very cool Idea-solar powered flashlight

[knucklebuster]

I came across this company called sunNight solar a month or two ago. They do some amazing work in developing countrys by giving away these lights to people who have no source of light after it gets dark. 

At the time they were doing a promotion by giving away 500 lights to media type people, well my wife writes an article for the local paper and I sent her the link....... today 

I had to snap a few pictures and share with you all







and it evan has a glow in the dark ring so you cand find it



it is charging right now-battery life between 750-1000 nights of continous use
it takes AA batterys so it can also be a charger, so it is a multitool!
after looking at the site and seeing one in person I will be buying some more of these for sure!

check out thier site
http://www.sunnightsolar.com

[WhichDawg]

I've seen the article before, I thought it was cool and a worthy cause.
let us know how it is at night, brightness, how long it last, how is it's durability?
congrats and thumbs-up to your wife

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

That's a great idea

And I'm sure if it's designed for developing counties it'll be reliable

[jzmtl]

Hmm I just noticed that the LED's are different. The three central ones seems to have a flat top to provide flood light while outer ones have the conventional dome top to focus light.

[NutSAK]

Cool.  It looks like they're improving the BOGO light.  The last one I saw didn't have the built-in clip.

It is a very good idea, and a great program they're running.

[Freudian Frog]

Oooh, the SL2's are ideal for me. Anyone wanna chip in for an entire case?

[NutSAK]

The SL-2 is definitely worth the extra $5 over the SL-1.  I'd like to have one too.

I need another flashlight like I need another SAK. 

[Freudian Frog]

So... with the burning need of the burning flames from a thousand burning suns, burnt by a thousand burning suns before them?

[jock1]

Oooh, the SL2's are ideal for me. Anyone wanna chip in for an entire case?

Not another group buy on the horizon?

[Freudian Frog]

Oooh, the SL2's are ideal for me. Anyone wanna chip in for an entire case?

Not another group buy on the horizon?

Looks like buying 50 of them only saves you $3 a light. =|

[knucklebuster]

I'll have a trial run tonite with my mini mag, knock off surefire, a cheap hand crank led light, my bike light...... and a candle j/k

it may be a month or so but I would like to get say 5 or so for holiday gifts

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Let us know how the test goes please mate

[knucklebuster]

I tested them in my garage last nite, but was not really happy with how the pictures turned out for the close up on the wall test
ok here is a teaser:
left to right; my cellphone with flashlight (LED, rechargable), bogo2 (LED, solar powered, rechargable), $6 hand crank light (LED, not servacable), tactical light (halon? kripton? zenon? bulb, not rechargable and batterys are $3 ea.), mini mag (kripton? bulb, rechargable) bike light (LED, non-rechargable)


 
as you can see the tac light is very bright and was hands down the brightest, the mini mag as I am sure you know has a focus adjustment, and the bogo had 6 settings, 3 flashlight and 3 room light settings

Hmm I just noticed that the LED's are different. The three central ones seems to have a flat top to provide flood light while outer ones have the conventional dome top to focus light.

it is ment to be hung up in the center of a room and it worked well in my 12x20 garage

more to come
I think I might do a run time test on the rechargable lights

[NutSAK]

You said that the BOGO runs on AA NiMH batteries.  How many does it take? (looks like 3?)  Can you take a picture of how they swap in/out of the light?

Thanks!

[Freudian Frog]

It also says on the specs that you can opt for larger batteries in the NL-2?

[knucklebuster]

this is what I got from the site:

Battery capacity will decrease with time. Use of user installed larger capacity batteries can be expected to provide longer battery life both because of the extra initial capacity and because the batteries are not "deep cycled" so often in normal use.   Battery capacity is measured in mAh (milliamp hours). Operating time on a fully charged battery is about mAh/200 hours. The initially provided batteries are 800 mAh capacity and will provide 4+ hours of full power operation. If users fit eg 2500 mAh batteries they can expect about 2500/200 = 12+ hours of operation. Charging time is about mAh/80 sunshine hours. So an 800 mAh battery will take 800/80 = 10 sunshine hours to fully charge and a 2500 mAh battery about 2500/80 ~= 30 sunshine hours. On a good day charging will exceed these levels but these are a good guide of what may be typically expected in full sunshine. Obviously it will take several days of full sunlight to fully charge a 2500 mAh battery. Batteries will charge when light levels are lower than full sun, but charging will take longer.  Charging starts with about 6% sunlight and increases approximately linearly with increasing light levels.  A very bright but clouded sky can charge at 25% to 50% of maximum rate.  When charging, to achieve maximum charge rate the panel should be angled to point as directly at the sun as possible.

so if I get some more expensive, triple the charge holding capacity batterys 

here is the picture of the battery compartment


it appears to be a regular AA battery..... I wonder why they don't mention the stand alone charger ability

[NutSAK]

Cool, thanks for the pic and description.

That badboy is just asking for some Eneloops.  I really don't think their concern about "deep cycling" is that much of an issue with NiMH...

[jzmtl]

What type of solar panel does it have, the cheap non-efficient type in calculators or the better ones?

I wonder how well would it work to use all the space in handle (including the aeration spaces, which I think is a gimmick since the panel cannot provide enough charge current to remotely heat up the batteries), and put capacitors instead, which doesn't age as quick and hold charge better.

[NutSAK]

I don't think the heat they're concerned with in the design is from the charging current.  I'd imagine that badboy gets pretty toasty out in the African sun, don't you?

[jzmtl]

Doh! Then again I live in the land of snow, 95 is exceptionally hot in the summer.

I still think capacitor would be a better choice.

[NutSAK]

Doh! Then again I live in the land of snow, 95 is exceptionally hot in the summer.

I still think capacitor would be a better choice.

I can't argue with that really.  Would it add to the expense of the light to use capacitors?

Also, I really like the idea that I could use the flashlight to charge my NiMH AAs in a power outage.  I have a lot of NiMH AA LSD batteries.

[PyroJames]

Wow, those are nice pictures.  Thanks for sharing that with us, knuckleduster. 

And all this time, I thought "solar powered flashlight" was just an oxymoron/punchline.