UV LED flashlights currently on the market

[Bob A]

I picked up a Convoy C8+ UV flash from William Gardner at Way Too Cool.

Powerful, filtered light, uses one or two 18650 batteries. Comes with charger, extension tube.

First one I rec'd worked with one cell; 2 cells was wonky. Emailed Mr Gardner, he popped in a new one into the mail quickly. All well now, highly recommend.

Convoy C8+ 365nm UV LED Flashlight | Way Too Cool LLC

The Convoy C8+ UV flashlight is our brightest UV filtered light yet! This bad boy is intense! Order now and use for UV minerals and rocks, scorpions, currency, and much more!

www.fluorescents.com

 

[Monocrom]

Don't have much of a need for them. I do like the dedicated coin-cell UV lights. No chance of accidentally getting into the UV setting on a light with more traditional modes. I have an original Fenix LD05. Quite frankly no clue why Fenix only ever upgraded it once, years ago; and gave it a UV setting.

 

[PhotonMaster3]

Hey guys, I just found this thread. I too am looking for a high power pocket 254 nm flashlight. I recently picked up a Sawyer water bottle and I love it, but I've read that it doesn't "filter" viruses.

They have flimsy little pens on Amazon but for a guy with 30+ flashlights, that's my preference.

The bottle itself is thick blue plastic so I'm thinking I'll just stick the flashlight in, cover the top, and flash the UVC briefly.

 

[PhotonWrangler]

Hey guys, I just found this thread. I too am looking for a high power pocket 254 nm flashlight. I recently picked up a Sawyer water bottle and I love it, but I've read that it doesn't "filter" viruses.

They have flimsy little pens on Amazon but for a guy with 30+ flashlights, that's my preference.

The bottle itself is thick blue plastic so I'm thinking I'll just stick the flashlight in, cover the top, and flash the UVC briefly.

The UVC LEDs that I've purchased as disinfecting products are pretty weak, so I wouldn't trust them to do a good job with sterilization. At this wavelength, mercury vapor germicidal lights still rule the roost. The problems are that they're fragile and require a high voltage power supply, which drains the batteries pretty fast. I think you're better off with an AC-powered germicidal lamp that you can use at home to sterilize the bottle. You can get a self-ballasted germicidal CFL bulb at a pretty reasonable cost and it will work in any household light socket. Watch your eyes though!

BTW you can kill a small range of gram-negative bacteria with NUV light around 400nm, but that's only a subset of bacterium and doesn't affect viruses at all.

 

[Bob A]

Here's an EPA document on UV for water treatment:

https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2022-05/uv-toolkit-815-B-21-007_0.pdf

I'd doubt that a flashlight would be very effective. I know potassium permanganate can be used in the field to decontaminate drinking water, but I'm not sure how strong a solution would be required for viruses. Usual determination is visual; add enough to make the water light pink, wait a bit before using so it can take effect.

 

[Monocrom]

Call me old-fashioned, I still use water purification tabs.

 

[alpg88]

Here's an EPA document on UV for water treatment:

https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2022-05/uv-toolkit-815-B-21-007_0.pdf

I'd doubt that a flashlight would be very effective. I know potassium permanganate can be used in the field to decontaminate drinking water, but I'm not sure how strong a solution would be required for viruses. Usual determination is visual; add enough to make the water light pink, wait a bit before using so it can take effect.

You can not make it stronger than you can consume. not much point in a water that you purified, as in killed all the bacteria and viruses, but it is also toxic enough now to kill you.

 

[Dave_H]

What I understanding, UVC LEDs are much less efficient than visible and near-UV LEDs, and expensive. I have seen disinfection products (mostly wands) with UVC LEDs which are 280nm, but not 254nm. From what PW said, mercury-tube lights would be the way for 254nm.

I have a couple of cheap 254nm battery-powered wands using these tubes, which are small and somewhat fragile. Output appears not particularly strong, and I don't see the practicality of use for purifying water in a bottle. One problem would be knowing the sufficient dosage, and being sure you have reached it. These devices are somewhat useful making objects fluoresce, including minerals.

Chemical water purification I am not up on, recall from distant past how a few drops of bleach per gallon could work, not sure if that's still good; and Halazone tablets? Potassium permanganate, apart from toxicity, isn't it risky for flammable reaction in certain conditions?


Dave