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395nm ARC-AAA UV

395nm Arc-AAA UV, retail $(No longer available)
Manufactured by Mega Tech Devices (www.arcflashlight.com)
Last updated 03-23-12




The 395nm Arc AAA UV is a very tiny, single "AAA" cell LED source of UVA (ultraviolet type A) radiation, very similar to the original Arc AAA flashlight but with a few visible differences. A miniature step-up power converter inside the tiny head makes it possible to run a 3.2 to 3.8 volt ultraviolet LED with only a single 1.5 volt AAA cell.

The easy-grip body is composed entirely of hard anodized aircraft aluminum, and is, for all intents and purposes, indestructible. It uses a 5mm (T1¾) UV LED of unknown pedigree in an epoxy body as its UVA source.


SIZE



To use this miniature marvel, you will first want to feed it with a single "AAA" cell that comes with it.

Getting UVA radiation is as easy as turning the head clockwise (as if tightening it) until it lights up (it should emit a dim, whitsh-violet visible output; the majority of its output is invisible ultraviolet radiation); turn it the other way to plunge yourself back in darkness.

The 395nm Arc AAA UV comes with a small split ring attached to the tail. This is meant to be attached to larger keyrings, like what your house & car keys are probably already on; and for attachment to a lanyard to hang the Arc around your neck or around a nail or tree branch.

The knurled surface makes the product easy to grip and use.



To get your 395nm Arc AAA UV powered up and ready to face the world, unscrew the head until it comes off (don't worry about losing parts or bulbs), and drop the included Duracell AAA battery in so the button end faces up. Screw the head back on, and you're finished.

A foam gasket affixed to the bottom of the inside of the head prevents that annoying rattling sound from the battery moving around inside when the unit is turned off.

Due to the way the product was constructed, I am not able to furnish a current usage measurement for you.

Advertised runtime (to 50% intensity) is no less than five hours on a Duracell brand alkaline cell.
The company that makes this flashlight tends not to lie or exaggerate, so this runtime value should be reasonably accurate at absolute minimum.



The 395nm Arc AAA UV is as tough as they come. It has a Mil-Spec Type III hard anodized ("HA-III") finish on it, so it should stay new-looking even if it goes up against keys, coins, or other flashlights in your pocket or on your keychain. This flashlight appears at least fairly durable, and it is!!! When I performed that terrible smack test on it (ten whacks against the concrete floor of a carport: 5 smacks against the side of the bezel and 5 smacks against the side of the tail end), only very, very, very minor damage was found. There is some extremely minor gouging to the bare Metaldemidevimon - er - the bare Metalarukenimon - um that's not it either... the bare Metalmalomyotismon...er...uh...wait a sec here...THE BARE METAL (guess I've been watching too much Digimon again! Now I'm just making {vulgar term for poop} up!!! ) on the side of the bezel where it was struck.

The primary purpose of this test is not necessarily to see if the exterior of the flashlight would be damaged; it's more about the internal components which would be subject to a high shock load ("G force") every time it strikes the concrete.

A gold material called Chemcoat inside the barrel helps protect the aluminum in there from water or bad battery juice. So please try not to scrub it away or otherwise try to remove it.

There is knurling (diamond-shaped cross-hatched texturising) on the barrel and on the bezel, so retention (the ability to hold onto the flashlight when your hands are cold, wet, or oily) shouldn't be much of an issue.

A foam gasket is affixed to the underside of the bezel (head); this helps to prevent battery rattle when the unit is shaken, is struck against something else, or is dropped.

The 395nm Arc AAA UV is waterproof and even submersible to 100'. So if it falls into a puddle, just shake it off and keep going. And if it fell next to the mailbox and the dog pissed on it, just douche it off under the faucet or take the garden hose to it...good as new.

The beam is advertised to be 40° in width; I do not have the necessary equipment at my disposal for measuring this however.

According to the web page on this product at Arc Flashlights, the 395nm Arc AAA UV can be used for the following:
  • Entry control at events (pass mark on people's hands)
  • Forensics (using "Luminol", etc to show blood, semen, etc)
  • Leak detection using fluorescent dyes (automotive, industrial, pressure vessels, coolers, air conditioners, etc)
  • Curing UV adhesives
  • Detecting repairs in pottery, china, etc (glues typically fluoresce)
  • Stamp collecting
  • Scorpion/insect hunting (some types of scorpions fluoresce whitish-green)
  • Law enforcement (detecting UV strip or insignia on ID)
  • Product QA (detect authentic strips on product)
  • Counterfeit bill detection
  • Credit card counterfeit detection (various UV marks are used on cards)
  • Geology/mineralogy (identify minerals)
  • Parties
  • Hotel cleanliness (detect substances on the sheets - requires reagent)
  • Carpet stain detection (pet stains {puke, crap, piss, etc.}, water damage, etc)
  • Pest control (detect rodent/animal uranation)
  • Electronics (erase EPROM’s, test sensors, etc)
  • Lab/science experiments
  • Military (test UV signature of uniform as a result of detergent residue, test night vision equipment, light up scenes for starlight goggles)


[[BEGIN SERMON MODE]]
I must emphasize, protect your eyeballs when using this light. You only get one set of eyes - and if you wreck them, you can't just go down to the local seven-eleven and buy a can of them.
Here is one simple way you can do this:

Most sunglasses and some prescription eyeglasses have some degree of UV protection already; to determine if yours do or not, aim the flashlight at something that clearly fluoresces (such as those neon green & orange stickers that occasionally show up on your mail, day-glow orange price tags, or painted portions of a blacklight poster), positioning the light so the object in front of it glows (fluoresces) brightly from the ultraviolet light. Then put the glasses between the face of the light and the target. If the glow stops or dims dramatically, the glasses are stopping the UV and you can use them as eye protection at least for short-term use.
However, if the glow remains or dims only slightly, look for another pair.

In any case, never look directly at the LEDs without eye protection - not even for a minute.

Symptoms of UV exposure may not appear immediately; they can be delayed by 30 minutes to several hours. They can include a burning or "sand in the eyes" sensation, and a hazy look around light bulbs and other bright objects. Mild cases are self-correcting within 24 to 36 hours; however if despite my warnings you still stared at this light from close range for more than a few minutes, it might not be a bad idea to see an eye doctor and tell him you've been exposed to UVA radiation.

DISCLAIMER: I shall not be held responsible for any damage or loss of eyesight arising from your use or misuse of the information on this page. Thank you for listening.
[[END SERMON MODE]]



Beam terminus photograph at ~12".
Target has a mild fluorescence of its own; in reality, the beam is a very dim whitish-violet.



Beam terminus photograph on a nonreactive white surface from ~12".



Spectrographic analysis
Spectrographic analysis of the UVA LED in this product.


Spectrographic analysis
Spectrographic analysis of the UVA LED in this product; spectrometer's response narrowed to a band between 380nm and 410nm to pinpoint peak wavelength, which is 393.682nm.


ProMetric analysis
Beam cross-sectional analysis.

Image made using the ProMetric System by Radiant Imaging.






 TEST NOTES:
Test sample was sent to me by P.G. of Megatech Devices probably in 2003 or 2004; it is not likely a current production item. However, it was found on the late-morning of 03-17-12 (or "17 Mar. 2012" or even "Mar. 17, Twenty Stick-Very-Twirly-Stick" if you prefer) and made it on my website because that is its destiny.

From somebody who knows their {vulgar slang term for caca} about light & electronics, comes this:

"I saw a mention that these can erase EPROMs. I would say essentially untrue.

Based on results reported in www.misty.com/~don/uvbulb.html, I would expect using a 10 mW 375 nm light to erase an EPROM would take at least a few days, probably a lot more, maybe a blue moon or two."

Since this 395nm Arc-AAA UV produces radiation at ~393nm, the time it would take to erase an EPROM would be significantly longer.


UPDATE: 00-00-00



PROS:
Good UVA output from a single 5mm LED
Weatherproof and waterproof (submersible to 100') too
Batteries are inexpensive and readily available
Foam gasket under bezel prevents battery rattle



CONS:
None that I have found so far!


    MANUFACTURER: Mega Tech Devices
    PRODUCT TYPE: Small LED UVA source
    LAMP TYPE: 5mm Unknown-Type Long UVA LED
    No. OF LAMPS: 1
    BEAM TYPE: Medium spot with soft fall-off to perimeter
    SWITCH TYPE: Twist bezel on/off
    CASE MATERIAL: Metal
    BEZEL: Metal; LED inset in conical depression
    BATTERY: 1x AAA cell
    CURRENT CONSUMPTION: Unknown/unable to measure
    WATER- AND URANATION-RESISTANT: Yes
    SUBMERSIBLE: Yes, to 100 feet
    ACCESSORIES: Duracell brand AAA cell, small split ring, pocket clip
    SIZE: 2.7"L, 0.5"D
    WEIGHT: 0.750 oz.
    COUNTRY OF MANUFACTURE: USA
    WARRANTY: (orig. 1 year; none now since this product is obsolete)

    PRODUCT RATING:

    Star Rating





395nm Arc-AAA UV *






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