A new twist for providing light without a battery!

Several years ago, the author’s worst torch (flashlight) nightmare came true. He was walking on a dirt track on a remote tropical island as darkness was falling, when a violent storm overtook him. He pulled out a small krypton torch, which quickly faded and died – and found himself lost in complete darkness in a frightening storm. Thus the idea for a Wind-up Torch was born!

The Wind-up Torch MkII described here is a successor to the original Wind-up Torch (EPE, October 2000). Virtually every aspect of the original circuit was reassessed, and most aspects redesigned. The new version also has one completely new feature, namely a visual indication of full charge, which spares the user from any unnecessary winding. The new version sports the following improvements: 30% smaller size; 120% brighter light; 500% faster winding.

The Wind-up Torch uses no batteries – not even rechargeables – and while its generator is not cheap if bought new, it promises to pay for itself within a mere 48 hours continuous use through savings on batteries (about 15 hours if a surplus motor is used). In addition to this, the white LED should last hundreds of times longer than any filament bulb.