Forever LED Flashlight

Gadgeteer Hands On Review by Judie Hughes

March 21, 2005

The introduction of Light Emitting Diode (LED) bulbs in the 1960s probably didn't mean that much to too many people at the time, as the bulbs were mainly used in technical devices as indicators. In the 70s, LED bulbs began to appear in electronic calculators, digital wristwatches, and test equipment.¹ I am sure that many of us can remember thinking at the time that the red glow of an LED was one of the most beautiful things we'd ever seen.

With the introduction of additional colors and wavelengths which created even brighter lighting, more specialized uses have been found for LEDs. In the 90s, we saw LED bulbs create a niche for themselves in traffic & pedestrian lights, variable message signs (think Times Square) and automotive lighting.¹

For those that haven't given it much thought, LED bulbs "are unique, in that they come in a wide variety of pure colors, all without the necessity of any type of filter. The color generated by the LED is determined by the chemical or metal composite that covers the tips of the probes within the LED itself. One of the reasons that the LED is so efficient is that only a tiny part of the color spectrum is generated, energy is not wasted generating unwanted colors." ²

As I was researching this review, I found a few tidbits² about LED bulbs that I thought I would pass along, namely:
- LEDs create a natural light. The LED's soft glow reduces harsh shadows, reflection and glare.
- LEDs are long lasting. LEDs have a life span of 100,000 hours, or 600 weeks, or over 11 years of continuous use. Under most applications, LED’s will never fail.
- LEDs are extremely tough. There is no glass to shatter and no filament to break, making them completely resistant to shock and vibration!
- LEDs are safe to use. As a general rule, LED’s are excellent to use near explosive liquids and gasses, or where failed lights can cause accidents.
- Although generally safe to use, LED's should never be stared at directly by an unprotected eye because after extended periods of exposure, they can permanently damage your eyes! Because of this, don't leave an LED light within reach of young children who are unaware of the potential harm they can cause if not properly used.

It's only been recently that white LEDs have become readily available to consumers, and I am truly a fan of these bulbs. They produce a bright white light that burns cool and doesn't produce an ugly glare. As a result, manufacturers have recognized their value in consumer devices such as flashlights and home lighting.

Julie and I have reviewed several of the new LED flashlights in the last year, and I must say that the battery free ones that have really captured my interest. A flashlight is only as good as it's power source, and while an LED flashlight needs less juice to perform than other types of torches, it still requires a live power source to produce light. For some reason, the flashlights that I keep in the glovebox of my car always seem to be dead when I need them, so a battery free flashlight sounds like a perfect solution - as long as it lives up to my expectations and is reliable.

Not long ago, I reviewed the Gadget Brando Battery Free Flashlight and was pleased to find that a hand-pumped LED flashlight could create a reliable and bright alternative to the flashlights I had used in the past. Because I have been so satisfied with that product, when I was offered the chance to take a look at another battery free version which uses a different power charging source, I was happy to oblige.

Surprisingly enough, I was sent virtually the same product from two companies, so I will be talking about them both in this review. Both are called the Forever Flashlight, and except for a few minor cosmetic differences, they are the same item.

 
The clear version is available from Gadget Brando and the translucent blue model is from Merconnet

Each flashlight is approximately 6.75" long by 1.75" thick at the lighted end. There is a sliding off and on switch near the top, and the base has an integrated lanyard hole. The flashlights weigh approximately 3.5 ounces and their bodies are composed of sealed translucent plastic which feels solid and does not flex.

The flashlights are touted as being waterproof and their packaging also says that they will float, but I honestly wouldn't chance it. There is an open space on the clear model where the sliding switch moves and water would be able to enter the chamber. While this opening isn't as obvious on the blue version, there is no no gasket to keep water out.

The end cap does unscrew, and the guts of the flashlight are accessible once it has been undone, but the flashlight is not intended to ever be user serviced.  The bulb should never need replacing and their is no battery to replace, so unless you just can't resist it - don't take the chance of messing up your flashlight by taking it apart. With that said, after performing the time tests I couldn't resist...

 
The "guts" of the Forever Flashlight

The flashlight is powered by shaking it with a back and forth motion , using moderate force, while holding it parallel to the floor. Shaking the flashlight vertically may damage it, and at the very least will not provide a good charge. The first time the flashlight is used it will need approximately 90 shakes, but once it has been powered up first time and a little bit of juice is stored, it won't require as much work to keep it going in the future.

According to the packaging, the Forever Flashlight operates on Michael Faraday's Law of Induction. In 1831 Faraday observed that, "whenever the magnetic field about an electromagnet was made to grow and collapse by closing and opening the electric circuit of which it was a part, an electric current could be detected in a separate conductor nearby. Moving a permanent magnet into and out of a coil of wire also induced a current in the wire while the magnet was in motion. Moving a conductor near a stationary permanent magnet caused a current to flow in the wire, too, as long as it was moving." ³

Using this Law, the Forever Flashlight has a rubber damper at each end of its shaft and a magnet which slides back and forth inside a copper wire coil, which creates an electrical current. The magnet is quite powerful, so you will want to make sure that the flashlight is never stored or held next to the following: pacemakers, cassette tapes, computer disks, video tapes, credit cards, televisions, any device with a cathode ray tube (CRT) or automatic wristwatches. You've been warned...

The Forever Flashlight is supposed to give more than five minutes of light when charged (by shaking) for 30 seconds. In addition, according to the included paperwork "during prolonged use the Forever Flashlight should be turned off and shaken for 10 to 15 seconds every two or three minutes."

I tested the clear one first, shaking it back and forth for a times 120 seconds. This gave me approximately 2 minutes of bright white light, followed by approximately 2.5 additional minutes of dim light before the torch died. Hmmmm - not very good.

Next, I charged the blue flashlight for a timed 120 seconds, and I was rewarded with a bright light for all of two seconds, and then the flashlight died!

Hoping that my results were a fluke, I preformed the exact same tests an additional time and found...the clear one worked for about the same length of time, as did the blue. Bleh, by now my arm was starting to ache and I had nothing to show for it.

I am sure that I am not the only person that really hates it when a product I am prepared to like a lot doesn't meet my expectations, and that is definitely the case with this product. It would appear that the Forever Flashlight is not reliable, and therefore I can't recommend it. Since I happen to have two in my possession that have performed so poorly, I do not believe my results to be a fluke. I am not going to give up on finding other battery free LED flashlight solutions, though. I had great results with the hand-cranked model mentioned previously, and I am sure that there will be other worthwhile models to follow.

The Forever LED Flashlight is available from Brando and from Merconnet, as well as other retailers.

Price: $15.00

Pros:
Battery Free
Water resistant

Cons:
Strong magnet in base means you must carefully consider storage and placement locations
Can be damaged if improperly shaken (vertically rather than horizontally)
Light does not stay on for very long at all (mucho effort, no pay-off)

¹ Source: Marktech Optoelctronics
² Source: The LED Store
³ Source: Engineering.com