I recently sent in my FarPoint purchased Lumicon UHC Gen 3 filter to Silicon Valley Optical Technology, Inc. (SVOTek) for spectrum analysis. I was concerned that FarPoint may have sourced my filter from China, and that it might not meet published specifications. The results are as follows:
Test results were transmitted under this email from SVOTek:
And so it appears my filter was manufactured by SVOTek, and that it does meet specifications. Other filters sold by FarPoint under the Lumicon name did not meet specifications, like this Oiii filter for example:
The particulars behind this filter were sent in an email to the owner, a part of which is as follows:
“After inspecting the filter you sent us:
1. We have replaced your ring with a brand new one, so your filter should be good to go. We will ship you the filter soon with a tracking number.
2. We would like to inquire: from which vendor did you purchase this filter from?
While repairing your filter, we noticed that the ring design did not match our own. Additionally, our engineers did a filter spectrum analysis and discovered that there is a discrepancy in the transmission graph. Per our website, the Lumicon O-III filter transmission should be > 90% from 496.5 nm - 501.5nm, with a peak at 498.5 += 2nm wavelength. However, this filter peaks at 492 nm which misses the spec by a significant 6 nm, something our strict qualify control would have caught far before it reached shipment. The filter has at best 10% effectiveness compared to its specs.
We are concerned that you may have been misled about the authenticity of this filter. There have been many counterfeit Lumicon products as of late, and we fear that their poor quality will tarnish the Lumicon brand and legacy.
Thank you,
Andrew
Lumicon Inc.”
If you have concerns about the authenticity of your own Lumicon filters, and particularly about those sold by FarPoint, SVOTek has offered to test Lumicon branded filters free of charge. I do not know how long this offer might stand, and you will need to provide a postage paid return label if you’d like your filter back after testing. You can find contact information for this service on the SVOTek website at:
Good Luck!
Edited by Polyphemos, 08 February 2024 - 10:47 PM.