While LED lights are all about brightness, UV lights are all about what you can’t see. In order to sell more UV lights, consider the unique features they offer that go beyond simple light output.
“There are two critical components for UV lights,” says Chuck Abbott, vice presidents of sales and marketing at CPS Products, manufacturer of the UView brand of UV lights. First is the wavelength of the UV light and second is the power behind the light.
“There are lights on the market that are mostly blue light and they proclaim to be really powerful,” Abbott says. “But a very small component of that light is UV. The real question of light output is how much of that light is UV light in the proper range.”
A great way to test the wavelength of a UV light is to hold a driver’s license under it. If it the UV pattern on the license really pops, it’s in the right range. If it barely lights up, it’s not in the optimal wavelength.
A UV light in the proper range will work with all automotive fluorescent dyes including A/C dyes and UV solution used in specially-designed smoke machines.
Frequency refers to putting out as much UV light as possible with as little visible light.
“That means when you turn on a UV light you may not see much visible light. And that’s okay,” Abbott says. “If you have too much visible light you actually wash out the reflection, so you won’t see the dye reflection very well … the right wavelength for UV dye is between 395 and 405 nanometers. That’s the sweet spot.”