New Shakelight

[Free]

Here is an interesting twist on the ShakeLight concept:

Shakelight 2

Besides having two LED's instead of one, it also has batteries for brighter, non-emergency use. This makes a lot more sense to me than the old design.

 

[Haesslich]

If you look in the Emergency Light thread, someone already posted a cranker with 3 LEDs and NiMH batteries as well which can be charged (apparently) through the cranking, which really is the best of both worlds.

I'd personally just stick with a squeeze-light, rather than a shake-light. Less elbow strain. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Lynx_Arc]

ugh, I cannot even imagine trying to charge nimh by a hand crank. talk about getting a repetitive motion injury to older adults. 5mm leds take so little current a direct drive one would last longer than all but the most outrageous emergencies and most flashaholics know to have spare batteries or 12v compatible nimh charging systems.

 

[Haesslich]

[ QUOTE ]
Lynx_Arc said:
ugh, I cannot even imagine trying to charge nimh by a hand crank. talk about getting a repetitive motion injury to older adults. 5mm leds take so little current a direct drive one would last longer than all but the most outrageous emergencies and most flashaholics know to have spare batteries or 12v compatible nimh charging systems.

[/ QUOTE ]

From what I saw on that thread, they're like button cells - a few minutes of cranking'll get you an hour or so's worth of light. That's not bad. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Lynx_Arc]

at the price of that one you could buy a dorcy AAA led and a carton of alkaline AAAs a pack of lithium AAAs and run it through 6 hurricanes a blizzard and 2 tornadoes and still use it to walk the dog for a year.

 

[cobb]

Interesting...... Why not use a solar panel to leave it in the winder and do away with cranking or winding?

I have a baygen radio and light, cranking is not that bad.

 

[Lynx_Arc]

that would have driven the price up on that light to $50.00
probably

 

[Haesslich]

The other problem is that the solar panel may not provide enough power, especially in areas where you don't get a lot of light. The cranking's more reliable, can be done at anytime (especially when it's dark, the time you need a flashlight most), and can be used to 'refresh' the light.

I personally like having ONe light that doesn't need batteries... but if I need a lot of light, that's where my 123-powered lights come into play.