docharber
has rocks in the head
Member since October 2008
Posts: 716
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Post by docharber on Apr 18, 2023 1:04:44 GMT -5
I wasn't sure where to post this, but here I go- I have a small collection of fluorescent minerals and would like to acquire more at a reasonable price. So if therre are fluorescent mineral collectors/ vendors out there, please post. I also want to let everyone know about my Yooperlite Convoy C8 365nm UV flashlight I got for Christmas. It's incredibly bright even with the Woods filter and really makes fluorescent minerals scream. They also have a model with a more diffuse light pattern, better for closer observation rather than longer distance prospecting. They're truly quality tools and come with rechargeable lithium batteries, a charger, and some come with a bonus specimen of "yooperlite"- a sodalite material I assume containiing fluorescent Hackmanite. Everyone is aware that shortwave UV lights are for some reason much more expensive. While the C8 sells for a little over $100 many battery powered shortwave LED or fluorescent lights can cost a few hundred. Well, Yooperlite (the company, not their namesake rock) has a new shortwave LED flashlight for $150 that promises to be as much fun as the C8. They have been out of stock but should be in by early may. Check out their website (google "Yooperlite"). The Convoy C8 is a bit cheaper on Amazon but they don't have Yooperlite's other products.
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docharber
has rocks in the head
Member since October 2008
Posts: 716
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Post by docharber on Jul 1, 2023 17:31:44 GMT -5
UPDATE: I now have the M-1 shortwave flashlight. It has 1 battery, not two like the Convoy C-*, and puts out less light overall, notably FAR less visible light. It doesn't seem as useful for prospecting where you want a bright, long-distance beam, butit's great for examining materials at close range. Same great build quality as the Convoy. I think these products are great values and recommend them to anyone who enjoys collectying fluorescents.
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khara
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2022
Posts: 1,979
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Post by khara on Jul 1, 2023 18:51:32 GMT -5
I remember seeing this post originally. I’m surprised no comments. And now I realize I don’t very often see comment’s about fluorescent materials here. Kind of surprises me. When I was a kid OMSI, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, had a fluorescent mineral room. It was one of my favorite rooms in the entire place. When you flipped the light switch it lit up with every color imaginable. Then, their little store had small rock and mineral specimens of all sorts, bagged up and labeled. They varied from 25 cents to a couple bucks! I would peruse that section for as long as my mom’s patience allowed trying to make the best use of my money. I still have some of those specimens.
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gunsil
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2023
Posts: 332
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Post by gunsil on Jul 1, 2023 19:32:07 GMT -5
Good info! I myself am not into the fluorescents, but I am an hour away from Franklin, NJ and attend gem and mineral shows there. Franklin is like a headquarters for fluorescents and they always have a big dark room with fluoresceent lights and a huge collection of totally incredible specimens. I also have seen the collection in the American Museum of Natural History in NYC, which might be second only to the Smithsonian's and it is spectacular. Reading about these lights you mentioned, I may just have to acquire some specimens. One thing that held me back was having a case with a UV lamp whereas just shining a flashlight size light at a specimen on a shelf sounds nice and easy.
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Post by Starguy on Jul 2, 2023 22:18:24 GMT -5
Pretty happy with the UV Beast with filter.
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docharber
has rocks in the head
Member since October 2008
Posts: 716
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Post by docharber on Jul 10, 2023 1:18:58 GMT -5
I have seen listings fo the UV Beast but decided on the Convoy because I had actually seen one, owned by a geologist whose father was once president of our club (Fort Walton Beach, FL) and who now works in Nevada. We se him periodically. I see Hefty has been collecting "yooperlite" on the Lake SUperior shoreline. This stuff is basically Hackmanite, I think. The guy who sells the Convoy and M1 does guided collecting trips for the stuff and has himself tagged it "yooperlite". I would really like to build a display case of some sort to display my fluorescents, but that kind of lighting gets really expensive. The shortwave LEDs are still really pricey, not so much the long wave. Finding light sources with good Wood's Filters (to screen out visible light) is quite a challenge and expense. I just had a thought (yes, it does happen). Wouldn't it be cool to make a mosaic of tiny fluorescent mineral pieces? A new art form! I'm jealous of anybody close to great collecting areas like Franklin/Sussex County (sadly, never been there). We have very little of interest here except fossils. Our oldest lives in Maine now and I would love to explore the southeastern part of the state some day. Our club has made trips to Spruce Pine, NC, where the emerald mines are open for fee digs, and the Ray Mica Mine, where you can collect pegmatites with mica books, moonstone, and beryls (generally poor quality yellow or aquamarine). Lots of schorl, too. It's on Forest Service land, is free to explore, and easy to access. The cub has made several trips to the Big Bend area of Texas, as well as making the loop through Utah, AZ, NM, NE, and Wyoming for dino bone, Sweetwater agates, fossilized fish, and Fairburns. I couldn't go, but we're planning a trip (the club) to to Nevada next spring.
By the way, if anyone is a member of the Little Rock Arkansas area club, I think an old friend and mentor is a member and I would love to get in tough with him. He was my first boss in the Air Force and is now a keene rocckhound. I would really appreciate help contacting him.
Take care, Mark
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docharber
has rocks in the head
Member since October 2008
Posts: 716
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Post by docharber on Jul 10, 2023 12:25:22 GMT -5
Our field trip chairman is responsible for organizing our club's trips. He also edits our monthly newsletter, the "Little Gem" which contains show schedules, field trip information, and a monthly mineral identification quiz with an excellent article on the past month's mystery rock. There always seems to be one person in a club that really makes stuff happen and he's it for us. Other members teach various skills at the club or in their homes to club members gratis or for a nominal cost including wire wrapping, cabbing, faceting, precious metal clay work, and intarsia (the latter two are taught by the newsletter editor/ field trip chairman). The cabbing and one of the wire wrapping instructors also teach at William Holland School for lapidary Arts (I highly recommend readers check them out! We are extremely fortunate to have a clubhouse and an array of good equipment- cabbers, laps, {6",10",14", 18"}saws, and about anything else you might want that are available for members' use whenever a shop steward is available to open the workshop. There is an adjacent meeting room where we have our monthly meetings and some classes (the equipment has spilled over into that room). We have programs presented by members and guests about a wide range of topics at each meeting. We have had a token rental agreement on our city-owned building since the late 1960s. More recently, the city of Fort Walton Beach decided to put all the tennants under a single lease so we sublease from the "ADSO (arts council) who share the building with us along with the local HAM radio club. ADSO is the slightly larger organization. We have exclusive use of our clubhouse areas. It's a shame that so many clubs don't have their own facilities as we do. Keeping the club a viable organization is a challenge as our members are mainly retired and recruiting is ongoing. We reach out to the community through local science fairs, classroom presentations in locl schools, craft fair booths, and most recently, a 2 month display at the public library which was very well received. We aren't quite big enough to sponsor a show, as much as we might wish too. Well, gotta go. OUr monthly club meeting is tonight (second Monday each month) and it's our annual ice Cream Social and auction. Gotta get together some donations for he auction. Lastly, go for it with the UV mosaic! I think this could be the start of at least a big lapidary fad!
Later! Mark H.
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