Paul C. Buff, Inc. Technical Forum

I'm looking for another pcb unit, this time one that has a non-uv coated bulb. I checked the bulbs for the ABR800 and the model numbers DO NOT have 'UV' on the model number. Does that mean it is not UV coated? Thank you.

Correct. They are not UV coated.

ABs produced in the past four years or so all have UV coated tubes and 5600K color temperature.

Tech support . . . ???

To clarify, all current Alien Bee, WhiteLighting, Zeus, and Einstein tubes are UV coated.

However, the only exception to that is the ABR800 ringflash tubes, which are not UV coated (ZRM1 tubes are). The design of the ABR800 and tubes allows for an inherently lower UV emission, reducing the benefit of UV coated tubes.

Please note, older White Lightning and older Alien Bee tubes may not be coated, but all flash units have a UV coated option, except for the ABR800.

Does the UV coating wear away or fade in time as the flash tube is used?

No. It is permanent.