4 more 365nm UV-leds tested

Just to be sure about my reading skills. At this moment a black C8 with an LD1-driver with no modes (eh, 1 mode) is useless lying in a corner. Do you mean that without risk I can put in an LG UV-led from Simon?

Yes, you read it correct, provided that it is mounted on a DTP-board it will run in any direct drive situation with a single li-ion, so the LD1 should be fine. With the disclaimer of course that I do no testing on the lifetime of leds when driving them out of specifications.

Thanks :beer:

Edit (almost one week later): Well, that UV-led is on it’s way. Can’t wait to team it up with one of your ZWB2 filters.

I hope for an obscure but interesting new type of light: the UV-thrower.

Btw, the ordered filters should be underway by DHL at this moment, tracking says underway from Le Havre to Netherlands.

Could anyone give me some driver ideas for a 3x SeoulViosys build?

I have simply no experience with UV lights, djozz’s filter was kind of an entrée. Now I sit on 3 LEDs from Kaidomain and a very nice Sofirn C8F host and try to figure which driver to build.

- mA
The spec for the SeoulViosys says 500mA but djozz’s test show they can cope with much more. But I’m not eager to use a FET/DD driver with this LEDs. Thinking more of a 7135 linear driver in the 2100-3500mA range at the moment. Too conservative or overkill already?

- modes
Are any modes useful or just single-mode? Or just no moon-mode? What about ramping, would you even properly see when you’re at low or high?

As I’m always ready to design a new oshpark driver from scratch for a certain light, I could very well make a, say, 17mm/9x7135/Attiny85 driver to get 3150mA and the latest fancy firmware. Any ideas?

Thanks
HQ

I tend to want a simple user interface for a UV light, I have one with low-med-high (no memory) and I like it.

I plan to make the same light as you (C8F+SeoulViosys leds) and I think I will use a LD2 driver (I still have one in my spare driver box, but l4p does not have it for sale anymore) so that 2A per led which sounds quite optimal to me.

Here is my build with the C8F and three SST-10s UV triple using Sofirn C8F . I decided on using these after djozz tested them but before he tested the SeoulViosys leds. Oh well, live and learn. I just used the stock C8F driver from Sofirn. It has multiple modes that really aren’t needed but since I am a newby it was an easy choice that I knew would work. Lexel has pointed out in this thread the limitation of a single 18650 which will keep the leds from being overdriven. I really like it. I am interested to try the ZWB2 filter from djozz versus the ZWB3 that I made and put in mine initally. I don’t think there will be much difference.

Thanks for the input, guys, really appreciated. Hadn’t seen your thread, Scientist, I like the glass cutting part. :nerd_face:

So less modes then.
I think I still have a 5A LD-1 lying somewhere, although I never rigged one for momentary use. I’m much more confident when the driver limits the current, so I don’t have to worry which cell I use. A 25R can deliver lots of juice…

I ordered the C8F host (and 2 spare MCPCBs), so I don’t have their driver. But this host really has grown on me:
3p-setup, DTP copper MCPCB and really flat surface in the head, reflector and MCPCB are tightened with a screw from the inside, lots of room for the driver, an easy to press sideswitch with a crisp click, driver retention ring, enough space for a protected cell, squared threads on both sides of the tube, anodized threads at the tail for lockout, flawless anodizing. And the spare MCPCBs came with a foil on the copper side for protection.
Sofirn did a lot of things very, very well on this one. :+1:

Let’s get cooking :partying_face:

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Looks great. I will be looking forward to seeing your results. Yeah, djozz took care of us with his group buy for filters. I couldn’t find anything when I looked around so resorted to rolling my own.

Reflowing went well and I did find my spare LD-1.

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All three lighting up evenly (this is with a cell at 3.25V resting).

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Installing into the C8F host was easy. With the LD-1 I went for 3 mode and de-soldered moon.

I’m just not sure the beam is looking as it is supposed to look.
The center is yellow, then some dark area, followed by a blue corona.
Did I already wreck the LEDs or is that ok that way?
(Still without djozz’s filter)

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Edit: The center seems to be the ‘good’ part with the most UV radiation. It’s really fun to play with. Now I’m curious which effect the filter will have.

I think the 365nm light exits the dome of the led quite differently as the visible light (the refraction is fairly dependent on wavelength and 365nm is quite far from the average visible light) , resulting in a different focal point, this becomes more apparent with smooth reflectors.

Just this afternoon I made a C8 with the same led (but just one) and using a standard center piece the hotspot was pretty ugly. It improved when I sanded the centerpiece thinner, just like when using domeless leds compared to leds with dome.

This is pretty interesting, I will look into it a bit more precise this evening.

That’s what mine looked like too. I agree with djozz that the visible light makes that yellow center. The ZWB filter cleans it up nicely. I notice the “petals” around the edge of the spill due to the three reflectors more than with a single emitter. It is fun, isn’t it!

I just did a quick check and after all the visible light does not seem to focus extremely different from the UV after all.

Btw, indeed a 365nm thrower is more fun than I thought, you achieve so much more brightness, while not having to get close to anything, that makes checking a room for fluorescence much quicker.

Here’s the beam of the 365nm C8 with Seoul Viosys led and ZWB2 filter, from 2.5 meter. The unevenness of the hotspot is the plaster on the wall showing uneven fluorescence. And a nightstand (not mine :innocent: ) with playmobil dragon to get an idea of what you get.

I got your black glass today, just ordered the triple Seoul emitters from Kaidomain, will figure out what to do with everything later… :wink:

Thanks for sparking this up Jos, neat ideas and nice testing. :+1:

Decided that a vacant C8 host was going to be a UV thrower but I ran into some troubles with the beamshot(s). Because White Walls Won’t Work With UV. Then I remembered djozz showed us to use the illumination of UV light on white paper. Of course I did not have a large enough piece of white paper. But I had a piece of shelf paper that was white enough to do the trick.

On the left you see the hotspot of the C8 at 1.8m (6ft). On the right you see the result of the latest model UV Convoy S2+ at 1.8m.

Here you find what I did to get the left beam from a third generation LG 3535 UV-emitter I bought from Simon (Convoy).

Really nice,that hot spot is mesmerizing.

Hi @djozz, did you ever test 5mm uv leds? I think I remember you did but cant find the thread.

I am eyeing a coast tx10 as a host for 3 or 4 wavelengths which can be individually switched for any desired combination.

Seoul Viosys Z5 CUN66A1B