UV LEDs [Experiment]

[girot]

This is a public service announcement to those interested in trying UV LEDs in your saber blades.

I recently attempted to use a high-power UV LED as a Flash On Clash (FoC) die on a hilt-mounted star. Here were my findings:

1) Power requirements are pretty intense. At minimum (safe) power I couldn't get any kind of decent light to show through a trans white blade. At higher power it killed my battery in about 30 seconds and blew one of the other die. Pretty sure it had to do with the delta in current flow it caused as it devoured the battery.

2) DANGEROUS TO YOUR VISION. Even using a trans white blade, and wearing anti-UV glasses I got from my dentist's office, I ended up with yellow spots in my vision for hours. I don't even want to think about what a clear blade would have done.

3) UV LEDs do NOT create the same effect as a black light. Though this didn't come up even once in all of the reading I did I just assumed it would. I went back and researched this particular effect and found it has to do with the type of glass used and the chemistry going on in the light tube itself.

Final Thoughts) NOT RECOMMENDED. These die have many uses, but lightsabers are (sadly) not one of them. Though it sounds like a cool idea, it's simply not worth the risks/expense.

[Silver Serpent]

#1 is surmountable with proper planning.

#2 is something we say all the time, but it never discourages people from wanting to try it.

#3 is probably the most important of the answers you have given. It just doesn't work like a black light, which is what some people seem to want.

Thanks for sharing your findings. I'll be sure to direct people to this thread whenever the UV debate pops back up again.

[FenixFire]

[SIZE=5]
3) UV LEDs do NOT create the same effect as a black light. Though this didn't come up even once in all of the reading I did I just assumed it would. I went back and researched this particular effect and found it has to do with the type of glass used and the chemistry going on in the light tube itself.

Final Thoughts) NOT RECOMMENDED. These die have many uses, but lightsabers are (sadly) not one of them. Though it sounds like a cool idea, it's simply not worth the risks/expense.

There are "Black Light" LED arrays, though I have never seen any individual dice labeled as such. I have not looked into it other than buying some of the Halloween lights for our churches fall festival and various VBS activities. I think it has to do with the specific wavelength they put off, probably closer to visible violet than ultra-violet. Also they are very dim in comparison to others, and even the flashlight variant has 5mm leds not the SMD cree or rebel.

http://www.lightingever.com/9-led-uv-led-flashlight.html?gclid=CjwKEAjw8da8BRDssvyH8uPEgnoS JABJmwYoz-8oqobfiMwRe5N8WD1yJASo4TL27LnXy_61dN1OKxoC0Drw_wcB
http://www.blacklight.com/cat?openview&RestrictToCategory=Blacklight+Fixtures+-+LED&&gclid=CjwKEAjw8da8BRDssvyH8uPEgnoSJABJmwYoKX3wjey5 oVcrnIzRr5SC8EGQEksTtWmpXM44I6azMBoCUfTw_wcB

#2--I warned you. Torch goggles next time.

[jbkuma]

The reason your UV glasses may not have protected you is that the wavelength of the LED may not match the wavelength the glasses filter out.

[Jay-gon Jinn]

[SIZE=5]NOT RECOMMENDED. These die have many uses, but lightsabers are (sadly) not one of them. Though it sounds like a cool idea, it's simply not worth the risks/expense.this has been what we've been telling people for the last oh, 10 years. ;)

[girot]

this has been what we've been telling people for the last oh, 10 years. ;)

But but Science!

[PhoenixHawk]

But but Science!

*smacks forehead*...bro! make you go blind Science..lol :D

[girot]

haha! I'm a quick learner. i wont be trying this one again.