Desert camping light

[BobBarker]

I am looking to make a high power UV light to use walking around at night in the desert. Apparently scorpions and a few varieties of spiders have exoskeletons that are UV reactive... But I don't really have any experiance with UV leds (of any power range). So I'm looking for peoples suggestions for a few models of UV leds.

Thanks

 

[The_Driver]

The most powerful ones are made by Nichia, but they are very expensive. McGizmo has made light engines with these. Here are a few pictures of ome of these.
Heres Don's thread on his uv offerings.

The problem with these LEDs is their price, I think they cost over $100 a piece.

I also think Nailbender makes some uv p60 drop-ins.

 

[sniper]

Streamlight has a line of Twin Task flash lights that would seem to be both powerful and reasonably priced. Brightguy and Lighthound carry them, IIRC.

 

[The_Driver]

Please note that, the UV lights I mentioned are so strong that they damage your eyes if you look into them NEVER do this. If you get one of these you should get safety goggles/glasses for all the people that will use them.

 

[cland72]

What about buying one of the UV drop ins on eBay? They seem to be reasonably priced. Does anyone have experience with those units?

BobBarker, you may want to edit the title to include "UV LED" to aid in future searches relating to this subject.

 

[alpg88]

good uv leds cost a lot, the cheapest solution, get uv light from petstore, small 2-4AA flurecent tube light. they are included, in "urine gone" kit. also sold separatly all over the web, and ebay.
uv leds that are cheap are around 400nm, it is really near uv , not true uv, anything lower (i mean really lower, not just lower number from seller) will be expencive, tubes otoh can go as low as 280nm (germisidal light) for few bucks a tube, and it'll be more powefull too. the lower the wavelenght, the more things will glow, and better too.
i buld few lanterns with uv, just for the hell of it, 390-400nm leds, they make, id, money, fishing line (not all) glow, and some other things, i tried on scorpion too, it glows, but not much, (may be cuz it was long dead, pinned to a corkboard).