ideally we need to record from the actual habitats of wild lizards. In sun, in shade, in trees...where they are. "I can't do that", you might say. Yes, but we also need to know what is on our doorsteps, in our towns and countryside. This is where we can make a start. I'm going to gather every scrap of data you send to this group and start a Solarmeter Database which we can all add to. I've chosen the Equinoxes and Solstices because they represent well known positions of the sun in the sky and are an obvious starting point. We're also going to concentrate on Direct Solar Readings (aiming the meter at the sun, or roughly where the sun would be if it's behind cloud) because that too is an obvious starting point. We will therefore get, on the whole, maximum readings for the time and place we are in. (A reptile could always get less, by looking for shade, but he can't get much more than when he's facing the sun..)
We need readings at any time of the day, in any weather. Don't get your meter wet, but take a reading anyway! Any time from dawn to dusk.
We need as many readings as you can take. Just one (at noon, maybe) is great! If you take a whole set, though, we could make a graph of how UVB changes from sunrise to sunset. Please keep your meter in your pocket on the Day and amaze your friends by producing it on and off all day!
What do I need to record?
For each reading, write down
*
the time you took it; (use your Local Time Zone time, ie. 3.20pm or 15.20h if you like!)
*
the maximum figure you saw when you had aimed the meter at the sun and moved it around a little looking for the best angle
*
a couple of words about the sky: clear sun, hazy sun, sun behind thin cloud, sun behind thick cloud, totally overcast, raining, snowing.
If it helps, you can print off the part of the page below, and fill in the details during the day.
Finally, write down whereabouts you are, on the planet! Obviously this is only going to be a very approximate location. Your nearest town that would appear on a map of the country you live in, is probably enough so that we can find out your approximate latitude and altitude. (If you know what that is, please put it, though- it'll save hours of my time!)
If you cut and paste the bit below into an email you can type in your results and email the whole thing to me....
Or just make your own version... I'm happy either way.
Send it to me at:
lilacdragon@lineone.net
If you know anyone else who owns a Solarmeter 6.2 and would join us on Sunday, PLEASE pass this message on... If we could get even a hundred sets of readings we'd be looking at some really interesting data!
Thanks everyone. Have a good day!
Frances Baines
Spring Equinox 2005 - SUNDAY March 20th. World UVB Recording Day
Time of Reading
Reading (uW/cm2) Weather (Clear sun; hazy sun; cloud over sun; completely overcast; raining, etc?)
Where I took readings: (Nearest town? Latitude and approx altitude if you know it)
Other comments:
http://f5.grp.yahoofs.com/v1/APs6QqC...orldUVBDay.htm
