Flashlight question

[Rick Potter]

I am a flashlight junky, and cannot resist something oddball, and cheap. Picked a light off the clearance rack at HD the other day. It is an Energiser Carabiner Crank Light, and it was 3 or 4 bucks.

The package says you crank it for one minute, and get three minutes of light, at 7 lumens. This is an FL 1 standard that it apparently meets. I cranked it for 1 minute 15 seconds, then turned it on and left it. Twenty minutes later it was still putting out good light. At an hour, it was getting dimmer, but still good. It went one hour forty minutes and still put out enough light to be useable, about like a night light.

This light has three LED's, and the package says it never needs batteries. In tiny lettering it says it has NiMH batteries inside.

My question is..........do you think it also has a capacitor, or just the batteries.

[Tom M King]

I dont' know about that one, but I like the 2,000 lumen little flashlights you can get on ebay with a Cree LED, and rechargeable 18650 batteries for something less than 20 bucks with free shipping.

[Steve Peterson]

I doubt it has much circuitry for $3-4. It may have a small capacitor, but not a super-capacitor used for storing charge. That would be redundant since it has a rechargeable battery. I am surprised that it uses NiMh. NiCads are cheaper and should be more tolerant of over-charging.

We have something similar. It was marked as an emergency light since it never needs batteries. I certainly wouldn't count on it to be very functional after it sits in a drawer for a few years. I have so many battery operated flash lights and spare batteries that I am not worried if the "emergency" flashlight doesn't work. I usually buy around 4 per year around Christmas time when the big box stores have them in the center isle. I guess I am a flashlight junkie also.

Steve

[Scott Pierce]

I dont' know about that one, but I like the 2,000 lumen little flashlights you can get on ebay with a Cree LED, and rechargeable 18650 batteries for something less than 20 bucks with free shipping.

I've gotten three of the single AA battery mini Cree flashlights off amazon for about $4 each (from China) I think. I don't bother with the rechargeable batteries since I can get a brick of AA batteries at Costco, and they seem to last forever. I'd rather pay about 25 cents for a disposable AA instead of what the rechargeables cost, especially based on the reviews that say the quality is really hit and miss. Correct me if I am wrong.
We use these little Cree flashlights for camping and for $4 they are amazing!

[Tom M King]

I bought ten or twenty of the LI 18650 s for about a buck a piece and haven't burned one out yet. The 1800 and 2000 lumen flashlights might only burn for 15 minutes on a charge, but you can drive a car by it if your headlights fail. 4 triple As would probably put out about the same current, but that's just a guess. They recharge quickly with the cheap chargers too. We have a farm in the country, and these lights will light up to the other side of a pasture if needed. I wish I could post a link, but I only know of them on ebay.

[Franklin Ferrier]

I was wondering about the 2000 lumen jobs. The focusable 600lm ones seem to be powerful enough for most things I use them for. I think one of the small 2000lm torches could be used as a tactical personal protection device, blind the attacker before they get to you.

[Rick Potter]

I went back and checked, and it is NiMh. I tried out the light in the back yard tonight and it is bright enough to walk around, etc. The grandkids will have fun with it.

My current favorites are the small Duracell aluminum jobs that come three to a pack at Costco. They are amazing, and light up a house at 100 feet, and only $15 or so for three, with batteries. I have had a couple switches go bad though. I have one in each car, and near each door, as well as other places. They take 3 triple A's to run.

[Jerome Stanek]

I like the blue free ones from Harbor Freight I left one on and it lasted over a day. That was with the flat face with more leds lit. I like the magnet that I can stick it to the under side of a computer case

[John Stankus]

I

My question is..........do you think it also has a capacitor, or just the batteries.

My first thought was......you have a hammer....find out

[Rick Potter]

Ahh......perhaps later.

[Tom M King]

I understand we can't post a link here, but if you put this item number in the search box there, you will see one of the many examples. 201270807951 This is an 1800 lumen flashlight that will fit in your pocket, with rechargeable battery, and charger for a price that may surprise you. One similar to this is also my backpacking light.

I like the little chargers that charge one or two without the cord. The prongs for the plug fold in. Sorry, but I didn't spend time there shopping around. The item number above was just the first one that came up that included charger and battery. I did better on overall price by buying flashlights, chargers, and batteries separately. They were big hits as Christmas presents last year. My friend who won the Nobel Prize in Physics called me to ask where he could get another battery. He didn't notice it was rechargeable, and disposed of his battery when it went dead. We had a good laugh when I gave him another battery. At least he put it in a recycling bin for batteries.

[Jim Koepke]

An engineer once commented, "a flashlight is just a case for holding dead batteries."

Hello, my name is Jim and I am a flashlight junkie.

Though I do know my problem and fondly adore all the new flashlights in the stores and on line, I can restrain myself and have enough good ones laying around and a few dozens that only need batteries to be brought back to life.

jtk

[Mel Fulks]

Haven't seen the one you described but we have a couple crank charged light and radio gizmos. Think ours are Duracell product. They do work but they are only backups for harbor freight lights. Just got a "shop light" there with batteries for $3.49. Also has a flash light mode with fewer LEDs!

[Steve Peterson]

I went back and checked, and it is NiMh. I tried out the light in the back yard tonight and it is bright enough to walk around, etc. The grandkids will have fun with it.

My current favorites are the small Duracell aluminum jobs that come three to a pack at Costco. They are amazing, and light up a house at 100 feet, and only $15 or so for three, with batteries. I have had a couple switches go bad though. I have one in each car, and near each door, as well as other places. They take 3 triple A's to run.

I always look for 2 things in a handheld flashlight. It needs a switch on the side instead of the end. This makes it much easier to turn on while you are holding it. It also needs to take AA batteries, since AAs hold twice as much energy as AAAs for nearly the same cost.

Steve

[Rick Potter]

I agree with you there Steve. I love those little duracell lights, but they would be even better if they took AA's.

I found a full size Duracell light at Costco that takes C cells. It puts out more light than my old Mag Light with the LED upgrade. Keep it in my truck, but I use the pocket sized ones around the house all the time.