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MinerShop Blog

Welcome to the MinerShop blog. We write about pretty much anything that sparks our interest. We've sorted our articles into the categories below.

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MinerShop Blog / Fluorescent Lights

fluorescent mineral specimen of tugtupite, sodalite

Common Questions About Fluorescent Minerals – An FAQ Guide

Fluorescent minerals can be fascinating to those who discover these hidden treasures and they often raise various questions. Here are some common questions related to fluorescent minerals.
Posted on November 06, 2023
Tagged: Collecting Minerals, Flashlights, Fluorescent Lights, Minerals
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DIY: Converting a Work Light into a Portable Short Wave Lamp

DIY: Converting a Work Light into a Portable Short Wave Lamp

I'm not sure how many people have built the 18 watt SW conversion from Mark Cole's plans on MinerShop, but if you did or intend to do so, here's mine I've finally completed. 
Posted on February 27, 2023
Tagged: DIY, Fluorescent Lights
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Fluorescent Mineral Light

DIY 9-Watt Field Lamp

The instructions on this page are for a 9-watt lamp.
Posted on February 13, 2023
Tagged: DIY, Fluorescent Lights
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diy portable sw UV light

DIY 35W Portable Shortwave UV Light

A DIY guide for an excellent 35W SW field lamp.
Posted on February 13, 2023
Tagged: DIY, Fluorescent Lights
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Lighting Controls - Automatically Cycle Longwave, Shortwave, Midwave, and White light in your Display

Lighting Controls - Automatically Cycle Longwave, Shortwave, Midwave, and White light in your Display

Over the years I've had requests for lighting controllers that would allow us to remotely control our different wavelength lights.
Posted on February 13, 2023
Tagged: DIY, Fluorescent Lights
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UV light

Cheap Shortwave Mineral Lights on Ebay (and other places) - BUYER BEWARE!

This needs to be said. Over the years a few disreputable sellers have been marketing a little 4/6 watt shortwave light for fluorescent minerals.
Posted on February 13, 2023
Tagged: Fluorescent Lights
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Fluorescent UV light

Building Your Own Transilluminators - DIY

Rough instructions on how to upgrade your own transilluminator

Posted on February 06, 2023
Tagged: DIY, Fluorescent Lights
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A fluorescent light for UV minerals

Transilluminators - Overview

A "transilluminator" typically has 15W MW bulbs installed (312/302nm). Some have 6 bulbs, some have 4. So far, almost every unit I have come across has Hoya U325c glass (SW glass).
Posted on February 06, 2023
Tagged: DIY, Fluorescent Lights, Mineral Displays
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Fluorescent Ballast Selection

Ballasts to drive fluorescent bulbs/tubes

Our UV lights are mostly based on fluorescent bulbs. These bulbs require a special ballast to operate. We always recommend Fulham ballasts.
Posted on February 06, 2023
Tagged: DIY, Fluorescent Lights
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