365 nm UV flashlights

fuyume

Enlightened
Joined
Jun 25, 2021
Messages
274
So, I was looking at the Nitecore Tiki UV, and while it seems like a nice little unit for what it is, the non-replaceable battery is for a me a non-starter. That battery will be dead in less than 3 years and the unit will be useless.

So, I am looking for a UV flashlight with a common, replaceable battery. I want the primary emitter to be a UV LED, and it does not need to have a visible light LED. While I would find a visible light LED useful, I don't ever want to cycle through the visible light modes to access the UV mode, so that eliminates several models right off the bat, like the Fenix LD05 v2.0 with UV and the Nitecore P20iUV. I also don't want any light that requires more than one cell, so the Inova X5UV is out, as well.

The most likely candidate would seem to be the Olight i5UV EOS. 1xAA, single UV LED, 1500 mW (so they claim), but only the one brightness level, $33 USD.

Are there any others from reputable manufacturers I should be looking at?
 

parang

Newly Enlightened
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Dec 28, 2020
Messages
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My needs are mostly to charge lume and check money with the Olight i3UV. Can't go simpler than that.

Some others I consider:
Sofirn SP31UV, Fenix LD05 High CRI + UV
 
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Budda

Enlightened
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Nov 30, 2009
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Italy
the non-replaceable battery is for a me a non-starter. That battery will be dead in less than 3 years and the unit will be useless.
Flawless argument, but in 3 years there is gonna be so much more on the market in term of output and runtime, and whatever you buy now will be outperformed.
 

lightfooted

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May 6, 2010
Messages
1,017
You know the Nitecore can be set and left on the UV light? At least the original P20UV can. You still cycle through the white light modes but you should be able to choose the UV mode just like any of the white modes and leave it there. It's what I have done with mine since I don't need my P20UV for white light as I have plenty of other lights for that.
 
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novice

Flashlight Enthusiast
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Apr 19, 2006
Messages
1,033
Malkoff has a 2xCR123a UV light.

AliExpress (dot com) has Convoy S2+ 365nm UV lights that are made to take a single 18650 cell (or 16650), and apparently comes with (slow) free shipping. If you also order the ZWB2 "UV pass" filter, which reduces visible light even more, you can get it for $0.01 as a new customer.

BatteryJunction (dot com) has a 1xAAA Jetbeam Jet-UV 365nm light.
 
Joined
Jan 11, 2020
Messages
217
Location
Dayton, Ohio
First question, do you want real UV (365nm) or deep (visible) violet (395 nm)?
If you want real UV (365nm) and no spurious white light from an LED, you must have a filter. With a real black light and filter, you won't see anything but what glows.
There are big lights like the UV Moster. For a pocket light I'd suggest the Oilight i5UV. You can buy an aftermarket filter for it on EBay.
 
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