Self-Generating Flashlight

Have you seen them on the TV: the shaker flashlights that need no batteries? Lots of people want to buy one. Now here's where that gets tricky.

I have combed thousands of booths at trade shows, specifically looking for the manufacturers of those very flashlights. These durable LED lights run by gently moving a magnet back and forth through a simple copper coil to create electricity. The longer you shake it, the more light you get. But this is gentle movement, so even those with arthritis should have little or no problem. The casings are clear so that you watch them work while you shake them. It's cool retro-back to basics. Old cars used to have those coils for energy. The technology is not at all new, though applying them to everyday flashlights is. Do I love them? Yes and No.

I love the very few I've found that are dependable. I despise the majority I've found that are junk. Out of the several I have found, hefted, shaken and had sent to me as demos, there are only three that I would ever buy or recommend to my customers. But those three are really good products! You can view these on my Web site: www.bereadyinc.com. You can find other versions elsewhere, but you'd be wasting your money.

I've looked carefully, tested many, and found out for myself. Most require too much shaking for too little light, and some were already broken by the time they arrived at my office. I even found that some of the least dependable were selling for the highest price. No thanks!

At Be Ready, Inc., we have three inexpensive self-charging flashlights: the 12", T' and 5". The 12" and 5" flashlights have double coils-the only ones I found that do- and are well-constructed

I’ve shared my best ideas; what are yours? Write me at Erica@bereadyinc.com. The best ideas will be shared in my newsletters and updates. Together we’ll keep families safe.

Erica Cabacungan is the mother of 7 children. She has a BA degree in English/ Elementary Education and a M Ed degree in Secondary Education. She and her husband have owned and managed Be Ready, Inc. (formerly Be Ready Disaster Preparedness) for 15 years in Oceanside, CA. She has taught at elementary school and college levels, has a LSP degree in bookstore retailing, and is the buyer for Be Ready, Inc. As such, she attends many trade shows and conventions to purchase the best new products. She and her husband currently teach seminars to adults in Southern California under a grant from the California Earthquake Authority and were highlighted in Entrepreneur Magazine. She also writes reference articles for various web sites, ask-an-expert sites, and her own website: http://www.bereadyinc.com.

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