Some words about UV flashlights and safety

[@user-jt5vm3mi1w]

Glad to see someone covering this topic

[@MartinRathmanner_M4D_M4X]

thanks my friend!

[@skylerlandale1437]

@@MartinRathmanner_M4D_M4X is it safe to point UV flashlight at a plane at night? would they even see it?

[@enchodus]

thanks for the safety tip, many people think UVA 365nm is not harmful, it is for sure especially with all the powerful lights now available for cheep prices.

[@benjaminq3226]

Glasses being yellow mostly means they block the blue color and not necessarily that they'd block UV, although most do. Blocking UV is very easy because the wave is so short relative to the colors that we can sea and many transparent materials block it. Today, almost every prescription glasses' lens you can buy that are from a good optometrist and company, come with a coating that blocks UV. You can check your glasses the same way Martin does in his video by pointing a UV flashlight through the glasses at something that should glow in UV. e.g. even at paper money bills that have UV glowing markings if nothing better is available.

[@Muonium1]

I agree with the sentiment entirely, but would recommend clear "UVEX" goggles instead of the yellow which preserve color vision for the purposes of viewing fluorescent wavelengths accurately. Also, your glasses if they're plastic will block most of the 365 wavelength and I think some of the eye discomfort is psychosomatic. Not because I think you are crazy, but because I have felt it too.....when forgetting that I had my UV goggles on the whole time 😆

[@Dr_Mario2007]

Amber safety glasses are a good idea, not to mention it could help you with seeing certain fluorescence correctly, although you can kind of get away with clear safety goggles made with PMMA plastic, as this thing apparently blocks UV. Some UV flashlights, especially with Nichia LEDs installed, are no joke.

[@juergenlilien2067]

Hi Martin, very good advice! I had this sick feeling too, this strong UV lights are definitive not good for our eyes, remember all the fuss about the danger of "blue light", UV has a lot more energy. Be safe, use at least good sunglasses (with CE). Regards Juergen

[@cv4wheeler]

My regular polycarbonate safety glasses (clear) block about 95% of the UV from my bright 365 nm light. My cheap reading glasses block about 80% of the UV.

[@vanekirk]

Thank you very much for the safety advice. 👍

[@MartinRathmanner_M4D_M4X]

i try to be helpful and share my experience

[@LumenChaser]

Very nice and informative video, I’m sure many will appreciate this! Thanks Martin

[@zillsburyy1]

the flashlight czar! your majesty!!!!

[@MassaraGaming]

I definitely have to buy some decent glasses..the ones that came with my flashlight is horrible

[@ro63rto]

Fortunately the two 'uv' lights I have are either to weak or not exactly 365nm UV. I will however look into the goggles/safety side as soon as I find an affordable but powerful 365nm flashlight. Thanks for the warning

[@martinbobak3009]

Make one yourself

[@davidbanach7982]

emisar is a great option

[@lifeisahaze120]

English is clearly not your first language and you have a very strong accent but your videos are STILL 10 times better than Charles Bridgtec. Thanks for everything you do Martin

[@Slava-ukraini_]

It's not that his English is too bad he just sounds like a robot with zero enthusiasm. This channel has great personality.

[@DanielTseng100]

I'll try to find some flip glasses with UV protection since I use UV lights a lot to identify uranium glass and sometimes my eyes hurt. Carrying and wearing an extra pair of glasses not only is a hassle but it would look super weird in public 😂. Thanks for the video!

[@donaldstrader7241]

Good topic. Since you are doing these videos in English it might make sense to also post links to the USA and UK Amazon websites, especially if they are affiliate links. Thanks for the videos you post.

[@MartinRathmanner_M4D_M4X]

i usually post my links onla if i have some deal or such to offer but it might be a good idea to have a "general link" section will make a video / poll to ask if my fans can accept that

[@donaldstrader7241]

@@MartinRathmanner_M4D_M4X Not a big issue for me, it was just that when I went to the link to the glasses you mentioned it was for a Amazon "de" based listing, hence the comment. In any event I appreciate the effort you put into your videos.

[@korvelio]

On the internet we can find "transparent" and yellow glasses just like you have. What is the difference between them?

[@MartinRathmanner_M4D_M4X]

I bought 3M because I trust them claiming to block UV

[@AltimaNEO]

Theres also clean 3M ones that block UV, so theres that

[@weidongjiang8520]

Nice recommendation, thanks, you save people

[@harrisonstaley7742]

Any polycarbonate safety glasses should be fine for blocking uv, even clear, untinted ones

[@dandildarious4849]

fwiw, most regular prescription bottles are made out of this uv blocking plastic

[@MartinRathmanner_M4D_M4X]

we don't have those bottles in Austria

[@dany-c8e]

Thank you for your video! But i have one question, which sounds stupid maybe. I used UV light for a second by shining it at my bed. Not in my eyes directly. The bedsheet was white, so i could see the UV Light on it. Is that bad for my eyes? Can i get damage from that? Thank you.

[@MartinRathmanner_M4D_M4X]

@@dany-c8e I doubt a few seconds indirect UV (from a flashlight) can do harm

[@mathkor89]

When should I start considering safety glasses when it cooked to uv flashlights ? I want to get a small or mini one. Powerful but powerful enough to enjoy solid. Having the chance of damaging my eye Any recommendation?😊

[@MartinRathmanner_M4D_M4X]

Many people react very different in my experience! i am over-sensitive and feel "discomfort" immedeately, while others using the same light can use it for many Minutes... You can either spend the few $$ as "better safe than sorry" and buy glasses as precaution or just be careful and observe how you feel using UV

[@mathkor89]

@@MartinRathmanner_M4D_M4X thanks for responding, the extra cash wasn’t the really for my hesitation, just having to wear it; maybe I could get a strong but weak enough device to protect myself without having to do stuff like that?

[@btbd2785]

Hello. I live in the US. First and foremost I am looking for a good 365nm UV flashlight for use in detecting chemical leaks. Like oil leaks, coolant leaks from automobiles. Cam you please recommend a few brands and models please? FYI, there is no link from Amazon in this video

[@MartinRathmanner_M4D_M4X]

because its an educational video ;) but here is my Link to Olights amzn.to/3HYWXRS

[@andrewstambaugh240]

Consider alonefire. They are the non-hype brand comparable uvbeast etc. It's hard to go wrong as long as you get something 365nm, so it's mostly invisible except what it makes glow even better. Don't get a cheap purple uv (395nm) barely makes things glow and hides that in purple light. Those with mineral or "woods" filters are better, because they put out less visible light, therefore more contrast for glow, but again even the 365nm lacking those filters are 10x better than purple 395-400nm uv.

[@TopDog8762]

Nice, safety tips.

[@dirk4926]

Are these like the laser safety glasses, in that they cost a lot more than the lights they protect you from? You mentioned that they are 3M brand so I assume they aren't cheap. Also, does this mean that the UV light bars that have replaced the old black lights in clubs and at parties dangerous for unprotected eyes? And what about UV light strips? I see both strips and bars, some with dozens of emitters, for sale on Amazon without any warnings. I know people who have been setting the bars up in their homes to light Halloween or even Christmas displays, is that potentially unsafe?

[@MartinRathmanner_M4D_M4X]

uv glasses are not very expensive the danger of UV is that the eye does not react to it. it's like staring at the sun.

[@dirk4926]

​@@MartinRathmanner_M4D_M4X That seems pretty bad, especially since the UV light bars and strips are often used in environments (clubs and parties) without much viable light, so people pupils would likely be dilated.

[@benjaminq3226]

@@dirk4926 you are 100% correct about the UV lights in clubs. on the same note I would add that almost all sunglasses are completely transparent to infrared light. and since they reduce the amount of visible light, pupils become dilated all while ~100% of the IR from the sun goes right through the lens like they didn't even exist. edit: Also, UV doesn't pass well through the exterior of the eyes (i.e. cornea and lens) and would damage that part of the eye especially, essentially causing cataracts, which is technically fixable in surgery. IR on the other hand, would easily go through these anatomical barriers and damage the retina. We can't fix that.

[@andrewstambaugh240]

that's why you should buy better quality uv lights and bulbs that have more filtering to eliminate the bad low frequency uv. His little keychain light doubtless lacks that filtering and is ironically more dangerous to his eyes than a $40 flashlight with proper filtering and a woods lens to boot.

[@dmitriyk.7461]

Please explain what is the difference between alonefire and uvBeast(tm) lights? I was about to buy one for my self and I noticed that there is different types. Thank you.

[@MartinRathmanner_M4D_M4X]

sorry no idea of those "brands" but my gut tell me such names are always linked to junk and propably lies

[@CadreFighter]

I own a uvBeast v3 365nm; I use it to find certain insects. It works wonders compared to a 395nm light, and is quite powerful. That kind of light warrants eyewear more so than the dinky toys used in the video, especially when using it on reflective surfaces like tile/marble (your corneas will actually fluoresce). I've dropped it multiple times on rocks and pavement and it still works, so it definitely isn't junk or a gimmick.

[@andrewstambaugh240]

alonefire and Uvbeast both get good ratings. i just ordered a couple Alonefire's today. It's worth noting that cheap UV lacks filter coatings and is more dangerous to your eyes, because it projects into more dangerous spectrums (similar problem for cheap lasers without filters). I'm not even talking about the "woods" mineral dark filter (though that is a very good thing). the coating isn't usually visible to our eyes, just like you can't see uv filters on glasses. So the irony is that the cheapo keychain light probably bleeds as much dangerous uv as a 10-15w uv flashlight with a woods filter...

[@JohnSmith-fh8qk]

hi, So i have a UV flash light, its 395 mn. I use this for checking bank notes in my collection and when I am showing it off to my friends. (IE flashing on their carpets or IDs) I use this light daily, I obviously do not look into the bulb direct or shine it at mirrors. I dont use safety glasses. Will my vision be safe over the long term or will looking at the projected light on the floor or on a bank note damage my eye sight? (or am i just being paranoid) Many thanks

[@MartinRathmanner_M4D_M4X]

depends on power and how focussed the UV beam is also a lot is personal sensitivity (i get "dry eye" in minutes while friends feel nothing)

[@andrewstambaugh240]

Depends on if it is cheapo and thus they skimped on the low frequency uv filter on the led or lens. That's part of why they have $10 uv lights and they have $40 uv lights of similar output. You'd need to watch a review where they use a spectrometer and test that or see that the light you bought advertises having that filter. (similar issues for laser pointers. Cheap hi-intensity pointers skimp out on low frequency uv filtering).

[@self-taught_angler]

You are trying to protect your eyes but shining the light on your skin and especially on your fingers from a close range. It is a cancer risk.

[@timazbill7746]

I use a fenix tk25 uv on the end of my rifle, so i can burn the eyes of anyone wearing night-vision.

[@wafflegod6661]

My prescription glasses i wear block UV light 👍

[@JasonWW2000]

I just make a point to not shine it in my eyes. Lol

[@kamenslavov3093]

I not have problem flash in Eyes,

[@darkokovacevic1690]

Ah ich habe bloß eine Acebam UC15 mit 365nm. Nicht gefährlich.

[@MartinRathmanner_M4D_M4X]

ich tät trotzdem nicht reingucken!

[@zaptor1514]

I don’t understand the popularity of these UV lights. They are potentially dangerous with little usefulness overall. It’s just a silly fad to sell more lights.

[@DanielTseng100]

Uranium glass, yooperlites, checking if a hotel room is clean... There's a lot of uses for those flashlights actually

[@NpgSymboL]

Fishing..

[@andrewstambaugh240]

Leak detection. Oil intrusion and damage. Contamination. Cleaning inspection. Manufacturing flaws. Rodent detection and pattern tracking. Beauty. Don't blame an entire category of lights, just quit buying cheapo lights like keychain lights that lack proper low frequency filtering. There are plenty of places that use UV lights all over the place without problem, but you gotta pay for lights with the filtering instead of shopping at your local Halloween store.

[@MassaraGaming]

insects. pet stains, scorpions, hotel rooms.

[@breakfree5028]

For theatres backstage during a show we use UV lights