New V3 365nm Black Light UV Flashlight – High Definition Ultraviolet - HIgh Power and Long Range Professional Grade Beam Best for Professional/Commercial Use – USA Stock

In a separate review, I gave a glowing review to the $40 "Little Brother" version of this light. Well, the "Big Brother" is no less deserving! I've had it for about 9 months at this point, and have used it everywhere I go.As someone who collects stones (both raw and shaped), and who also loves UV-reactive things universally, this light opened up a whole new world for me. Prior to this, I owned a 385-395nm light, which I enjoyed...BUT, it has a lot of limitations.For one, being much closer to the visual range, it gives off a lot of visible light in the pink and purple hues, which overwhelm everything in its beam, and makes photographing the UV reaction next to impossible, as it overwhelms the camera lens. Second, there are a limited number of stones that react in that wavelength range (I've seen 2-3 dozen, give or take, so far).But at 365nm, BOTH of those issues are solved. There is still a small amount of bluish light visible, but very small compared to the higher wavelengths...so the visibility, details and ability to photograph are all IMMENSELY better. And the number of stones/minerals that react at that specific wavelength is EXPONENTIALLY greater--I have well over 100 different stones in my collection so far, and there are hundreds more...PLUS, all the stones that react at 385-395nm ALSO react at 365nm.So in every way, a 365nm light is hands-down the far better choice for those who love UV.After that, which light is best for you depends on what you plan to do with it. If your viewing of UV is generally limited to stuff in one room, or stuff within arm's reach, the "Little Brother" version would probably do just fine.But for me, I like POWER. I like the ability to take my light outside on hiking or mining trips, and spot UV-reactive stones at a distance. So with both my 385-395nm light and this one, I chose to go with the bigger, more powerful (and therefore, more expensive) version.But I haven't regretted that decision one bit in the 9 months since I bought it. The 2 batteries that come with the light are a unique size (not AA or AAA as many lesser lights tend to use), but they last a long time during constant use (4-6 hours on average), and are rechargeable.From empty, they do take a while to fully recharge, so I recommend buying an extra set of batteries (which is something I do with ANY and EVERY electronic device I own), so you can have 1 set to use while the other recharges, or to extend your usage time when away from places to charge. Two sets of batteries will last you most of the day--8 to 12 hours, depending on usage.The only downside is, the longer you use it, the hotter the grip gets from the batteries heating up, almost to the point of becoming uncomfortable to hold. But if you switch it off when not in use, and take a break every little bit, that shouldn't be a problem.You can also get the smaller version, which only requires 1 battery (which can be charged inside the light via a charging port in the side of the light body), and doesn't have anywhere near the heat output of the larger, more powerful light.So it all depends what you want out of your light. I prefer power, so I chose the larger light. But having bought the smaller one for 4 friends, all of whom absolutely LOVE it, you cannot go wrong with either light.But having seen and used more than a dozen different UV lights of all kinds and qualities, for me, UV Beast makes the best ones for the money.Yes, there are cheaper lights out there...but they also have more issues--power, flickering lights, go through batteries like candy, etc. So if you want a top-quality light that works well, is rechargeable, and provides you a choice between small & convenient, or large & powerful...UV Beast is my recommendation, every day of the week.And that sentiment is universally shared by everyone I have either bought the lights for, or who has bought one themselves based on my recommendations.

Insanely intense. Think of those LED Mag-lite's in terms of radiation intensity, but in the 365nm UV range. Compared to the cheaper (1/3-1/2 the cost) 385nm units this light has a very intense center spot-like beam (versus the more narrow-flood of a standard UV flashlight) and really brings out the contrast of any flourescent materials by being much less visible in the background.One thing I noted: this flashlight gets very hot after a few minutes, even with that decent heat sink designed into the head. Checking it with a photospectrometer, I found that it irradiates a massive 820 µMols of iR (think REALLY bright spotlight, but in the infrared range) at 12"--if this was visible spectrum, it would measure approximately 47,000lux. You can feel it, a very distinct beam of warmth when shining the light on the inside of your wrist from a foot away. So if your application needs UV but must remain at cold temperatures at close distances, this may not be the flashlight for you.Aside from the heat issue, this is a well-built and very intense UV flashlight. I'm shining it on everything. Even in a normal day-lit indoor room I can still see fluorescence in objects. This uses removeable lithium ion (18650 button-head) batteries. The unit includes two batteries, a charger and an extension tube so a third 18650 (not included) battery can be added.Interestingly, in the interest of answering "is it any brighter with the third battery installed" I ran the spectrometer several times each with two and three batteries. I noted a REDUCTION in intensity by about 3% when running on 3 batteries (guessing there's some inefficiency in voltage conversion from 11.1v down the the unit's 7.4v operating voltage). So you're trading another 50% runtime for a very slight (not noticeable to the eye) drop in illumination intensity.Highly recommended if you can afford its price tag. This is one tick shy of a full lab-grade unit at a quarter the price.