Ideal Wavelength for scorpion hunting?

[Wade Harrell]

Any opinions on the ideal wavelength a UV light should have for scorpion hunting? Is the lower the nm better or worse?

Having broken several cheapies I've decided to invest in sturdier light, but I'm not going to break the bank either! I'm looking at a couple in the $30-$50 range. One has bulbs in the 295 nm range while the other has 275, with the lower number being the costlier. Is it worth paying more for a lowe nanometer light?

Wade

[Ollie]

Wade, I think they should be in the 390 to 395 nm range.

Ollie

[Wade Harrell]

Ollie-

I re-checked the ads for the ones I'm looking at and realized my previous post was mistaken, they're 390 and 375!

If the 390 is the right range, that's good news because it's the cheaper one by about $10

Wade

[Ollie]

I've had good luck with these:

http://cgi.ebay.ca/51-UV-395-nm-Ultr...ht_3805wt_1167

I spent a lot of money on a "better" one several years ago and it didn't make it thru the conference. These ones are inexpensive and I can have a back up if I need it.

Ollie

[Kari McWest]

Great price on that, Ollie, but the disadvantages of the LED vs. BLB fluorescent tubes is the white light emitted by the LED. They work great, but I definitely prefer BLB as we demonstrated on the Pena Blanca Lake field trip a couple of years ago.

By far, the second best black light unit I've had is the Night Stalker III from Bass Pro Shops:
http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/st..._SearchResults

Advantage: 2 tubes, great if one goes out.
Disadvantage is no handle.

The best I've had are the two I still have, on last legs though and can't be bought anywhere:
http://www.angelfire.com/tx4/scorpio...acklights.html

The best I never paid for is a Cree-X pocket light promotional item from Black Light World, I reviewed it in The Forum a few years ago:
(similar to this one)
http://blacklightshop.com/dualmodebook.html

But, I heartily recommend the Night Stalker III. $32.

[Wade Harrell]

Ollie-

I've had a number of inexpensive LED's but they seem to break on on me after one or two trips. I'm pretty abusive on my equipment though.

Kari-

I used to use one of those Bass Pro lights years ago. It worked well, but it was so bulky and awkward without a handle, not to mention heavy with the 6 (or was it eight??) D-cells it took to power it!

The Cree light is appealing because it accomplishes one of my other goals...that is, to find a light that works well both as a regular flashlight and a UV light. Too often I find myself fumbling in my bag looking for my other light! Plus, a combo light means I no longer have to lug my 3D maglite (dependable but bulky) into the field.

The two I'm looking at are on Amazon and made by a company called Streamlight, a company that seems to be highly regarded in the world of dependable, quality flashlights. Both feature a .9 A high pressure Xenon bulb for regular light. One model has 3 375nm UV LED bulbs and 3 390nm UV LED. In addition to letting you switch between UV and white light, this one actually lets you switch between using just the 375's and both the 375's and the 390's. So, if the 375's emit less visible light, this one might be worthwhile. It's $42.64.

The other light is very similar, the primary difference is that it has 6 390nm UV's so there's no 375's. It cost about $10 less than the above.

So what I'm really trying to figure out is if 375 or 390 is better, or if there's any significant difference for our purposes. Your point about less visible light is helpful, as I was thinking that paying more for a light with fewer UV bulbs (as these light have 6 while the cheapies might have 20 or more!) might not make sense, but if the extra bulbs only add to the visible light they might not be helpful after all. Zach mentioned in another thread that he uses a LED light that only has 3 bulbs!

Wade

[Christian Elowsky]

Wade,

I just picked up a 1 watt UV bulb from one of the huge wholesalers on EBAY, it's coming in at 395 or so.

I personally like the 395nm because it throws a little visible light, which is good for dodging cacti and rattlesnakes without blowing your dark vision. But I also have a problem with sensitivity in that skin and glass will cast a glowing haze with the more powerful wavelengths (shorter wavelength).

In any case, in the biological world, the minor 5-15nm differences will mean little for exciting the molecules in the cuticle, they'll all do it. It's what your eyes and preferences are, although IF we were hunting the more "blue" scorpions, the 380 nm would work better. I think Luc posted on this a year or two ago.

Anyway, looking forward to seeing what you end up with.

Christian

[Wade Harrell]

Originally Posted by Christian Elowsky

In any case, in the biological world, the minor 5-15nm differences will mean little for exciting the molecules in the cuticle, they'll all do it. It's what your eyes and preferences are, although IF we were hunting the more "blue" scorpions, the 380 nm would work better. I think Luc posted on this a year or two ago.

That's kind of the heart of the matter...is it worth paying more for a light that has a shoter wavelength option? Sounds like a 'no' in most cases, at least if the difference is small.

Thanks!

Wade

[Christian Elowsky]

Wade,

At some point I'll find the equipment to scan for the maximum excitation for a few scorpions, or run across a paper on the topic.

Has anyone ever tried the yellow glasses to reduce the light from the black lights? I know they use them in forensic applications, and biological samples fluoresce much weaker than our animals... Oy, just what I need, to look even crazier in the field!

Actually, I checked for a second and found some INSANE flashlights! Of course they run hundreds of dollars, but maybe non-destructive testing UV flashlights might be a place to look for the ultra-serious scorpion hunters.

http://www.labino.com/products-led.html

Christian

[Travis K]

http://www.ledwholesalers.com/store/...&productId=330

just spend a little more and get the Biggun^