No battery lights???

[fordwillman]

Hi everybody,
I mostly lurk here, but have found tremendously great info on lights--and it has cost me! I am a stage one flashaholic. My wife would say worse than that!!!
Anyway, I would REALLY like to see a thorough review of 1)crank lights, and 2) shake lights, and 3) solar lights. I am always trying to get better prepared (I have no illusions about "we are from the government, and we are here to help you").
So, all you light hotshots tell me about Garrity Power Lite, Allton 4in1, Freeplay Kito light, Kaito Self Powered, and a host of others!
Are they getting better? cheaper? brighter? more durable (any of them)? Why hasn't a "major" player come out with a good one at a higher price??? I would buy that!
Please dont say visit flashlightreviews.com. Great site, I almost live there. And others.
Thanks

 

[Cydonia]

Well, truth be told, if you want a good non battery light, you're going to have to build it yourself. That's what I had to do. That or simply buy some good beeswax candles that are clean burning for extended indoor use.

 

[fordwillman]

Cydonia,
Tell me more! What did you build? What pieces did you use?? I am not much of a modder, but I am interested.

 

[Cydonia]

I've a thread about it here http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=145057
What is most remarkable is the constant consistent voltage it can produce. Quite safe for charging NiCd batteries I found. And powering cheap radios. I need some kind of power regulation circuit though…

 

[fordwillman]

Outstanding! My sentiments exactly--Surefire, are you listening!??
Six pounds, pretty hefty. AND you scored a lucky hit on ebay!
So, back to my original question. Anything "half way decent" out there?? If you could not make one, what would you go with?

 

[MattK]

FreePlay hands down is making the best product out there. They're not super cheap but you do get what you pay for. FreePlay specializes in this technology rather than doing it as an after thought and having spent considerable time with their chief engineer I'm totally sold on their commitment to quality and responsible capitalism. A great company.

I've looked at product from 10 other Mfrs. and nothing comes close in quality of build and efficiency of the crank.

I highly recommend, instead of the Kito, going to an XRay or Jonta - they add NiMh batteries and a charger so you basically get a rechargeable LED light that also has a crank.

 

[Cydonia]

I agree, FreePlay seems to be the only top notch choice out there at the moment. I've often thought of buying one of their radio/lights.

 

[fordwillman]

Hey MattK,
Thanks for the info. Do you think Freeplay will use the new Cree LED's?? Seems like a natural for this type of delivery system. Got any comments?

 

[Baskanavitch]

This doesn't relate to crank lights, shake lights or solar lights (or does it?), but FWIW:

Capacitor technology has greatly increased in the last few years. If you have the inclination, it is possible to buy a large-value capacitor (200+ Farads @ 2.5V or so) and hook it up to an LED head, such as a KL1. It will provide minimal runtime (10-20 mins maybe) but will recharge in seconds if you can dump enough current into it.

 

[kyazh]

:hahaha:I dont think solar lights would be too useful....




unless its some kind of a charging mechanism.

 

[yellow_at]

I once thought these would be good emergency lights, and maybe they are (have a few), but almost none up to a certain price offers interiors that will live more than a short time in actual use.
Then there is output: even worse. Good for emergency navigating inside a building but nothing more.
And the noise.
I also think anything else than a crank light is just a gimmick because of all the "losses" for charging the capacitor by any other method.

On my bike I have a Lux III front light and a 1 F Gold Cap. It needs some seconds/meters of drive to bring the Led to light up, but try this with a crank, for several times to get light for some time ... :thumbsdow
btw. with bike stopped, the Lux lights for a few secs with reduced output but after 15 or so it is just a glow and after 30 max, it is dark.

thus, imho, anything other than a small number of 5 mm leds wont work in a hand crank application

 

[Cydonia]

Crank light... it seems everyone believes that crank lights have to be dim stupid things that don't create enough power. Wrong. Just because hitherto all that exists are cheapo junk crank lights, doesn't mean it isn't physically possible to create a really good one that actually works. Sure, I know nobody has said otherwise, but ya know, it gets boring hearing about how crank lights suck and are no good.

I finally took a new video of my home made crank light and put it up on YouTube. I suppose there will be those who think my crank light is a fake, contains batteries etc., but how can I prove otherwise? I'll send the thing to a moderator or reviewer if they pay the shipping (and I mean that). Bear in mind that this is a very expensive specialized motor and perhaps that fact will dispel any skepticism about it producing enough power to light a incandescent maglite 6volt bulb to full brightness in about 1 second. And keep it lit with near effortless slow cranking with only a low purr of gears!

:rock:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdbjWrrhWII

 

[MattK]

fordwillman - It's quite possible. I spent quite a bit of time at CES speaking with their chief engineer and he's already playing with them. They're under consideration but I would not expect to see them for at least 1 year as FreePlay already has enough new projects going on to keep them busy for the forseeable future.

Baskanavitch - I brought up the capcitor question with Phil, FreePlay's engineer, and while I cannot for the life of me recall the reason he pretty quickly disavowed me of the notion of their feasability.

kyazh - exactly - if you've got light you don't need a flashlight. FreePlay had some prototypes with solar cells on them to charge onboard NiMh cells and I think we'll seen those in the next 12-24 months.

yellow_at - FreePlay's Jonta uses a L1 and a big reflector and has great throw, can be used as an all purpose rechargeable AND has a crank. It's a great light for the non-enthusiast market and it's what I gave my mom.

Cydonia - yup, misconceptions based on poor quality products, Freeplays crank in the Freecharge for example can generate 4-8A at 12V depending on hard you're cranking - thatsalottapowa!

 

[drmaxx]

Freeplays crank in the Freecharge for example can generate 4-8A at 12V depending on hard you're cranking - thatsalottapowa!

That's about 60 to 120 W! A real light for real men. We might call it the Arnold Schwarz-light :laughing:.
('schwarz ' in German means black.)

 

[yellow]

right, my original account is working again

hmm, if my post seemed to You that I mean it is impossible to give a good light with a crank, then You might have gotten me wrong.
My bike dynamo example shows that, as well as the vid.

..but of what USE is this method (for bright lights)?
Say You want light for 1 hour, anyone thinks this is even possible?
Then there is the awful size/weight/water(dust)tightness-problem.

I mean, even when one uses a crazy low runtime light (SF) for this purpose. With spare CR123s in this size/weight as the dynamo, You will overcome some days of power outage.
--> gimmick. Nice one, but still gimmick



PS: just browsed the freeplay site, and, while agreeing about the quality (I would have agreed also without reading it, Freeplay is well known), I still doubt the emergency light function.
Yesterday I started another "testing"cycle with my Ni-Mhs (high capacity and some of eneloop type) to decide which ones to keep, and several of the normal ones have lost all of the power in the few weeks/months they are not cared for now (while the power enduro are at about 1500 mA). No chance any of the crank lights, even the freeplay ones, will be of immediate use at the event some YEARS in the future. Maybe the internal batts are totally dead then and dont even get a charge.
Thats why it would be much better to put some very high Farad capacitors in, coupled with low ampere 5 mm leds.

For most of the ppl such a light will be an emergency light, not a normal use one, and they are not suitable for this if not cared for on a regular basis, say once every 1/2 year

 

[glockboy]

http://www.ledmuseum.org/