5CSI Forensic vs. Inova X5 UV

For anyone who owns or who has seen both of these lights...
what would make we want to buy the 5CSI Forensic (www.lightshipenterprises.net) for $84 when I can get the Inova X5 Tactical UV for $39? Is the 5CSI any brighter than the X5?

Are there significant differences in frequency?

According to the webpage, the 5CSI uses 375nm LEDs, while the X5 uses LEDs emitting around 400nm. This explains the higher price. Lower wavelength means higher energy. The 5CSI would emit less in the visible (the X5 emits a lot of visible violet light), but would result in higher fluorescense. Theoretically, it could excite fluorescence in a broader range of materials, but I don't know details about the light energies involved. I know that the X5's wavelength is enough to excite urine, semen and scorpions.

So the 375nm LEDs are more expensive? What do FBI agents and police detectives use? I have a single LED UV LedLenser, but I'm not very impressed. I thought I would see all kinds of stuff, but it's really not too exciting.

Price UV-LEDs (Roithner-Lasertechnik, Austria): 375nm: ~$15, 405nm (what the X5 probably uses): ~$2. Was higher fur sure at the time the manufacturers bought the ones they used.

I have used a small keychain light with duo-LED (two dyes, white and UV), and this thing really doesn't work if more than 5" away. I don't think the LED-Lenser ones (the ones sold as "V8/V9 Money-Detector"?) work much better, considering what POS the first generation white LED one was I once owned, which had the same appearance as the "V8/9 Money-Detector". However, the X5-UV illuminates a pretty large area in a darkened room. Gives you a shock in your supposedly clean bathroom. Also easily shows the bleach used on your carpet by the former tenants of the apartment (I was able to reconstruct the furniture layout!). Don't know what forensic people use.

Yes, the price of UV LEDs jumps sharply as wavelength decreases.

Which one is for you? It all depends on your application -- hunting scorpions, 395-400nm LEDs are great -- there is enough blue glow to see your way around and not trip over things.

Looking for urine or semen stains, 390 or 380nm.

Identifiying dental evidence in the human ID lab, then the 375 or 370nm flashlight is a good tool for the job.

Hope that helps!
Cheers,
Piers

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Lara said:
What do FBI agents and police detectives use? I have a single LED UV LedLenser, but I'm not very impressed. I thought I would see all kinds of stuff, but it's really not too exciting.

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FBI agents use fluorescent bulb blacklight devices, I think. They emit much MUCH more light in the UV spectrum, and are a lot brighter as well.

When you say that you are not impressed by your UV LedLenser, does that mean it doesn't make things glow at all? Like the coloured threads in Euros, for example? I have an ARC AAA UV, the newer one with the Cree 10mA 395nm LED I think. Makes things glow pretty nicely when it's dark.

You cannot really see bodily fluids etc. with UV light alone, you need to wear one of those orange goggles, too.

- Connor

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Connor said:
You cannot really see bodily fluids etc. with UV light alone, you need to wear one of those orange goggles, too.

- Connor

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Eh, you can with ours /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Agree with xenopus. I have seen my own bodily fluids /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleye11.gif...hrm... with my Inova X5 UV. The reason for the orange goggles is protection (since they probably absorb UV, which the operator cannot and does not want to get into his eye -- he wants to see the fluorescence) and contrast enhancement, especially since forensic people sometimes don't deal with fresh but older/cleaned stains.

LOL ok, you can see it without the goggles, but the contrast gets much better with them. Add a little Luminol powder for the real fun. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

-Connor

A more important reason for the goggles is UV protection for your eyes. The low output LEDs can cause serious injury to your eye health - the higher output are extremely dangerous. You don't FEEL anything - it doesn't hurt - but it can cause serious permanent damage.

The lower spectrum UV light is barely visible to the naked eye and it's even more dangerous than the higher more visable spectrums.

Please BE CAREFUL.