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Joshua S
(joshualee101) - F - M
Best LED for arachnids? Blacklight or True UV? on 02/21/2009 16:06:24 MST Print View

I was looking at the photonlight store to get a UV keychain LED. I like to look for spiders and scorpions at night in the desert. There are two different types of UV that they sell. The blacklight version and the true UV version. Does anybody know which light works better for making arachnids fluoresce? Would one have a greater effective distance than the other?

Edited by joshualee101 on 02/21/2009 16:15:24 MST.
Russell Swanson
(rswanson) - F

Locale: Midatlantic
Creep out your buddies on 02/21/2009 16:17:50 MST Print View

I don't know the answer to your question but I know nothing creeps out my city-dwelling friends more than when I show them all the thousands of little spider eyes staring back at them under the glow of a headlamp in the woods at night.
Franco Darioli
(Franco) - M

Locale: Melbourne
Which is better for arachnids on 02/21/2009 16:29:23 MST Print View

I wear sunglasses at night, but does this help ?
http://ledmuseum.home.att.net/leduv.htm
http://www.blacklight.com/items/BL249
Franco
Joshua S
(joshualee101) - F - M
Which is better for arachnids? on 02/21/2009 17:21:29 MST Print View

Thanks for the links Franco. The blacklight website uses a 395 nm wavelength for their arachnid flashlight. So maybe that's the optimal wavelength. The photon freedom LEDs are 370 nm for true UV and 405 nm for the blacklight. I guess I'll go with the blacklight version.

Edited by joshualee101 on 02/21/2009 17:23:05 MST.