I just bought a cheapie squeezum lcd flashlight. Just as a test, we squeezed the dynamo handle a few times and turned on the light ............. last Saturday! With no additional squeezing, it's still shining today (Thusday). Amazing.

I can't help but wonder what the power storagemedium is in these devices. Is it a rechargable battery, or is it some kind of long-lived capacitor?

Has anybody had one of these devices for a long time? Is it still working? Any difference betweenunits of equal sizethat cost $3,versus one that costs$20?

 

Dang!!! My rip cord one doesn't last more than a half hour, but it is very bright and is easy and quick to charge. In addition, it can have a DC converter plug into it so I guess it's a hybrid!

Jerk-off lights FTL.

 

So falk,you're saying that squeezing works better than pulling???

 

Nah ..... I'm saying that squeezing or pulling works better than jerking!!! Of course I'm refering to the lights that feel like they have 1 battery in a 2 battery chamber. What were you referring to???

 

I have a cheapy wind up one thats in the trunk of my Accord for emergincies. Havent really used it much but the winding to light ration seems reasonable.

Yeah, the jerking ones suck.

 

Dang, now I have to figure out if I want to get a squeezzy, pully or a jerky ..I guess I can try all three of them out

WheelBrokerAng

 

The experiment continues.

The light was still on today - exactly one week after turning it on, with no additional squeezing - so we decided to end the expriment.............. we thought.

We turned the switch off. The light went out. And then we started squeezing.

The problem is that after probably two or three hundred squeezes, the light isonly a bit brighter. It is going to take a great number of squeezes to get the light back up to its original brightness. The thing was only $1, so maybe we'll just toss this one and buy another. After all, time and effort are worth something.

Therefore, Ibelieve that the storage device in our particular lightis indeed a smallrechargeable battery. The battery is fully charged when you buyit and itacts like a reservoirof power.If it is not recharged, the intensity of the light diminishes very slowly over time, but it's better tospin thedynamoa few times before or during each use so that the battery remains charged.

From reports I've read about other styles of lights, their storage device must be a capacitor. They provide light for only a short period of time after the dynamo stops,but the lightcome back up to full intensity after just a few cranks, squeezes, pulls, jerks, or whatever.

I think the capacitor type is abetter designbecause one HAS to run the dynamo frequently. That way, one doesn't get away withgetting too deeply in debt to the "power bank".

Of course if one is in trouble and for some reasoncannot run the dynamo, then the battery-type would give light for much longer.

 

why not take it apart and check?

 

I have one of those $40 Grundig am/fm/shortwave/flashlight radios with the dynamo crank,
it has one of those cordless phone types of batteries in it, problem is, after one year of
use (or non-use) the battery won't hold a charge anymore. And I DO crank it once a
month.

I also have one of those 'shaker' flashlights (the 'official' name escapes me at the moment..)
I shake it for 60 seconds, it gives off usable light for 2-3 hours.

FWIW

 

I know there is a Hummer brand of those shaker lights sold at The Sharper Image. Not worth all the extra cash though.