Uh - OK.

I guess there might be something amiss I'm not aware of; sorry if I've raised a pain point for anybody. I was just following an engaging thread as I finalize plans for my own UV box.

I've been in touch with Tim Layton this week about his use of newer LED technology (not the rubber coated strips originally mentioned when this thread was begun in 2016, but UV LED blacklight bars that are currently available and come ready to plug in and don't need any wiring knowledge or soldering). His experience has been very good, with no banding while using different solutions and papers, and he has significantly reduced his exposure times that make it easier to avoid platinum/palladium solutions drying out on the paper during long exposures. He used these bars to replace the original blacklight bulbs in his larger box. The cost includes two sets of four LED bars at $29 per set (total of $58) plus ~$20 for plywood. If you add the cost of some screws and corner brackets you can build a 20"x24" box for less than $100 in a few hours. In addition to my darkroom, I have a fully-equipped woodworking shop where I build furniture, so I can easily build a simple hinge-lidded box. But I never learned electrical wiring, so the ready-to-use "plug & play" aspect of these LED bars really appeals to me. (I can fix and even solder existing wiring, but I'm not experienced with creating wiring from scratch, daisy-chaining, and figuring out what ballasts to use).

BTW, I've read this thread in its entirety, and I don't doubt the observations from the members who advocate the use of bulbs, and I'm sure there are folks who could teach me wiring and ballast information in a matter of minutes. But for ease and minimal cost, I'm willing to use this alternative approach since I've seen the prints Tim has made and they speak for themselves, and convinced me this is a perfectly acceptable solution for my needs and budget.