disappointment comparing X5 UV to blacklight

Hi all,

Thanks to this forum my collection of cool flashlights is growing, I'm drooling over the Surefire website, and my old Mag AA just went in the trash.

Question: I bought an Inova X5 UV a couple of weeks ago thinking it would help me spot pet accidents and inspect hotel rooms. But while it's a great light, it just doesn't compare in effectiveness to my simple blacklight fluorescent tube.

Is this a limitation of LED technology? Or does the blacklight put out a shorter wavelength more appropriate for this application?

I suppose the X5 will be handy the next time I go to the desert and want to check for scorpions, but overall I'm disappointed.

Alan

Fluorescent BLB-style blacklights like yours run around 365nm, while most UV LEDs come in around 395nm, so the fluorescent blacklight is "blacker" than the Inova.

Next, try US currency!!

You can buy UV LEDs that work clear down to 280nm, but they are still spendy. Right now, the main use is for killing germs and such. But they do make parts in between 280nm and 405nm, it will just take time for them to become reasonable.

Boy, you're fast here. Thanks for the replies.

I understand about the short wavelength LEDs still being pricey. I'm just surprised there aren't incandescent UV solutions out there... (affordable, battery operated ones, that is.)

I have a battery-operated UVC (254nm) fluorecent light I found on Ebaby last year. Let me go check my website to see if it says when I got that...BBS...ok, I purchased it on 07-01-04 - last summer. I think it'll be awhile before we start seeing LEDs with peak wavelengths below 350nm with decent lifetimes and prices.

Do you mean incans or just non-LEDs? Walmart carries a standard sized 40 or 60 w UV bulb. I think they call them party lights. I've never used one and it's not practical for battery use.

There are plenty of battery operated UV tube lights in 6, 10 and 12 inch tube lengths. I have several that use 4 and 8 AA cells.

Hey AlanS, welcome to CPF, and why dontcha stay awhile!

daloosh

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kitelights said:
Do you mean incans or just non-LEDs? Walmart carries a standard sized 40 or 60 w UV bulb. I think they call them party lights. I've never used one and it's not practical for battery use.

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Incandescent "blacklights"...whoever invented those was an egg roll short of a poo poo platter that day. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jpshakehead.gif
They typically emit very small amounts of radiation in the UVA band; and can easily be outperformed by fluorescent blacklight blubs.

yup, incandecents mainly emit infrared, which is on the opposite end of the spectrum of UV.

Thanks daloosh, I think I will (stick around awhile, that is.) This is a marvelously peculiar board! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

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kitelights said:
Do you mean incans or just non-LEDs?...There are plenty of battery operated UV tube lights in 6, 10 and 12 inch tube lengths.

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Thanks for that. I meant non-LEDs, and I'll look at Fry's for the battery operated tube lights.

On the other hand, the blacklight reveals perhaps more than one might care to know about the cleanliness of the bathroom or bedding.

Anyway, I'll probably list this light for sale, either on B/S/T or Amazon. Think I paid $36 from BatteryStation about two weeks ago; I don't know the protocol here yet about advertising items for sale, but anyone who's interested feel free to private message me.

There are now Compact fluorescents (fit in normal screw-in lamp socket) with the blacklight
filter coating on them; they tend to show up in party stores near halloween (and 50%
off just AFTER halloween!) And specialty suppliers all year round,
of course, such as:
http://www.bulbman.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=3916

UV LEDs provide a bunch of interesting possibilities for glow in
dark fun, since you can do things (for instance) like SUBMERGE a
UV keychain light in fluorescent dye solution, but I'm still experimenting...

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The_LED_Museum said:Incandescent "blacklights"...whoever invented those was an egg roll short of a poo poo platter that day.

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Not so bad, they are very cheap to make. I had one 30 years back when other UV light sources were out of my financial reach.

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They typically emit very small amounts of radiation in the UVA band

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It is not much compared to the 60W input, but there is some. Enough for tesing some stuff.
Of course other UV light sources are much less expensive nowadays...

Perhaps there's a certain logic in using a fluorescent tube to light objects which fluoresce...

And speaking of which, I just found this battery operated blacklight.

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AlanS said:
Perhaps there's a certain logic in using a fluorescent tube to light objects which fluoresce...

And speaking of which, I just found this battery operated blacklight.

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You can also get similar tube lights at www.maxmax.com.

Bill D.

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AlanS said:
Hi all,
...
Question: I bought an Inova X5 UV a couple of weeks ago thinking it would help me spot pet accidents and inspect hotel rooms. But while it's a great light, it just doesn't compare in effectiveness to my simple blacklight fluorescent tube.
...Alan

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You should try one of our lights at 390 or 380nm for pet stains and hotel rooms, unless you actually want a good night's sleep in a hotel room, that is, once you have found all the curius stains /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

We have 32 and 40-LED models, although the 40-LED models aren't on the website yet.

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xenopus said:
You should try one of our lights at 390 or 380nm for pet stains and hotel rooms, unless you actually want a good night's sleep in a hotel room, that is, once you have found all the curius stains /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

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Your products look wonderful, but are larger than I'd like. The X5T is just the right size and price; too bad it's not the right wavelength for me. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon23.gif

there is a aluminum 3 aa 7 led 380nm light on ebay for abouty 26 bucks shipped.

I like mine

some of those 4 aa 4 inch fluorescent lights have really cheap step up ballasts and bulbs - worthless.

Thanks Mark, I appreciate the tip!

It's weird: the headline for that item refers to 380nm, but the description says it uses 385nm LEDs. I may sit on the sidelines for awhile; maybe there'll be more options in a few months. And I've got a new A2 to play with in the meantime... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/broke.gif