Wind up flashlight

I have had a wind up flashlight for a couple of years. Intended as backup lighting these are meant to provide about 30 minutes of lighting after a 5 minute cycle of winding.

Reality is 10 minutes of winding results in about 30 seconds of lighting. What holds the charge? Might there be a rechargeable battery inside which would warrant finding a way to open the case or is it some form of solid state capacitor which would mean just tossing the thing away?

Reply to
Jim
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Hi, Sounds like battery is gone bad. Instead of replacing battery, they are cheap. Just buy another unit. Mine has light, AN/FN/SW radio, cell phone charging adaptor plugs, solar cells so I can chaqrge the battery leaving near the window.

Reply to
Tony Hwang

geable battery

a friend had one and disected it. it contained a battery, battery was bad.

the government should pass a law requiring all batteries in everything to be user replaceable.

stuff turning to junk beause a 2 buck battery failed is insane

Reply to
hallerb

Just what we need more government control of our lives.

Reply to
shebaaa

I've got a 1920s Collins "no battery" flashlight in my "toy collection".

Its small incandescent bulb is powered by a PM generator driven by two "clock springs", each one about the size of a D flashlight battery.

The two springs are located end to end in the flashlight barrel the same way that batteries would be. They are in series mechanically and twisting the back end of the flashlight relative to the front winds 'em up.

The "on-off" switch is a mechanical device which jams or releases the speed up gear train between the springs and the generator.

The springs run down in a couple of minutes.

There's a photo of a Collins one up from the bottom the right side of this guy's page:

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The large "head" houses the gear train and generator.

Jeff

Reply to
Jeff Wisnia

Replace it with a LED flashlight and buy a few new cells every five years.

Reply to
Joseph Meehan

Usually a nicad button cell. Sure, rip it open and unsolder the button cell (probably three cells in series). Wire in three real Nicad or NiMH AA cells, and you'll have much longer life.

Helps to be an electrical engineer, though.

Or you can buy a new crank light for between $5 and 15 and throw that one in the trash. No, you can't, cause it has so much neat stuff on it. You can't trash it.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

I got one of those cheap ones that you got to shake. As soon as I got it home I noticed inside the semi-clear case that there is a disk battery inside. This thing comes apart easily. I removed the battery and found that I would have to shake it continually to keep the led glowing. The battery is a lithium disk, similar to ones used in a watch but about the size of a nickle. As far as I know, they are not rechargable. Thus the shake generator is of little use at all. The batteries are around $2, the flashlight was $5, so I'll likely replace the battery when it dies, but in realitym the whole concept is just a joke. About the only time the shaker is doing anything is while shaking it, and what good is that when trying to see in the dark.

Reply to
i-dont-know

rgeable battery

my best friend bought 3 shake flashlights, he is a retired electronic engineer and was curious about the concept.

came home and noticed loose wire thru clear case.

found none of flashlights had wires connected, shaker part wasnt even magnetic, all there was powering it the tiuny battery.

great scam but low cost rip off, he found it funny.

made in china, the thing was probably lead based too

Reply to
hallerb

I've heard of those sold at carnivals and fairs.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Obviously battery failed. Most likely not even nicad. All battereies accept some charging.

Reply to
Rich256

I'm opposed to laws like that that effectively take away a person's right to be reasonable or honest.

Reply to
Mark Lloyd

"Stormin Mormon" wrote in news:4773ba60$0$28854$ snipped-for-privacy@roadrunner.com:

the $3 "shaker" LED light I bought at a dollar store had the circuit board missing the storage capacitor and diodes,the charging coil was not connected,the magnet was just a piece of unmagnetized iron rod,and the LED was powered by a CR2032 and a CR2025 lithium coil cell in series.

Reply to
Jim Yanik

Yes! I have come to the conclusion that a "Wind Up" flashlight means that you usually "Wind Up" in the dark.

Reply to
JC

I've tried several wind-up flashlights. None will stat lit nearly as long as claimed. It's weak light too.

Reply to
Mark Lloyd

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