Why Using Maglite Flashlights?
Slim, sleek and durable MagliteŽ flashlights come in all sorts of sizes so that there is
bound to be one to fit your every need. At the low end of the size spectrum are the tiny
flashlights including keychain flashlights and mini flashlights that are only slightly larger
than the single AAA battery that provides their power. Some other mini flashlights can be
stood on end to act like a candle and are a perfect size to keep in a portable toolkit or
glove compartment. Mini flashlights may operate on two AAA batteries or two AA batteries.
Larger flashlights operate on more and bigger batteries for a stronger beam. Flashlights may
take two, three or four C batteries, or anywhere from two to six D batteries. Some use
rechargeable batteries and others are actual rechargeable flashlights. A newer type of
flashlight is the LED flashlight. While until recently LEDs - light-emitting diodes - were
rather dim, new LEDs are now quite bright. LEDs are a particularly valuable asset in mini
flashlights because they require less power to operate and thus can be brighter with a small
power source. Another noticeable difference with LED flashlights is that their brightness is
steady over the life of the light, which can last through as many as 10,000 hours of use
(undoubtedly using new batteries along the way). LEDs can be electronically controlled to emit
a steady light output. Flashlights that use incandescent bulbs, on the other hand, dim over
time, and generally for the last half of their useful bulb life only create about half the
illumination they did when new. The basic components of a flashlight are the bulb, the
parabolic reflector that surrounds the bulb and helps to protect and shape the beam, the
batteries, the casing, the lens, and the power switch. Even though the flashlight is a fairly
simple invention, flashlights didn't become widely available until the 20th century because of
the unavailability of miniaturized lightbulbs or durable batteries. In fact, flashlights got
their name because early batteries had such limited power that the lights could only be used
in tiny bursts-hence the name "flash-light." Today there is another alternative to
battery-operated flashlights: these are the batteryless flashlights. How does a flashlight
operate without batteries? There are two main ways. In one, instead of a battery the
flashlight has inside its own little dynamo that generates electricity when you turn a crank.
The other form of batteryless flashlights uses electromagnetism; a strong internal magnet that
is free to move creates an electrical field when the flashlight is shaken. Both have
relatively limited energy storage and as such cannot be used to shine steadily for long
periods of time, but are great additions to an emergency kit that isn't dependent upon a
supply of batteries. |