LED Blacklights vs Flourescent Blacklights?

[LEDpaint]

I have an event coming up where I'll be using blacklights, and now that blacklight parties are really gaining in popularity in my area, I think it's about time to invest in some. I don't need giant blacklight canons or Wildfire fixtures, as most of what I do is pretty small scale, 300 or less people.

I've used Elation UV Wash, and found that four of them really cover a 2500+ square foot room well, but my vendor is telling me how awesome the Elation Opti 30 UV is. He says it blows away the UV Wash. Having never seen UV LEDs, I'm wondering how well they really perform?

The idea of strobing and chasing blacklights is really cool, but my understanding is that blacklight work best across a broad spectrum, from 350 to 405nm, peaking somewhere around 370nm. These LEDs are 390-410. Isn't that kinda narrow, and more like a deep purple light than a true blacklight?

Thoughts on LED blacklights?

[flecom]

ya seems more violet/near UV... think UV is <400nm IIRC?

[Things]

I've found blacklight/UV LEDs aren't very good at all compared to a nice MH fixture. Seeing as a heap of MH spectrum is UV anyway, they're pretty damn efficient too.

[WookieBoy]

I've got a bunch of the Chauvet LED-UV wash lights and they work pretty well for the money I paid.

I still think the proper UV guns are better, but the LED stuff is much cheaper and pretty much bomb/idiot proof... Plus you get DMX control and the lamps don't break if someone's a bit rough unloading/rigging/loading them...

To be honest, if I'm doing the gig, I use my proper UV stuff, but for dry hire or specific events, I use the LED stuff.
For the money, buy a couple and see what you think? You can always FleaBay them afterwards if you don't like them...

[james]

Consider the fact that a 405nm laser is called a Blue Ray! It is violet, but you can clearly see it.

So peak wavelength is part of the question another part is directionality.

Then there is the issue of how fast you can turn them on and off.

James.

[Zorched]

Metal halide with good dichroic filters, Not Woods Glass, if you can avoid it. But better Wood's glass then cheap plastic filters.

Z.

[LEDpaint]

I've got a bunch of the Chauvet LED-UV wash lights and they work pretty well for the money I paid.

I still think the proper UV guns are better, but the LED stuff is much cheaper and pretty much bomb/idiot proof... Plus you get DMX control and the lamps don't break if someone's a bit rough unloading/rigging/loading them...

To be honest, if I'm doing the gig, I use my proper UV stuff, but for dry hire or specific events, I use the LED stuff.
For the money, buy a couple and see what you think? You can always FleaBay them afterwards if you don't like them...

Are you finding they put out any true UV in addition to violet light?

[nunya]

The best LED UV units I've used in 5 years of promoting events with a lot of blacklight are the American DJ UVLED BAR16's - they are deceptively powerful for their size and put out an extremely wide throw & fluoresce UV reactive things nicely. I've used 4 to cover a room with a crowd the size you are describing to good effect.

I like them because they're much smaller than bulky tube lights, they don't pose a chemical hazmat concern if broken, and they are much more inconspicuous (easily truss mountable) and resilient; thus far less likely to get broken. They can be used to uplight cool decor elements or wall art, downlight on-stage performers who wear UV reactive costumes, or blast at the crowd from front, side or back (I prefer @ least two or three angles on the crowd).

http://www.americandj.com/ProductDet...temNumber=1892

[LEDpaint]

Thanks for the responses. Lots to think about.

[macona]

Mot UV leds are around 395nm and most fluorescent blacklights are centered around the 365nm wavelength. At work we have a bunch of the Wildfire HID backlights. There is a difference between the two. The LEDs are much closer to the visible spectrum and react differently than the shorter wavelength from the normal lights. I have a UV LED light from Phoseon that I have been messing with for doing some stuff with dyes, you can see how the light is more visible:


IMG_1330 by macona, on Flickr

That light sells for about $4k.

This is what I was doing with it:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/6729211...7629551557170/