Free Rechargeable Flashlight

Sorry to mislead you, and further apologies if this has been posted before. While driving along tonight I happened to notice that the screen to my flip open cell phone shone rather brightly. I then used it to look around the car while I was stopped at a traffic light. I was surprised at how well it worked, and it is not even on its brightest setting.

Mine is a Sanyo model 8100 phone that I asked the phone store to change to a screen that just displayed the time and date, with no picture or moving graphics in the background. The screen is white with moderate sized print showing only the date and time, along with the usual small graphics along the top.
Perphaps you already know how to change your phone to this type of display. Check it out. A free rechargeable flashlight!

U

It also makes you really obvious to muggers at night !!

Be careful where you use your phone.

I used to do this with the backlight (Green) of my palm pilots, and my (now dead) Zire 71 with a program

Some phones have a built-in LED with the intended use of using it as a flashlight. My Photon Freedom to the Max is brighter than the Kyocera I tested it against, though.

I dropped my SF Aviator in Nov during a night land nav exercise. :huh: (Actually, I had tied it off, but the lanyard came loose.)

I ended up pulling my phone out, switching it on, and walking back over the trail, holding the phone 6" above the ground.

Found my SureFire about 100 meters up the trail. :rock:

John

Welcome to CPF Ultrastick, why dontcha stay awhile!

My LG phone has an LED that you can turn on as a "flash" for taking pictures, of course it doesn't actually flash, just goes on with a push of a button, and turns off after you take the picture. That makes a terrific flashlight (and a so-so photo flash). Used it a few months ago when someone dropped something under the table at a family dinner, and everyone looked to me for a flashlight (it was in the car), so I pulled out my phone!

welcome again,
daloosh

BTW, it's the LG 8100 with 1.3 megapixel camera and mp3 player.

My faithful mobile is a Triband Sony Ericcsson T200, which has a plug in Blue LED, quite bright.

Probably suitable for other SE's too.

Nokia springs to mind as easy to adapt, if the power input socket also has volts when not charging, to have led etc onto ??mm plug.

Similarly for other makes, using cut spare PSU lead from 12v 110v 240v USB charger

ultrastick, my wife and i own the same phone(sanyo 8100)as you. when i use it in the car at night, the inside screen will light up the passenger floor enough that i can see it. i have to aim it at the floor of course.

If you have a palm treo, there's a program that will display a white circle on your phone to simulate a flashlight. The cool thing about it is that you can change the color to anything you want.

Shirley said:

I dropped my SF Aviator in Nov during a night land nav exercise. :huh: (Actually, I had tied it off, but the lanyard came loose.)

I ended up pulling my phone out, switching it on, and walking back over the trail, holding the phone 6" above the ground.

Found my SureFire about 100 meters up the trail. :rock:

John

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"Shirley, you can't be serious!"

Shirley said:

I dropped my SF Aviator in Nov during a night land nav exercise. :huh: (Actually, I had tied it off, but the lanyard came loose.)

I ended up pulling my phone out, switching it on, and walking back over the trail, holding the phone 6" above the ground.

Found my SureFire about 100 meters up the trail. :rock:

John

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Which is one of the reasons all my lights have glow and reflective tape on them.

I've been surprised how useful the LED flashlight built into my Nokia 5140i is. It's not a great light by any means but it has proved very useful simply because it's easily to hand.

Andrew

all my lights have glow and reflective tape on them

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I'm pretty sure that would be unacceptable in a "tactical" situation...which is why red light was mandated, anyway. Otherwise, it's a GREAT idea! I've seen some lights lately with glow paint or tritium inserts. Very useful.

John

that's why the CR2 ION and other small lights were invented..

very glad you found it.

doug

Shirley said:

I dropped my SF Aviator in Nov during a night land nav exercise. :huh: (Actually, I had tied it off, but the lanyard came loose.)

I ended up pulling my phone out, switching it on, and walking back over the trail, holding the phone 6" above the ground.

Found my SureFire about 100 meters up the trail. :rock:

John

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Most definitely. When I was still in the infantry, I usually had 2 extra lights- little Inovas, Pelicans, or Photons. Kinda gotten outta the habit, but it's coming back.

John

Welcome to CPF Shirley, why dontcha stay awhile!

Glad you are back to the flashaholicism!

daloosh

Shirley said:

Most definitely. When I was still in the infantry, I usually had 2 extra lights- little Inovas, Pelicans, or Photons. Kinda gotten outta the habit, but it's coming back.

John

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Same here. I am holding on to the SE K750i. It has a dual LED which really helps. When travelling in a cab seaching for coins or stuffs in my bag, i always makes full use of the phone LEDs Also it has a built in SOS function too

everything that gives out lights are beautiful.... :naughty: