new led glow tube light

I just found some LED glow tube lights at Walmart and Shopko. They are made by Garrity and come in four colors. They call them "Fun-Tastick".

I paid $2.40 a piece for them at Shopko (on sale), and of course I bought one of each color.

they are nice little lights for the price, but I wish Garrity had made them so the batteries could be replaced (they are disposable).

I also thought it was kind of wild that they seem to have used a blue/white LED for lighting the green glow tube. I guess maybe because the color looks more like one of those chem-lum light sticks.

My wife finds it amusing how much I like mine. My six year old thinks it makes a cool light saber. I think I need some more of them.

For the price, I can't replace the batteries anyway... so I don't really care. Those batteries cost more to replace than the light costs. (It takes three of them)

Next time we have a birthday party, they will be party favors, and we will use them as prizes for VBS for our church next summer. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

David <><

Hey great idea for VBS prizes! Thanks... no patent on that idea right? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinser2.gif

Already mentioned in a thread HERE

Reviewed here:

http://flashlightreviews2.home.att.net/reviews/garrity_fun-tastick.htm

well i had gotten the green and white ones and immediately cut the tubes off of them to use on my arc aaa's /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif

i gave my brother the yellow/green tube and i kept the white tube for my turquoise arc aaa. after my backpacking trip this past weekend, i've decided it's a perfect tent light! i may purchase an arc aaa orange down the road for something more soothing on the eyes, or maybe just take my brother's red fun-tastik and saw the tube off it /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

These light sticks don't need to be cut or sawed to get the tube off...

Take a look at the light stick right below the small clip (on the tube). On the blue & green ones, it's easy to tell by looking at the tube that it is made of one kind of plastic and the housing that holds the batteries is another.

Take some pliers and gently squeeze right at the base of the tube next to the small clip. You will hear some cracking. Don't worry, this is only the glue bonds breaking. Rotate the tube and squeeze again. Repeat until you don't hear any more cracking. Then, using your hands, gently apply "bending" pressure at the joint between the tube and the battery housing and the tube will separate. Then, just pull the tube off.

Also, the same thing can be done to the small endcap on the tube. The endcap can be removed if you want the LED light to project out of the tube.

Having used both brands of a very similar light tube, I'm now recommending the Ebay set. They are definitely
not the Garrity brand. The Garrity, which is made in the PRC is not near as desirable as the "Gilla" brand which is mfd. in S. Korea.

The Chinese one is glued together /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif and is meant to be a throwaway, while the Korean ones (from Ebay) use no glue construction and are made well enough to last a long time, with easily replaceable batteries.

IMHO, they are a great little deal for the set of three different color sticks (red, green, and blue), for only $5. + 2.50 s+h. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Doug do you have a link to those Korean lights?
I found
Battery Operated Fluorescent Glow Sticks $2
5 ILUMIX Techno LED , leds,glow stick,rave $6.99
And a question to anyone--Why an LED pacifier? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Wits'End
I just emailed you one of the current auctions.
It has 19 hours left on it, and is at $2.99 for the set of 3 colors.

I checked your other auction and noticed that they don't let you specify blue or green-they pick'em. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif $3. ea

[ QUOTE ]
Wits' End said:
And a question to anyone--Why an LED pacifier? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

[/ QUOTE ]
Pacifiers are often used by drug users (exstacy in specific) so they don't break off all their teeth.
If I buy one though, it's only for The LED Museum, and not for something more sinister. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif

LOL, you can learn something new everyday... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
I have one of the led-pacifiers, but I never knew that use for them... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Ok, I bid on two of the glow sticks (hoping I get both a green AND a blue), and one of the LED pacifiers. I also bid on an LED cigerette lighter that says something obscene when you open the lid. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Oh, and I used "buy it now" to get an RGB glow stick.

All from the same seller of course. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Pacifier's are for the stupid teen ravers. Also known as Etards.

Mutech

I won all of these listings last night, and paid with a Paypal e-check...

1 MultiColored Flashing Pacifier Party Item
1 "Lets Party" Flashing Shot Glass
2 Battery Operated Fluorescent Glow Sticks

I ought to get these things in a week or two. I'll post about the LED glow tube lights here, of course.

[ QUOTE ]
The LED Museum said:Ok, I bid on two of the glow sticks (hoping I get both a green AND a blue), Oh, and I used "buy it now" to get an RGB glow stick.

[/ QUOTE ]
Craig, could you point me to that RGB glowstick?

I looked all over that seller's site and couldn't find it. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif

Doug,

The listing I got my RGB glow stick from is:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2963641537&category=1467&rd=1
The listing appears to still be active (and should be until 12-08), so you can still get one.

It consists of a metal base, and a screw-on acrylic thing with a twisted "diffuser" in it. It uses three LR44 (I believe) cells for power, which are easily changed when need be. Let's try to get a picture of it...BRB...



The whole unit is approx. 7" long, and the acrylic rod itself is just over 4.5" long. It comes with a short lanyard. Although the lanyard is too small to go around the wrist, it can go around the light if the acrylic rod is removed.

In the light making portion of the head, there are 3mm red, green, and blue LEDs. In the center of the barrel is an on/off pushbutton. Press it once for on. Press again for off. Lather, rinse, repeat. When the unit is on and you wave it around, the rods emit flashes of purple, blue, blue-green, green, and red. It appears to emit a greenish aqua color when the rod is held still.

This isn't actually the GLOWSTICK that I was expecting, but it is interesting nonetheless.
And the price was right: $3 plus $3 shipping.

Thanks for the pix, Craig;
I actually got one of those awhile back..mine changes to seven different colors with each press of the button, or it will change colors automatically..like those pens.

Hope they pick you a green glowstick, those look like my Korean ones, and you'll love the brightness. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

I just got my shipping notification on those ebay glow sticks...they should be here next Wednesday (12-10-03), so that's when I'll be able to post here about them.

I bought the red, white and green funtastic from Walmart. I have to say, the green one is a step above the others. Red is quite dim compared to it. I stick the green one on the front of my survival vest when I fly, and it makes a great personnel marker when I'm out walking around running aircraft.

The green one uses a blue LED, so in addition to the LED lighting the green from the inside, it also makes the green material fluoresce. Pretty neat trick.