Ok . . . this has got me a bit worried :)

I think this forum is getting to me . . . even though I've been here for just a short time.

I'm watching Lord of the Rings on tv and it's at the point in Shelob's lair where Frodo takes out the light of Eärendil to gain a bit of illumination in the darkness and the first thing I'm thinking is -- 'I wonder how many lumens that thing is putting out?'



Francis

:laughing: Good one !!!!

I keep wondering what that thing is powered by. And what it really gets switched on by - this "courage of the holder" thing is a bit far-fetched.

TorchBoy said:

I keep wondering what that thing is powered by.

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I can see it now . . .

"what's that thing take? . . . AA's? . . . CR123A's?"

"nah . . . elven magic"

What chemistry do you think the elves use in those lights? That is hysterical how this light fascination takes you over.

PRESCRIPTION: Quick, buy two new lights - anticipate their arrival (counting the days & suffering disappointment & anxiety when the package doesn't arrive)...finally receive them, experience the joy of the newly arrived technology. Run off into a dark room and do a quick beam/brightness check, and repeat - over and over and over and over!!!

You'll get better in no time....NOT!!!

I remember that passage in the book, and I distinctly recall thinking when I read it (~20 years ago) that the capsule / vial thing was nowhere near bright enough for the job.

CPF could certainly teach those elves a thing or two.

It was a prototype of the soon to be released CR123 Glo-toob!

I am by no means knowledgeable on LOR, but I did get the impression that as long as the Ring of Power existed, the laws of science hadn't started working yet. It was only when the ring was destroyed that science started working and the Age of Man (who was the only one among the elves, trolls, hobbits, etc. who could do science) could start.

And yeah, I was kind of expecting him to have to first bend that Elf light and shake it up for a few seconds before it would start glowing...

You're not alone. I was watching it as well, and was wondering how Shelob would like a nice Mag85!

DM51 said:

CPF could certainly teach those elves a thing or two.

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True enough but, "Frodo, here's a Maglite 3D with a Malkoff drop-in . . . don't forget what I said about the runtimes" doesn't quite have the same ring to it



Francis

TorchBoy said:

I keep wondering what that thing is powered by. And what it really gets switched on by - this "courage of the holder" thing is a bit far-fetched.

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Don't forget Orcrist and Glamdring, the fabulous elven swords that glowed when in the proximity of Orcs. Frodo also had an elven dagger that performed likewise, although I can't remember if it had a proper name. Seem to remember that a sword would glow brightly enough to illuminate the surroundings, so figure maybe 20 lumens emitted from its two planar surfaces.

Also, didn't Gandalf have some gizmo on his staff that emitted light? Didn't they make use of that light when they were inside Khazad-Dum?

(Haven't read the books for nearly thirty years so my memories of them may be flawed.)

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ringzero said:

Don't forget Orcrist and Glamdring, the fabulous elven swords that glowed when in the proximity of Orcs. Frodo also had an elven dagger that performed likewise, although I can't remember if it had a proper name. Seem to remember that a sword would glow brightly enough to illuminate the surroundings, so figure maybe 20 lumens emitted from its two planar surfaces.

Also, didn't Gandalf have some gizmo on his staff that emitted light? Didn't they make use of that light when they were inside Khazad-Dum?

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Silly movie makers forgot that Gandalf's sword should also glow, and Bilbo called his sword Sting.

I always thought a staff would be a good place to store a whole bunch of AA cells in series. A 1.8 metre long staff could have 36 AA cells, which would be enough voltage to power a really bright light for a fair while. The description of a knobbly thing on the top end fits the idea as well. I say it's the old "any sufficiently advanced technology will appear as magic" thing. The Elves just had better technology than anyone else.