I tried making artificial sunlight at home • Hacker News Board

Re: I tried making artificial sunlight at home

#161

Post by jclarkcom » Fri, Mar 28, 2025, 2:57 AM UTC

anthk wrote: post #91

sheepscreek wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

“Virtual Sun” looks really cool. How much does one cost today? Say if someone wanted to buy a single piece or a few (2-3).

Hope Oracle doesn't sue them somehow ;)

I don’t understand, is this a general jab at Oracle or was there something specific to this topic?

Re: I tried making artificial sunlight at home

#162

Post by mac-mc » Fri, Mar 28, 2025, 3:30 AM UTC

I did something similar last year, but I was more focused on spectrum and used high powered movie lights, since their spectrum output is much better and you get a lot of lux. You can get most of the parallel light ray effect by adding a hyperrefelector which conveniently comes with most lights. I then added an incandescent heat lamp to fill in the IR part of the spectrum and some dedicated UV LED lights for the UVA part. I'm not brave enough to put in a UVB specific lamp.

I wrote about it here: https://metrep.substack.com/p/improve-your-focus-productivit...

Re: I tried making artificial sunlight at home

#163

Post by jedbrooke » Fri, Mar 28, 2025, 3:43 AM UTC

I've been down the artificial sunlight at home rabbit hole too (also inspired by the same DIY Perks video). Ultimately the solution I settled on was a much lower budget 300W equiv LED Corn style bulb (4000lm) with good CRI, and a 250w incandescent heat lamp (like you'd get for a reptile). I decided to focus on heat from the light source rather than the parallel rays. Total cost was around $75 (LEDs were $25 for 2, heat lamp was $10 for 2, plus $20 each for 2 lamp stands that clamp to a desk and can support 250 watts).

Re: I tried making artificial sunlight at home

#164

Post by mac-mc » Fri, Mar 28, 2025, 4:31 AM UTC

fouronnes3 wrote: post #81

reaperman wrote: post #79

I saw "artificial sunlight" and thought "oh wow I'd love to see the spectrogram of the lighting solution this person came up with". I was disappointed to merely see "CRI 95+". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lH_owRxupC0 This is great video on the shortcomings of "CRI" - it explains in detail CRI, CRI extended, TLCI, TM-30, and SSI. Brightness and color temperature are only two small parts of lighting - more people sh…

Do you have any insight on how to take spectroscopy measurements at home on a <1k€ budget? And how to select an LED manufacturing supplier when CRI is often the only thing available on the datasheet?

A little garden spectrometer is pretty good, and around $60: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxQmaJYMOAk . And the LED supplier should give a spectrometer graph. If you can get a dual peak LED that will give a better spectrum distribution. The Amaran 200x S is one of the best.

Re: I tried making artificial sunlight at home

#165

Post by mac-mc » Fri, Mar 28, 2025, 4:33 AM UTC

ajolly wrote: post #152

sberens wrote: post #39

Really cool! I'm working on a lamp that gives you daylight levels of light indoors (albeit no raleigh scattering and columnated light). On the bright side (pun intended), it's 50,000 lumens instead of ~4500. https://getbrighter.com/

Nice to see more high quality indoor light options. Any idea how you guys compare to this one? https://getchroma.co/products/skylight . I've got some of their other products - I'm generally been pretty happy with them but they do tend to be fairly pricey.

He hasn't given a spectrometer graph? When you ask him for one he can't seem to be bothered by something so basic either. I don't think he would beat an array of 4 amaran 200x S lights on light output or spectrum quality beyond the dimming method.

Re: I tried making artificial sunlight at home

#166

Post by dave333 » Fri, Mar 28, 2025, 4:53 AM UTC

Are you aware of Brilliant Light Power and their Suncell (R)?

See https://brilliantlightpower.com/plasma-video/

and scroll down to the

February 10, 2023 COMMERCIAL SUNCELL® INITIAL SHAKEDOWN

video.

Re: I tried making artificial sunlight at home

#167

Post by skirmish » Fri, Mar 28, 2025, 5:10 AM UTC

jclarkcom wrote: post #161

anthk wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hope Oracle doesn't sue them somehow ;)

I don’t understand, is this a general jab at Oracle or was there something specific to this topic?

Oracle bought Sun (Microsystems), and you are selling Virtual Sun?

Re: I tried making artificial sunlight at home

#168

Post by baueric » Fri, Mar 28, 2025, 6:22 AM UTC

aljgz wrote: post #73

drewolbrich wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My issue with this setup is that it doesn't emit as many neutrinos as the Sun.

Good that you get your sunborn nutrino fix even in cloudy days (and much of it even at night)

I have noticed after a distant super nova I always feel better

Re: I tried making artificial sunlight at home

#169

Post by johnmcaller » Fri, Mar 28, 2025, 6:23 AM UTC

the_arun wrote: post #66

fouronnes3 wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes that's me! Happy to chat :)

This is a great way to pitch for a job & half the interview is already done.

True!

Re: I tried making artificial sunlight at home

#170

Post by gblargg » Fri, Mar 28, 2025, 6:23 AM UTC

ketralnis wrote: post #56

drewolbrich wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My issue with this setup is that it doesn't emit as many neutrinos as the Sun.

Have you considered taking neutrino supplements? The nice thing about them is that they're flavour changing

My neighbor takes them so I get the benefits too.