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 Post subject: R & J Beck UltraViolet Hand Spectroscope
PostPosted: Fri Aug 29, 2014 1:45 am 
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http://www.ebay.com/itm/antique-R-J-Bec ... _82wt_1214

This very interesting little curiosity managed to escape me. But I thought I would post it for any hand spectroscope aficionados left. It has a slit and grating designed for the uv range. But since the eye can't see UV the spectrum is projected onto a UV fluorescing screen which can be observed through the ocular. I have never had one of these in my hot little hand but would like to at least play with one one of these days.

The technique of using a fluorescent screen is still used today by companies like Ocean Optics in their UV range fiber optic spectrometers. Since silicon detectors that can sense UV are very expensive a cheaper method is to coat the CCD or CMOS detector with "Luminogen" a fluorescent material which converts the dispersed UV into visible light which is then read by the silicon detector. It does add another threat to linearity but does work.


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 Post subject: Re: R & J Beck UltraViolet Hand Spectroscope
PostPosted: Fri Oct 03, 2014 2:54 pm 
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Shame I missed it. It would sit nicely nestled with the other Becks I have.

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 Post subject: Re: R & J Beck UltraViolet Hand Spectroscope
PostPosted: Sat Oct 04, 2014 12:09 am 
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I remember seeing that and thinking of you, Gene, but I figured you probably already saw it :oops: .

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 Post subject: Re: R & J Beck UltraViolet Hand Spectroscope
PostPosted: Sat Oct 04, 2014 12:44 am 
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There was another one recently that the seller opened low and I intended to set a snipe but I forgot to do it. I have thought of a use for which one of these might be handy.


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 Post subject: Re: R & J Beck UltraViolet Hand Spectroscope
PostPosted: Wed Oct 08, 2014 6:46 pm 
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now that's unusual stuff, and I'll have to ask:
does it work only with LWUV, or is it designed so that you can also use SWUV without damaging your eyes?
what stones would it help indentify?


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 Post subject: Re: R & J Beck UltraViolet Hand Spectroscope
PostPosted: Thu Oct 09, 2014 1:09 am 
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Quote:
does it work only with LWUV, or is it designed so that you can also use SWUV

I haven't actually seen one but the scale is calibrated to shorter wavelengths so I think the fluorescent material can react to all wavelengths.

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without damaging your eyes?

The gadget dates from a time when men were men and didn't worry about such things. :lol:

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what stones would it help indentify?

I hadn't even thought of using it for stone identifying. I was going to use it to set the UV bandwidth on a monochromator being fed by a deuterium light. To get short wavelength UV only. I am unaware of any widely available data on UV absorbtion of stones. You could use it to test for UV transparency

I missed two auctions of these. I have only seen about four of them in 16 years.


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 Post subject: Re: R & J Beck UltraViolet Hand Spectroscope
PostPosted: Thu Oct 09, 2014 8:48 am 
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Quote:
I am unaware of any widely available data on UV absorbtion of stone
that's precisely what I was thinking of, I wonder if you could actually get characteristic spectrum for some stones with such handheld device. Would be interesting to check if you can get the fifth of the hexadecade :mrgreen:


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 Post subject: Re: R & J Beck UltraViolet Hand Spectroscope
PostPosted: Thu Oct 09, 2014 4:25 pm 
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If you want the UV spectrum of stones you should use a real spectrophotometer (actually for what I had in mind I should too)
and a real light source Either Xenon Arc or Deuterium. If it's a fiber optic spectrophotometer you have to make sure you have a UV transmitting solarization resistant fiber. A regular mercury UV won't do.

I don't know what you mean about the fifth hexadecade. ??


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 Post subject: Re: R & J Beck UltraViolet Hand Spectroscope
PostPosted: Fri Oct 10, 2014 5:25 am 
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Oh yeah, I'd sure want to look at the UV spectrum of stones...for about 100$
:mrgreen:

fifth of the hexadecade: you said 4 in 16 years, maye you'll get the 5th one.


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 Post subject: Re: R & J Beck UltraViolet Hand Spectroscope
PostPosted: Sat Oct 11, 2014 6:28 pm 
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That is very funny. I actually DID win the fifth in the hexadecade. (and I do speak hex but not off the top of my head)

Sometimes not being the first is better. Since the high bidders (two) got theirs this one had a reasonable buy it now price. Nice condition too. :lol: :lol:


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 Post subject: Re: R & J Beck UltraViolet Hand Spectroscope
PostPosted: Sun Oct 19, 2014 1:54 pm 
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Received the goodie.
It's an interesting thing to play with, but not very easy to use. It has a lighting port to light the scale, but using it , swamps the fluorescence of the UV spectrum.
It is actually a prism spectroscope. The scale is non linear. Probably a quartz prism to transmit and disperse the UV. The luminogen fluoresces weak green for both the long and short wave mercury lines. Interestingly the BLB UV lamps commonly known as UV A lamps have a very broad band being as they are, fluorescent lights, that fluoresce in the UV. The short wave UV lamps with no phosphor coating give better line structure.

To make it more convenient to use, one needs to make a blue LED Light source to put over the scale illuminator with a variable intensity blue LED. Not too blue so it doesn't make the luminogen fluoresce.

A fun little gadget. Probably not of great gemological untility. You might be able to gauge UV transparency of materials with it.


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 Post subject: Re: R & J Beck UltraViolet Hand Spectroscope
PostPosted: Mon Oct 20, 2014 6:17 pm 
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thanks for the review. I remain curious about what is seen through the device:
does it give an absorption pattern with lines and bands just like a classic spectroscope does?
And if so, isn't there any notable difference in the obtained absorption pattern depending on the viewed stone? (or maybe between treated and untreated stone)


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 Post subject: Re: R & J Beck UltraViolet Hand Spectroscope
PostPosted: Tue Oct 21, 2014 11:13 am 
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I haven't looked at a stone with it and don't intend to. WAY to much trouble.
One would have to rig a UV Source and get it transmit through the stone.
I was looking at emitting sources (UV lamps) and the bands and lines were not that bright.


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