Battery-less LED
- Thread starter code09
- Start date
Those things are cute but not all that practical. Note that the original one was the Nightstar, www.shakelight.com (forwards to some other cockamamie url now). The Forever Flashlight is an inferior knockoff. But even the Nightstar is mostly a conversation piece.
idleprocess
Flashaholic
I bought one of the original ones years ago. It's horrible unless you have nothing else, no batteries, and desperately need light - then it's good.
Otherwise, the runtime on mine is awful, it's horribly dim, the LED seems not to be sure if it's blue or white, and it takes an absurd amount of effort to charge the thing up for ~120 seconds of useful light.
Otherwise, the runtime on mine is awful, it's horribly dim, the LED seems not to be sure if it's blue or white, and it takes an absurd amount of effort to charge the thing up for ~120 seconds of useful light.
TORCH_BOY
Flashlight Enthusiast
I have the forever version, it is ok for emergency lighting,
not realy bright as it has only one 5mm LED, and my arm
realy gets tired after a while
not realy bright as it has only one 5mm LED, and my arm
realy gets tired after a while
idleprocess
Flashaholic
I have one of the NightStars and really like it. A little shaking and you can find your way around reasonably well for quite a while. You can work by its light well enough. It even floats.
It is a light you can forget about for years and then depend on for as long as you need for zero maintenance cost. Nothing else does that.
These are not intended to be EDC lights clipped to your belt. They are great for pack-it-and-forget-it emergency supplies, and great for kids.
I don't know how you can call yourself a well-rounded flashlight freak and not own one of these /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Scott
It is a light you can forget about for years and then depend on for as long as you need for zero maintenance cost. Nothing else does that.
These are not intended to be EDC lights clipped to your belt. They are great for pack-it-and-forget-it emergency supplies, and great for kids.
I don't know how you can call yourself a well-rounded flashlight freak and not own one of these /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Scott
PeLu
Flashlight Enthusiast
IMHO a Photon or one of it's cheap copies will also last decades, give about the same time and are much smaller.
I would not bet that the machanics are still useable in 30 years.
And I've seen Dynamo lights were the mechanics will last shorter than a Li C cell. That means the energy given over their whole lifetime will be less.
I would not bet that the machanics are still useable in 30 years.
And I've seen Dynamo lights were the mechanics will last shorter than a Li C cell. That means the energy given over their whole lifetime will be less.
eebowler
Flashlight Enthusiast
One reason I'll never consider one of these lights is because of the magnetic field.
WildRice
Flashlight Enthusiast
I saw those and wasn't impressed. Made a nice one kinda like it. Used 2xD flashligh, I had some NICE 12v 14:1 geared motors (used in hich speed mechanical shutters), 1"diameter and about 5" long. I mounted it in the base of the flashlight and tapped a hole in the bottom and put in a handle from a fishing pole. Added a bridge and 2x 40mAh (2.4v) NiMH button cells. 3 way switch and a home made stepup circuit and a 5mm turned down white. 60 seconds of 'cranking' charges the batteries. high will run for 4mins, med runns about 14mins, and Low runns 30mins. I just put 1 tritium tube in the front.
I originally built this because I was out of town when the power went out and my wife couldent find a light with good batteries.
IMHO, cranking is better and more efficient than shaking.
Jeff
I originally built this because I was out of town when the power went out and my wife couldent find a light with good batteries.
IMHO, cranking is better and more efficient than shaking.
Jeff
Cornkid
Flashlight Enthusiast
I think I could sum this light up in lets say..... two words: IT SUCKS!!!!!
It is not worth the gum on my shoe. I hat that light. It is not reliable and in an emergency do you think you will have time to play with that piece of $h!t??
-tom
It is not worth the gum on my shoe. I hat that light. It is not reliable and in an emergency do you think you will have time to play with that piece of $h!t??
-tom
The_LED_Museum
*Retired*
These flashlights require a "spanking the monkey" motion to charge; be sure you do it with the door & curtains closed, or somebody might think you're doing something other than charging a flashlight. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif
"Photon or one of it's cheap copies will also last decades . . ."
I was under the impression that the batteries would not last that long. Is that true?
I still like the light. You wouldn't expect a bicycle to outperform a sportscar, but the bicycle requires no gas.
Suppose that 20 years from now, you have to use something that you stashed for three weeks. To me that is where these "sucky" lights come into their own.
Scott
I was under the impression that the batteries would not last that long. Is that true?
I still like the light. You wouldn't expect a bicycle to outperform a sportscar, but the bicycle requires no gas.
Suppose that 20 years from now, you have to use something that you stashed for three weeks. To me that is where these "sucky" lights come into their own.
Scott
Cornkid
Flashlight Enthusiast
I still dont like them. They take forever to charge and my Infinty Ultra out-shines that thing!
-tom
-tom
tvodrd
*Flashaholic* ,
I had one on my coffee table in the living room. It had other antisocial traits such as continually trying to mate with any other light nearby. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif (Magnet in mine would suck an Arc AAA from 4 inches away!)
Larry
Larry
idleprocess
Flashaholic
I'd not call those traits "antisocial" so much as "lacking restraint"... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
nrk
Newly Enlightened
for my 2 cents i generally agree with the comments above. I actually have two of these. The first one I bought was the "Forever Flashlight II" and it is virtually useless. The second one i bought is called the "Nightstar" and it's not quite so bad.
The Nightstar is actually a lot better (relatively speaking). For one thing it has magnets on both ends of the light so that a very gentle movement of the wrist can move the movable magnet through the coil with a tiny little movement and it bounces back from end to end (the Forever just clunks from end to end). If you get the rhythm right you can do it with almost no effort. A hundred or so shakes does give you a modest light, but as the guys above said, it's not great shakes.
Mostly a conversation piece. It's doubtful I'll run out of batteries with all the flashlights in the house.
Regards. ;-norm
The Nightstar is actually a lot better (relatively speaking). For one thing it has magnets on both ends of the light so that a very gentle movement of the wrist can move the movable magnet through the coil with a tiny little movement and it bounces back from end to end (the Forever just clunks from end to end). If you get the rhythm right you can do it with almost no effort. A hundred or so shakes does give you a modest light, but as the guys above said, it's not great shakes.
Mostly a conversation piece. It's doubtful I'll run out of batteries with all the flashlights in the house.
Regards. ;-norm
dsl
Newly Enlightened
my mom got me one of them for Christmas I like it it is fun I use it when I wake up in the middle of the night because it does not kill my night vision about as bright as a photon. I think they are cool magnetic switch waterproof and it floats
