Give Yourself the Green Light

Home Green Miscellaneous Emergency Preparation Give Yourself the Green Light

Whether it's stealing second base, or hoping to get to first base with your date, there's nothing like getting the green light. However, in this case, neither baseball nor romance is the topic at hand. Saving money is the topic. And one of the best ways I've come across lately is by acquiring a kinetically powered LED "flashlight." It's the kind without a bulb or batteries, because you provide the power.

These devices come in two configurations: shake types and crank types. They all operate on the principle of electromagnetic induction. When you energize them, a powerful magnet passes through a copper coil and generates an electrical charge. These flashlights also function as capacitors and store this energy. When you push the button, the stored power is discharged and fires up one or more LED's. The result is pure bright white (make that green) light. On average, one minute of agitating the magnet yields about an hour's worth of juice.

Let's look at shake type tube models first. I bought one five years ago and paid $30 for it. It only has one LED and the light is not white (more bluish) and requires about 150 shakes to charge it. These days many TV shopping channels offer shake type LED flashlights for around $6, but for my money (and it is my money), the crank type is a better alternative.

Crank powered lights are marketed by a bunch of outfits. Google™ on "LED crank flashlight" and you'll get a ton of hits. Crank lights are divided into two categories as well: those that produce unidirectional light and those that produce omni-directional illumination. Best of all, newer style LED flashlights have many additional features. A good website to begin your search is lifegearcompany.com. Like most other things, you can save some money if you shop around.

A typical unidirectional model contains three LED's. Current designs nestle comfortably in your hand, are lightweight, and are about the same dimension as an eight-ounce slab Monterey Jack. When you are finished cranking, the crank folds back against the rear of the unit and out of your way. Mine has a two-way switch, which gives me the option of using just one LED or all three. For a crank light of this type, expect to pay around $10. However, if you want one with additional features, and as many as 15 LED's, then the lantern style is for you.

I bought one for $18. It's three inches in diameter and almost 12 inches tall. It's got a ton of features, including a two-way switch that lights up either three or all nine of the white LED's.

Additionally, there's an AM/FM radio, a cell phone charger, an external speaker that will accommodate your iPod or MP3 player, six blinking red LED's, a compass, and an alarm. Some of these features are handy, but some seem to be just this side of useless.

As an example, the compass is mounted into the top of the unit. If you try to read it, you'll need another LED flashlight just to see the thing. Besides, you don't need a compass to determine your location. You already know that you're sitting in the dark! Additionally, the "emergency" alarm and six blinking red LED's don't seem to perform any useful function whatsoever because neither is detectable until you're within about ten feet! With its cylindrical shape and all around plastic lens, the device emits an amazing amount of light.

So then what's my problem with batteries? Well, batteries have improved tremendously over time, but they've also become incredibly expensive. I can remember buying old style carbon core "D" cells at four for a buck. These days, an eight-pack of pink bunny batteries will run you nearly the cost of a basic LED flashlight. They do last months/years longer, but that's not the issue.

Those new batteries, containing exotic chemical concoctions and metals like cadmium, are poisonous in a landfill. Worse yet, many municipalities devote but a single day each year to collecting old batteries for recycling. That means you're stuck with a pile of dead batteries until it's time to dispose of them properly. By using kinetically powered flashlights, you buy fewer batteries, safeguard the environment, reduce landfill waste, and make a commitment to "green" living. Best of all, the "long green" you won't spend on batteries can be put to better uses. So if there's a downside to this scenario, I sure can't find it.

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