Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!usc!apple!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!paul.rutgers.edu!jac From: jac@paul.rutgers.edu (Jonathan A. Chandross) Newsgroups: sci.electronics Subject: Re: Cheap EPROM eraser? Message-ID: Date: 10 Apr 90 02:53:26 GMT References: <1615@serene.UUCP> <9658@ingr.com> Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J. Lines: 25 phil@ingr.com (Phil Johnson) > As a health-physicist you SHOULD BE AWARE that UV sources come in two flavors > (1) Short wave length - such as germicidal lamps > These are fairly safe to view without a filter, such as eyeglasses. > (2) Long wave length - such as EPROM erasers > These can cause severe damage to eyes if view directly without a filter. WRONG! This is BACKWARDS. Germicidal lamps are EXCEEDINGLY DANGEROUS. They are GERMICIDAL because they DESTROY CELLS. Got it? Repeat after me: If germicidal lamps did not destroy cells they would be useless. If germicidal lamps did not destroy cells they would be useless. If germicidal lamps did not destroy cells they would be useless. Someone said "but I have seen germicidal lamps in barbershops." Germicidal lamps are often placed behind a glass panel. Glass filters out short wave uv, passing the long wave. The blue you see is the long wave radiation passing through the glass. This is not overly harmful provided you don't get too much exposure. Eprom erasers use short wave UV and thus REQUIRE filters. Be very careful -- the cells you save may be your own. Jonathan A. Chandross Internet: jac@paul.rutgers.edu UUCP: rutgers!paul.rutgers.edu!jac