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9-LED 385nm UV FLASHLIGHT

9-LED 385nm UV Flashlight, retail $TBA (URL not known)
Manufactured by (That's unknown too)
Last updated 08-07-11

This is a UV LED flashlight, using nine 385nm UVA LEDs to produce its light, and three AA cells to power it.

The casing is made of aluminum with a matte silvery finish to it. I don't believe this finish has any type of anodizing on it, but I could be wrong here.

SIZE

Make sure there are batteries installed in the flashlight first (see below), and *THEN* you can go hunt down that old cat pee stain on the rug.

For momentary operation, press the button on the barrel about halfway in, and hold it that way for as long as you need light. Release the button to extinguish your flashlight.

For continuous operation, press the button more firmly and then release it. The light should come on and stay on. Press it the same way again to turn the light off.

To change the batteries in this flashlight, unscrew the tailcap, and set it aside.

Remove the battery carriage, relieve it of the three used AAA cells, and dispose of or recycle them as you see fit.

Insert three new AAA cells into the compartments for them in the carriage, orienting them so that their flat-ends (-) negatives face the springs for them in each chamber.

Insert the carriage back into the flashlight barrel, orienting it so that the end with the large, gold-colored metal "strap" on it goes in first.

Screw the tailcap back on, and be done with it.

Measures 144.90mA on three Duracell alkaline AAA cells, using my DMM's 400mA scale.
This equates to 16.10mA per LED.

This flashlight is reasonably durable, but could become broken if violently thrown against a hard surface, stepped on with hard-soled shoes, or run over with a motor vehicle.

It is splash-resistant, and even-weather resistant, but it is not completely waterproof and definitely ***NOT*** submersible. I removed the tailcap, relieved the light of batteries, and suctioned it; and some air got in. So please try to keep it away from creeks, rivers, ponds, lakes, puddles of donkey pee, snowbanks, water-filled ditches, sinks, tubs, toilets, fishtanks, dog water dishes, or other places where water or water-like liquids might be found. If you know or suspect it got dredged, take the tailcap and bezel off, relieve it of its batteries, and set it in a warm, dry place for a day or so, and you ought to be in good shape.
If it fell in seawater or if something peed on it, douche all the parts in fresh water before setting them out to dry.
It should be OK to use in rain or snow, but I cannot verify this firsthand.

This light isn't meant to be used like an ordinary flashlight; its intended use is activating fluorescent materials like the security strips in US paper currency, security markings on some types of postage stamps, security markings on event tickets, some types of scorpions indigenous to the southwestern United States, defects or repairs made to antique glass articles, pet uranation on the rug, and similar.

The UVA output of 385nm is shorter in wavelength than what is normally found in "money checkers" or other UV flashlights, so its output will appear dimmer to the eye. But don't let that sickly, weak purple glow fool you. Please do not shine it in your eyes, other people's eyes, or pet's eyes. This light emits copious amounts of UVA radiation, and that isn't very good for the eyes if stared directly into.

The LED bodies themselves glow dimly with a bluish violet color. I don't know if this is accidental fluorescence or purposeful fluorescence; and I do not know who makes the LEDs either. These LEDs have a dual-bond construction, so I know right away they aren't Cree parts. Whoever makes 385nm LEDs with a dual-bond construction with the die wires attaching at each end of the die (light emitting chip) inside each LED is responsible for these. Could be Uniroyal or Toyoda Gosei.

These LEDs typically have short device halflives; one tester reports getting under 200 hours to half-intensity at normal drive currents (20mA typical) for NUV LEDs in epoxy bodies, like these.

Beam photo on the test target at ~12".

The beam is not that whitish-blue color like you see in this
photograph; it is a very dim, dull deep purple in real life.

Wavelength is too short for me to take any intensity measurements.

Beam photo on a nonreactive white surface at ~12".

Spectrographic plot

Spectrographic analysis of the LEDs in this flashlight.

Spectrographic plot

Spectrographic analysis of the LEDs in this flashlight; spectrometer's response range narrowed to a band between 350nm and 420nm to help pinpoint peak wavelength; which appears to be ~384.30nm.

Spectrographic analysis of the fluorescence of a uranated* glass marble when irradiated with this flashlight.

*"Uranated" - infused with an oxide of uranium, *NOT* piddled (urinated) on.
Commonly referred to as "Vaseline glass" because it has
a distinct pale yellow-green color when not being irradiated.

Pleeze noat spelinng: "urAnated", not "urEnated","urInated",
"urOnated", "urUnated", or sometimes "urYnated".

USB2000 spectrometer graciously donated by P.L.

TEST NOTES:
Test unit was found on the morning of 08-05-11 (or "05 Aug 2011" or even "Aug 05, Twenty Double Sticks" if you prefer) while looking for something that required spectroscopy.

UPDATE: 00-00-00

PROS:
Handy-dandy source of longwave UV (aka. UVA radiation)
Uses batteries so it's completely portable & self-contained

CONS:
UVA LEDs are known to have somewhat short lifetimes even when driven correctly
Not submersible; though it would survive a brief dredging
Uses a battery carriage -- one more thing to lose or break

Unknown

Handheld UVA light source

5mm UVA LED

Medium spot with soft falloff to extinction

Pushbutton on/off on tailcap

Aluminum

Metal; LEDs protected by plastic window

3x AAA cells

144.90mA

Weather- & splash-resistant

﹛·ARA LOS MOTIVOS NO DE DIOS!!!

Small lanyard

97.50mm L x 30mm Dia.

Unknown/not equipped to weigh

Unknown; though very likely a far-east country

Unknown

9-LED 385nm UV Flashlight * (Manufacturer not known)

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