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Rank: Thing Fling
Joined: 10/23/2006
Posts: 3,026
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Remember, when these lights were as hot as hot could be. I bet you also remember trolls, cabbage patch dolls, pet rocks, tamagochies, etc. So how about a bit of nostalgia. We are not sure if they are real or fake. The only thing we know is that the LED bulb is real. But what the heck? You are getting 20 LED flashlights for $12.95 plus shipping. Where else can you get that kind of deal. Great gifts and good for a few chuckles. Enjoy!
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Rank: Uber Flinger
Joined: 11/30/2007
Posts: 158
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Does Fake mean they are broke? 
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Rank: Serious Thing Flinger
Joined: 12/11/2007
Posts: 50
Location: Tennessee
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they might as well be.. I bought one at the drug store on clearance for like $2... you have to shake it for a minute or two, but even then, the LCD isn't terribly bright... I'd say probably as bright as the "dreaded" cellphone lights.. and since it has a huge magnet in it, keep it away from the computer screens! 
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Rank: Hot Flinger
Joined: 5/30/2008
Posts: 54
Location: Palm Bay, FL
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Where did these go....?
Is there a way to tell how many pieces of any item have been sold?
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Rank: First Time Flinger
Joined: 12/22/2006
Posts: 1
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By fake - they mean they are not real. There are 2 thin button-cell batteries hidden inside of these that power the LED. When they die, that's it. I bought a case of these back in the day from a shady ebay seller.   The seller finally took them back but I got stuck with the return shipping which I wasnt happy with and gave them negative feedback which I promptly got back in return. I am most proud of this negative feedback - I wear it as a badge of courage.  
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Rank: Uber Flinger
Joined: 11/30/2007
Posts: 158
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ratbert wrote:By fake - they mean they are not real. There are 2 thin button-cell batteries hidden inside of these that power the LED. When they die, that's it. I bought a case of these back in the day from a shady ebay seller. The seller finally took them back but I got stuck with the return shipping which I wasnt happy with and gave them negative feedback which I promptly got back in return. I am most proud of this negative feedback - I wear it as a badge of courage. Thank you so much for the explination.
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Rank: Newbie Flinger
Joined: 7/28/2008
Posts: 1
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UPDATE: Never mind, I the flashlight I have, while striking similar is not the same one (different black cap, different translucent shaft, the internal construction is different that this "deal" being posted.
Bizarre, I swore I bought this same exact flashlight (it looks exactly the same) and yes I also have the three batteries, but mine is real. The charge dies off but if I shake it, it works (and get's brighter as I keep shaking it).
Maybe there was a moronic mistake at the factory and they were assembled incorrectly? Maybe I don't have this same exact model (but I swear I do).
Either way, my shaker is real.
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Rank: Serious Thing Flinger
Joined: 6/8/2008
Posts: 10
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Um...if the wire inside is copper...this deal might just be worth it to take the flashlights apart and sell the copper as scrap.
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Rank: Hot Flinger
Joined: 1/17/2007
Posts: 7
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This is really confusing? What possible reason could there be to make a "fake" shake light that had all the parts but ran off batteries? I would really have to tend towards a manufacturing screw up. Its just too weird.
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Rank: Power Flinger
Joined: 3/27/2008
Posts: 2
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So, did anybody buy them the first time around and take one apart yet?
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Rank: Uber Flinger
Joined: 11/30/2007
Posts: 158
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mdavis0424 wrote:So, did anybody buy them the first time around and take one apart yet? I purchased the first time. No need to open them up because all 20 had batteries you can see inside without being masked from the tape. I still was not sure if they should or not have batteries to hold a charge, So I left two on for 5+ hours. One died. Shake shake shake. No life. The second still running no need to shake. About half of the lights had some scratches on the casing. All worked. Worth the price for 12 led flashlights. Edit: Out of the two opened, One trashed, Checked the one I have on my desk... No magnet it's some sort of metal.
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Rank: Crazy Flinger
Joined: 12/7/2006
Posts: 11
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I would imagine that any light like this would NEED to have batteries to store a charge generated from shaking it. Without a battery or a large capacitor, any current generated by your shaking would be used up immediately and to keep the light going as you walked you would have to keep shaking it, a mighty inconvenient way to light a path. A battery would allow you to make power and store it for present or future use. I have one of these in the basement (I don't recall if I bought it from ThingFling at a computer fair or if I got it elsewhere) and it works, if I recall, without shaking it each time.
My wife gave me, several years ago, another variant where you squeeze a handle and this one only lights while you squeeze, but because of the different motion it can be used to point in a desired direction.
I have a third variant (from Costco) that has a crank on top that you spin for a few moments or minutes and it charges a battery inside so you can use it without cranking.
So, I think the presence of batteries in a light like this is necessary and not surprising. Of course, I have no idea if this light is a "fake" or not, but it seems to me if they put all those parts in, at some cost, it probably is supposed to work by shaking, and if it doesn't it is probably broken.
I'd welcome a response from someone who really knows about electrical engineering, manufacturing, etc., as I do not.
Andy
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Rank: Royal Flinger
Joined: 4/16/2007
Posts: 55
Location: SE Ohio
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I would think they would need batteries to hold a charge after you're done shaking them. Do they make these things WITHOUT batteries?
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Rank: Crazy Flinger
Joined: 12/7/2006
Posts: 11
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What's with the TF clock?  My post above was placed well before the time indicated. I am posting this one at 9:45 PM Eastern Daylight time. Andy
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Rank: Serious Thing Flinger
Joined: 6/12/2008
Posts: 44
Location: Ohio
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andyw77 wrote:What's with the TF clock? My post above was placed well before the time indicated. I am posting this one at 9:45 PM Eastern Daylight time. Andy You set your own time-zone settings in your profile settings, champ. 
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Rank: Serious Thing Flinger
Joined: 3/5/2008
Posts: 60
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Rank: Crazy Flinger
Joined: 2/2/2007
Posts: 184
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andyw77 wrote:I would imagine that any light like this would NEED to have batteries to store a charge generated from shaking it. Without a battery or a large capacitor, any current generated by your shaking would be used up immediately and to keep the light going as you walked you would have to keep shaking it, a mighty inconvenient way to light a path. Exactly. I don't think you'd need a particularly LARGE capacitor, since we're talking LEDs here, but you need one or the other to store the energy generated by shaking. That said, I bought a bunch of these from TF last year, and got some in a MB later on as well. They do work as advertised, but you should be aware that a) these are not high-brightness LEDs, which are the type used in most LED flashlights. As a result, they generate much less light than you may be used to seeing in other LED flashlights. b) It takes a lot of shaking to get the battery/cap charged enough to light the way for more than a few seconds c) The lens in front of the LED is thicker than necessary and so scratched up as to be nearly translucent. As a result, not all of the light that is generated gets out. I took a hacksaw and chopped off the lens and the result was better, but still not wonderfl. Not in the same class as the ones they sell on the front counter at MicroCenter. In all honesty, I would classify these as toys rather than serious emergency light sources. My Dragons need your help to hatch and grow! Please click on them!
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Rank: Uber Flinger
Joined: 11/30/2007
Posts: 158
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GodaiNoBaka wrote:andyw77 wrote:I would imagine that any light like this would NEED to have batteries to store a charge generated from shaking it. Without a battery or a large capacitor, any current generated by your shaking would be used up immediately and to keep the light going as you walked you would have to keep shaking it, a mighty inconvenient way to light a path. Exactly. I don't think you'd need a particularly LARGE capacitor, since we're talking LEDs here, but you need one or the other to store the energy generated by shaking. That said, I bought a bunch of these from TF last year, and got some in a MB later on as well. They do work as advertised, but you should be aware that a) these are not high-brightness LEDs, which are the type used in most LED flashlights. As a result, they generate much less light than you may be used to seeing in other LED flashlights. b) It takes a lot of shaking to get the battery/cap charged enough to light the way for more than a few seconds c) The lens in front of the LED is thicker than necessary and so scratched up as to be nearly translucent. As a result, not all of the light that is generated gets out. I took a hacksaw and chopped off the lens and the result was better, but still not wonderfl. Not in the same class as the ones they sell on the front counter at MicroCenter. In all honesty, I would classify these as toys rather than serious emergency light sources. Just a note to your c) I agree the lens is a plastic magnifier, But no need to use any tools to remove. I just unscrewed the top. It plops right out.
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Rank: Crazy Flinger
Joined: 12/7/2006
Posts: 11
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[/quote] You set your own time-zone settings in your profile settings, champ. [/quote] Right, but ThingFling seems to be located about six miles (by air) from me, and in the same time zone.
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Rank: Crazy Flinger
Joined: 2/2/2007
Posts: 184
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liammc wrote:GodaiNoBaka wrote:andyw77 wrote:I would imagine that any light like this would NEED to have batteries to store a charge generated from shaking it. Without a battery or a large capacitor, any current generated by your shaking would be used up immediately and to keep the light going as you walked you would have to keep shaking it, a mighty inconvenient way to light a path. Exactly. I don't think you'd need a particularly LARGE capacitor, since we're talking LEDs here, but you need one or the other to store the energy generated by shaking. That said, I bought a bunch of these from TF last year, and got some in a MB later on as well. They do work as advertised, but you should be aware that a) these are not high-brightness LEDs, which are the type used in most LED flashlights. As a result, they generate much less light than you may be used to seeing in other LED flashlights. b) It takes a lot of shaking to get the battery/cap charged enough to light the way for more than a few seconds c) The lens in front of the LED is thicker than necessary and so scratched up as to be nearly translucent. As a result, not all of the light that is generated gets out. I took a hacksaw and chopped off the lens and the result was better, but still not wonderfl. Not in the same class as the ones they sell on the front counter at MicroCenter. In all honesty, I would classify these as toys rather than serious emergency light sources. Just a note to your c) I agree the lens is a plastic magnifier, But no need to use any tools to remove. I just unscrewed the top. It plops right out. Must have been a different model or a different batch. The ones I have, the lens is affixed firmly to the front of the flashlight. You couldn't pop it out or pry it off. In fact, I would like to say that it had been molded as one piece with the body of the flashlight, but it may just have been glued. My Dragons need your help to hatch and grow! Please click on them!
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