UV Torches

Something I have been meaning to post for a bit.

After leaving my UV torch on the ground, while examining Cladonia species the summer before last and having to walk back and finding it (I do this about once a year). I decided a spare might be useful and researching I found that, although the Convoy S2+ I used was rated highly, the Weltool M2-BF was scoring higher in reviews (it is also more expensive at c£60.00). The main reason was that the latter comes with a visible light filter as standard.

I bought it and compare the two, the visible light filter is subtle but effective in some cases, such as the shine of visible light off lichens with reflective white medullas, such as Cladonia coniocraea and Parmotrema perlatum, this shine more or less disappears, which is very useful and the Weltool M2-BF does seem give more reliable results.

It has a rather complex switch with a half press turning it on temporarily and a full press turning it on fully but also with one half press giving low power and two half presses full power; you get used to this, but a bit of palaver after the Convoy S2+. I now use the Convoy S2+ as a spare battery holder (put the battery in backwards to avoid accidental turn ons draining the battery) and emergency UV torch, but so far have manged not to misslay the Weltool M2-BF!

Well worth it if you can aford it but the Convoy S2+ is still a good UV torch and is much cheeper (c£20.00).

Neil