Flashlight, lantern, battery suggestions

[Nodak]

I have a radio that uses a spring powered generator to run the radio and an LED light. Crank the handle on the radio to wind the spring for a few minutes and it will run for close to 30 minutes. It's a bit of a pain to use but I never have to worry about leaking batteries. It stays in my winter survival kit in my car.

 

[FireBug]

IMHO this is a two tool issue. Flashlights in a power outage will highlight objects or problem areas (elec panels etc), but for general lighting I think every home should own a coleman camping lantern. I suggest propane model. A small propane cylinder cost a few dollars and will store for long. A lantern will light an entire room and run for hours. You can pick it up and move it and it provides some limited heat.


On the flashlight side, Streamlight is a very good torch. I'm however fond of Fenix. They are not cheap but I guarantee it will last a lifetime. They are waterproof. The Lumens will cast a bright, defined light over a great distance. They are tactical (in that shining the light in someones eyes will make them turn away or close their eyes). I prefer the ones that run on 123 batteries. I buy them in bulk from amazon and they have a huge shelve life. I've never had one leak on me. They have brightness control. (if you ran them at max power...the batteries will obviously drain much quicker). Small enough to put in your pocket and thumb lever control.


Like most of us, I used to use Maglite's. Now they just seem quaint. And that baseball bat of a 3 D-cell tube just sits on the back of my shelf. With my Fenix, I can even bite down on it and use both my hands to do a quick fix. Turn a Fenix on in the dark and you not only have light, you've a got what can only be described as a white search light

 

[freebird5825]

I keep several size flashlights on hand and store the batteries outside the units. If a battery leaks, then I just grab a fresh one.

I like good old fashioned candles in solid glass containers for emergency lighting.

I keep both a flashlight and a glass enclosed candle with a book of matches on top in the living room, master bedroom, and kitchen.

If you have Goya products available in your grocery store, they sell a tall white candle (7 day religious candle) enclosed in heavy duty glass for a very good price. It is not sooty at all. Look on the upper shelf above the food items.

 

[MRG]

I'm done with Maglite. Bad battery and 10 hours of work, no go. They used to replace their units, had read the fine print. No more. My last replacement was an led that has solar and manual crank.

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[photoguy]

I have a few LED headlamps from REI. These are great for hands free operation and the batteries seem to last a very long time.

I also have a coast HP7 flashlight. It has zoomable head so goes well from flood to spot. Originally got it for light painting but seems to be very useful generally. I think the coast flashlights are pooh-poohed because they don't use very sophisticated regulation methods but compared to the old style maglights they are miles better (as would any modern led flashlight).

 

[imoldernu]

Understanding the basics of batteries may be a good start in deciding which type to use for specific purposes. For instance, knowing the difference between Primary cell and Secondary cell batteries can affect long term cost.
This wiki page is a good start.
Dry cell - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Going down to the specific types of dry cell batteries helps to understand which ones are best for use in cameras, flashlights, phones, tablets etc. and where plain "heavy duty" batteries may suffice.

This is a similar, shorter explanation that narrows down the recomendations:

http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/whats_the_best_battery

 

[Dhickman57]

When the electric goes out I go outside and pull the rechargeable sidewalk lights and use indoors for general lighting. Double duty.


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[Koolau]

Sorry to come to the party late... again.

I've been sort of semi-obsessed with emergency power and lighting for most of my life. Not certain why. As luck would have it, we had an 18 hour black-out Island wide back in '08 and I was ready. The neighbor thought I must have a generator as our house was nearly as bright as usual throughout the ordeal. The radio(s) were blaring the latest updates on the outage and the TV was playing DVDs and VHS tapes for amusement. I just had lots of LED flashlights, LED lanterns and 12 volt batteries/inverters that time. Don't have a favorite battery - just what is on sale. Honestly, I throw out many more "old" batteries than used-up batteries. I look at having lots of extra "semi-fresh" batteries on hand as cheap insurance against being "powerless."

Since then, I've gone a step further. I keep a jumper battery in each car and keep them charged on a monthly basis. I bought a separate small (inexpensive) inverter which plugs into the accessory port in a car (or on the jumper). With it, I can run every LED free-standing lamp in the house simply by bringing one of the jumpers from the car and plugging everything in. Run time seems to be several hours as (I'm guessing) most of the battery drain is to run the inverter rather than the few watts each for the LED bulbs. I figure for any long term problem (to which an Island is quite vulnerable - Grid? WHAT grid?) I can recharge the jumpers from the car alternator and keep lights and radios going until I run out of gas in the two cars.

We lose cable with every power outage, but a medium sized inverter connected to the jumper or a spare 12 volt battery gives a few hours of DVD entertainment (with the lights ON).

I'm toying with the idea of purchasing an inverter large enough to run the side-by-side fridge/freezer and a couple of 6 volt golf cart batteries (deep cycle) to power the inverter. Need to do some research first, so YMMV.

 

[timo2]

We just purchased a Duracell 1000 lumen flashlight at costco, and it immediately made all of our cheap-around-the-house flashlights and spotlights obsolete. It is really bright. We use it to see what the dogs are doing outside at night.

 

[timo2]

When the electric goes out I go outside and pull the rechargeable sidewalk lights and use indoors for general lighting. Double duty.


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What a great idea!!!

 

[samclem]

I'm toying with the idea of purchasing an inverter large enough to run the side-by-side fridge/freezer and a couple of 6 volt golf cart batteries (deep cycle) to power the inverter. Need to do some research first, so YMMV.

Time to just get a small generator?
http://http://t.harborfreight.com/engines-generators/gas-engine-generators/4000-peak3200-running-watts-65-hp-212cc-generator-epa-iii-69676-8945.html
Less than $350, big enough to start and run a fridge or freezer or even a room AC unit (which would be super handy in some places), you can recharge your big batteries, power tools and LEDs while it is running other stuff, and your fuel would probably last longer than running a car engine just to turn a small alternator. Down side: noisier (for the portion of time it is running) and requires upkeep

 

[Nodak]

I am considering moving back to my house in my home town. If I do that I will be looking at a natural gas powered generator that can handle the whole house. I figure about 16Kw should be enough. I've seen enough 3 day blizzards with power problems that I think it would be worth the expense.

 

[Redbugdave]

Flashlights and batteries are interesting subjects. I see we have a couple Lumenaries on the forum, too. I researched the LED lights, the older bulbed lights just are not good technology anymore, not bright and inefficient. I also like Fenix lights and have several, all use AA's. One use is for night hunting and use red and green filters on them. These newer LED lights have adjustable outputs and will go dozens of hours on a low light setting. Good for emergencies or backpacking.

My other lights like the Maglights have been converted over to LEDs. And I have them scattered around, too. I wanted all my lights to take AA's, since they are easy to find and buy...just in case of an emergency. They have to be small, (to fit in my pocket), and bright with a lower kelvin color temperature allowing good color rendition. [SIZE=+1]
[/SIZE]
====================================
Rechargable batteries...
The best rechargable batteries are Sanyo Eneloops. That's what I have been using. Maybe the other companies have gotten better lately, I don't know. AA batteries in about everything except AAA, (get some of those too).
Rechargeable up to 1800 times.
75% capacity after 5 years of storage. and the newer ones are getting better.
Also...alkalines will leak. These Eneloops are a different chemistry and do not leak and destroy your stuff.

For the Maglights with swollen leaking alkalines in them, you can drill a small hole in the battery bottoms and then screw in a large screw. Then pull the batteries out holding the screw. Take a wire brush, sandpaper, and heavy steel wool to the inside tube. After ruining a few lights and radios, I went to rechargables.

====================================
Below...D spacers...to start...the AA fits in the body of the spacer and it becomes a D cell.
http://www.amazon.com/eneloop-SEC-DSPACER4PK-Spacers-battery-cells/dp/B002V8C3W2/ref=pd_sim_e_5
Look at the chart on the page...select D, C, spacers. Get a number of them. This will allow you to use AA batteries in about everything. Get spares, keep them charged. Chart has batteries, etc.

My two cell D LED Maglights will run almost 2 hours on two AA Eneloops in the D cell spacers.

Then get a charger or two. One of the ones I have is one of these...multi-use for different rechargable batteries... and will take DC from a cigarette lighter adaptor pigtail.
NITECORE

From Amazon... Amazon.com: Nitecore IntelliCharger i4 Battery Charger - 2nd Generation: Sports & Outdoors

Adaptor... Amazon.com: MHS-DC12 Car Vehicle Cigarette Lighter Adapter For PowerEx C9000 Nitecore i2 i4: Electronics

I keep spare Eneloops in my truck and cars as well as the house. Just swap them out as needed. Below are the holders I use to keep the batteries together, you can get them in various colors and denominations:
Amazon.com: Storacell: Electronics

Even the mouse I am using with this laptop has an Eneloop in it...

I could go on about solar chargers if you want...

 

[martyp]

A while back i bought a bunch of crank flashlights from LL Bean. I'm not particularly impressed with them but for emergencies they are probably OK. They at least avoid the issue of batteries.

I have a little mini light on my keychain. Given their size they are very convenient when looking for something that has fallen on the floor in a dark space or trying to find a plug in a dark space.

My favorite is my headlamp from REI (or anywhere for that matter). Very bright and the hands free operation is very nice sometimes.

I've been thinking of getting a solar panel for emergencies. It would work for batteries and cell phones. They make them as folding panels and are suitable for backpacking. They come in pretty big sizes as well.

 

[aja8888]

Flashlights and batteries are interesting subjects. I see we have a couple Lumenaries on the forum, too. I researched the LED lights, the older bulbed lights just are not good technology anymore, not bright and inefficient. I also like Fenix lights and have several, all use AA's. One use is for night hunting and use red and green filters on them. These newer LED lights have adjustable outputs and will go dozens of hours on a low light setting. Good for emergencies or backpacking.

My other lights like the Maglights have been converted over to LEDs. And I have them scattered around, too. I wanted all my lights to take AA's, since they are easy to find and buy...just in case of an emergency. They have to be small, (to fit in my pocket), and bright with a lower kelvin color temperature allowing good color rendition. [SIZE=+1]
[/SIZE]
====================================
Rechargable batteries...
The best rechargable batteries are Sanyo Eneloops. That's what I have been using. Maybe the other companies have gotten better lately, I don't know. AA batteries in about everything except AAA, (get some of those too).
Rechargeable up to 1800 times.
75% capacity after 5 years of storage. and the newer ones are getting better.
Also...alkalines will leak. These Eneloops are a different chemistry and do not leak and destroy your stuff.

For the Maglights with swollen leaking alkalines in them, you can drill a small hole in the battery bottoms and then screw in a large screw. Then pull the batteries out holding the screw. Take a wire brush, sandpaper, and heavy steel wool to the inside tube. After ruining a few lights and radios, I went to rechargables.

====================================
Below...D spacers...to start...the AA fits in the body of the spacer and it becomes a D cell.
http://www.amazon.com/eneloop-SEC-DSPACER4PK-Spacers-battery-cells/dp/B002V8C3W2/ref=pd_sim_e_5
Look at the chart on the page...select D, C, spacers. Get a number of them. This will allow you to use AA batteries in about everything. Get spares, keep them charged. Chart has batteries, etc.

My two cell D LED Maglights will run almost 2 hours on two AA Eneloops in the D cell spacers.

Then get a charger or two. One of the ones I have is one of these...multi-use for different rechargable batteries... and will take DC from a cigarette lighter adaptor pigtail.
NITECORE

From Amazon... Amazon.com: Nitecore IntelliCharger i4 Battery Charger - 2nd Generation: Sports & Outdoors

Adaptor... Amazon.com: MHS-DC12 Car Vehicle Cigarette Lighter Adapter For PowerEx C9000 Nitecore i2 i4: Electronics

I keep spare Eneloops in my truck and cars as well as the house. Just swap them out as needed. Below are the holders I use to keep the batteries together, you can get them in various colors and denominations:
Amazon.com: Storacell: Electronics

Even the mouse I am using with this laptop has an Eneloop in it...

I could go on about solar chargers if you want...

Red...thanks for the great post and information. I agree about the Enloops, great rechargeable batteries.

 

[Walt34]

I am considering moving back to my house in my home town. If I do that I will be looking at a natural gas powered generator that can handle the whole house. I figure about 16Kw should be enough. I've seen enough 3 day blizzards with power problems that I think it would be worth the expense.

Look carefully at the noise figures. Some of those are incredibly noisy and although marketed for residential use are simply not suitable for that purpose because of the noise they make.

Even if you don't want to sleep your neighbors probably will. Noise suppression to a reasonable level isn't that expensive anymore but it does add a few hundred dollars to the price if done right. It might make the difference between your neighbors merely being envious during an outage or coming after you with pitchforks and torches.

A hint is in the advertising. If the ads put their noise levels front and center in the ads (expressed as a number in DBA, should be in the mid 60's or lower) they've probably done their homework. If they're silent on the issue or make you dig for it you probably don't want that machine running outside your bedroom window and neither does anyone else.

 

[harley]

Look carefully at the noise figures. Some of those are incredibly noisy and although marketed for residential use are simply not suitable for that purpose because of the noise they make.

Even if you don't want to sleep your neighbors probably will. Noise suppression to a reasonable level isn't that expensive anymore but it does add a few hundred dollars to the price if done right. It might make the difference between your neighbors merely being envious during an outage or coming after you with pitchforks and torches.

A hint is in the advertising. If the ads put their noise levels front and center in the ads (expressed as a number in DBA, should be in the mid 60's or lower) they've probably done their homework. If they're silent on the issue or make you dig for it you probably don't want that machine running outside your bedroom window and neither does anyone else.

I disagree, sort of. The whole house generators that run on natural gas (or diesel for that matter) are really pretty quiet. Ours is 25kW, and has what is basically a VW Beetle engine in it. It runs on propane, and powers about 2/3 of our large house. When you are outside near it it sounds like a well tuned car idling. From inside you have to listen hard to even know it's on.

When we built the house the people next door (the word neighbor implies friendliness that doesn't exist here) insisted we build an enclosure around it because they were afraid of the noise. No problem, I like the enclosure. But you can't even hear it from their house. They, OTOH, bought a smaller Honda gas generator that is noisy as hell in comparison.

The research I've done shows good sound levels for all the whole house generators, although I mostly researched Generac. But the portables, for all their claims of quiet running, are pretty noisy IMO.

 

[Texas Proud]

I disagree, sort of. The whole house generators that run on natural gas (or diesel for that matter) are really pretty quiet. Ours is 25kW, and has what is basically a VW Beetle engine in it. It runs on propane, and powers about 2/3 of our large house. When you are outside near it it sounds like a well tuned car idling. From inside you have to listen hard to even know it's on.

When we built the house the people next door (the word neighbor implies friendliness that doesn't exist here) insisted we build an enclosure around it because they were afraid of the noise. No problem, I like the enclosure. But you can't even hear it from their house. They, OTOH, bought a smaller Honda gas generator that is noisy as hell in comparison.

The research I've done shows good sound levels for all the whole house generators, although I mostly researched Generac. But the portables, for all their claims of quiet running, are pretty noisy IMO.

I am surprised that the Honda was so noisy.... Once I went to a local football bowl game here and went tailgating... the crew had a wide screen TV showing the bowls before our game... it was run by a small Honda which they placed on the other side of the truck.... could not hear it at all... I went to the other side and could hear it, but it was like a very quiet lawn mower....

Now, I have heard some of those $300 generators from 3 houses over...

 

[splitwdw]

Maglite flashlights for the house and Maglite's and cheapo's for garage. Maglites in all vehicles. Battery powered lanterns and Coleman fuel lanterns for indoors (not Coleman) and outdoors. My husband checks batteries in them on a regular basis. I have kerosene lamps.......don't think it's kerosene.....that I use indoors and outdoors. You buy quart size bottles of fuel and it doesn't smell. I keep spare wicks on hand.

Had a portable generator but a couple of years ago after a bad series of storms we installed a whole house generator by Generac 20kw hooked up to natural gas. All generators that I've heard are loud. Our Generac has a dba rating of 66 in full operation and 60 in test mode. Ours is installed behind a wood fence with shrubs in front to try to block noise from neighbors. Don't think neighbors would complain about noise because we have run cords (heavy duty and made for this) to neighbors to help keep refrigerators running and the biggie is their coffee pots. We probably don't need all the flashlights in the house and garage but we still keep them.

Someone on this thread mentioned that a friend went on a battery plant tour and saw or was told that the same battery was sold under different brand names. I'm surprised that the tour would show this. I know it's done but why a manufacturer would tell people on a tour seems odd.

Sounds like a good idea regarding using your solar powered outdoor lights for indoor emergencies. Wonder if there's a downside and do those outdoor solar lights actually give off much light? I guess if it's frozen into the ground that could be a problem.

 

[aja8888]

Now, I have heard some of those $300 generators from 3 houses over...

We bought a "cheepo" 5500 watt gasoline powered generator after one of the three recent hurricanes went through south Texas. It works fine, but when I start it, the cat doesn't come home for a day or two.

 

[aja8888]

Someone on this thread mentioned that a friend went on a battery plant tour and saw or was told that the same battery was sold under different brand names. I'm surprised that the tour would show this. I know it's done but why a manufacturer would tell people on a tour seems odd.

Yes, Johnson Controls makes the base battery for several retailers. There are other independent battery manufacturers, however. I had a Varata in one of my German cars that was quite good and lasted 7 years and it was starting a diesel.

I worked a project last year at a plant that bottled personal care and laundry products (shampoos, mouthwash, lotions, liquid detergent, etc). The plant manager told me (when I asked about it) that liquid laundry detergents use the same base stock soap and the only difference is the fragrance that the retailer wants put in the mix.

 

[frank]

when I was younger I installed furnaces for a while. when you went to the wholesaler to pick it up it came with 3 or 4 different manufacturer labels you could put on to align with what the customer wanted to buy. I also thought about the generac whole house generators and was wondering does it take a special setup in your breaker panel to use them? how expensive are they for a 16 kw unit? natural gas model.

 

[RetireAge50]

We have electricity so flashlights not really needed. In the rare event of power outage use candles which have unlimited shelf life and do not need batteries.

Also for the times I need a flashlight I always have one in my pocket as my iPhone camera flash can be set easily to remain on constantly.

 

[GrayHare]

I have a radio that uses a spring powered generator to run the radio and an LED light. Crank the handle on the radio to wind the spring for a few minutes and it will run for close to 30 minutes. It's a bit of a pain to use but I never have to worry about leaking batteries. It stays in my winter survival kit in my car.

Something stores the energy for those 30 minutes, probably a battery. Eventually it will leak or not charge.

 

[MRG]

when I was younger I installed furnaces for a while. when you went to the wholesaler to pick it up it came with 3 or 4 different manufacturer labels you could put on to align with what the customer wanted to buy. I also thought about the generac whole house generators and was wondering does it take a special setup in your breaker panel to use them? how expensive are they for a 16 kw unit? natural gas model.

Here's a link to some, there's different models and costs. YES, you do have to have a transfer switch. It prevents a lineman from being killed by your genny powering a dead line(others can explain better I'm sure).

There are tricks some folks use to improperly connect portables to some of your home. Don't do it, without the transfer switch, they can kill too. I'm guessing your homeowners policy would leave you high and dry if you did so, leaving you with 2 disasters.

http://www.electricgeneratorsdirect...o-Pick-the-Perfect-Whole-House-Generator.html

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