National Geographic Flashlight Documetary

I'm working on a show for the National Geographic Channel on how flashlights are made. Does anyone out there know any cool facts about flashlights that we can include?

We would love to know things like, "What's the smallest/biggest/brightest flashlight out there? What flashlight uses the most complex technology? What are some interesting/exotic uses for these flashlights? When was the first underwater flashlight made? How deep can a flashlight now dive? Can you think of any flashlight disaster stories (a design that didn't work...)?"

We are also looking for any information regarding the first flashlight in space. It was on the Apollo 7 and was held by Water Shirra (sometimes called Wally), the commander or captain.

Any info/tidbits of data would be greatly appreciated!!

Welcome to CPF, Doc!

That's a lot of questions in a single post. Let me see if I can answer a few:

- have you contacted the folks at http://www.flashlightmuseum.com/ - they may be a good resource
- make sure to contact theledmuseum.org - Craig is a member here and a *welath* of knowledge about flashlights, etc.
- For *bright* (and big) lights, ask the folks in this thread:
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/92396
- the master of smallest and brightest lights is tvodrd:
http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=108321
- carrot maintains a collection of stories about flashlights and could help you with that side

I hope that gets you started. I'm sure others will have more ideas.

For a proper Nat Geo article you're going to have to set up a visit to the maglight factory in California.

http://www.maglite.com/index.asp?m=skipflash

Why not the surefire factory?


(show the world that there is more to flashlights than just maglight)

BTW, welcome to CPF

For older flashlights I would suggest the following 3 books:
(Info cut and pasted from a previous post)

1. Collector's Digest - Flashlights.
Published 1995. 142 pages, 5.5 x 8.5 inches. The book illustrates flashlights, related collectibles and flashlight catalog pages in color. It appears to illustrate flashlights from several different collectors. It sells for $12.00, plus shipping. Available from: L-W Book Sales, P.O. Box 69, Gas City, IN 46933.

2. Collecting Flashlights with Value Guide.
Published in 1996 by Schiffer. Written by Stuart Schneider. 166 pages, 8.5 x 11 inches in color.
The attractive Schneider book illustrates flashlights, related collectibles and flashlight catalogs in alphabetical order. Stuart Schneider is a practicing attorney in New Jersey who has written several books on collecting which have been published by Schiffer. Stuart is an authority on fountain pens. The flashlight book is available from Stuart for $29.95. plus shipping: Write: Stuart Schneider, P.O. Box 64, Teaneck, NJ 07666. email: [email protected].

3. Flashlights with Rarity & Value Guide. Early Flashlight Makers and the First 100 years of Eveready.
Written and Published in 2001 by Bill Utley. 320 pages, 8.5 x 11 inches in color.
It serves as a reference book with over 2500 illustrations of flashlights and related collectibles. It describes the history of the flashlight and the evolution of dry cell batteries and carbon filament bulbs necessary for the flashlight to become a reality. It covers early flashlight makers, their catalogs, patents and unique flashlights and a detailed, chronological study of Eveready. It sells for $49.95, plus shipping. For a limited time CPF members are offered the book for $39.95, plus shipping. The author is a retired dentist who founded Flashlight Collectors in 1989 and has written 53 quarterly Flashlight Newsletters over the past 13 years. Write: Bill Utley, P.O. Box 4095, Tustin, CA 92781. Email: [email protected]

For your other questions I would suggest starting by searching CPF. Just about everything you are asking about can be found right here. You can ask specific questions about anything not found by searching and I can just about guarantee you will get an answer, or more than likely many answers.

As far as the Apollo 7 flashlight, according the the website below, it sold at a Christie's auction for $2400.

Apollo 7 flashlight

Welcome to CPF!
Quite a different and refreshing approach in identifying and announcing your intentions. Given the nature of internet forums though, I hope you do have the facilities to confirm and verify information that you may gather off of web sites before you use it.

BTW, that's Captain Walter M. (Wally) Schirra, USN Ret.

welcome to cpf... you might want to contact pelican or surefire to see if you can get to their factories.

-David

Search around on the site and you will find a lot of cool lights.

My favorite, even though I dont have it (too expensive for me), is the Gatlight.

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/100190&highlight=gatlight

While visits to the various US manufacturers would be nice, such a documentary would not even touch on the surface of flashlight manufacturing if visits to the Chinese factories that produce the majority of the flashlights used in the world were not included. While the restrictions that are placed on visiting film crews by the Chinese government will prevent you from filming anything that the government does not want shown, some acknowledgement of the contribution from the Chinese sweatshops and their human exploitation would be essential.

You should cover the way the differerent components have evolved to make flashlights more reliable and useful.
The evolution of the bulb from vacuum to halogen ,Krypton,and Xenon.
THe development of the small HID bulb.
The advances in battery technology from Lead/acid ,carbon zinc to alkaline to Nicad/NiMH,Lithium and Lithium Ion.
The evolution of LED technology to the point where they are useful for lighting and not just as indicators.
Just a few thoughts.

http://www.flashlightmuseum.com/
Check it out.

Edit: Just noticed that greenLED had the above link covered with the first post. I read really well don't I?

I also agree with Bart in the below post that the Indium Smart is probably the most advanced flashlight in the world.

The Indium Smart would make a nice candidate for being one of the most advanced flashlights developed today.

Welcome to CPF!
I would think you would have better luck drawing out the information you have requested by providing your professional email address or phone number in association to National geographic, the vastness of your questions may deter those with the knowledge you request, although you certainly have picked the right place to begin you quest for information..
Also, affiliating yourself to a form of media as large as National Geographic in a form such as a personal/professional email address would help separate you from the people who would pose as a professional in an attempt to complete a high school paper.
Good luck in your research! Your in good hands.

Agreed. When you first said it was about how flashlights are made...The only show-worthy angle on that would have to be Brighteyez mentioning the problems with China.
Why does a history-culture organization even want to do a show about tool manufacturing? I'd expect something like this from Popular Mechanics shooting for filler, maybe even a Discovery Channel series focusing on an American invention, but National Geographic? I had a subscription when I was a kid, the most technological they got was a NASA feature or something about robotics.
...This is for a high school paper, isn't it? I apologize in advance if I'm jumping to a conclusion, but my rational side had to lay everything out before I start going on about the advancement of aluminum anodizing.

You really aught to cover tactical flashlights. They're real stunners, like the Surefire M6 and you can show off all the crazy things a K2 Kroma will do...

Anyway, my flashlight stories are in my sigline. Maybe something will give you an idea to recreate a story or something.

Man, have you come to the right place. Welcome to CPF Doc!! Hope you stay a while. Actually, I recommend it. Spend a month or so on CPF and you'll have a whole new appreciation for flashlights and flashaholics

Visiting www.Flashaholic.net is a must. The home of the USL. The Ultimate Stealth Light which is so bright it has a safety and lights paper on fire within seconds!!

I submit the new Draco as the smallest/brightess flashlight in it's class. The links are in my sigline below. Highly advanced too using PWM Pulse Width Modulation for multiple levels of brightness in a tiny form factor.

Wouldn't want to miss the world of niche collectable yet usable flashlight makers such as McGimzo's creations found in the McGizmo section of the forum. Mr_Bulk has his own forum now over at Flashlight-Forums.com
and others like TnC or Arc Mania. MJ does sweet builds pushing the limits in brightness form and technology.

There's more but can I ask how long you have to do the research?

Here are some things which I consider to be interesting about flashlights:

Flashlights can blow up. Several stories are documented here about lights bursting. One burst so violently it broke the hardwood cabinet in which it was stored. That thread is a sticky. Another blew open and badly sickened its owner (Lunar_Module, I think) with hydroflauric acid poisoning from the gas released -- required a trip to the hospitol if memory serves. Some here, notably Newbie, have done some good experimental work on flashlight explosions.

Cutting edge combat flashlights. Night-Ops Gladius, with its disorienting strobe is certainly like nothing else. Then there is the SureFire Kroma-milspec, with its variously colored low level LEDs (including infrared for night vision devices) and a bright white main beam. One user here (RadarGreg) avoided sniper fire while working on radar equipment in Iraq by using the Kroma's unique yellow-green LEDs, which allowed him to differentiate between wire colors while remaining unobserved. Another soldier doing a similar job was shot while using a MiniMag (white light), if I remember correctly.

Custom Makers. The fact that there is a sort of cottage industry making custom flashlights is noteworthy. Most people are very surprised to learn that people pay up to ~$300 or more for lights with certain colors of LEDs (like my red and cyan Alephs, or aber Mag for example); or they might want a titanium light, custom finish, etc. McGizmo and others are making super high quality lights, actually for pretty good prices considering what you get.

Hard Users. Cavers arguably have the toughest demands. There is a headlamp which I can't remember the name of, and of course the venerable Barbolight.

Law enforcement. There has been a trend away from Mags because of public perceptions related to damaging the meth-heads with a light, so they have gone to smaller lights, and often are required to use those with plastic bodies. SureFire's 6P arguably started that revolution.

Scott

P.S. Sorry, missed the main point of how they are made. -Duh-

Don McLeish would be an interesting one to speak to He (and others too) make high quality lights of their own design.

One could also go to Lumileds or Nichia and find out about the LED emitters themselves.

I know SureFire puts an extraordinary amount of effort into developing high performance bulbs. Not sure if they do that in house or what . . .

The DARPA flashlight project would be an interesting aspect of R&D. SureFire was the only manufacturer, I think.

There are possibly researchers working on solid state and related lighting who are accessible. I know LED semiconductors with holes are significantly more efficient (~5x) than what we use today. I remember something about quantum dots or foam or something too.

Hi Flashlight Doc,

I would also suggest looking at some of the unusual types of flashlights that are not your typical 2 cell flashlights such as:

Paklight and Palight -- these run on single 9 volt batteries

AIT Nightstar and similar shake lights

Crank Lights -- such as Freeplay

Powerful Single [Battery] Cell Lights -- Numerous manufacturers -- Fenix, Surefire, Dorcy, Peak, ARC, etc.

Brass Flashlights -- Peak, probably others

ETC.

Also, you might want to attend a CPF gathering, scroll down through the main index to find these.

thunderlight said:

Hi Flashlight Doc,
...
Also, you might want to attend a CPF gathering, scroll down through the main index to find these.

Click to expand...

Yes, have a look at the last couple we've had by clicking the CPF Get-together link in my sigline. We actually have a mini night hike tonight using red lense flashlight only
Here's a pic from the one we had in Northern California last Christmas

See, even civilian employment in a police department can make you cynical

What did you pick up on that gave it away? The wording (or poor use of it)? Poor spelling?

AlexSchira said:

...This is for a high school paper, isn't it?

Click to expand...