wind up head torch

[chuckle]

Been wanting one of these for ages and finally someone invented one.I got mine from millets for £10 a 1 min wind lasts about ten mins im well pleased with it,i hate battries so thats probably why ive got an indigo wind up lantern and shake torch my lighting needs are now complete.

 

[BushTucker]

I bought a wind up torch as I am a firm believer in green energy, was good to start then began to wear out very quickly, the preasure you have at new while winding dissapeard within 5 uses and now it hardly lights 1 led let alone the 3 option.

I am back to my rechargeables

 

[chuckle]

If you want a reliable green torch id recomend a shake torch i have one with 2 copper coils its very bright lasts for ages ive never had a problem with it just hope the same goes for the head torch.

 

[BushTucker]

I am making one of my own, hopeing i can make it more reliable! who knows aye.
It is after all only a wind handle, small motor used as an alternator, on off button and 3.6volt li-ion button rechargeable battery.
Don

 

[lottie.lou]

Been wanting one of these for ages and finally someone invented one.I got mine from millets for £10 a 1 min wind lasts about ten mins im well pleased with it,i hate battries so thats probably why ive got an indigo wind up lantern and shake torch my lighting needs are now complete.

I don't suppose you could us a review after you've put it through its paces? I've been wanting a wind up headtorch for a while but after getting a naff windup torch from Millets I'm a bit cautious about which one I buy. For the time being I've stolen my boyfriends windup torch which is coping at the moment, it doesn't seem to have a brand on it but it looks just like >>this<<. No connection to that shop it was just the first one I found on google

 

[BushTucker]

Lottie.lou
That is the same one I have. picked it up locally for about 3 quid. Not a bad thing but hope newer versions get better.

 

[stu1979uk]

tesco are also selling one

 

[demographic]

Got a mate with one of those windup torches, its a windup alright

Its absolutley feckless and as much use as a chocolate fireguard, it seems to run for about the same amount of time that he winds it for.

I will stick to my mini maglite with LED conversion thanks and maybe use rechargables.

I don't know what make his is and assume that not all windup torches are created equal, there must be better ones than his.
The windup radio that one of the painters had on site a while ago was no better and must have cost the painter far more in lost labour winding it than batteries would cost, rechargables being a far and away better option.

 

[Aragorn]

i keep a shake torch in the house for power cuts and the like, but for everything else i use lithium AA batteries, they last for ages.

 

[Geuf]

I'm actually still looking for a windup headtorch. But I can't find any. Does anybody here have some sites where they may be found?

thanks

 

[rik_uk3]

I've had a couple of wind up torches, crap to be honest, why not try rechargeable / solar charger setup instead and standard headtorch?

 

[appletree_man]

I have a couple of those squeezy torches, with the on button option. Only cost a couple of quid each and work great.
Got a wind up radio as well.

 

[BushTucker]

I have found a place that sells wind up head lights, here

Hope it helps

Don

 

[chuckle]

Bush tucker thats the same as mine just a different name,i tried mine out just a couple of minutes wind lasts about 30 mins very bright for about 15 mins then starts to dim a bit.But for the money and the no batteries im very pleased with it.

 

[gunnix]

As far as I know there's a battery in such a windup torch as well. And sooner or later it's going to break anyway, like normal rechargeables. And so you have the usual toxic dump from that battery, and you can throw the torch away as well if you don't know how to put another battery in it. I have also such a windup torch, and it worked quite good in the beginning but after a while it started giving less n less light for the same amount of spinning. Nevermind that it's a huge thing to take with you and that my hand got a bit ached by turning the little crank, because I tried to charge a phone with it to a decent energy level... I'd say you get better quality by just using a standard good quality torch/headlamp and use rechargeable batteries in that, and a solar charger. It will give you a much more useful light, and it's going to last you probably longer as well because of the better quality you get.

That's just my thought..

 

[BushTucker]

Well I have got my electronics kit out and I am looking at the design of mine, see if I cant improve the life per wind or beam etc. Well it`s worth a try?

Don

 

[ForgeCorvus]

I think the 'Bayliss' type uses clockwork to power a dyamo rather then to charge a battery

I could be wrong

 

[BushTucker]

The one i have and others i have seen use a small toy motor to act as a generator.
Inside it has a LIR2032 batt soldered to the pcb which rates about 35 mAh, the motor usually is a ZR24-50A350, The idea as I understand it, is the generator outputs its turned handle charged power through a diode bridge accumulator, charging the batt thus storing power for the leds, I have to check my books as I recon a single very high intensity led will last longer and use less power!!.

sorry to bore you all, but just a thought

Don

 

[Tengu]

Those cheap squeazy torches do have litium batts in, easy enough to dismantle if you lever the top off.

I have one in the car, its very handy for short term work

 

[BushTucker]

The motors are acually great for making small windturbines, I have the one from mine powering a light for my chucks,lol.