Maker Pro
Maker Pro

Self Powered flashlight

D

_DD

Jan 1, 1970
0
I've seen a lot of these things lately: coil with movable slug in a
cylinder. Supposed to charge up a cap or maybe a nicad if you shake
it long enough (I won't go there).

1: Some of the cheap ones look like they use a nonmagnetic slug,
straight Li calculator batteries, and no diodes or other parts. I
can't think of how that would work. Anyone?

2: Does anyone know of a source for one that actually works?
 
S

SQLit

Jan 1, 1970
0
_DD said:
I've seen a lot of these things lately: coil with movable slug in a
cylinder. Supposed to charge up a cap or maybe a nicad if you shake
it long enough (I won't go there).

1: Some of the cheap ones look like they use a nonmagnetic slug,
straight Li calculator batteries, and no diodes or other parts. I
can't think of how that would work. Anyone?

2: Does anyone know of a source for one that actually works?

2 for 5 bucks at the Walgreen's check out. Smaller ~2 c cell size. I shook
it back and forth for a couple of seconds and low and behold light. I
passed, cause the led was barely visible in store light at a range of 3
inches.
 
R

Robert Baer

Jan 1, 1970
0
SQLit said:
2 for 5 bucks at the Walgreen's check out. Smaller ~2 c cell size. I shook
it back and forth for a couple of seconds and low and behold light. I
passed, cause the led was barely visible in store light at a range of 3
inches.
BTW, a flashlight *cannot* power itself; thermodynamics does not
allow that, and flashlights do not have sufficent awareness in any case.
 
D

Don Klipstein

Jan 1, 1970
0
I've seen a lot of these things lately: coil with movable slug in a
cylinder. Supposed to charge up a cap or maybe a nicad if you shake
it long enough (I won't go there).

1: Some of the cheap ones look like they use a nonmagnetic slug,
straight Li calculator batteries, and no diodes or other parts. I
can't think of how that would work. Anyone?

I have seen and even purchased such things from a dollar store, and
determined after I got home that these were imitations. The batteries
in these imitations are CR2016, which i surely believe is a
non-rechargeable type. The coil's leads in these imitations are shorted
together. The "magnets" in these imitations are not magnets but merely
chunks of steel rod.
Since the packaging makes actual claims of never needing replacement
batteries and to shake in a specific direction and to shake to recharge,
my opinion is that these fakes are something truly dishonest. I wonder if
a specific law was broken where I could get a DA or a law enforcement
agency involved.

The dollar store where I got them has a return policy posted on their
door: No refunds, returns only for exchange of factory defects, and then
only with receipt and a time limit. So I left one of these on for a week
to drain the battery and went back to the dollar store to return one.
Someone there took my return, shook it and was unsuccessful at recharging
it by shaking it, then pulled another from its box on a display rack,
found it dead and was unable to charge it by shaking it, and pulled
another that was good from the box, so I get a replacement rubbish fake
shake-to-recharge flashlight with at-least-somewhat-good cheap CR2016
calculator batteries for my time and effort of making the return and my
$1.99-plus-tax that I originally spent on the one returned.
2: Does anyone know of a source for one that actually works?

I have seen them (non-fakes) at Upper Darby True Value, a hardware store
in the 6900 block of Marshall Rd, Upper Darby PA USA. Where in PA - in
Delaware County, in the zip code 19082. I found ones there that did not
light before I shook them and did change to working in my response to
shaking them.

Web references to true such things, not necessarily any specific model
that I personally experienced:

http://ledmuseum.candlepower.us/second/shake2.htm

(A review page by a notable LED flashlight reviewer, Craig Johnson AKA
"LED Museum".)

- Don Klipstein ([email protected])
 
V

Victor Roberts

Jan 1, 1970
0
I have seen and even purchased such things from a dollar store, and
determined after I got home that these were imitations. The batteries
in these imitations are CR2016, which i surely believe is a
non-rechargeable type. The coil's leads in these imitations are shorted
together. The "magnets" in these imitations are not magnets but merely
chunks of steel rod.
Since the packaging makes actual claims of never needing replacement
batteries and to shake in a specific direction and to shake to recharge,
my opinion is that these fakes are something truly dishonest.

Yes! I'm a bit surprised by this thread. Many of these
shake-to-recharge flashlights are the real thing. I can't
quite believe that some people (not you) think all or most
of these are fake.

However, some people have obviously decided to cash in with
fakes and I am surprised you have any reluctance at all to
call this what it is.
I wonder if
a specific law was broken where I could get a DA or a law enforcement
agency involved.

Since I'm not a lawyer and I'm also not sure which state you
live in this is my non-professional answer - YES! This is
fraud. Based on your description the product clearly claims
to do something it does not. This is not even subtle. It is
an outright fraud. This is a criminal offense. If you lived
in New York I can just about guarantee that a call to the
Consumer Protection Bureau of the office of the New York
Attorney General would produce results. If the city or
county where the store is located has a consumer protection
bureau, you might want to try them first.
The dollar store where I got them has a return policy posted on their
door: No refunds, returns only for exchange of factory defects, and then
only with receipt and a time limit. So I left one of these on for a week
to drain the battery and went back to the dollar store to return one.
Someone there took my return, shook it and was unsuccessful at recharging
it by shaking it, then pulled another from its box on a display rack,
found it dead and was unable to charge it by shaking it, and pulled
another that was good from the box, so I get a replacement rubbish fake
shake-to-recharge flashlight with at-least-somewhat-good cheap CR2016
calculator batteries for my time and effort of making the return and my
$1.99-plus-tax that I originally spent on the one returned.

Did you explain to these fine people that they were selling
a product that does not function as described on the box and
this opens the store owner to possible criminal penalty if
he or she knows that the product is not even designed to
perform the functions designed on the box?

--
Vic Roberts
http://www.RobertsResearchInc.com
To reply via e-mail:
replace xxx with vdr in the Reply to: address
or use e-mail address listed at the Web site.

This information is provided for educational purposes only.
It may not be used in any publication or posted on any Web
site without written permission.
 
T

TKM

Jan 1, 1970
0
Don Klipstein said:
I have seen and even purchased such things from a dollar store, and
determined after I got home that these were imitations. The batteries
in these imitations are CR2016, which i surely believe is a
non-rechargeable type. The coil's leads in these imitations are shorted
together. The "magnets" in these imitations are not magnets but merely
chunks of steel rod.
Since the packaging makes actual claims of never needing replacement
batteries and to shake in a specific direction and to shake to recharge,
my opinion is that these fakes are something truly dishonest. I wonder if
a specific law was broken where I could get a DA or a law enforcement
agency involved.

The dollar store where I got them has a return policy posted on their
door: No refunds, returns only for exchange of factory defects, and then
only with receipt and a time limit. So I left one of these on for a week
to drain the battery and went back to the dollar store to return one.
Someone there took my return, shook it and was unsuccessful at recharging
it by shaking it, then pulled another from its box on a display rack,
found it dead and was unable to charge it by shaking it, and pulled
another that was good from the box, so I get a replacement rubbish fake
shake-to-recharge flashlight with at-least-somewhat-good cheap CR2016
calculator batteries for my time and effort of making the return and my
$1.99-plus-tax that I originally spent on the one returned.


I have seen them (non-fakes) at Upper Darby True Value, a hardware store
in the 6900 block of Marshall Rd, Upper Darby PA USA. Where in PA - in
Delaware County, in the zip code 19082. I found ones there that did not
light before I shook them and did change to working in my response to
shaking them.

Web references to true such things, not necessarily any specific model
that I personally experienced:

http://ledmuseum.candlepower.us/second/shake2.htm

(A review page by a notable LED flashlight reviewer, Craig Johnson AKA
"LED Museum".)

- Don Klipstein ([email protected])

One that appears to work is the "Forever Flashlight" made by Excalibur
Electronics in Miami, FL [ www.excaliburelectronics.com ]. I've had one for
about a year. It uses a single white LED, copper coil, metal slug and a PC
board. The case is semi-transparent, but I can't get it apart without
breaking something to check the circuit.

You shake the thing horizontally for about 30 seconds and that results in
about 3 minutes of light. The instructions warn about placing the unit
anywhere the magnetic field might damage video tapes, credit cards or
pacemakers, so that says it has a working dynamo.

But for quantity of light, I still prefer my Mag-Lite.

Terry McGowan
 
C

Clive Mitchell

Jan 1, 1970
0
In message said:
One that appears to work is the "Forever Flashlight" made by Excalibur
Electronics in Miami, FL [ www.excaliburelectronics.com ]. I've had
one for about a year. It uses a single white LED, copper coil, metal
slug and a PC board. The case is semi-transparent, but I can't get it
apart without breaking something to check the circuit.

If it's anything like mine, then unscrewing the lens cap will allow the
entire guts to be slipped out the front with ease. By popping the end
cap off, the whopping big neodymium magnet can then be removed for high
power magnetic foolishness. :)

(And it all goes together again easily too.)
 
A

Andrew Gabriel

Jan 1, 1970
0
If it's anything like mine, then unscrewing the lens cap will allow the
entire guts to be slipped out the front with ease. By popping the end
cap off, the whopping big neodymium magnet can then be removed for high
power magnetic foolishness. :)

(And it all goes together again easily too.)

Providing you didn't get the magnet stuck to something
whilst playing with it ;-)
 
T

TKM

Jan 1, 1970
0
Clive Mitchell said:
In message said:
One that appears to work is the "Forever Flashlight" made by Excalibur
Electronics in Miami, FL [ www.excaliburelectronics.com ]. I've had one
for about a year. It uses a single white LED, copper coil, metal slug and
a PC board. The case is semi-transparent, but I can't get it apart
without breaking something to check the circuit.

If it's anything like mine, then unscrewing the lens cap will allow the
entire guts to be slipped out the front with ease. By popping the end cap
off, the whopping big neodymium magnet can then be removed for high power
magnetic foolishness. :)

(And it all goes together again easily too.)

Maybe a yank with a pipe wrench will do it. I'll get out the big dude I use
for sewer pipes and burglars. I'd like to see that
circuit board up close.

Terry McGowan
 
D

Don Klipstein

Jan 1, 1970
0
TKM wrote said:
You shake the thing horizontally for about 30 seconds and that results in
about 3 minutes of light. The instructions warn about placing the unit
anywhere the magnetic field might damage video tapes, credit cards or
pacemakers, so that says it has a working dynamo.

One of the fake ones says the same thing! I just saw a different
package at a different dollar store with the same light!

Looks like my state attorney general's office will be getting a call
from me soon!

- Don Klipstein ([email protected])
 
T

TKM

Jan 1, 1970
0
Don Klipstein said:
One of the fake ones says the same thing! I just saw a different
package at a different dollar store with the same light!

Looks like my state attorney general's office will be getting a call
from me soon!

- Don Klipstein ([email protected])

Good idea, Don. I've been working with residental lighting fixture
manufacturers lately and they are all complaining about the fake products
being sold to say nothing of the forged UL and other safety marks. Canadian
Standards Association now offers a service where they inspect containers on
the dock before they leave Asia for forgeries. UL told me recently that
complaint reports had jumped by 50% over the last year.

Terry McGowan
 
Z

Zak

Jan 1, 1970
0
SQLit said:
2 for 5 bucks at the Walgreen's check out. Smaller ~2 c cell size. I shook
it back and forth for a couple of seconds and low and behold light. I
passed, cause the led was barely visible in store light at a range of 3
inches.

My parents bought oen for fun years ago that had gears and a real bulb.
It gave real light. Sadly it was made of plastic and I destroyed it as a
kid by squeezing to hard.

The category is called 'knijpkat' in Dutch - squeeze-cat.

More efficient than shaking, I'm sure. And available in LED models these
days.


Thomas
 
V

Victor Roberts

Jan 1, 1970
0
My parents bought oen for fun years ago that had gears and a real bulb.
It gave real light. Sadly it was made of plastic and I destroyed it as a
kid by squeezing to hard.

The category is called 'knijpkat' in Dutch - squeeze-cat.

More efficient than shaking, I'm sure. And available in LED models these
days.

I had a similar hand-powered flashlight when I was a child
about 55 years ago. Squeezing the handle turned a small
generator which powered the lamp. There as no energy storage
other than the inertia of the a flywheel that was part of
the drive chain. In those days the gears and other working
parts were made from metal and the flashlight lasted quite a
long time.

I few years ago I purchased a modern version for a class I
was teaching. The gears were made from plastic and the
device broke after a short time.

--
Vic Roberts
http://www.RobertsResearchInc.com
To reply via e-mail:
replace xxx with vdr in the Reply to: address
or use e-mail address listed at the Web site.

This information is provided for educational purposes only.
It may not be used in any publication or posted on any Web
site without written permission.
 
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