Rat Shack NUV LED - cute lil’ thing

jerry i h

Enlightened
Joined
Jul 26, 2007
Messages
268
Location
Berkeley, CA
"5mm High Brightness Ultraviolet LED". Catalog #276-0014. From the pkg: intensity = 280mcd, 395nm-410nm, 30 degree, 20ma, 3.2Vf, 3.8Vf max. It cost like $1.75 for a pkg. of 2. Judging by the rather strong pink-purple-ish tint, I would say NUV would be more accurate.
I stuck this thing into a fauxton (I was changing the batt anyway; it was surprising easy: reading glasses, scissors, reading lamp, some patience, paying attention to + and - polarity), and got a pretty good NUV keychain light. It is being overdriven at 2x2016=6v. I do not have a Nichia for comparison. It was enough to make things fluoresce, but the high intensity of visible light from the LED plus ambient light reduces this effect somewhat. In a bar in the afternoon, the effect on money was marginal (although none of us had the Treasury Dept training, so maybe the effect was correct). Still, in a darkened room at night, the UV effect was surprising good.
Yes, I do recommend it. If you are at Rat Shack anyway, you might as well pick up a couple of packages. And, yes, an order of the 375nm Nichia's from LedSupply is next on my to-do-list.
 

JohnR66

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Aug 1, 2007
Messages
1,052
Location
SW Ohio
I have one of those UV LEDs. They emit quite a bit of radiation that our eyes are not sensitive too. Using a black and white CCD camera that is sensitive to UV, I can see the LED light up the opposite side of the room as if it were a bright flashlight.

While their prices are not that great, Radio Shack seems to use quality suppliers for their LEDs. Just don't buy that old stock 1100cd white LED for $5.49. WTF?:crackup:
 
Top