21 LED 3AAA UV light

[Chloe]

I saw this from various sellers on Ebay, and Buyincoins too.

I’m not keen on the battery cage but seems like there are no budget^[1] single emitter AA or AAA UV lights other than those using the 5mm LEDs. This one has 21!! It certainly looks capable, but is it any good?

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1. Excluding the 30 USD (!!!) Tank007 TK-566 from Manafont. No idea about the UniqueFire S10 from DX. ↩︎

[Steve_the_Chief]

I had a different multiple 5mm UV LED flashlight in my hands a few times, it works, but the build quality is abysmal.

Can you do a driver swap? I put a boost driver in the popular manafont dropin and it works great with 2AA Batteries in a Solarforce L2 with an extension tube.

[Chloe]

Thanks, Steve!

I think I could swap the driver but I don’t want it to be a big project so ideally if I can order all the parts at once?

Where did you get the driver? I haven’t got any Li-ion lights so this would be my first time using a host. I didn’t know there was an extension tube for the L2!

[Steve_the_Chief]

Here's the thread ;)

Options for UV flashlight without going LiIon

Hi there, I am thinking about getting/building a good UV flashlight as an improvement over a crappy multiple 5mm LED flashlight for a friend, but I don't want to bother her with the handling and charging of LiIon rechargeables. After putting some thought into it, I see two options. 1. Get an Ultrafire WF-501A 1xCR123 P60 host and a UV Dropin from Manafont. I assume I would have to replace the driver with a boost driver. Would any common driver work for a UV LED? I still have one of these f…

The L2 host is available as a package with the extension tube from solarforceflashlight-sales.com. The driver is from DX and the dropin from manafont.

If you want to reduce the shops to order from, I think manafont has an Ultrafire P60 host for 3xCR123, that would work as well. But personally I would take any excuse to order another Solarforce :bigsmile:

[sesgum]

It looks like a very cute modding host. I would buy one if I have the ability of creation and modding skills like experts on this forum.

[Chloe]

Ahh, thanks for the link! Do you think this host will work?
http://solarforceflashlight-sales.com/product_detail.php?t=FB&s=2&id=287

So many hosts. Do they all work with P60 type drop-ins?

[Steve_the_Chief]

Yeah, that would work if you want to use 1xCR123. But you would still need a dropin with a boost driver, except if you used a rechargeable 16340 LiIon battery, but since you said don't have any LiIon lights you'd have to get a charger too.

[Chloe]

Oh, so for 2xAA it has to be one with the 16340 extension tube? Like this one?
http://solarforceflashlight-sales.com/product_detail.php?t=FB&s=1&id=388

[B42]

Chloe, what are you using a UV light for? Cat spots on the carpet or to attract bugs for the cats to swat? I hope you get the UV protection glasses to use with it.

[Chloe]

Hi B42, I already have these yellow UV glasses . It’s just for fun really. :bigsmile: My little 3xAG13 3-in-1 UV/laser light is really weak so I have to be using it up very close.

[Steve_the_Chief]

For use with 2AAs you need an 18650 host with one additional CR123 extension tube OR a 3xCR123 host. This is the one I bought:
http://solarforceflashlight-sales.com/product_detail.php?t=FB&s=8&id=409 (the addtional extension tube isn't in the picture)

I don't know if that's intended, but 3 CR123 batteries are equal to two AA cells in length. And one 18650 is as long as two CR123s :)

And if one day you should get tired of the UV dropin, you could always get a nice NW XP-G2 dropin for it ;)

[B42]

@Chloe

Hi B42, I already have these yellow UV glasses . It’s just for fun really. :bigsmile: My little 3xAG13 3-in-1 UV/laser light is really weak so I have to be using it up very close.

Ah, OK, great, you can even test the glasses by shining on a bill from the opposite side with your new light. Just didn’t want the cat eyes to go dim

[Chloe]

Thanks for mentioning it though! I think it is important to have eye protection, eyes can be damaged by intense invisible light. :~

I still want Geo contact lenses though…

I couldn’t resist. I had to get the 21 LED anyway because I liked the shape! >.<

[Steve_the_Chief]

Looking forward to your review ;)

[keltex78]

LOL! My mom has that exact UV light! It's okay, on par with what you would expect from a cluster of 5mm UV leds... Nowhere near what the Manafont drop-in does. No throw at all or course. Makes you notice unusual things in the food pantry; look at olive oil...

Chloe, look for the Ultrafire 50xc hosts; those are the 3x CR123a hosts which should fit 2x AA cells.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SuperFire-WF-501C-G90-9V-Xenon-Flashlight-Torch-Lamp-/290389297473?pt=US_Flashlights&hash=item439c8d0941#ht_1781wt_998

Not recommending this seller; but it's an appropriate host...

[Chloe]

Okay, I will review it when it comes!

Keltex, that’s what I expect really, but it was only £3 or so and it’s quite cute. :bigsmile: It’s funny you mention olive oil because I noticed some fluorescing of oil when I was using my little Preon P0 in the kitchen.

Thanks for the suggestion! Would I need to make a battery tube for a host that takes 3xCR123a? I thought they were quite wide cells compared to AA (I don’t have any).

[Steve_the_Chief]

@Chloe

Would I need to make a battery tube for a host that takes 3xCR123a? I thought they were quite wide cells compared to AA (I don’t have any).

Definitely yes. Either DIY or maybe you can find some plastic tubing in your hardware store that fits.

[FMcamaroZ28]

I have that exact light host, but it has just regular 5mm LEDs in it.

Its also silver. Its alright for a freebie.