Photochromic demonstrators - any good?

[discostu]

Hi everyone!

We currently have a UV400 Photometer which is a simple machine for checking UV blockage in lenses.
We have used it in the past to check the activation of photochromic lenses as it has a UV bulb in it, but lately we are getting little activation on photochromics. They're going to about 65%LTF, and only on one side of the lens.
Is it worth getting a specific 'photochromic demonstrator'? What makes one of those different to what I'm using? It's still just a box with a UV bulb, right? Or do they use a different type of bulb?

Some better info than what little I've found online would be much appreciated!

[Craig]

We just got in the LED flashlights from Hilco that are designed to activate transitions type products; they work great!! They are much better than running outside. The exercise is good for my 67 YO guy, but it wears him out.
It will help sell transitions products.

[discostu]

Running outside? Is that what you were doing before? That's dedication for you!

I run a lab, so it isn't for point of sale purposes. I just need to be able to check activation if a Px complains they don't darken properly. Up until now, I thought that all you needed was a UV bulb to do that, but now I'm questioning that. It's just that my suppliers seem to have UV meters AND photochromic demonstrators for sale on the same page in their catalogues, so are they completely different beasts?
My UV400 photometer uses a 4W blacklight bulb (F4T5BL), but I wonder if the photochromic machines use higher rated bulbs, as I've seen some online that run at 35W. Perhaps that's the difference?

[discostu]

Craig, how does that LED torch work? I've just found it in my Hilco catalogue.
It's incredibly cheap so I have to wonder!
Do you not have to stand for ages holding the torch and lens to get full activation? That's not practical for us as we're a busy lab. We usually leave lenses in the UV machine for a good 10 minutes at least, while we go and do something else.

But it's so incredibly cheap!

[OIC]

Make certain of two things when demonstrating with UV bulbs. Inform the customer that it is for demonstration only, and that theirs may react slightly different depending upon the amount of sun/uv that their own glasses are exposed to (cloudy vs clear) and the ambient temperature (which affects how dark they get). Most relevant is how quickly they get dark and how quickly (hopefully) they start deactivating. And, the UV bulb is highly concentrated so typically they will get darker than in normal outdoor usage.
Also, make sure you expose the FRONT of the lenses to the bulb. With Transitions and others, the front-side of the lens contains the photochromic properties, either in the coating or in a front-side laminate. If you expose the back side, you are limiting the UV exposure to the photochromics.

[Chris Ryser]

"automatic Lens darkening Initiator "

click on picture to enlarge

activates Transitions and other photo chromatic lenses in 2 seconds by means of electronic UV flashes offset by 90 degrees, for demonstrations and checking.

or.................................


Detect Counterfeit Bank Notes
or demonstrate photo chromatic lenses
automatically shows all invisible watermarks on legal notes. No more need for special pens

click on picture to enlarge

click ► Counterfeit Money Detector or Photochromatic lens activator

at http://optochemicals.com

[Chris Ryser]

Performance

• Measures transmittance / absorbance of hazardous ultra violet radiation at 400nm, visible light transmission, and measures EMI
• Demonstrates darkening of photo chromatic lenses

http://optochemicals.com/products/info_uvmeter.htm

[Geirskogul]

I thought personal advertisement posts are prohibited.

[Judy Canty]

"It is also all right to mention your product or service in response to another message. All I ask is that you do this without turning it into a major advertisement, and that you follow the previous point and identify your relationship to this product."

[Chris Ryser]

I thought personal advertisement posts are prohibited.

CouriosCat is right. In response to questions or a discussion I will throw in an answer and if it is my own so be it, and if it happens to be a product or a technique from somebody else I will do that too, and have done so many times over the years.

If I want to just advertise without the provocation in a thread, I will post on "Marketplace". Thanks for raising the point.

[Pogu]

We have a demonstrator from WileyX of all companies that is my favorite. Its basically a camera flash, the bulb is inside the case, barely bigger than a bic lighter, with a padded aperture so you can place it against the lens and flash a ~1/2" circle completely dark. I use it mostly in the lab to verify, since that what I do, but I do like to use it on the odd chance I'm selling stuff since it shows the completely clear and completely dark side by side. probably wouldn't be too hard to rig your own if you've got an old point and shoot film camera weighing down paper somewhere.

[Geirskogul]

CouriosCat is right. In response to questions or a discussion I will throw in an answer and if it is my own so be it, and if it happens to be a product or a technique from somebody else I will do that too, and have done so many times over the years.

If I want to just advertise without the provocation in a thread, I will post on "Marketplace". Thanks for raising the point.

Those aren't responses, they're copy-and-pasted ads. Screw Optiboard, I'm out for real this time, it's full of hate and ads from Mike and Chris, respectively.

[optilady1]

I've used the flash lights that change the lenses, and I've always found that while they worked well, It wasn't an accurate real world demonstrator. But they do work, and really quickly too. For me though, I get off my fat butt and walk outside. It typically does the trick.

On a side note, when my patients can't decide between brown or grey polarized lenses, I always tell them to step outside and take a look. Then to my senior saints, I tell them not to take off with them, because I'm not a fast runner (see above fat butt), and it always gets a chuckle out of them.

[d_a_h_u_k]

Those UV lights won't necesarily give you an accurate representation of what the lens will look like, but they're good enough I think. Also, the flash bulb ones can wear out the lenses quite quickly so make sure to change your demonstrator lenses every once in a while.

[ThatOneGuy]

Hi everyone!

We currently have a UV400 Photometer which is a simple machine for checking UV blockage in lenses.
We have used it in the past to check the activation of photochromic lenses as it has a UV bulb in it, but lately we are getting little activation on photochromics. They're going to about 65%LTF, and only on one side of the lens.
Is it worth getting a specific 'photochromic demonstrator'? What makes one of those different to what I'm using? It's still just a box with a UV bulb, right? Or do they use a different type of bulb?

Some better info than what little I've found online would be much appreciated!

I'm uncertain if the bulbs are different or not, but I've found demonstration to be a near waste of time, as people seem to know what photochromics are and only need reassurance that they aren't photochromics of old that simply look goofy. I do run outside quick if I'm unable to tell if the lenses are photochromic, and if the lenses are defective (or if we forgot to order photochromics), the patient is generally happier to happier to at least have a pair of lenses they can use until the new lenses arrive. Also, my experience with my last demonstrator was that a) it did a bad job demonstrating, and b) it was easily broken by an unsupervised child.

So I guess I look at from the "is it necessary to invest in a new device that doesn't really benefit anybody, and doesn't last very long?"

[tdj]

I love mine... keep it in the back, so no one is playing with it, and it is great for demos and verification..... it was there when I started working at my office, though, so I don't know what it cost.

[Chris Ryser]

Also, my experience with my last demonstrator was that a) it did a bad job demonstrating, and b) it was easily broken by an unsupervised child.

So I guess I look at from the "is it necessary to invest in a new device that doesn't really benefit anybody, and doesn't last very long?"

Any sales help, meter, and verifying instrument is worth it. However theses instruments shjould be treated gently like asll such things we learned to handle years ago.

[ThatOneGuy]

Any sales help, meter, and verifying instrument is worth it.

Not really. Years ago, sure, but now virtually anyone I ask knows what a "transitions" lens is and what a progressive lens is, which tells me I don't need to invest time and money explaining and demonstrating them to patients. Instead I can focus on key advancements like free-form and newer versions of photochromics.

[Barry Santini]

Those aren't responses, they're copy-and-pasted ads. Screw Optiboard, I'm out for real this time, it's full of hate and ads from Mike and Chris, respectively.

Wow!

[KStraker]

FWIW: I still take them outside.