Dive Blacklight (UV Light)?

[Law5Guy]

Saw this light on amazon... Waterproof down to 300+ feet. Wonder how good it REALLY is, but for $25 I just might try it out.

HQRP Ultraviolet Waterproof to 300 Feet Dive LED Light / Blacklight 390 nM 3W UV + HQRP UV Tester: Amazon.com: Sports & Outdoors

 

[LarsB]

It's also available via eBay, but for $31.95: HQRP 395 nM Ultra Violet Waterproof Diving LED flashlight Dive Light + UV Meter | eBay

True UV torches have the advantage that no mask and camera filters are needed, but have the disadvantage that the fluorescence they excite is weaker than with blue light, especially that of red fluorescence.

 

[Law5Guy]

True UV torches have the advantage that no mask and camera filters are needed, but have the disadvantage that the fluorescence they excite is weaker than with blue light, especially that of red fluorescence.

Did you use the amber filter on the video you took? Or was it with only the UV light you made?

 

[Danseur]

Filters work well. Alt, try getting a 50w HALOGEN light and filtering that. There is a boatload of non-visable light pouring out of that. You might even find a UV bulb for a few bucks only.

 

[LarsB]

Did you use the amber filter on the video you took? Or was it with only the UV light you made?

Which video do you mean?
Some of my videos were made with true UV, and hence without any filters, and some videos were made using blue light (450-470 nm, depending on the torch), with a dichroic excitation filter over the torch's lens and with a yellow acrylic filter over mask and camera lens.
BTW, the videos have not been colour-adjusted ("photoshopped") afterwards. They have the colours the way the cameras recorded/produced them.

Filters work well. Alt, try getting a 50w HALOGEN light and filtering that. There is a boatload of non-visable light pouring out of that. You might even find a UV bulb for a few bucks only.

And yet you throw away most of your light production if you use a white torch with a filter (BTW, Rosco "Medium Red Blue" #34600/#4600 works best for blue light, this requires yellow mask and camera filters however, or Rosco "Wood's Glass" #33650/#3650 if you want UV only, then you don't need additional filters).
For this and other links, e.g. for affordable UV LEDs, see also Steffen Beyer - Fluo-Diving (click on "(Links)" at the bottom of the list to show more specific links).

Good luck!

 

[Tossil]

I just ordered a "HQRP Ultraviolet Waterproof to 300 Feet Dive LED Light / Blacklight 390 nM 3W UV + HQRP UV Tester: Amazon.com: Sports & Outdoors"

I'll be Cayman at the end of July. I'll let you all know what I think after I get back.

 

[jspeybro]

I just finished a greenforce mod where I replaced the halogen lamp by 3x 5W 395-400nm leds. Pretty impressive intensity (not looking into it but shining it on the table).
I'll be diving with it in Egypt next month. I have a yellow filter to prevent my camera from seeing the "infra-Violet". I'll see if I can make something for in my mask as well.

 

[trigfunctions]

I bought one of these on Amazon and used it on a night dive last night. It's OK, but not very strong. I saw some fluoresence, but only if I held the light within 10 inches of things. It's a neat toy for $25, but I wouldn't pay more than that.

Saw this light on amazon... Waterproof down to 300+ feet. Wonder how good it REALLY is, but for $25 I just might try it out.

HQRP Ultraviolet Waterproof to 300 Feet Dive LED Light / Blacklight 390 nM 3W UV + HQRP UV Tester: Amazon.com: Sports & Outdoors

 

[KytNut]

And yet you throw away most of your light production if you use a white torch with a filter (BTW, Rosco "Medium Red Blue" #34600/#4600 works best for blue light, this requires yellow mask and camera filters however, or Rosco "Wood's Glass" #33650/#3650 if you want UV only, then you don't need additional filters).

Last year I made a night dive in Bonaire using Blue Lights and a yellow Mask Filter.
I am considering trying to modify a Rosco 34600 filter for use with my UK Light Cannon HID. What is the yellow mask filter?

Thanks to everyone that has been contributing in this thread!

 

[LarsB]

Last year I made a night dive in Bonaire using Blue Lights and a yellow Mask Filter.
I am considering trying to modify a Rosco 34600 filter for use with my UK Light Cannon HID. What is the yellow mask filter?

Thanks to everyone that has been contributing in this thread!

AFAIK, in the U.S., the yellow perspex material for the mask and camera filters can be found [FONT=&quot]at a local plastics supplier. It’s like any other business that sells material whether it is metal, wood, stone…….whatever. They just sell hundreds of different types of plastic.[/FONT]

Here is a photo of what it looks like with the protective paper still on: FireDiveGear.com: Filters

Hope this helps.