Faraday flashlight

smithy18772 · Aug 31, 2016

Hi guys first post in the open forum so be nice please :twothumbs
I'm looking for Faraday solar or dynamo torches that are self sufficient run on capacitors or some other sustainable power vessel.
please don't comment just get a regular battery operated torch and heaps of batteries thats not what I'm looking for.
Thanks in advance for any helpful info you can provide me.

Cheers
Smithy

ZMZ67 · Aug 31, 2016

I have the NightStar shake flashlight that uses a capacitor.Not sure what the availability of these lights are now but they are the real deal and are of quality construction. Output is pretty meager from the 5MM LED but definitely useful in complete darkness.Takes some effort to shake and uses powerful magnets so it is not something you can store near a compass or anything else sensitive to magnets. The NightStar is not one of those cheap fake or battery powered "shake" lights so often advertised.

smithy18772 · Sep 1, 2016

sweet thanks for that i've ordered one if them i'm not expecting big light thats not the point of the light its the quality im looking for and these are a completely sealed unit so there shouldn't be any oxidisation of the circuitry so in theory should last a life time.

ZMZ67 said:
I have the NightStar shake flashlight that uses a capacitor.Not sure what the availability of these lights are now but they are the real deal and are of quality construction. Output is pretty meager from the 5MM LED but definitely useful in complete darkness.Takes some effort to shake and uses powerful magnets so it is not something you can store near a compass or anything else sensitive to magnets. The NightStar is not one of those cheap fake or battery powered "shake" lights so often advertised.

ZMZ67 · Sep 1, 2016

smithy18772 said:
sweet thanks for that i've ordered one if them i'm not expecting big light thats not the point of the light its the quality im looking for and these are a completely sealed unit so there shouldn't be any oxidisation of the circuitry so in theory should last a life time.

Happy to help!

I actually have two NightStars one I bought new but the other I found at a thrift store for a $5 bill. After my post I went down and shook the thrift store one a bit and sure enough with some shaking it lit up. It has been six months at least since I touched it so it was completely drained and I didn't take the time to shake it 3 minutes or more that they call for to get it back to normal operation so it didn't sustain it's max output very long.Might even try to pick up another one while they are still available as I fear it might disappear completely.Their price,large size, low output,physical effort for charging and mass market junk competition could make the NightStars nights numbered.

I don't know of any good solar powered lights but I do have a few decent older Russian ? made pumper/dynamo lights that can probably still be found online.They use a bulb but I am on the lookout for a screw base LED drop-in that will fit to try just for the sake of it. Not sure if anyone is making a decent dynamo light now but the NightStar is a little more practical anyway.

You asked for no battery lights but I'll just throw this one out there for info. purposes. For a basic long running light even on alkaline batteries the simple 9V Pak-lite is worth a look.They can provide usable light for a long time on low.Literally several hundred hours and over a thousand on a lithium 9V.I don't know if anyone has tried but you could probably make one sustainable to some extent with a NiMH 9V and a charger that can be used with solar power.

smithy18772 · Sep 1, 2016

Yes unfortunately i think your correct on the nightstar dieing a slow death due to cheap crap tainting the concept
Id be interested to see these russian dynamo lights and if your successful at finding an led drop-in.
have you see XEUS's take on battery free flashlights ( capacitor driven) with solar cells to charge.the concept is great but with some of the knowledge found on this forum i could see them becoming very successful.

ZMZ67 said:
Happy to help!

I actually have two NightStars one I bought new but the other I found at a thrift store for a $5 bill. After my post I went down and shook the thrift store one a bit and sure enough with some shaking it lit up. It has been six months at least since I touched it so it was completely drained and I didn't take the time to shake it 3 minutes or more that they call for to get it back to normal operation so it didn't sustain it's max output very long.Might even try to pick up another one while they are still available as I fear it might disappear completely.Their price,large size, low output,physical effort for charging and mass market junk competition could make the NightStars nights numbered.

I don't know of any good solar powered lights but I do have a few decent older Russian ? made pumper/dynamo lights that can probably still be found online.They use a bulb but I am on the lookout for a screw base LED drop-in that will fit to try just for the sake of it. Not sure if anyone is making a decent dynamo light now but the NightStar is a little more practical anyway.

You asked for no battery lights but I'll just throw this one out there for info. purposes. For a basic long running light even on alkaline batteries the simple 9V Pak-lite is worth a look.They can provide usable light for a long time on low.Literally several hundred hours and over a thousand on a lithium 9V.I don't know if anyone has tried but you could probably make one sustainable to some extent with a NiMH 9V and a charger that can be used with solar power.

ZMZ67 · Sep 1, 2016

smithy18772 said:
Yes unfortunately i think your correct on the nightstar dieing a slow death due to cheap crap tainting the concept
Id be interested to see these russian dynamo lights and if your successful at finding an led drop-in.
have you see XEUS's take on battery free flashlights ( capacitor driven) with solar cells to charge.the concept is great but with some of the knowledge found on this forum i could see them becoming very successful.

I hadn't seen XEUS before your mention,Thanks! Definitely looks like a great concept,would be easier to use than a NightStar or dynamo light and in a much better size configuration than the NightStar. This could be the emergency/survival light people have been looking for!

ajl · Sep 2, 2016

Youtube has a Mad TV skit "highlighting" the shake type flashlights. Search under Mad TV Flashlights. Really not suitable for the easily offended.
I have had a Nightstar light in reserve since the year 2000. Better than a match & candle when all else fails. I tried it out yesterday before the storm came though Florida. The Nightstar still works as intended.

braddy · Sep 3, 2016

As has been said, the Nightstar is the real deal, a military grade shake light that will last for many decades, it was also a good suggestion for you to pick up a 9v Pak-Lite, it seems expensive for it's tiny size, but it is also military grade, and you can just use the old batteries that you take out of your smoke detectors, you don't need to buy new batteries for it.

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