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What is an LED?
See a discussion of different bulb types at the bottom of the page.
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Lights Department
Buying Guide:
Solar, Dynamo, & Self-Powered Flashlights
Just about everyone sells flashlights, and there are dozens of models to choose from. What makes us different is that we focus on models that don't require conventional batteries or plugs. This page outlines the models carries by Modern Outpost, and highlights a number of technical details that you will find useful in making a choice among any of the models available on the market. Modern Outpost promotes models which cover a range of bulb, battery, and charging technologies, and these are typically some of the best models available in their respective categories.
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Brightest -> -> -> -> -> -> -> -> -> -> -> -> -> -> -> -> -> -> Dimmest
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Models...
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Freeplay
Jonta
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Freeplay
Xray
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5-LED
Pullstring
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5-LED v2
Dynamo
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3-LED
Dynamo
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Freeplay Kito
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2-LED
Squeeze
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Shakelight:60
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Appeal
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Powerful beam & no bulbs to replace ever
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Bright, with long run time & no bulbs to replace ever
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Rugged, & easy to charge
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Economical 5-LED brightness
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Great for emergency use & no bulbs to replace
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Freeplay quality at a great price
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Compact, easy to use, & surprisingly bright
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These lights do not use batteries of any kind,
& will never need bulbs.
Ideal for emergency kits.
Not as bright as the dynamo models
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Bulb Type
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1 Watt Luxeon LED
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7 LED cluster
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5 LED cluster
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5 LED cluster
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3 Nichia
LEDs
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Single 10mm Ultra LED
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2 LEDs
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Single LED
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Power Source
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Kinetic
(wind-up)
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Kinetic
(wind-up)
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Kinetic
(pullstring)
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Kinetic
(wind-up)
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Kinetic
(wind-up)
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Kinetic
(wind-up)
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Kinetic
(squeeze)
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Kinetic
(shaking)
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AC/DC Charging
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AC adaptor included
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AC adaptor included
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No
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No
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No
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AC adaptor included
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No
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No
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Power storage
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NiMh
rechargeable
battery pack
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NiMh
rechargeable
battery pack
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NiMh
rechargeable
battery pack
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NiMh
rechargeable
battery pack
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Li-ion
rechargeable
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NiMh
rechargeable
battery pack
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Li-ion
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Ultra Capacitor
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Run-Time
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Full charge:
High: 2.5 hrs
Low: 24 hrs
30s winding
High: 2-3 min.
Low: 10 min.
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Full charge:
High: 3.3 hrs
Low: 20 hrs
30s winding:
High: 3 min.
Low: 20 min.
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up to 24 hrs on full charge
60s pulling
up to 10 min
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up to 24 hrs on full charge
60 sec. winding
up to
30 min.
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30 sec. winding
up to
30 min.
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60 sec. winding =
1 hour of light
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Squeeze continuous light
Runs over 2 hours on a full charge
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60s shaking
up to
1 hour
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Dimensions
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8.5x3.4x3.2"
21.7x8.6x8cm
15.7oz
(445g)
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6.25x2x2.25"
16x5x5.7cm
10.4oz
(300g)
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7.25x4.5x1.25"
23 x 4cm/6cm
15oz
(440g)
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6x2.3x2.2"
15x5.8x5.6cm
9.5oz
(270g)
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5.25x2x1.75"
13.3x5x4.5cm
7oz
(200g)
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7.2x4.4x3.1"
18.4x11.2x8cm
16oz
(450g)
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4x2x1"
10x5x2.5cm
5.25oz
(150g)
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8x1.5"
20x3.75cm
9.7oz
(275g)
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Other Features
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High & low beams
Blink mode
2-year warranty
Review
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High & low beams
2-year warranty
Review
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Universal battery charger included for using the flashlight to charge almost any small phone or PDA battery pack
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Optimal charging rate indicator light
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High & low beams
Compact design
Free of carbon-zinc, lead-acid, or NiMh batteries
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2-year warranty
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NOTE:
magnet should be protected from sensitve electronics & magnetic tapes
Download our shakelight info page
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LED Shakelight
beam & performance comparison
click here
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Outpost Price
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Back to...
Lights Department
Product Types
Mini Pocket Flashlights...
When it comes to self-powered pocket flashlights, the Skylight by Exped is at the top of its class. The Skylight features a rugged hard rubber housing with recessed solar module, and push button on/off. The LED bulb will never burn out, and the rechargeable lithium-ion battery is as good as it gets for rechareable batteries, plus the size is incredibly small. The Skylight circuitry maintains a bright beam until the power it drained. Leaving it in a window is enough to keep the Skylight charged and ready.
Magnetic Shake Flashlights...
The first shake flashlight came on the market a few years ago as the result of the improved efficiency of LED bulbs and their decline in price. Since that time, we have seen a steady improvement in the performance of shake flashlights, from a few minutes of light to more than 20 minutes following a 1 minute shaking of the flashlight. The cost & performance difference seen in the shake flashlights carried by Modern Outpost is a product of three things: the quality of the LED bulb, the size of the capacitor that stores power, and the size of the magnet & coil that generate the power. The current leader is the Nightstar II, but we also offer the low-end Economy models for those that would like to give the kids a flashlight that they will never burn-out!
Bulb Technologies...
Although LED bulbs are well known for their long life, cool operation, and low power consumption, the trade-off is their relatively weak light intensity. The exception is the new 1-Watt Luxeon LED, however its higher output results in higher power consumption. As a rule of thumb, LED bulbs consume 1/10th the amount of power in producing an equivalent amount of light to a standard incandescent bulb.
 Old flashlights with their standard incandescent bulbs could cast a beam of light across the yard, but they produce a blotchy beam, & drain batteries in only a few hours. Halogen bulbs are perhaps the best compromise between energy use and beam intensity. In fact Xenon bulbs like the one featured in the Freeplay Sherpa are brighter than ordinary incandescents, have a whiter spectrum and use typically 50% less power. The result is if you are looking for a flashlight that can cast a beam across a yard, a flashlight like the Freeplay Sherpa will do the job very well. If you are looking for an emergency light, or one for use inside the house, then an LED flashlight will probably be adequate.
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