SOLAR AND DYNAMO EMERGENCY LIGHTING

Emergency preparedness is your key to survival in red flag life occasions. As linked on this page many avenues of information is available to you and will prove useful. Linked is information on emergency candle making, emergency snow shoes, food preservation, knot forms for ropes, gardening and other items that will help you be more self reliant. Information itself is very important to have access to when you are removed from life's convenience. This author wants to demonstrate an item of extreme use that has been available on the market for many years. Let us discuss the uses of a rechargeable dynamo and solar radio with light.

Often viewed as something geeky to own let alone be seen purchasing, this item is quickly seen as a lifesaver when the moment count. How often do we stick batteries in an item then store it and forget about it? Years later we find it and want to use it and, lo and behold, it doesn't work because the batteries are corroded. Batteries are necessary for distance communication but are unreliable when equipment use has intervals of years. There needs to be an alternate avenue of power. Dynamo action or "wind-up" action is the best and most reliable source of quick power. When the lights go out and you need to see, a dynamo action light can be providing light within a minute of dynamo charging. If this scenario happens to your family be assured that kids love the dynamo action. They love the moderate resistance in the turn and the charging noise produced. This author has yet to see a child not volunteer openly to "turn the wheel" of power!

Rotating wire coils forming the armature utilizing the produced magnetic fields convert that arbitrary mechanical rotation into a pulsing direct current. All this is done using Faraday’s Law. Using a commutator, or a set of contacts on the shaft, direct current is created when the connection to the external circuit is reversed. This is used on wheel-powered lights on a bicycle or a siren on an old fire truck. In many ways it is the basis and the beginnings of modern electrical technology.

Almost as important is solar power. On solar emergency preparedness equipment you'll see a strip of protected solar cells on the top. Solar cells gather light and turn them to power. Though "green" in nature and a must option in an emergency solar power does take time to produce. From a raw state generally a full charge takes about 4-6 hours to produce. For quick power this is not a good option but is still important especially when accessed to light for automatic charging. Sunlight is best but even incandescent lighting can work.

Because it is a standard in most all electrical equipment you will probably always see battery power as an option. Flashlights and small radios generally take a couple "AA" batteries. This author highly recommends keeping a set or two of unused batteries included in your emergency kit for easy access. You should have an emergency kit both in your vehicle and in your home and prepared with a few sets of batteries for equipment. DC 4v adapter power is usually available as well. However, unlike the options of solar, wind-up and battery which carry no risk of overcharging DC 4v should not charge your equipment for more than a couple of hours. Overcharging produces heat and can damage and degrade your equipment.

Radio is an unappreciated resource in emergency communication. Even if you don't have a HAM radio, short wave or some other two-way power communication you do still need a simple radio from which to receive information from the outside world. Consider the possibility of a mass explosion, earthquake or flood which can easily cut you off from other people. You need to be able to gauge your own situation agreeable to the situation in the outside world. Much less for the music as it would be for knowledge and information. Keep in mind that with emergency preparedness comes emergency use of what you have. This means not excessively using the power and resources available to you but rather rationing them according to absolute need. Radio is the same way. Though the modern world has conditioned us to hours of radio and television at a time in an emergency this habit will only produce disappointment for you.

This author highly recommends the investment of a wind-up, solar and battery power radio and light. Add it to your emergency preparedness kit which includes water, first aid kit, clothes, foil blanket, ration food, toilet paper, batteries and perhaps even a field knife. Being prepared is the path to self reliance in all situations. Self reliance equates into happiness and self worth. You will find that preparing for the unforeseen trouble ahead little-by-little now will save you a whole lot of anguish later. Start by getting yourself a radio/light combo with the various power options of solar, battery and wind-up.