Cheap LED urine finder torch

[MarkB]

I wasn't looking for one, but saw this http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ultra-Violet-Bl ... 9PC2SNDFFB" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I know some of the branded ones are £15 or more.

I have one of the older type with a tube, but never found it much good (Urine -off brand)

[Alice]

Hi Mark
I've just ordered this item from Amazon, after reading your post, thanks. I'd not heard of such things before. Do you know if the urine has to be fresh to be detected by these devices?

[MarkB]

Apparently not Alice. I think UV light picks up biological matter - I don't know the science though

Urine-off sell an LED version now, but they charge £16 for it and it still only has the 9 lights in.

Hopefully this one will be strong enough to work

[Alice]

Thanks Mark - I'll find out in time, of course. Delivery is due in 10 days, or more, so it'll be a little while before I can try it out.

[MarkB]

Pretty mixed reviews on Amazon. Laz has been randomly peeing since he got sick. We have had 2 dry nights, but I don't know if it will happen again. Thankfully we have hard floors in the lower ground floor, but they are still being ruined. There is a gap between the flooring and the skirting. The people that put it in said it was to allow for expansion. The pee is going under the skirting and coming back under the unsealed side of the wood and staining in almost black. To make matters worse, I am having to put lots of urine remover in the same places, making the wood even more wet. I think I will need to put silicone sealant in. It cost thousands so won't be redone any time soon! (and it was put in after a previous cat, Willow, kept peeing on carpets and they had to be pulled up in the end.

[Alice]

Just got an email to say that the torch I ordered has been despatched, and is due to arrive between the 16th of Sept and the 6th of October - goodness knows where it's coming from if it might take so long! I've had things sent from Hong Kong which have arrived in just a few days.

[MarkB]

It sounds like it is coming from China!

Funnily enough, I looked on eBay as well. Sellers from China, Singapore and The Phillipines have them for 99p with free postage - no idea how they manage that!


I'm not sure if they are the same, although they are described as 9-LED UV Black Light torches.

[Jacks]

I opted for it as an add-on item (needed a new rotary airer cover) and got it PRIME for £3.93 - free delivery Friday... I'll let you know after I've been on a wee hunt...

[MarkB]

Hopefully the LED ones are better than the tubes ones. I would imagine they are as LED doesn't require much energy. With the old tube version. I needed a completely dark room.

[Jacks]

Well there's good news and bad news about the torch. Good for your average human - my husband has tried it in the bathroom and identified 'splashes' which apparently glow white! Yet to spot any unwanted cat urine as there doesn't appear to be any - which is good, of course.

Bad news is for me - I can't see it. The reason is that I've had double cataract surgery and my new lens filter UV light. I knew I couldn't see the blue UV bulbs - to me they appear white - but I didn't realise I wouldn't see the glowing spots either. My husband was saying "oh, yes, see there and there.." and I'm like "hmmm, I can't see anything..."

So there we are - my personal fun is spoiled but there's hope for the rest of you! Interestingly someone on the reviews said 'it doesn't work' and I wonder now whether they have had cataract replacements as well It's just one of the things no-one tells you when you have the surgery - I found out by accident.

[MarkB]

You don't know what you are missing

I wonder if they come in different wave lengths and one might work for you - well I know the answer to that, as a geek on the review said there are 3 types. One is useless for most things. Another mid range (which he thought these are) is good for checking banknotes and 'biological' and the other for forensics. I guess they are expensive though.

Thanks for the update.

PS - Did you need to use it in complete darkness as you do with the tube ones?

[Crewella]

Acually, I might get one - they can also be useful for checking for restoration on art and antiques.

I'm almost scared to look, but I can check for the damage Merrick did when we first moved here and he wasn't keen on going out and wasn't keen on using a litter tray either .....

Thankfully, his preference was for the stinky doormat, which we have now binned, but because we knew that all the carpets (which are ancient, worn and grubby) were being replaced at some point we possibly weren't as careful cleaning up as we might have been!

Thanks!

[MarkB]

Since I posted the original link, I looked on eBay and they are even cheaper the 9 LED ones are 99p, 12 £2, 21 £2.70 and 51 £5

Not sure which to get now

[Alice]

My torch has arrived, from China as expected. It's VERY flimsy, but was well packed to withstand its long journey. I've not tested it yet to try to locate any possible spraying - will try when it's a bit darker.
I can't think that the 99p ones can be any flimsier than this one at £2.59.

[MarkB]

One of the snags of buying anything online. Hopefully something that won't need to be used too often.

I don't know how much better the £15 Urine-off ones are. I know the old type with a tube aren't that great. The first one I ordered (I forget the name of the company, but based in Scotland) didn't work at all. I phoned them and they said there had been a few duds. They sent me a new one and told me to bin the other one. The replacement kind of worked, but a tube lamp eats batteries and it wasn't very bright. I had to use it in complete darkness.

[meriad]

Just wondering if anyone had bought one and tried it and if yes... did it work?

someone on a FB group I belong to can't find where her cat is spraying / wee'ing so I suggested a UV lamp but obviously if they're total rubbish then I'd rather tell her to not waste her money

[Alice]

I bought the torch which Mark mentioned at the start of this thread, but so far I've not found any traces of urine, though my nose tells me I should. Other than Jacks comment about showing up as a white area, I'm not really sure what I should be looking for. I've been using it in darkness.
Advice welcome.