Ultraviolet LED flashlight recommendations

Do you have any new uv recommendations for me? I really need something no more than $30 for a UV flashlight less than 400nm. Thanks in advance.

I think your choice is clear
the 385nm 7 led uv flashlight from ebay
I paid 17 bucks and shipping for mine

I paid $20.99 and shipping for mine - probably the exact same thing.

Yes, I guess you are right, I am going to go ahead and purchase it. But, how long did it take for your to receive it?

Yes, I guess you are right, I am going to go ahead and purchase it. But, how long did it take for your to receive it? (I live in SoCal)

Let's see...I purchased it on 03-25-04, and received it on 04-12-04. So that's...18 days if I did the math correctly.
But I don't know if I had an existing Paypal balance or paid with an "e-check". That would make a significant difference; at least 5 or 6 days counting the weekend.

(Edit, a moment later)
Looks like I did use an "e-check", so subtract at least 5-6 days if you pay directly.

Hi, Craig. I'm new to flashlights and don't quite understand what you mean by the following: "These LEDs typically have short device halflives." Does it mean the LED's don't last as long as others or the battery life? Thanks

-John

Hi John,

The LEDs themselves won't last as long as most other LEDs in visible, near-infrared, and infrared wavelengths.
One tester reported getting less than 200 hours out of ultraviolet LEDs before their intensity dropped by 50% (device halflife).

Assuming they're driven the same way, battery life will not be any different between any LED types.

Hope this helps answer your question. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

200 hours to the led loosing 50 percent intensity
seem's worth it to me for the performance.

Do the 400nm led's degrade as fast ?

The UV lights on ebay look like they would do the job, just wondering about the quality? Is the arc AAA UV going to be made again??.... I believe Inova makes one too.

[ QUOTE ]
markdi said:
Do the 400nm led's degrade as fast ?

[/ QUOTE ]
Yes, I believe they will degrade just about as rapidly as other UV or NUV LEDs will.
Even 430nm blue LEDs will show a noticeable drop off in intensity after a few hundred hours; I think about 440nm is about the threshold where the LED doesn't eat itself anymore. The 444nm "royal blue" LEDs should last many thousands of hours before degrading the same way as UV and NUV LEDs do after a couple of hundred hours.

I don't have any documentation or web URLs to show that the "point" is 440nm, so please take this wavelength with plenty of crystalline sodium chloride.

I think the newer arc aaa uv is 400nm
I would rather have the shorter 385nm
wavelength. things glow a lot brighter
and there is less visible light from the led's
I think the inova is also 400nm
so as far as led quality I think the newer arc and inova
fall short.

You can always build one using an LED (mpja.com sells them) and a host like a dorcy AAA. It's an easy swap, though pretty over driven unless you add a resistor.

Daniel

Well anyways, I'm going to buy it off of ebay. I think this will be more than enough for viewing my pet scorp. Thanks for the help Markdi and Craig!

just do not hurt your eyes
my 7 led uv flash light seems dim if there is nothing
fluorescent around

uv is not good for your eyes

Has anyone actually seen cat urine glow with the UV illumination? Just wondering, because when I tried it in a litter box a while back, there was really nothing too visible about it. Possibly it was due to the litter absorbing it-

One thing you might find very bizarre under UV is looking at your teeth with it; natural teeth glow brightly compared to anything the dentist put in, like crowns, which remain dark. If you forget which ones you had dental work done to, this picks it out immediately.. I guess it's not possible for them to replicate the glow under UV for some reason. Or, they don't expect people to smile much under ultraviolet light- like so => /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

my mom has a lot of pet dogs
and cats (way tooo many)
I will take my uv light over there

yes dog and cat pee glow under 385 nm uv light
but the food my mom feeds her cats glowed
pretty strongly also

haha the food glowed.

When I get time and finish my other mods and the 10,000 other things I have to do, I intend to get like 100 of those UV leds on ebay for cheap and build a 25 or 50led project box from rat-shack powered by AA's. That should do the trick!

I have only had minimal success with the UV and cat urine. I've three UV led lights that have different outouts.

The urine is most visible when fresh and in a dark room. It does not glow like a cotton thread does. The glow intensity might depend on diet too.

We have a florescent UV light "designed" to detect cat urine. It doesn't do any better than my LED lights.

Daniel