Why make this a glove box light? This could be an EDC… if you’re carrying with you always, you’re carrying it with you when you’re in the car, so the extra light does seem a bit redundant. Possibly, something that runs off 2 or 3 AA batteries, and has the red LED (s) on the side, along with a base you can keep in the glove box and then can use as an LED “flare…”
In fact they have those “Slyde” flashlights with a COB that illuminates when you slide the light open, all you’d need is a red lens there and you’re done! It even has a magnetic base IIRC…
Offhand, I’d say the blinkylights vs a static scene. “Motion” always attracts attention.
Plus, I replaced all exterior lighting except headlights/foglights with high-intensity LEDs.
Even in my old car, with taillights like these
those outboard of the trunklid are the actual brake-lights + turn signals. Replaced the hotwire bulbs with nice bright LEDs, even brighter than… 3357s? 3757s? Whichever are ~42W vs stock 30W bulbs (been forever, forgot the details). Plus, they got that instant-on “snap” vs hotwire bulbs that fade in and fade out. Got lots of comments from people who aren’t even “enthusiasts”.
The front ambers have even more of a “Holy Crap!” effect.
Granted, most people aren’t going to do that, but for me, my solution works fine.
In general, any “moving” light attracts attention. Yanks it, actually. That’s why even those silly amber “roulette wheels” of a dozen or so directional LEDs arranged in a circle, that just “spin” in 1/more patterns, would actually work best.
That’s what I was asking in my “take a step back” query. Is it to be a flashlight to be carried, kept in a car or closet, to be used occasionally or just at SHTF times, what?
Everybody’s kicking around some good ideas, but do they even apply?
No one’s even seemed to clearly define its main use. So things like red lights in back, white lights in front, magnet or no magnet, are all irrelevant until there’s any focus to the goal.
Or, youse can all spin your wheels with an endless wish-list for some kind of Swiss Army Light…
Hell, I get this at work all the time.
“Design a process to do X.”
Okay, what’s my input?
“Not sure yet, the client will send something later.”
Okay, so what’s my output to be?
“Again, the client will get back to us.”
Uhhhh, okay, so what in the bloody Hell am I to start designing?? :person_facepalming:
PS. I think there’s a HOLE LOT of flashturbatin’ going on in this thread. This keeps up and a bunch of ya are gonna go BLIND. Talk about needin’ an ‘emergency light’ alright.
The title is BLF emergency light. I would suggest to all here to go to Surefire and Streamlight. I see a few problems in this thread so I’ll point out a few.
1. AA alkaline has poor high current and they leak destroying the item. AA nimh low self discharge still loss 15-30% per year. 1-3 CR123a’s is probably the only way to go if you really want good output and long term storage.
2. Low-medium-high 3 modes keep it simple; strobe, SOS, beacon probably really not needed. 50 lumens to change a tire, walk a path or signal a person near by. Seeing 50 lumen across a field is easy. 2,000 lumen thrower is for looking for bodies that don’t respond. So do you want run time or output? 3 modes gives you about all you’ll need. Lets say 3 lumens, 80 lumens and 500-800 lumens.
3. Forget the rechargeable part.
4. Physical switch preferred tail clickie. Can still do the magnet with a protective collar around the button.
5. Pocket size so they do get carried if you’re on the move.
6. Keep it simple, I’ve already got enough to worry about if I’m using an Emergency light in a disaster area.
7. Don’t worry about target group being too stupid to operate rechargeable batteries or place multiple batteries in the right way. They showed an interest, they might figure it out. If they really can’t figure it out then those of us scrounging off their corpses can give it a try.
However, LSD Eneloops have been proven to last as long as alkaline cells in terms of self-discharge.
Heck, only lithium primaries AAs last longer than them.
2. 5 modes IMO, and with the 5th one being a double click to turbo. Moonlight always has to be included in these kinds of lights for obvious reasons.
1-50-200-800-Turbo 1200 lumens with SST-20 for max throw.
For an emergency light you want something with a battery that won’t leak over time. AA are terrible at that. I had CR123’s in my old surefire rifle light for over 20 years. That’s no exaggeration. I got that light in the 1990’s, then didn’t use it much, look it off, and put it in a box. Then last year when I moved I found it and decided to sell it on eBay. The CR123’s were still in there and it worked! No leakage either. Pretty amazing! That’s what I’d want for an emergency light. So at a minimum I’d go with a CR123 rechargeable, if not bigger.
Actually…I have a pretty clear idea of what it looks like.
By definition, a 4 pack aa would be the same size as a tn4a/sf11. Approximately 1.75” diameter, approximately 5 inches long. Currently those are around 4.5 inches so add another .5 inch or do for more electronics and USB port.
Easily fits into a door pocket or glove box or drawer. Not much of a EDC but still small enough to walk the dog.
This isn’t about what I can afford, I can afford to buy a ship load. This isn’t about what you can fabricate. This about what BLF EM1 can be for members and muggles.
So far, some interesting comments and caveats by members. If you are not interested, I get it, but I don’t get the “why are you doing this”.
Much more helpful to input then to complain about a concept.
I have approximately 80-90 nimah in all my devices. Approximately 200 ever since I junked all the nicads.
1 has leaked. About 10 were not taking a charge. The rest were junked, mainly because they were in phones and after several years, they won’t hold a charge compared to the most recent batteries. Or they were the older type and self discharged too quickly.
I don’t know about alkilines, or frankly, about any other chemistry because all my devices get nimhs the minute they are in my possession. So you may be right. But disagree about nimhs.
Now fer $9.97 when it goes on sale again, buy yerselves at least a three-pak for real emergencies. Then buy another three-pak to mod up as ya wish.
Or………then there’s the carry a real slim round plastic/Mylar type red filter lens/film in yer wallet and stick that over your lens, then mode it into strobe, beacon, wattever, and ya got a bitchin’ Magyver ‘emergency light’ rig while still only hoofin’ yer main EDC.
I understand the desire for AA batteries. They’re every where. Alkaline in a pinch works but at a cost of top end out put, better than nothing. Nimh if I’ve got a portable solar cell charger, years of light. Stored for future emergency use Lithium (LI/FeS2) lots of power 10+ year self life. But a built in charger adds more complexity to a simple tool. These items I would add to a bug out bag. 1000 lumens on 4-AA will suck the power out of them in very short order. If part of a more comprehensive strategy a 12 volt powered charger. Even in a total power loss disaster some bodies car is going to start. Even if they don’t a vast stored energy harvest with all those 12v lead acid batteries.
What is your experience in long term storage with Nimh cells? Mine is limited to home phones that sat on the charging base, TV remotes, and C cell sized Stinger lights from Streamlight that also usually sat on a car or wall charger. How do they handle hot or cold weather?
Yeh, instead of a “soda-can light” it’s a “tomato-paste-can light”. Got like 4 of ’em…
Problem is, even with me watching those hateful little alkaleaks like a hawk, one still crapped inside one of my TK4As, leaving one of the little brass nipples in the tail a dull brown and not shiny anymore.
I wouldn’t think of using alkaleaks in anything close to long-term storage. Hence my question about whether it’d be carried/used often or stuffed into a glovebox in a car. The latter is a recipe for a salt-filled death of an otherwise nice light.
K, now we’re getting somewhere…
Yeah, but that’s the part you’re not getting. I am interested, else I wouldn’t be reading this thread.
Just plain “emergency light” sounds vague. That amber doodad I pictured above is an “emergency light”. A Dash Laser is an “emergency light”. A shaky-light with coil and magnet inside, ir cranky-light with small generator inside is an “emergency light” (ie, no batteries required, get light anytime you need it).
So without pix of your idea what an EL might be, everyone’s chiming in with ideas for what they’re picturing.
White in front, red in back, I was picturing one of those lights-on-frame what you screw onto a cobblestone battery, like one of these
because I had one of those ages ago. Think the red light in back had a thermal blinker, too, that could be switched in.
Point being, all the different things I was picturing, could be done (better) by something else. So if what you were picturing was/is totally different, that’s what you need to get across.
You’ll find all the ‘emergency lights’ that’ll fit into a glovebox that you’ll ever need.
BLF GB.
SURE. There’s nuthin’ better that SOME VERY TALENTED people want to waste their valuable time on.
Hell, there’s a brain/labor intensive BLF GB design right NOW that’s 2 years in development which really should be focusing instead on a GLOVEBOX lite.
In that case you should not be the one to contact Sofirn/another manufacturer but the one who will do the legwork should do that, it is confusing for them if their contact is not always the same person. And work it is: having a light made in China requires continuous attention to the process. You can not throw an idea overseas, wait a while and there’s your flashlight. They will misunderstand every aspect of the project and someone must correct it every time, as early in the process as possible.
