Shake Flashlights are a Joke

maradcliff · 2006-05-12T07:01:43+00:00

The latest fad has been these flashlights that you shake to charge.They contain a coil and magnet which charges a capacitor and lightsthe LED. Well, they do work, but to keep the led bright you have toshake them almost constantly. I know many of you have played with them in the stores and say theystay bright forever. WRONG......These flashlights which are sold as batteryless, actually contain 2flat disk batteries. Thats why you never have to shake them when new.I dismantled one, and found the batteries. I removed the batteriesand they work without the batteries as long as they are shook almostconstantly. They stay on for over an hour after being shook, but thelight is so dim it's useless, and a match is brighter.Once again we as consumers, are being deceived by the advertisers.

May 12, 2006 42 Replies

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Jim Yanik 20 years ago

Richard J Kinch wrote in news:Xns97C49FE313ED5someconundrum@216.196.97.131:

(but more complicated and expensive)

I saw one of those at KMart,it had 3 5mm LEDs,they wanted $20 for it. IMO,not a good deal.

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Jim Yanik 20 years ago

Mark Lloyd wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

Many of the tiny keychain lights use the battery's -internal resistance- to limit LED current.Some of those button cells cannot supply much current at all.(high internal resistance)

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Mark Lloyd 20 years ago

The light I looked at recently had no electrical components other than a blue LED, 2 CR2032 batteries held between the leads, and a bit of springy material that kept the circuit open except when squeezed.

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