*LED Flashlight*
Back when the Y2K scare was rampant, I started seeing a lot
of radios & flashlights coming out with built-in generators. I figured
them mostly as gimmicks. But years later, they're still being sold.
During a weak moment while shopping at BJ's Wholesale Club, I ran across a 2
pack of these flashlights for $24 and they had a $5 rebate. It's
hurricane season here once again, so I thought I'd give these a try. The package claimed 1 hour of run time with only 60 seconds of cranking. I decided to see what makes it tick, and find out if it lived up to the claim. |
There's one button on top. The first push flashes the 3 white LEDs, and two red LEDs on the side of the flashlight. The second push turns on the 3 white LEDs constantly. |
On the bottom is a crank handle. It folds up flush when not in use. |
Simply flips up for easy winding. Easy enough for a kid to use. |
Four screws and the case pulls apart. Lot more stuff in here that I thought. |
The thickness of the case is due to the gearing. A slow turn of the handle spins the little electric motor (used as a generator) rather quickly. |
The heart of the flashlight is a rechargeable Li-Ion battery. |
So I cranked it for 1 minute and turned it on... |
... an hour later, it still putting out useable light. |
I've been using this for the past month each time I take the dog for a walk after dark. I had been going through a set of D-cell batteries every month in my Maglite. Now I just take this little LED flashlight instead. Puts out enough light for the purpose, never needs batteries. I leave the other one in the BOV. $10 per flashlight, very good deal to me. |
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