This unnamed flashlight is an aluminum-bodied light that has 9 UVA (advertised as 365nm; spectrograpically measured at 370.95nm) LEDs in the end, powered by three AAA cells held in a side-by-side carriage in the flashlight's barrel.
This is - by far - the shortest wavelength multi-LED flashlight I have encountered to date (07-24-10).
It is useful for the following purposes:
Activation of fluorescent inks/dyes
Charging glow in the dark fishing bait
Examining artwork and glasswork for hidden repairs
Small UV source will fit inside and behind objects
Counterfeit money, credit card and ID detection.
Scan during crime scene investigations for foreign materials
Find uranation, sperm, and saliva stains.
Cat & dog pee on rugs and carpets.
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This light is quite easy to use actually.
Press the button on the tailcap until it clicks and then release it to turn the LEDs on. Repeat the same action to turn its LEDs off.
There is no momentary or signalling mode available when the flashlight is off, however, you can blink the light while it is on by partially depressing the tailcap button. If you don't mind the backward or reverse feeling of this, you can blink the flashlight this way.
To change the batteries in your light, unscrew and remove the tailcap, dash it to the ground, and stomp on it with spiked golf shoes...O WAIT!!! YOU'LL NEED THAT!!! So just set it aside instead.
Tip the white plastic battery carriage out of the barrel and into your hand. If necessary, remove and dispose of or recycle the used cells if they are present in this carriage.
Insert three new AAA cells into the carriage, one in each compartment. Orient each cell so the flat-end (-) negative faces a spring for it in its compartment.
Once the carriage is full, insert it into the flashlight's barrel, aiming it so the short metal post on one end goes in first. Screw the tailcap back on, and be done with it.
Aren't you glad you didn't stomp on that tailcap now?
Total drive current is 131.60mA; this equals 14.62mA per LED.
The flashlight appears to be reasonably sturdy. Ordinary flashlight accidents should not be enough to do it in. I administered the smack test on it (I beat the the living tweedle out of it - ten whacks against the concrete floor of a porch; five whacks against the side of the tailcap and five whacks against the side of the bezel), and found the expected damage. There is some gouging and denting on the sides of the tailcap and bezel where it was struck. No optical or electrical malfunctions were detected.
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.
The flashlight appears to be weather- and water-resistant at the very least. When I removed the tailcap, relieved the barrel of its battery carriage, and then performed that dreadful suction test, no leakage was detected. So if it fell into shallow water, just shake it off and keep going. And you need not be concerned about using it in rain or snow. And if it fell next to the mailbox and the dog pissed on it, just take the garden hose to it or douche it off under the faucet...good as new!
Beam photograph on the test target at 12".
That bluish color is mainly fluorescence of the target itself;
the actual glow as perceived by the eye is a very dim purplish-white.
Beam photograph on a nonreactive white surface at ~12".
This is not all that dissimilar to how the eye would perceive the light.
Photograph of security features of a bank card and a Washington
state ID fluorescing when irradiated with the unit.
Spectrographic analysis of the LEDs in this flashlight.
Spectrographic analysis of the LEDs in this flashlight; spectrometer's response narrowed to a band between 355nm and 385nm to pinpoint peak wavelength -- which appears to be 370.95nm.
Most UVA LEDs have a wavelength tolerance of +-10nm, so this is well within spec.
Spectrographic analysis of the fluorescence of a uranated* glass marble when irradiated with this light.
*"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.
Note spelling: "urAnated", not "urEnated","urInated",
"urOnated", "urUnated", or sometimes "urYnated".
USB2000 spectrometer graciously donated by P.L.
Beam cross-sectional analysis. Image made using the ProMetric System by Radiant Imaging.
TEST NOTES:
Test unit of this plus two other UVA products were sent by J.W. of Advancedmart on 07-22-10 (or "22 Jul 2010" if you prefer) and were received late on the afternoon of 07-24-10 ("24 Jul 2010").
UPDATE: 00-00-00
PROS:
Small source of UVA radiation that is completely self-contained and portable
Uses batteries that are common and relatively inexpen$ive
Durable enough to withstand being dropped -- doing so would likely break a fluorescent UVA source ("blacklight")
Reasonable level of water-resistance
CONS:
UV LEDs of this wavelength are still somewhat costly
Has a Type II anodize, not the much harder Type III -- this is what nocked that last ½ star off
MANUFACTURER: Unknown
PRODUCT TYPE: UVA LED flashlight
LAMP TYPE: 5mm UV LED
No. OF LAMPS: 9
BEAM TYPE: Medium spot w/ diffuse corona
SWITCH TYPE: "Reverse clicky" rubberised pushbutton on/off on tailcap
CASE MATERIAL: Metal
BEZEL: Metal; LEDs protected by transparent plastic window
BATTERY: 3x AAA cells
CURRENT CONSUMPTION: 131.60mA
WATER- AND URANATION-RESISTANT: Yes
SUBMERSIBLE: Yes, to shallow depths at minimum
ACCESSORIES: Wrist lanyard
SIZE: 99.50mm L x 31mm D
WEIGHT: Approx. 140g (5.0oz) w/batteries
COUNTRY OF MANUFACTURE: Unknown
WARRANTY: At least 90 days
Do you manufacture or sell an LED flashlight, task light, utility light, or module of some kind?
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