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Those no-name 2 for ten bucks "shake lights"

D

Don Bruder

Jan 1, 1970
0
Picked up a pair of those two for 5 bucks shake lights Walgreen's is
pushing this Xmas.

Complete box copy from mine (typos and "Engrish" *ALL* the box's fault!
- I ain't makin' this stuff up, folks - I don't need to - it's printed
right there in black and white two feet in front of my face!!! :) )

The Front:
The New Procuct
Come Into The Market

Environment-protective
Torch For 21st Century
Rotate the box vertically 1/4 turn to find:

Features:
1 Only shake it to forward and backward while also use. So as to Make it
Generating to light up for brightness.
2. its switch system is based on advance magnetic induction
technologies. So it's long in service life and reliable in performance.
(I guess the second sentence of #2 isn't *TOO* bad...)
Advantages:
1. a tocrh is used for emergency lighting purpose. However, the
traditional battery-supplied torch may cause you a big distress because
battery will becoming ineffective and producing poliution if torch is
leaving idle for long time. The chargable torch is has problem power
leakage; or it will help you remembering to charge only at time of
needingfulness. This innovative torch is to the breakthrough in solution
to wastage and inconvenient.
2. Being self-supplying, it will serve you long and well.

Caution:
1 Never keeping it closely with the household appliances needing
magnetism from to be shielded.
2. We will not taking the any responsibility for losings and harmful
causes or any injuriousness by improper use from the result.

Next two sides repeat the same things.

The "Engrish" was almost worth the price of the darn things all by
itself :)

On the "It's five bucks, and I've got another one... Who cares if I
screw it up?" theory, I unscrewed the end to find that the innards are
encased in a second clearer plastic tube - a 5/8" long by 9/16" diameter
cylindrical magnet (*QUITE* impressively potent - I'd rate it pretty
close to the supermagnets you'd find in hard drives in the "pull a
screwdriver off it" test) inside a 1 inch long by about 11/16" coil that
appears to be "flat-wound" with what looks like 4-5 layers of
close-spaced #30 or so wire - hair-fine - I'm talking one of *MY* hairs
fine, and that's *REALLY* fine, a small circuit board with 4 1N400x type
diodes, but in the one I've opened, they're all turned so that I can't
see the last digit - Not that it matters much for the application) a
quarter-watt sized carbon-film resistor (Brown Gray Black Gold, 5 volt
..0047F electorlytic capacitor, white LED, plus two 2032 lithium coin
cells and a simple "move the slider to mash this springy bit of brass
against this other not-so-springy bit of brass" switch.

Havent' yet gotten around to fully deciphering the circuit board, but it
looks pretty simple - Diodes make a full wave bride, charging the cap
and batteries (2032s are rechargable???), switch connects LED through
resistor to cap/batteries, light comes out the end.

One of the *VERY* first things that's going to have to happen to make
this thing more than just a cutesy toy is spray-painting the body
black... With it clear, the backscatter from the bottom of the LED is
blinding. As long as it's kept "wrapped up", it actually puts out a
decent amount of light, but I'm already plotting and planning the "how"
of perhaps ripping the power section out of it and installing it in one
of the little yellow 6-LED "Streamlight" units I've got laying around -
Have to see just exactly what kind up "oomph" it can put out...

Anybody hacked one of these things in an interesting fashion yet?
 
funny how the chinese produce such inferior products....they mangle
english almost as badly as negros....yet they are gonna economically
gut the USA
 
J

James Douglas

Jan 1, 1970
0
Now you gone and done it I am gong to Walgren thes aftermoon! Might be
fun to hack and screw around with, I am thinking about converting to to
one of the 2MillionTrillionGaBillion candle power handheld lights!.....
 
N

Noah Little

Jan 1, 1970
0
funny how the chinese produce such inferior products....they mangle
english almost as badly as negros....

Now that's just unfair. I doubt that you can come up with any
documented instances of Chinese mangling Negros, either well or badly.
 
D

Don Bruder

Jan 1, 1970
0
Noah Little said:
Now that's just unfair. I doubt that you can come up with any
documented instances of Chinese mangling Negros, either well or badly.


Oh great... sci.electronics.* has now become the place to post a serious
question if you want to stir up a few racists and lamers spouting
stupidity and thinking it's comedy. I was under the impression that
those kind of kiddy-games were relegated to the alt.* hierarchy. My
bad...

<sigh> Ask a serious question, stir a handful of imbeciles out of the
woodwork... I'm afraid to think about what would happen if I were to
post a fart joke - Some wag would post back with details of how to build
an aperational fusion reactor?

I'll make an effort in the future to recall that these groups are now
officially intended for fart jokes and similar-level stupidity passing
as humor. Ha-ha - Get it? fart joke? passing? Gawd, I'm so clever...

My apologies for actually asking a serious question. Forgive me for
interrupting - Now back to your regularly scheduled "funny" posts.
 
S

St. John Smythe

Jan 1, 1970
0
Don said:
Oh great... sci.electronics.* has now become the place to post a serious
question if you want to stir up a few racists and lamers spouting
stupidity and thinking it's comedy.
<sigh> Ask a serious question, stir a handful of imbeciles out of the
woodwork...
My apologies for actually asking a serious question. Forgive me for
interrupting - Now back to your regularly scheduled "funny" posts.

Oh, get over yourself, Don. Your "serious question" was one line at the
end of a post that opened up by belittling the fractured English on a
package and segued to probing the technical depths of a garden-variety
linear generator and LED light.

How's your Mandarin or Cantonese, BTW?
 
M

Mark Fergerson

Jan 1, 1970
0
Don said:
Picked up a pair of those two for 5 bucks shake lights Walgreen's is
pushing this Xmas.

I wrote pretty much the same stuff in the "Shakelight reviews?" thread.
Complete box copy from mine (typos and "Engrish" *ALL* the box's fault!

The "Engrish" was almost worth the price of the darn things all by
itself :)

Some of us are more easily amused than others; that said, I found it
pretty funny too. OTOH I worry that the Chinese are tracking our
educashun system's progress, and are labeling their products to suit our
lowest common denominator. Either that or it's _supposed_ to be funny...
On the "It's five bucks, and I've got another one... Who cares if I
screw it up?" theory, I unscrewed the end to find that the innards are
encased in a second clearer plastic tube - a 5/8" long by 9/16" diameter
cylindrical magnet (*QUITE* impressively potent - I'd rate it pretty
close to the supermagnets you'd find in hard drives in the "pull a
screwdriver off it" test) inside a 1 inch long by about 11/16" coil that
appears to be "flat-wound" with what looks like 4-5 layers of
close-spaced #30 or so wire - hair-fine - I'm talking one of *MY* hairs
fine, and that's *REALLY* fine, a small circuit board with 4 1N400x type
diodes, but in the one I've opened, they're all turned so that I can't
see the last digit - Not that it matters much for the application) a
quarter-watt sized carbon-film resistor (Brown Gray Black Gold, 5 volt
.0047F electorlytic capacitor, white LED, plus two 2032 lithium coin
cells and a simple "move the slider to mash this springy bit of brass
against this other not-so-springy bit of brass" switch.

Mine had 5.5V .2F caps. Different production runs/use what's on the
shelf? Also, I had to re-bend one of the springy bits in one of the pair
to get the thing to work. And concur on the magnets; do _not_ get your
fingers between them unles you want to show your grandkids what a blood
blister looks like. ;>)
Havent' yet gotten around to fully deciphering the circuit board, but it
looks pretty simple - Diodes make a full wave bride, charging the cap
and batteries (2032s are rechargable???), switch connects LED through
resistor to cap/batteries, light comes out the end.

Dunno if 2032s are rechargeable, but no explosions yet. Eventually I
took them out to use in watches; ten minutes of light for a minute's
shaking isn't too shabby.
One of the *VERY* first things that's going to have to happen to make
this thing more than just a cutesy toy is spray-painting the body
black... With it clear, the backscatter from the bottom of the LED is
blinding.

I'd say "extremely distracting", but yeah. I used some self-sticky
plumbing insulation foam on mine.
As long as it's kept "wrapped up", it actually puts out a
decent amount of light, but I'm already plotting and planning the "how"
of perhaps ripping the power section out of it and installing it in one
of the little yellow 6-LED "Streamlight" units I've got laying around -
Have to see just exactly what kind up "oomph" it can put out...

Kewl, but beware you don't kill the yellow LEDs with the extra
voltage. Let us know.
Anybody hacked one of these things in an interesting fashion yet?

Best I've done so far is take the lens out (better light spread) and
bungee one loosely to my bike handlebars; shake as you go!

I s'pose one could remove the LED and install a small radio circuit,
with the speaker at the business end? Hey, there's a "third world" product!


Mark L. Fergerson
 
D

Don Bruder

Jan 1, 1970
0
Mark Fergerson said:
I wrote pretty much the same stuff in the "Shakelight reviews?" thread.

Guess that's one I either just plain missed, or ignored because it was
of zero interst at the time.
Some of us are more easily amused than others; that said, I found it
pretty funny too. OTOH I worry that the Chinese are tracking our
educashun system's progress, and are labeling their products to suit our
lowest common denominator. Either that or it's _supposed_ to be funny...

Dunno, but it teeters on the edge between "funny" and "pathetic". One
thing for sure: I can understand why there is *ABSOLUTELY NO TRACE* of a
"Who made this" statement on the box - They've *GOT* to be embarrassed
about it. "Made in China" is the closest thing to a maker's mark to be
found anywhere on either the packaging of the light itself.
Mine had 5.5V .2F caps. Different production runs/use what's on the
shelf? Also, I had to re-bend one of the springy bits in one of the pair

Yep - The one I opened up needed the springy bit bent, and I'm also
thinking I'm going to have to take a soldering iron to it - It acts like
the soldered end has a cold joint - Mashing the end into contact with
its opposite number doesn't always make it work, but "playing with" the
soldered end while mashing the free end almost always convinces it that
the switch is closed. Remelting the solder will likely turn the trick.
to get the thing to work. And concur on the magnets; do _not_ get your
fingers between them unles you want to show your grandkids what a blood
blister looks like. ;>)

Izzat one of those "DAMHIKT" things? :)
Dunno if 2032s are rechargeable, but no explosions yet. Eventually I
took them out to use in watches; ten minutes of light for a minute's
shaking isn't too shabby.

And even if the rest of the unit is complete garbage, "two for five
bucks" for lithium 2032s isn't exactly "astronomical" pricing -
Especially not when even Wally-world is wanting 4+ bucks a pop for them,
and some online places are saying they'll let you have one for $5.50
plus shipping.
I'd say "extremely distracting", but yeah. I used some self-sticky
plumbing insulation foam on mine.

I'm considering black electrical tape, but I'll probably go with my
"first-instinct" - "spray-paint the entire inside of the outer shell
with black Krylon."
Kewl, but beware you don't kill the yellow LEDs with the extra
voltage. Let us know.

Nah, not yellow LEDs - The case of the Streamlight unit is "Day-Glo
yellow". It has 6 white LEDs mounted in the "business end", runs off of
4 AA batteries, and has to be one of the nicest LED-based lights I've
encountered so far. Now that I've figured out that 2032s are 3 volts
each (I thought they were the usual 1.5 - Guess that's what thinking
does for me) it seems reasonable that the power section of this "shake
light" thing should be able to power the Streamlight "head" without any
major trouble - If I can figure out a way to "mash the two together"
that's reasonably easy to do without completely destroying the
"handiness" of the package.
 
R

RST Engineering \(jw\)

Jan 1, 1970
0
I wanna hear more about the full wave "bride". Sounds like a hell of a deal
to me.

O'course, the current wife ain't gonna be all that pleased with the deal.

{;-)

Jim
 
D

Don Bruder

Jan 1, 1970
0
RST Engineering \(jw\) said:
I wanna hear more about the full wave "bride". Sounds like a hell of a deal
to me.

Put 'er in a "g"-string, and you'll have what I meant :)
O'course, the current wife ain't gonna be all that pleased with the deal.

Tell 'er to take a number :)
 
J

John Fields

Jan 1, 1970
0
I wanna hear more about the full wave "bride". Sounds like a hell of a deal
to me.

O'course, the current wife ain't gonna be all that pleased with the deal.
 
R

RST Engineering \(jw\)

Jan 1, 1970
0
Reminds me of the story of the guy and his wife that were doing it doggy
style...

he was sitting up begging and she was rolling over playing dead.

{;-)

Jim
 
J

Joe

Jan 1, 1970
0
One of the *VERY* first things that's going to have to happen to make
this thing more than just a cutesy toy is spray-painting the body
black... With it clear, the backscatter from the bottom of the LED is
blinding. As long as it's kept "wrapped up", it actually puts out a
decent amount of light, but I'm already plotting and planning the "how"
of perhaps ripping the power section out of it and installing it in one
of the little yellow 6-LED "Streamlight" units I've got laying around -
Have to see just exactly what kind up "oomph" it can put out...

Anybody hacked one of these things in an interesting fashion yet?

Maybe someone will use the innards to power a miniature electronic oven.

You know...


--- Joe
 
Z

Zak

Jan 1, 1970
0
Don said:
And even if the rest of the unit is complete garbage, "two for five
bucks" for lithium 2032s isn't exactly "astronomical" pricing -
Especially not when even Wally-world is wanting 4+ bucks a pop for them,
and some online places are saying they'll let you have one for $5.50
plus shipping.

Batteries are a 'what the buyer can bear' market. Not a matter of cost,
but how much it is worth it to you to get your PDA of camera working again.

I'v recently seen prices of 1 euro for a card of 5 2032 and 1 euro for a
card of 20 alkaline buttons in various sized, in 'dollar stores'.

As far as rechargables go, i'm less wary of special rechargable li
battery packs for say a digital camera after finding
www.akkuinternational.de. Lots of Li-ion packs for less than 10 euro.
Makes you wonder about margins... though I never ordered from these guys.


Thomas
 
R

Rich Grise

Jan 1, 1970
0
On the "It's five bucks, and I've got another one... Who cares if I
screw it up?" theory, I unscrewed the end to find that the innards are
encased in a second clearer plastic tube - a 5/8" long by 9/16" diameter
cylindrical magnet (*QUITE* impressively potent - I'd rate it pretty
close to the supermagnets you'd find in hard drives in the "pull a
screwdriver off it" test) inside a 1 inch long by about 11/16" coil that
appears to be "flat-wound" with ... [etc.]

Wait a minute! ;-) 5/8" long, and 9/16" diam? Isn't that kind of a
squatty-looking cylinder? How does it not jam in its sleeve (or whatever
you call the part it slides back and forth inside of)?

I'd think it would have a tendency to get canted, and bind, stick, or
jam, like an uncooperative desk drawer. That apparently didn't happen.
Anybody got any idea how?

Thanks!
Rich
 
R

Rich The Newsgroup Wacko

Jan 1, 1970
0
Picked up a pair of those two for 5 bucks shake lights Walgreen's is
pushing this Xmas.

Okay, we've all already read about the shake lights. So I'm gonna
go off here:

D'ya think some of us have had more (or less) practice than others at the
particular hand motion that (presumably) recharges these things? ;-p
 
R

Rich The Newsgroup Wacko

Jan 1, 1970
0
I wanna hear more about the full wave "bride". Sounds like a hell of a deal
to me.
Me said:
O'course, the current wife ain't gonna be all that pleased with the deal.

But but but, I thought you said, "Full" wave. ;-P
--
Cheers!
Rich
------
"For a house-to-house salesman named Moore,
Getting housewives' attention's no chore:
He's endowed with a dong
That is 12 inches long,
So he wedges his foot in the door."
 
R

Rich The Newsgroup Wacko

Jan 1, 1970
0
Reminds me of the story of the guy and his wife that were doing it doggy
style...

he was sitting up begging and she was rolling over playing dead.

{;-)

Jim
Daddy, turn her over! I'd rather have a puppy!
--
Cheers!
Rich
------
"There was a young lady from Bangor
Who slept while the ship lay at anchor
She woke in dismay
When she heard the mate say:
"Let's hoist up the topsheet and spanker!""
 
D

Don Bruder

Jan 1, 1970
0
Rich Grise said:
On the "It's five bucks, and I've got another one... Who cares if I
screw it up?" theory, I unscrewed the end to find that the innards are
encased in a second clearer plastic tube - a 5/8" long by 9/16" diameter
cylindrical magnet (*QUITE* impressively potent - I'd rate it pretty
close to the supermagnets you'd find in hard drives in the "pull a
screwdriver off it" test) inside a 1 inch long by about 11/16" coil that
appears to be "flat-wound" with ... [etc.]

Wait a minute! ;-) 5/8" long, and 9/16" diam? Isn't that kind of a
squatty-looking cylinder? How does it not jam in its sleeve (or whatever
you call the part it slides back and forth inside of)?

I'd think it would have a tendency to get canted, and bind, stick, or
jam, like an uncooperative desk drawer. That apparently didn't happen.
Anybody got any idea how?

Thanks!
Rich

Ack! Measurements listed bass-ackwards! It's a tad longer than its
diameter, so make that 9/16" long by 5/8" diameter.

And me giggling at the Engrish on the box... <sigh>
 
D

Don Bruder

Jan 1, 1970
0
Rich The Newsgroup Wacko said:
Daddy, turn her over! I'd rather have a puppy!

Oh, lord... That was *SO* wrong...

But I can't stop laughing at it! :)
 
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