Introducing the solar-powered flashlight.
July 7, 2006 10:28 AM Subscribe
What do you get the man who has it all? How about a solar-powered flashlight.
Hm. Dad's birthday is coming up. And I already got him the audio-animatronic chimp bust, which is too bad, cause now it's on sale.
posted by hoborg at 10:42 AM on July 7, 2006
posted by hoborg at 10:42 AM on July 7, 2006
Um. It has batteries, so I'm assuming you didn't just mean "how funny, a light that needs light to work!". Thus I'm left wondering what your point in posting this actually *is*.
posted by freebird at 10:43 AM on July 7, 2006
posted by freebird at 10:43 AM on July 7, 2006
I assume you don't think this is a new innovation, and you're just posting it for kicks, because of course, isn't a solar powered flashlight completely redundant and therefore humorous?
No. You can get a charge in the daytime and then use it at night.
posted by poppo at 10:43 AM on July 7, 2006
No. You can get a charge in the daytime and then use it at night.
posted by poppo at 10:43 AM on July 7, 2006
If it's like the one I have, it has batteries that charge in sunlight, and LEDs for output, so it burns a long time between charges.
No, I don't have it all, but I have a flashlight I don't have to buy batteries for, and now I have this fairly lame FPP to read.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 10:45 AM on July 7, 2006
No, I don't have it all, but I have a flashlight I don't have to buy batteries for, and now I have this fairly lame FPP to read.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 10:45 AM on July 7, 2006
I just put in a nice screen door on my submarine.
posted by Divine_Wino at 10:52 AM on July 7, 2006
posted by Divine_Wino at 10:52 AM on July 7, 2006
husker... don't. Please.
Also, that thing needs an LED bulb, not that cheap old incandescent bulb.
Just think, with the correct placement of mirrors, it could power itself!
I wonder how much longer it'd actually run if you did do that. A minute? 5? 30?
posted by loquacious at 10:56 AM on July 7, 2006
Also, that thing needs an LED bulb, not that cheap old incandescent bulb.
Just think, with the correct placement of mirrors, it could power itself!
I wonder how much longer it'd actually run if you did do that. A minute? 5? 30?
posted by loquacious at 10:56 AM on July 7, 2006
This light can be powered in two ways: Solar Power: Place the light (with built-in solar panel) in sunlight during the day and it will charge the built-in rechargeable circuit. This will give you up to three hours of light (2-1/2 hours if using both the flashlight and the blinking light). Two size "AA" batteries (not included). If you combine solar charging with the optional "AA" batteries, you can more than double the power of the flashlight (up to nine hours of continuous use).
Hmm.. 3 * 2 = 9 now?
posted by triolus at 10:57 AM on July 7, 2006
Hmm.. 3 * 2 = 9 now?
posted by triolus at 10:57 AM on July 7, 2006
A solar powered fleshlight would be cool, for camping and stuff. Or just sitting in the park on a sunny day. Bliss.
posted by econous at 11:00 AM on July 7, 2006
posted by econous at 11:00 AM on July 7, 2006
I don't get the point of this post. These things have been around for ages. All the men who have it all probably already have one.
posted by JanetLand at 11:01 AM on July 7, 2006
posted by JanetLand at 11:01 AM on July 7, 2006
You can "more than double the power", triolus.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 11:03 AM on July 7, 2006
posted by mr_crash_davis at 11:03 AM on July 7, 2006
I don't have one of these, but it's possible that this is just the first advertisement in human history to correctly distinguish between power and energy.
Power is how much energy is output per unit time (in this case, how bright the light is). It could be that the optional AA batteries allow doubling the output power, but have sufficient reserves that the light will continue to operate for nine hours.
posted by Humanzee at 11:09 AM on July 7, 2006
Power is how much energy is output per unit time (in this case, how bright the light is). It could be that the optional AA batteries allow doubling the output power, but have sufficient reserves that the light will continue to operate for nine hours.
posted by Humanzee at 11:09 AM on July 7, 2006
Thanks Humanzee
posted by parallax7d at 11:12 AM on July 7, 2006
posted by parallax7d at 11:12 AM on July 7, 2006
I've had one for years. Bought it for a dollar at a thrift store. Works best with NiMH batteries, since it's constantly charging when exposed to light, and NiCd batteries have that "memory" problem. I prefer my "shake" flashlight, which is brighter (LED), lighter, and more compact.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 11:21 AM on July 7, 2006
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 11:21 AM on July 7, 2006
Middle school?
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 11:36 AM on July 7, 2006
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 11:36 AM on July 7, 2006
"A solar powered fleshlight would be cool, for camping and stuff."
"But does it vibrate?"
OK, this thread is about a second and a half (or maybe three times that, so... what? -- two seconds) away from earning a NSFW tag.
Straighten up people!
posted by Mike D at 11:51 AM on July 7, 2006
"But does it vibrate?"
OK, this thread is about a second and a half (or maybe three times that, so... what? -- two seconds) away from earning a NSFW tag.
Straighten up people!
posted by Mike D at 11:51 AM on July 7, 2006
I'm about as straight as I'm ever going to get. Any more and it's going to be an emergency room visit for priapus.
posted by loquacious at 12:00 PM on July 7, 2006
posted by loquacious at 12:00 PM on July 7, 2006
"I mean, just look at this unnatural state."
"It'll never last."
"Oh, but it will. That's what's so... unnatural about it."
posted by loquacious at 12:03 PM on July 7, 2006
"It'll never last."
"Oh, but it will. That's what's so... unnatural about it."
posted by loquacious at 12:03 PM on July 7, 2006
Available in Newfoundland!
posted by jimmythefish at 12:16 PM on July 7, 2006
posted by jimmythefish at 12:16 PM on July 7, 2006
(up to nine hours of continuous use)
Thus far we have: 3 * 2 < X < 9
Where X is duration in hours of the battery opperated solar flashlight.
posted by yeti at 12:23 PM on July 7, 2006
Thus far we have: 3 * 2 < X < 9
Where X is duration in hours of the battery opperated solar flashlight.
posted by yeti at 12:23 PM on July 7, 2006
I wonder how much longer it'd actually run if you did do that. A minute? 5? 30?
I imagine he was referring to the placement of mirrors in places where there is sun after dark - in each timezone - not some sort of "light funneling system".
posted by hoborg at 12:40 PM on July 7, 2006
I imagine he was referring to the placement of mirrors in places where there is sun after dark - in each timezone - not some sort of "light funneling system".
posted by hoborg at 12:40 PM on July 7, 2006
Available in Newfoundland!
But pretty much useless since we* get so much fog.
*Admittedly I'm presently nearer to jimmythefish than my ancestral home, but the point stands.
posted by hangashore at 1:13 PM on July 7, 2006
But pretty much useless since we* get so much fog.
*Admittedly I'm presently nearer to jimmythefish than my ancestral home, but the point stands.
posted by hangashore at 1:13 PM on July 7, 2006
A solar powered fleshlight would be cool, for camping and stuff. Or just sitting in the park on a sunny day. Bliss.
You could get a nasty burn that way.
Regarding the flashlight...I dunno. It's kind of a clever idea, but I think I would rather have a flashlight that can run longer than 3 hours. Also, the picture tends to suggest they're using a regular filament bulb (and nothing in the description suggests otherwise). If you have LED's on the bottom, why not use one for the main light?
I think I'll stick with the crank or grip powered lights for now. Which starts to lead back towards the Path of Wrong, so I'll stop.
posted by deusdiabolus at 1:46 PM on July 7, 2006
You could get a nasty burn that way.
Regarding the flashlight...I dunno. It's kind of a clever idea, but I think I would rather have a flashlight that can run longer than 3 hours. Also, the picture tends to suggest they're using a regular filament bulb (and nothing in the description suggests otherwise). If you have LED's on the bottom, why not use one for the main light?
I think I'll stick with the crank or grip powered lights for now. Which starts to lead back towards the Path of Wrong, so I'll stop.
posted by deusdiabolus at 1:46 PM on July 7, 2006
[off topic but borne out a link upthread] I followed the Dehydrated Water link and found a link to this site called ANewIdentity.com
"Do you envy someone with more money? No problem. Just tell us who. We can give you their identity and the money in their bank account is now yours. With a few modifications to your new identity's credit bureau file, we can remove the identity from the other holder and give it to you. Don't worry, we won't leave the other person identity-less. We'll offer our services to them as well."
I was tempted to fill out the free evaluation, but these are clearly hucksters and I don't want to give them my real information. Anyone else care to hazard a try?
posted by pelican at 1:50 PM on July 7, 2006
"Do you envy someone with more money? No problem. Just tell us who. We can give you their identity and the money in their bank account is now yours. With a few modifications to your new identity's credit bureau file, we can remove the identity from the other holder and give it to you. Don't worry, we won't leave the other person identity-less. We'll offer our services to them as well."
I was tempted to fill out the free evaluation, but these are clearly hucksters and I don't want to give them my real information. Anyone else care to hazard a try?
posted by pelican at 1:50 PM on July 7, 2006
I already have. I'm not really floydd. I thought that anybody as brilliant as floydd MUST be rich. I was wrong. So horribly wrong.....
posted by Floydd at 2:17 PM on July 7, 2006
posted by Floydd at 2:17 PM on July 7, 2006
I'd rather have a flashlight I could use where the sun don't shine.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 2:34 PM on July 7, 2006
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 2:34 PM on July 7, 2006
You could get a nasty burn that way.
"A personal lubricant prevents nasty burns. Always remember to use a water based personal lubricant to keep your solar powered fleshlight in top condition. Avoid public spaces during use. At night your solar powered fleshlight can be operated by a bright desk lamp, or a 6 D-Cell MagLite"
At least that's what it said on a dear friends package.
posted by econous at 2:40 PM on July 7, 2006
"A personal lubricant prevents nasty burns. Always remember to use a water based personal lubricant to keep your solar powered fleshlight in top condition. Avoid public spaces during use. At night your solar powered fleshlight can be operated by a bright desk lamp, or a 6 D-Cell MagLite"
At least that's what it said on a dear friends package.
posted by econous at 2:40 PM on July 7, 2006
Its easy to snark this thing now, but just wait till the next natural disaster wipes out your entire infrastructure and you’ll wish you had two of them.
posted by Huplescat at 6:07 PM on July 7, 2006
posted by Huplescat at 6:07 PM on July 7, 2006
Huplescat writes "but just wait till the next natural disaster wipes out your entire infrastructure"
An espresso and a whole bran muffin will do the same thing.
posted by krinklyfig at 5:49 PM on July 8, 2006
An espresso and a whole bran muffin will do the same thing.
posted by krinklyfig at 5:49 PM on July 8, 2006
And I'm aboujt 2 seconds...or three...or whatever is the cosine of 9/2 seconds...away from ROFLing at this thread. :)
posted by darkstar at 9:24 AM on July 9, 2006
posted by darkstar at 9:24 AM on July 9, 2006
« Older Inspirational Climber | Is this America's recruiting dilemma? Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by blue_beetle at 10:37 AM on July 7, 2006