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View Full Version : update on ray-o-vac solar flashlight



shelterbuilder
12-24-2010, 19:26
Several months ago, I had posted about a small rechargable solar-powered flashlight (keychain-size) being marketed by Ray-o-vac, and I bought several of them to put through my own special kind of "destructive testing". (I tend to be rough on anything small that hangs from my keychain, including flashlights, so I figured that, if this little light could stand up to the daily abuse that I can give it at work, at home, in the car, and in the woods, it might be a good candidate for an extended trek through the woods.)

ALAS - they do not seem to hold up to more than a month or so of my "hanging torture". Surprisingly, however, the part that seemed to fail repeatedly is the small "push-and-hold" switch that turns the light on! The rest of the flashlight is a pretty hardy little item for a $4.00 plastic light, but the switches tend to fail without warning - not the sort of thing that you want to happen 30 miles from the nearest Wally World!

"Hey, Ray-o-vac: it's a good idea; now try harder!"

ki0eh
12-25-2010, 07:42
I've had the keychain mag lite (the original USA made) on mine for a while - initially only because it was one of those extra things in the set and it was around when the latest of those squeeze things gave out. It has survived for a couple of years now although I've had to develop the habit of screwing both ends back together a little bit so it doesn't turn on in my pocket.

I guess there's another factor to consider too. The light with its little strap hangs down so low that it hits my knee when driving. I throw the strap over the shifter (the truck is another chunk of American metal that still has a column shift) to save it from that abuse.

My 7yo daughter tried to appropriate it so I actually found a pink one at REI to give her.