Customer Reviews

Streamlight 51010 Twin-Task 3C 9-Inch UV Flashlight, Black

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Bought this for scorpion hunting. Almost got the cheaper version that didn't have the 375nm. I think I would've been very disappointed in saving that $10. The 375nm is the only one I use--it is MUCH brighter and useful than the other (390nm), both for carpet stains and scorpions. And having the bright white xenon option makes it very versatile when I encounter something I just want to light up. It's an awesome flashlight, well-made. I really needed it, so I don't regret spending the money, but I still think it's overpriced.

I purchased the Streamlight Twin-Task 3C 9 Inch UV Flashlight, Black (#51010) about a month ago. I'd done a little research online regarding UV lights, especially portable LED Ultraviolet sources and decided, since this light had two UV frequencies of 375 and 390 Nm (the Streamlight Twin-Task 3C 9 Inch UV Flashlight, Titanium #51018, selling for about 1/3 less, uses 6 LEDs to provide just one frequency of 390 Nm), this light might be slightly more useful overall. Since I didn't buy both to compare, I can't...

But I can say that this flashlight is a good quality unit that equals other Streamlight products in quality. I've used a rechargeable Streamlight Xenon flashlight daily in my profession for the last ten years and for my money, so far, it can't be beat! And, this UV/visible spectrum flashlight is great: it puts out far more UV light than I expected to get out of a flashlight with six LEDs. The Xenon lamp puts out a very useful amount of visible spectrum light (to see what you're 'really' looking at. I'm pleased with my purchase, hope you are too!

I'm quite versed with the world of flashlights. I frequent CandlePowerForums a lot, so I know a bunch about this type of stuff. With that said...

I bought this light because I wanted to have both long and short wave lengths of UV light, that way if one thing didn't light up with one wavelength, it was sure to light up with the other. Make sure you buy the Black one for this dual UV light feature.

The overall construction of this light is pretty solid and hefty. The weight of the 3 C batteries adds to the heft, but even without them, it's a beefy light with aggressive knurling. I'm pretty sure the anodizing is only type II, and NOT type III hard anodizing, which is a shame, but not a deal breaker.

Besides not having a HA-III coating, the only other thing I can complain about as far as the construction quality is the cheap plastic reflector.

I'm not sure if this light has regulated power output or not, but I seriously doubt it.

The incandescent bulb produces a decent amount of light, but the reflector and optics produce an ugly beam pattern with artifacts and asymmetries.

The UV lights are very neat and really do the job that UV light is intended for, but they aren't bright enough to get a wow factor in the day. Wait until night time and walk around your house with the house lights off... very cool to see everything.

So overall, I'm glad I have this light because of the neat things you can do with the dual wavelength UV light. I see the white incandescent bulb main light as just a bonus, icing on the cake type of thing. It just means that if I bring this light to somewhere to play with the UV, I won't have to also lug around a regular white light in case I need to see regular in the dark.

I wish it was smaller and used 1 or 2 CR123A batteries instead though.

Pretty good and neat light overall.

I bought this product because my cats have unfortunately thrown up and had bathroom mishaps around our house over the passed year. My husband and I are doing everything we can to keep our house as clean as possible while having pets.

After reading multiple reviews for other black lights available on amazon, this is the product I settled on. I had no desire to waste my money on a cheap black light, and this was within my budget.

What else can I say? It does the job! Close the drapes, turn off the lights, and turn on the black light. If your drapes aren't thick enough, you may want to use it in the evenings once it is dark out (darkness is the key with black lights obviously). I found spots I would have never seen with the naked eye. I like that is has a heavy duty feel as well, and that it has 3 settings. I use the brightest black light setting for finding soils, and the LED white light is super bright as well! Definitely pleased.

I needed this to inspect carpeting. Unfortunately for me and the carpeting, it works very well.

Got this for finding those 'bad-dog' spots in the house--it worked! The black bodied light is the one you want for this purpose because it has the 370nM UV lights that seem to work better for finding urine. Remember not to look directly into the LEDs when you are using the UV emitters. UV exposure can damage your eyes. I also purchased a pair of UV-blocking goggles, which may be overkill, but is erring on the side of safety.

High build quality. Why not 5 stars? Price a bit high, the Xenon bulb is only medium bright by today's standards, and it's a big light, with 3 C cells in it.

I live near Tucson, Arizona and started noticing scorpions in my house over the past two years. After researching a few UV lights on Amazon, I decided to go with this Streamlight - in part because I own two Streamlight Stingers (and have given two others away as gifts) that have been rock solid for years. This flashlight hasn't disappointed me in regards to build quality. At first I wished that it was rechargeable like my others, but the first set of batteries are holding up very well so far.

After finding a few scorpions and then ordering this, it took three months before I found another one. No complaints, btw! :) I just didn't know if it actually worked until last night. Well, I can say that it sure does (I uploaded an image of a scorpion being illuminated by it). I actually didn't use it to find the scorpion (my dog found it), but I was able to try out the flashlight once I relocated it outside. Under regular lighting, the scorpion was nearly invisible against the background of brown rocks - but it was obvious to spot when the UV lights were on. The first set of LEDS (365 nm, I think) worked but were quite dim. With both sets of LEDs on, it was easy to see.

A note for those of you who, like me, walk around your house with the UV light as soon as you get it to see what invisible (and probably disgusting) stuff is around...white cotton lights up like a Christmas tree under UV light. Maybe everyone but me already knew that, but I was a bit shocked at first when I was looking around. I was curious to see if my carpet had been soiled by pet stains, and I was initially stunned by the amount of stuff on the carpet - until I realized that it was just lint from the new socks that I had been wearing around. :D

I also think that the Xenon light works well, and it's plenty bright for me. I do wish that there was a way to work the LEDs and the Xenon bulb independently, instead of cycling through the lights by pushing the power button. I say this because my pupils dilate quite a bit to adjust to how dim the UV lights appear, which causes the Xenon bulb to be a bit abrasive when it turns on as I'm cycling to turn the light off. I just close my eyes or cover the face of the light when I switch it now.

Overall, though, I highly recommend this product if you're looking for a UV flashlight.

The current specs on this item are as follows:

"Includes an ultra-bright xenon bulb plus six ultraviolet LEDs for UV detection of fradulent documents, forensic investigations and for detecting engine and HVAC leaks.

*Powered by 3 "C" alkaline batteries

*A high-pressure xenon bulb; plus 6 ultraviolet 100,000-hour life LEDs

*57 lumens typical with xenon bulb

*Available in Black (with three 365 and three 390 nanometer UV LEDs - ideal for law enforcement use) or Titanium (with six 390 nanometer UV LEDs - for HVAC & auto leak detection)

*Up to 5 hrs. run time (xenon); up to 160 hrs. (3 LEDs); up to 100 hrs. (6 LEDs)

*1.68" (D) x 9.02" (L)"

Pressing the on button cycles the flashlight from off to 3 365 UV LEDs to all 6 UV LEDs (3 365 + 3 390)to 1 xenon only white light to off. There are only 3 on options, not 4; there is no option for just 390. They have switched from 3 375 in earlier version to the 3 365 LEDs. Batteries are not included.

Having to cycle through all 3 options every time is inconvenient and there should be a way to directly select the option desired. Also for the price you would expect the batteries to be included. Minus at least one star for these. Otherwise it seems like a well made product.

All items I have looked at so far have appeared much brighter and sharper under the all six UV LED setting than the 3 365 UV LED only setting and I'm not sure what the benefit is of the 3 365 UV LED only setting for viewing any given type of UV subject matter since the 6 LED setting includes this frequency as well. I'm glad I got this over the Titanium version though as all 6 UV LEDs on that version are 390.

I bought this UV light instead of the cheaper $12 ones because

it has the better UV range (365u) on it.

I had heard that you can locate tomato worms in the dark using

UV, and the first night I used this light I found 8 tomato worms!

The UV just makes them glow in the dark & you can get every one

in very little time.

It works best in the dark of night with the first (low) setting,

but the mid setting (a bit brighter with more white light in it)

also works; however the mid setting is better used at dawn or dusk.

The 'regular' light setting is very convenient because I'm out

there in the dark garden with this thing and it's helpful to have

a regular light also.

A good garden tool & well worth the (reduced $39) price.

The construction of this flashlight is heavy and durable. Although the ad clearly states the size of the light, it appears much more compact in the photos so I didn't expect it to be a typical sized flashlight. I read a lot about it on numerous websites and couldn't wait to try it since so many people were pleased with it. One of the websites said that it was used to detect mechanical leaks and ac/r leaks.

The light has several settings from a dim fluorescent light to somewhat brighter fluorescent light and then a regular flashlight beam. We initially purchased this to detect pet urine since we had an unspayed cat spray in our home. The light is very effective in locating those areas among other types of substances. I was actually horrified when I walked through the house and shone the light on all of the carpet. I look forward to owning my own home and having tile again instead of renting and having carpet. Although I have thoroughly cleaned the areas they are still visible with the light. I do however, wish the beam covered a broader area but it is still very effective.

We have not yet tried to detect any leaks in automotive engines yet so that is something that I cannot touch on in this review but as an owner of a company that specializes in air conditioning and refrigeration, I can tell you that the light is not effective alone. It would have to be used with a dye that is run through the system but that is how leaks are detected.

I would purchase this flashlight again. My adult children are equally impressed and want to purchase their own.