My new gadget!

[ina]

I feel like a little boy with a new toy

Got myself a wind-up torch. So now I sit at the computer and spend the time that it takes to open up sites/download files winding up the torch. Since the computer is rather slow, there's no shortage of "loading time"!

I thought the price was quite reasonable - £5.99, at an Esso station.

I like the idea that I'll never be in a situation that I need the torch and find that the battery is empty... The worst that can happen is that I'll have to wind for a minute or so, and off I go. Provided, of course, that I have the torch on me and it's not sitting at home!

[Wombat]

Onya Ina,

sounds like fun!

Nev

[Millymollymandy]

That sounds like a good thing to have. How bright is the light and does it work without a bulb, or do you have to replace them from time to time? (no idea how these things work )

[ina]

It's a LED light - but I have no idea what that stands for! Anyway, no bulb; and it's bright enough to get me across the yard at night... I think it's supposed to wear out eventually, just like re-chargeable batteries, which you can re-charge 10.000 times or so.

[Wombat]

Light Emitting Diode

Nev

[ina]

Thanks!

[Wombat]

No worries Ina - they are supposed to last much longer than incandescent bulbs!

Nev

[Jove]

You can also get a flashlight operated by shaking it a minute and then you have a few minutes of light. It works on the Farraday's cage principal : by shaking the lamp, a cupper coil is moved in the lamp, creating electricity. I found it on Ebay for a very nice price from a HongKong dealer (yes, on the other side of the world, but still quite cheap in shipping costs)

[albert onglebod]

We've got one that you have to squeeze the button on,to make it work.It uses little cogs inside to make the bulb light but it doesnt have any kind of battery.We got it for camping but you cant walk past tents at night cranking it,because it is very noisy. The one we've got now is a wind up torch and radio.The winding up bit is still noisy but it has a battery that is charged when you wind,so you can charge it up in the day and use the torch soundlessly later on.

[ina]

That's how the torch works, too.
I would like a radio as well - however, I find that a bit strange, this combination of radio and flashlight! If I need to go out at night, I don't really want to carry the radio along; if I listen to the radio and read at the same time, it might be handy - but then, the radio is quite big and might be rather inconvenient to point at the page!

But most of the radios seem to have a light on them nowadays. Why? Just because they can do it?

[Andy Hamilton]

I guess it is a matter of supply and demand the ones with torches on probally sell better and I imagine that they don't cost that much more to make.

[albert onglebod]

I got ours at xmas.The torches on their own were about £7.99 and the radio/torches were £9.99.
It seemed worth paying the extra to have 2 gadgets for the price of one.

[Shirley]

You can also get a flashlight operated by shaking it a minute and then you have a few minutes of light. It works on the Farraday's cage principal : by shaking the lamp, a cupper coil is moved in the lamp, creating electricity. I found it on Ebay for a very nice price from a HongKong dealer (yes, on the other side of the world, but still quite cheap in shipping costs)

Is it any good then Jove?? My son fancies one of these - and I like the idea of a torch that doesn't require batteries. I saw them advertised on ebay before christmas and meant to order... but didn't get round to it.. I think it was about £8. How bright is the light, and is it literally a couple of minutes of light?

[Jove]

The torch works very good; you shake it for about two minutes and you can start using the torch. The longer you shake, the longer it lasts and the brighter the light is. I bought my torch on Ebay from a HongKong seller. Even with shipping costs the price was very interesting ! (I think about 10 EU - 7 GBP)

[ina]

Do you really have to shake for a minute for just a few minutes' light? That seems not very effective... You'd be getting the jitterbugs in your hands if you were out for any length of time in the dark! I think that is one that my friend has, too, and she wasn't terribly keen on it. Or it was one of those you have to squeeze constantly... (which might be a good way to relieve stress - or to exercise your hand muscles!)

Anyway, Albert(ina): Is that cheap radio any good? The ones I've had my eye on are much more expensive - but then they have the option of solar, too.