Frustrated with UV lights, need help

LED Flashlights – General Info
44

Please excuse my noobishness if everyone knows the following already…

The Cobb flashlight body was originally sold as a Raidfire Spear. The clones are now known as a Brinyte C9 (eBay, Shenzen Wholesalers) or a Yezl Y2 or a Piritlight SG, or on KD as an RQ clone.

This host has a screw-in light engine/pill that is not a standard size. No UV replacements appear commercially available; Cobb may be having these built.

Cobb initially tried to use a Luminus LED, but had to abandon it due to high cost. Believe they ended up using a 5W LEDengin emitter centering on 365 nm, like these at Mouser.

With few exceptions, UV emitters begin to shift spectrum almost immediately due to trapped heat.

The heat-sinking on the Cobb flashlight is pretty good, largely due to the screw-in light engine and the vented head. If you own this light, you might want to add some arctic silver thermal compound, to extend lifespan of the emitter.

To replicate the Cobb light exactly, you’d need to buy the host flashlight and re-fit it with a UV 365 nm LED, and appropriate driver.

To functionally replicate this light exactly, for half the cost, you’d buy an EagleTac T20C2 and the EagleTac 365-370 UV drop-in. The ET UV insert uses the same LED as the Cobb light in a very-well built package and should perform almost identically.

To functionally replicate the Cobb light DIY, the easiest path seems to be a P60 host and 365 nm UV drop-in. 365 nm drop-ins are kind of rare. (The grail is an out-of-production NailBender unit with a photography-grade Nichia 365 UV emitter. No one ever sells these, so you’re better off checking eBay.)

CPF’s link policies make it hard to tell who on eBay has the good 365 nm drop-ins.

I got this “365 nm” eBay drop-in:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290498148490
A 1W emitter, so very low-energy. This wavelength, whatever it actually is, really makes things fluoresce, even across the room. But this power level would be useless with lights on.

So far only have this fun Nailbender drop-in at 395 nm for comparison.
This outputs a lot of purple light, as expected. In the dark, you won’t stub your toe, and organics stand out well. In a lit room, the purple light is barely visible and the fluorescent contrast isn’t useful.

The Manafont 380 nm drop-in referenced above seems like a great bet, if they’ll send me one when the baijiu is done. :slight_smile:

45

Hello - urine will fluoresce depending on what you put in. For example I smoke electronic cigarettes which have a substance in it that fluoresces under UV. So when it comes out it fluoresces too. Red UV-excited fluorescence on plants is due to chlorophyll and you’ll find it on the underside of branches and in dark spots in the shade etc. Once these are exposed to light the outer wall of the leaf starts blocking UV. You can find red and not red on the same plant depending on how much light it has received :slight_smile:

46

I am the builder of the UV Light referenced at the beginning of this thread.

I have been building UV lights and various lasers for about 10 years.

I don’t understand how so many people can determine exactly what goes into my light, without ever seeing or testing one of them.

I sell 4 different UV lights with 4 different UV output levels.

The light referenced is our #GG8BL system. It is a package consisting of :

1. Custom-machined host with brass pill modified to fit the LED that we have selected over years of testing every frequency available.
2. Constant Current and reliable driver.
3. Charger that is very reliable and not readily available.
4. UL-tested Sanyo 18650 cell which I also distribute.
5. Nylon Belt Case to keep light handy.

In testing, our customers have taken carpet w/urine stains into direct sunlight to assure the fluorescence is still visible while standing above it.

In our business, as in others, it is what the tool earns for the business that determines the ultimate value of the item.

Thanks;
Larry

47

Larry,

I see that you get your “custom machined host” and “not readily available charger” from the same place Monster Flashlights gets theirs. :smiley:
http://www.cobbcarpet.com/uv.html

#GG8BL - $239.95

#GG5BL - $59.95


Hmmm? :~
Ultrafire WF-501B XM-L XPE 700LM 5 Modes UV Light LED Flashlight SKU: 32002451 $8.49

Another custom light just because.
WF-502B 100 Lumen UV Ultraviolet LED Flashlight Torch(1*18650) SKU: T00442 $6.51

You may be able to baffle your carpet cleaning customers with your fancy talk, but please don’t try insult our intelligence here at BLF. As for your custom #GG8BL light. I’ve seen that many of time on Aliexpress and I don’t feel like looking for it. As for your “not readily available charger”, BWAHAHAHAHAHA!! :smiley:

48

LoL
We are here in the budgetlightforum where we build and mod lights so that they have a very nice price/value ratio, often exeed the stock lights by far with a lot lower price…often this is achieved by sharing information and improving things some others shared…

Every point you mentioned is worthless for me except the LeD you use.
btw. reasonable host, driver cell charger and holster can all have been acquired for under 50$…

49

What’s the certification test number? We can look that up on the UL page here: http://services.ul.com/categories/certification/

50

Am I the only one that thinks that it is scary that he gives his customers unprotected cells and a charger of that quality?

51

I am confused why he would dig up a thread that is nearing 3 years old (I guess 18months). Sometimes it’s better to let sleeping dogs lie.

52

Maybe one of his customers Googled the fancy light that they bought from the carpet cleaning guy and found out that they were taken to the cleaners?

53

That is the hustler confession right there.

54

I hear what you guys are saying, but heck, he’s throwing in a quality lanyard!! :wink:

55

$240 for a cheap Chinese light with an unprotected Sanyo cell and a cheap Chinese charger? Is this a joke?

56

Last week I built:

Ultrafire 602H host: $4.95

Last year's LG Innotek 3rd gen. 3535 385nm led on 16mm Noctigon: $3.25

1 hour's work to connect it all direct drive: $20

(I'm not payed well because the soldering was beginners level)

Total: $28.20

The output and light quality will be about 10 times the light of the OP, so who takes it for $2000? (genuine carpet cleaners get 10% discount) Crappy charger can be included, and heck, I throw in an Efest IMR 550mAh as well

57

Don McLean - The More You Pay (The More It’s Worth …)
Video for “the more you pay, the more it’s worth”:arrow_forward: 2:51

58

Well, obviously the batteries cost the extra :wink:

However, thanks for the build recommendation!

59

Hello and sincere Thank-You in advance to any member taking the time to reply to a “newbie” in your forum. I have been on the internet for several weeks now, gleaning what I can to better educate myself on purchasing UV flashlights to help in my small deodorizing business of 4+ years.

As this thread clearly demonstrates, my concerns of finding a quality performing light without selling my car to buy one, is well founded. I am less ignorant to the science of UV light and its uses after researching the web, but freely admit I am still dumb enough that I cannot make an educated decision on how to proceed with purchasing a couple of flashlights.

Also I have to admit I do not qualify myself as “good enough” to solder small components although I have spent many prior years professionally welding and brazing, along with common solder repairs with typical wiring.

I have learned that DIY is possible and this thread seems to be the one I have been looking for! So again, THANK YOU.

To be as clear as possible and not to waste anymore of your time, the UV flashlights I would love to have with me is the 365 nm and the 385-400 nm range. I am not a huge fan of rechargeable but will not quibble if that is what is suggested to me. I am however a fan of AA batteries if a member is in agreement. About the only thing I would add is that I have been surprised that I have not read anything about adjustable flashlights similar to lots of standard flashlights. I regret this is most likely a stupid comment and there is a good reason for it, but I have not found anything relating to the subject.

I hope I haven’t bored anyone or wasted your time with this post since I’m confident there are answers to my concerns. I am not lazy by any means, I am just defeated in my searching. :quest:

Thanks again for this thread and happy holidays to all!

60

Try the Jaxman 365nm UV Flashlight, it use an AA-battery.

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Free-Shipping-JAXMAN-365nm-UV-Flashlight-Torch-for-Fluorescent-Security-Detection-Stamp-Banknotes-Identify/32327280432.html

The best AA-rechargable are Panasonic eneloop. For flashlights, best batteries are rechargable 18650 Li-Ion cells.
With an good battery charger, you can use booth.

What exactly do you mean with “adjustable flashlight” ?
There are flashlights with adjustable beam (zoom head).

61

It sounds like you have an open mind about rechargeables and for that I applaud you. Depending on what you are used to, rechargeables can have a lot of (bad) baggage associated with them. The Lithium Ion rechargeable cells that are in new flashlights are nothing like the old NiCd stuff that I grew up on. Even the newish NiMh has a hard time keeping up with these cells.

When I discovered that the 18650 cells that the BLF A6 uses are the same ones that my laptop and good new cordless tools are using, I felt better, and having used my A6 for the past 2-3 months, I can honestly say that I am NEVER going back to AAA and AA cell lights for my EDC. I’m not getting rid of all my old AA lights, but I don’t worry too much when I give them to my daughters for Girl Scout camp-outs. If they come back, good. If not - meh, oh well.

For the relatively low investment of around 40-50 bucks, you can get a good starter (white) light, a couple 18650’s and a starter charger that you could use in the future in your truck. If you are not happy with the run time, give the set to an employee. I can’t help much with UV, but there are several people here who can. I do know that there is a Convoy S2+ UV light that is just now coming out. The Convoy S2+ series gets high marks from just about everyone who reviews it, and there are MANY people here who have multiple S2’s.

Happy New Year from a relative newbie, and welcome to the insanity.

62

AliExpress is where Simon hosts his ‘store’ for the Convoy lights he builds.

The 365nm UV version is listing for around $27.

If you want to start with a white version rather than going straight to UV, you can pick one up for $17 in several different anodized colors.

I will warn you that if you are shopping around for a better price, make sure you are buying a complete light and not a HOST, which does not include the LED or driver circuitry.

63

I just Finished making 2 UV lights using Simons s2 Host + and his 1A drivers these visible light filters and these emitters by led4power for work and have been having so much fun grossing out my family and friends with pets and carpets. I have made UV lights before and have had limited success in this regard even using more powerful emmiters but the visable light created always made it difficult to see the forensic stuff. With the visable light filter lens in place and a dark room EVERYTHING is visible with these lights. But watch out for ancillary costs my wife made me run out and get a wet carpet cleaner the next day which cost several times what the light did!

edit I should note that these emitters put out substantially more UV than anything else i have used with the exception of the LZ1 and even then the output is close enough considering the cost difference. Cures UV adhesive in seconds and turns my auto darkening glasses fully dark in seconds as well. I use them for finding the Tin side of glazing and to identify florescent tracer dyes at work.