Luminescent flashlight bodies

Why don't they make any decent flashlights with glow in the dark parts? Ever try changing batteries in the dark? It's tricky. If you are outdoors, you can loose parts. You'd be much more likely to find them if they glowed. If you're at home and the power goes out, it would be a heck of a lot easier to find your light if the body glowed. So why are the manufacturers holding out on us? I've seen cheap novelty lights with glow-in-the-dark parts, but never a serious sturdy flashlight. Frisbees that glow in the dark don't cost much more than other frisbees. Heck, Leatherman even makes a multipurpose tool with a glowing anodized aluminum body that sells for a comparable price to their other tools. So I know the technical or financial hurdles aren't very great...so why isn't anyone making these???

Good Question.....
-But at least these days we can get great quality DIY ez stick-on luminous material that's waay better than the stuff they use on most of those cheap flashlights.

There are some new glowing flashlights out there. I don't remember what brand, but I saw some a few days ago at my local Office Max store.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Empath:
Garrity makes a glow in the dark flashlight. It's a very basic inexpensive one, but the full body glows in the dark. Keep in mind that in the U.S., the emergency must occur within 30 minutes to an hour after exposure to light, or the "glow-in-the-dark" advantage is gone.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yeah, this is the kind of thing I was talking about. I don't consider an inexpensive Garrity to be a "serious flashlight." 30 minutes of glow doesn't cut it, either. Night usually lasts 10-14hrs around here, and I want something that will glow all night.

They make glow in the dark stuff that will last 15 hrs or more. Like this stuff: http://www.nichia.co.jp/glow-e.htm
There are no LED flashlights that I am aware of that glow for any length of time, not even a 1/2 hour.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by lightboy:
There are no LED flashlights that I am aware of that glow for any length of time, not even a 1/2 hour.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

There are a couple that do just as well. The PAL lights don't ever turn off completely, but instead keep a dim glow that can glow for well over a year on one 9volt battery. The Eternalight Xray has an internal LED that can glow as an option. That glow too will last well over a year on a set of 3 AA cells.

I've got both, a PAL and an Xray. between the two, the Eternalight is much better, but the PAL also has it's own unique advantages.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Empath:
There are a couple that do just as well. The PAL lights don't ever turn off completely, but instead keep a dim glow that can glow for well over a year on one 9volt battery. The Eternalight Xray has an internal LED that can glow as an option. That glow too will last well over a year on a set of 3 AA cells.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I've seen those, too, and I agree they are better than nothing, but once you try to change batteries in the dark, their parts are just as hard to find as any flashlight's if dropped. I want the glow...

That very persistent strong powder stuff that we use is made by Nichia.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by vcal:
That very persistent strong powder stuff that we use is made by Nichia.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Who is we? What do you use it for? Where do you buy it?

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by lightboy:
Who is we? What do you use it for? Where do you buy it?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Caltrans (state D.O.T.) -used industrially for road signs and highway guardrails -especially in perpetually dark areas. It's a pigment that is usually mixed into paint, but can even be mixed in the plastic molding process.

Fortunately, the industrial grade pigment is available in small quantities (but not from Nichia), from places like www.extremeglow.com (75gms. minimum) for $20.

Garrity makes a glow in the dark flashlight. It's a very basic inexpensive one, but the full body glows in the dark. Keep in mind that in the U.S., the emergency must occur within 30 minutes to an hour after exposure to light, or the "glow-in-the-dark" advantage is gone.

Most flashlights hang out in dark places, like dresser and kitchen drawers. Since there's no light to charge the glow in the dark material, they're not likely to be glowing when you need them.

However, there is a flaslight with a traser built into the case available in England.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by RonM:
Most flashlights hang out in dark places, like dresser and kitchen drawers. Since there's no light to charge the glow in the dark material, they're not likely to be glowing when you need them.

However, there is a flaslight with a traser built into the case available in England.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

CPF member axolotol claims he can remove the traser glowring tube/element from its case an use it elsewhere. (like on your favorite flashlight).

someone should make a flashlight with a sheet of Alien Skin or Extreme Glow sheets, or some other glow sheet that glows pretty bright for 5 hours. you could make a clear ABS/Lexan Plastic body and put the sheet in between the plastic.

|>|batt. space|<|

| = clear lex/abs plastic layers
> and < = glow sheets

make the main battery compartment, then make a clear plastic tube small enough to fit into the compartment, but still big enough to hold the batteries while allowing no rattle. now, put a the sheet(s) in between the tube and the main battery compartment. all the plastic used should be clear, unless you want the head to be non-transparent.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Empath:
Garrity makes a glow in the dark flashlight. It's a very basic inexpensive one, but the full body glows in the dark. Keep in mind that in the U.S., the emergency must occur within 30 minutes to an hour after exposure to light, or the "glow-in-the-dark" advantage is gone.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

That's why we don't use zinc sulfide anymore. It's dirt cheap, but i ain't much good

vcal. I didn't know about axolotol's mod but I have some tritium tubes on the way to me that I plan on installing in a poly body torch. If it works as planned I will put some in the grips of a poly pistol. From there I go to metal. Ahh, bathed in beta rays. Gives ya a warm feeling.

I'just received some glowrings from Bagheera this weekend, BTW thanks for the quick delivery, and found it very easy to separate the two halves of the encasing just by using a small knife. After that, just lift the tube out, and you're done.
I do think however that this only applies to
the new model.

Hope this helps.
Bart

Thanks VCal, I'll have to try some out.

lightboy,
Some ideas:
Walmart has several translucent flashlights,
you couls simply paint the inside of one
you like with the glow powder.
There is a recent thread here about alien
skin and where to buy the powder, I
have been to that website myself.
If you just want to find a flashlight in
the dark, a blinking LED can be easily
added to any light, even with its own
small button cells to drive it.
One light at Walmart even has a
blinking LED on the package, just attach
it to your light, you will easily see
it in any dark room/drawer/place.
Or you could mod a rechargable light
with some decent batteries and an LED
or two. Keep it plugged in along with an
electroluminescent night light in your
favorite place.
Or you could attach/glue/clip a
glowring to your favorite flashlight...

If you want to go the DIY route, you could add a simple very low power LED to an existing flashlight. One or two LEDs run at very low power will run for ages on a couple of lithium cells.

However, I have a big order of Glowrings (20 of them) on the way - I'm going to try taking the glow tube out of a few of them and mount them in a reflector to make a simple ultra-long life low power light.

Graham

Hi Graham,
How about the Variable Brightness Torch on this site:Traser look under military. May be cheaper then using the glowring-tubes...