Oh, what the heck. I’ll give it a go. My hall closet is so dark, and this is cheaper than installing a whole other light in the ceiling.
/giphy ugly-unpopular-prison
I don’t have these ones, but I have the same style in my entryway, my closet, my staircase, my shed, my other closet, the only downside is that they take batteries. I don’t think a solar light in the closet is going to work well, though.
@mehvid1@werehatrack I appreciate the encouragement. My partner is actually the opposite sex of me. I just like practicing using gender neutral language.
@mehvid1@phendrick@werehatrack heh, I see how my phrasing sounds like I meant my partner and I are gender neutral. I’m male and use he/him, and my partner is female and uses she/her. I meant I like to use the word partner because it’s more inclusive, like another long term relationship is just as meaningful as ours whether it’s heterosexual or homosexual, married or not, or just two people who really love each other.
like another long term relationship is just as meaningful as ours whether it’s heterosexual or homosexual, married or not, or just two people who really love each other.
Or people who are in business together, or people who hang out with cowboys!
I had these (or equivalent - they are all basically the same Chinese design) to light up my pantry/closet and went through batteries like crazy. Finally found some that are rechargeable (iirc, around $20 per pair, 500 lumens each) and they work like a champ - I gave the battery-powered ones away. Plus, at 200 lumens each, these don’t really put out much lux, they’re roughly the equivalent of a 25W standard bulb. Hard pass.
@CBL_WV Came here to say about the same. I bought a few 3-packs of rechargeable ones with an unpronounceable brand name from Bez-mart. I usually put two or three in each pantry level that needs light so that at least one is likely to be working when the other is not. They have magnetic backs, so when one is dead, I remove it from the metal plate, connect it to a micro-USB cable I have at the ready for such recharging jobs, and a few hours later (or whenever my spouse asks me why there’s a light bar charging on the kitchen counter), I put it up and we’re back in business. I wouldn’t want to replace batteries. Ugh.
I have these and use them inside a bar cabinet. Don’t expect them to flood light a closet but they are bright enough to avoid grabing the plaid shirt and the striped tie. In a cabinet they work great.
@Zott Actually I agree I only need them for smaller closet/cabinet areas; I don’t expect to light a large area and I don’t want blindingly bright.
But I had to check one thing… Aaargh, it’s that again. Why Why Why? (Olympic moment). AAA batteries! AAA batteries store about 1/3 as much as AA batteries yet cost the same. With slightly different design most of these lights COULD use AA instead, but AAA seems to be common. It’s just not practical as many have noted poor battery life on similar models. Of course I’ll usually use good rechargeables but there is a lot of time spent swapping batteries (especially if this is mounted inside a cabinet), and then charging (and finding the charger), I had one similar unit from Costco that also needed you to take a Philips #0 screwdriver just to open the compartment where the batteries were – seems so silly in a light where you might plan to change them often.
I purchased these from MEH previously, one worked fir a week, the other NEVER worked. ABSOLUTELY MEH screw ya up the kazoo garbage…what happened to the old time MEH…obviously owned by a distant grandfather who gave a shit
How long do these stay lit once activated? I’ve got two utility cabinet that I’ve used various Meh lights to illuminate. These have switches that I often forget to turn off.
So I open a cabinet & they activate. Close cabinet, they shut off… eventually?
Pretty sure that these are motion AND LIGHT activated. I have bought several different ones trying to light under a kitchen cabinet, but they do not turn on if there is already some light in the area.
@chienfou@LongIslandDad@werehatrack Actually I like “dingy yellow” for many things, but that’s more like 2000K or 2700K as common “old-style low-wattage incandescent colors.” 3000 is a bit cooler, but you are right, I noticed that too, that “cool white glow” sounds a bit more than that. Maybe a “cool white” incandescent (used to be a color designation). Once you get up to 5000K I guess the LEDs are often called “daylight”
@chienfou@LongIslandDad@werehatrack That’s very cool. (or warm, on the left). Yeah I’d say “cool white” is more like 4-5000 given that. Maybe daylight is a bit more. The really blu-ish ones on the right remind of the very early LED lights that really had this erie color that was not at all natural (not like daylight either, except maybe in some weird sci-fi movie). I do have some desk and floor lamps now that let you choose the color temp because they have a mix of LED types. The idea is that you might want the “cooler” one for reading, studying, crafts, things like that, and the warmer (lower color temp) more as relaxing background light, especially in the evening before bed. I find I mostly tend to use the “warm” (lowest) setting.
@chienfou@LongIslandDad@pmarin
And having replaced the now-dead batteries in the seldom-activated sample of these lights, I have this to add:
– The color temp is definitely more 5500-ish, based on direct comparison to the track light in the work room.
– Where I had that unit positioned, it would have been activating maybe one or twice a week, and likely less. But the batteries were dead after less than a month. I suspect that the control circuit’s drain is substantially higher than it needs to be, and this may explain why Meh ended up with them. This makes them the perfect portable item to equip with a Trackr Pixel since by the time the light stops working because it has killed its batteries despite having seldom illuminated, the Pixel will likely have exhausted its tiny lithium cell as well.
@blaineg Yep, boneheaded portable device design continues. In something like a small flashlight, maybe I can understand. In something you mount into a cabinet or closet, there is no reason not to redesign it maybe a few MM thicker and let you use AAs instead.
Regarding the “rechargeable” ones mentioned with USB charging, that sounds good, except for the period of maybe 1-6 years down the road when the internal battery dies, and then you basically have nothing but e-Waste. Being able to replace batteries is important. I’d love more things like this with replaceable Li batteries like the 18650s that are everywhere now, but that’s a bit too big in form. As far as I know there’s no small-format Li battery in a standard easily-available size.
One more vote in favor of “I want some that use better rechargeable batteries, and have a 6500K color temp, and don’t have to be dismounted to swap the batteries, and particularly don’t use leaky-bottomed alkaline cells no matter what size the batteries are.” But those won’t get down to this price until there are a lot more people who want them. Maybe I’ll convert the ones I bought last time…
I have a different version in my boiler room that is amazing. It lasts almost 6 months and gives amazing light, but uses 4 C batteries. I wonder if the AAA is enough juice.
@kvs2000
I have a tiny one with just three LEDs across from the bathroom door, and it uses three AAA batteries. It’s not bright enough to wake me up at night when the cats trip it, but it makes the difference between stumbling over loud things in the dark and maneuvering around them. When the LEDs start to dim a bit, I know it’s time to swap the batteries, but I suspect that with four, one could go fully dead and leaky before the light level gave a clue. Plus, if any cell leaks in this one, it’s going to be a pain to remove because it misfeatures a small-door end-loading design.
I definitely would use rechargeables in these, but the last ones I got were a pain to change batteries in due to having them in a dark location in the back of a broom closet and taped in place. Guess I could cobble together some sort of magnetic or velco hanging method instead of the ‘included adhesive tape’. OR, I could finally, actually hardwire a light in there using the fridge switch I salvaged at one point…
/giphy decisions decisions
Well DID want these, at first. There is no design advantage to these being 1/8th" smaller - so why don’t these take AA batteries? AAA batteries have too little capacity in comparison. Who wants to take these down every few months for a battery change .
@Commonwealth109
You won’t get a few months, based on the experience of users (including me) who are commenting here. More like “under a month”, even when it doesn’t light up very often.
I wouldn’t recommend these. The two i have Eat through batteries Like crazy and they are in our clothes closets which don’t get a ton of use. I ended up taking them out. Pretty garbage
@cliquid@werehatrack Yeah and I can’t really blame the LEDs because now most of them will be similar efficiency of Lumes/mWh, – the problem is the AAA batteries. As I’ve mentioned, for a few mm thinner case, (which probably wouldn’t matter in a cabinet or closet), the AAAs give you about 1/3 the capacity of an AA, at basically the same (or higher) cost, and that’s whether you go with disposable or rechargeable. I mostly use rechargeable all the time but if swapping is a pain, then I would hate this light.
@cliquid@pmarin
Based on the longevity of the same brand and size of batteries in a different design of unit, but still one that has nominally similar operational parameters, the batteries are being killed by this light’s control circuit. The same brand of batteries, activating a light multiple times per night, last for as much as six months in the other light, but are exhausted despite a very low cycle count in less than a month in these units. That’s the problem with electronic switching circuitry; if it’s not designed right, it eats a bigger-than-trickle amount of juice all the time, and runs the battery flat all by itself.
@cliquid@werehatrack yeah, I forgot about that drain. Now a motion sensor is going to use a bit of power constantly — another reason to at least not use AAAs. But yeah there have been notable failed products, like some Duracell flashlights at Costco a few years ago, that just for a « smart » on/off switch would drain the AAAs in a few months when off. Not very « smart »
@cliquid@pmarin
I had a set of those Costco flashlights. They weren’t Duracell branded lights, but they came with Duracell batteries. I swapped out the “smart” three-function switch for a very dumb one scavenged from the old freebie flashlights that Harbor Freight used to feature as a gimme every so often, and that solved two problems. The batteries no longer went dead for no good reason, and the flashlight didn’t have two factually useless modes that served only to annoy me.
I have an identical unit in our laundry closet/garage entry hall. With frequent use, the A³ batts need changing monthly. I have two round ones in the garage that use C batts, which need changing every 1-2 years.
@MrNews Yeah I have some outdoor lights in driveway that use “D” batteries. It set them in expecting to last a few months max. They are still working after 2 years. It’s not something that gets triggered that frequently, so that’s one reason. But yeah, bigger batteries is good in this case. AAAs definitely are not.
@MrNews@pmarin
As long as you remember to check the batteries for leakage periodically regardless of use, and regardless of whether the device is functioning, yes. I’ve had the displeasure of extracting the badly-corroded-in-place leaky alkalines from a Maglite that was still nominally functional a week earlier, and it was an all-afternoon task. Power tools and specially modified chisels were emphatically involved.
@MrNews@werehatrack yep. I had an old vintage MagLight. But it was more than a week I left it. Maybe 10 years. But anyway tried many tools, watched YouTube. Considered all sorts of toxic disassembly. Ultimately had to give up and process as e-waste. (or maybe it’s in a box outside waiting for a place to accept e-waste again)
@pmarin@werehatrack I did not have battery leakage problems for decades, then suddenly had ruinous leakage in several devices over 1-2 years, all containing Kirkland (Costco) A² or A³ batteries. Stopped using them and went back to slightly-more-expensive Duracell batts, and leakage problems ceased. Considered bringing the ruined devices & leaking batts to Costco, but too much trouble. Lesson learned.
@MrNews@pmarin
My leakers were all either Duracells, Energizers, or Ray-o-vac. The latter were the worst for a while; I had an 8-pack that had six leakers before I had opened the clamshell, and they were just over a year old. I’d avoided all of the store-brand batteries in a quest for a lack of leaks, but for a long time, they all were really bad about it. Energizer claimed to have cleaned up their act first, and was advertising “won’t leak like the other leading brand”, but really, they’ll all still leak a bit if they aren’t yanked before they go completely dead.
@MrNews@pmarin@werehatrack My worst leakers are Costco’s Kirklands, I’ve quit buying them. I’ve also had some leakers from the Lucas AA’s that were sold here or on Woot. Yes, I should probably expect that from Lucas.
But the Lucas leakers are weird, they keep working while leaking.
These just appear to have an on/off switch? Not sure how that works. The ones I got from Costco a few years ago had a 3-position switch off/motion/on, so you could make it stay on if you wanted (obviously limited by battery time), or motion, or off-for-sure. That one took AAs (GOOD!). Also needed you to remove it and use a tiny philips screwdriver to swap batteries (BAD!). And I don’t think they cost more than 2/$20 at the time. So, all that said, not sure that these are such a good deal, especially with the “remove sticky tape and insert more AAA batteries” thing.
@bvandrasik plenty bright enough for the back of the cabinets I would use it for. But swapping AAAs that self-drain is the problem for me. There are pleny of 500-1000 lm lights usually for outdoor use, but they should use C or D cells, 18650 or similar, or proprietary Li batteries like Arlo and Ring.
EDIT a lot of the proprietary ones have solar-charge options so for outdoor use you can wire in a panel and basically be permanently charged (as long as get some sunlight occasionally and configure to not run too long at a time).
Funny how I have to come to the forum to find out they stay on for around 15 seconds without movement. For this price they aren’t too big of a gamble.
dainty-cursed-word
Specs
What’s in the Box?
Price Comparison
$59.98 at Aduro for 2 Pack
Warranty
90 days
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Aug 30 - Wednesday, Sep 1
2 lights walk into a bar.
@yakkoTDI Did they get lit?
@phendrick You know they did.
/giphy drink drank drunk
@yakkoTDI 2 Corinthians walk into a bar…
@yakkoTDI They ordered lite beer.
@pmarin @yakkoTDI It was SRO, so the Corinthians stood between the Dorics and the Ionics.
@phendrick @yakkoTDI Someone should write a column about that.
@pmarin @yakkoTDI Samson tried, but it got pulled. He never did that again.
/giphy mistaken-cliched-cup
Oh, what the heck. I’ll give it a go. My hall closet is so dark, and this is cheaper than installing a whole other light in the ceiling.
/giphy ugly-unpopular-prison
I don’t have these ones, but I have the same style in my entryway, my closet, my staircase, my shed, my other closet, the only downside is that they take batteries. I don’t think a solar light in the closet is going to work well, though.
@fuzzmanmatt Eneloop rechargeables work well in these.
@fuzzmanmatt How about a skylight?
@mehvid1 I would love a sun tunnel! Not going to happen, though. Unless somebody else is paying for it, anyway.
Last stick-on light were a major disappointment after batteries dying in a week. I hope this can survive little longer!
/giphy fundamental-petulant-ox
This is my favorite write-up of the last several months. Dark catacombs. Ice encrusted heart
@lindwright I whole-heartedly agree. Now I will return to my moors.
I have version of these that have built in batteries that recharge by usb. They work well in my partner’s closet.
@courteousblock
Why are you hiding in your partner’s closet?
@courteousblock @werehatrack it’s 2021; come out!
@mehvid1 @werehatrack I appreciate the encouragement. My partner is actually the opposite sex of me. I just like practicing using gender neutral language.
@courteousblock @mehvid1 @werehatrack Then you and they are both its?
@mehvid1 @phendrick @werehatrack heh, I see how my phrasing sounds like I meant my partner and I are gender neutral. I’m male and use he/him, and my partner is female and uses she/her. I meant I like to use the word partner because it’s more inclusive, like another long term relationship is just as meaningful as ours whether it’s heterosexual or homosexual, married or not, or just two people who really love each other.
@courteousblock @phendrick @werehatrack I knew what you meant. I think Phenny was just being phunny.
@courteousblock @mehvid1 @phendrick @werehatrack
Or people who are in business together, or people who hang out with cowboys!
@Limewater @mehvid1 @phendrick @werehatrack eyyy!! Solid language joke!
@mehvid1 @phendrick @werehatrack ohhh and I was too busy being literal
I had these (or equivalent - they are all basically the same Chinese design) to light up my pantry/closet and went through batteries like crazy. Finally found some that are rechargeable (iirc, around $20 per pair, 500 lumens each) and they work like a champ - I gave the battery-powered ones away. Plus, at 200 lumens each, these don’t really put out much lux, they’re roughly the equivalent of a 25W standard bulb. Hard pass.
@CBL_WV Came here to say about the same. I bought a few 3-packs of rechargeable ones with an unpronounceable brand name from Bez-mart. I usually put two or three in each pantry level that needs light so that at least one is likely to be working when the other is not. They have magnetic backs, so when one is dead, I remove it from the metal plate, connect it to a micro-USB cable I have at the ready for such recharging jobs, and a few hours later (or whenever my spouse asks me why there’s a light bar charging on the kitchen counter), I put it up and we’re back in business. I wouldn’t want to replace batteries. Ugh.
I have these and use them inside a bar cabinet. Don’t expect them to flood light a closet but they are bright enough to avoid grabing the plaid shirt and the striped tie. In a cabinet they work great.
@Zott Actually I agree I only need them for smaller closet/cabinet areas; I don’t expect to light a large area and I don’t want blindingly bright.
But I had to check one thing… Aaargh, it’s that again. Why Why Why? (Olympic moment). AAA batteries! AAA batteries store about 1/3 as much as AA batteries yet cost the same. With slightly different design most of these lights COULD use AA instead, but AAA seems to be common. It’s just not practical as many have noted poor battery life on similar models. Of course I’ll usually use good rechargeables but there is a lot of time spent swapping batteries (especially if this is mounted inside a cabinet), and then charging (and finding the charger), I had one similar unit from Costco that also needed you to take a Philips #0 screwdriver just to open the compartment where the batteries were – seems so silly in a light where you might plan to change them often.
Shine bright like a … Bright Basics Motion Activated Ultra Bright Wireless Sensor Light Bar
I have one in a safe and another in a closet. I’m running them off Eneloop rechargeables. The seem to work pretty well.
/image Gort
@tweezak Klaatu barada nikto.
@blaineg Google translate says it means “kill all others”
@tweezak Good to know they’ve perfected artificial stupidity. Seems like they would have made their AI watch the movie.
The Critters in the Basement
/image r.o.u.s.
I purchased these from MEH previously, one worked fir
a week, the other NEVER worked. ABSOLUTELY MEH screw ya up the kazoo garbage…what happened to the old time MEH…obviously owned by a distant grandfather who gave a shit
Runs on batteries? Meh. I have similar ones that recharge via USB.
@phatmass …umm…, the USB recharges a battery though.
Upside: Just plug in a cord, no need to replace batteries.
Downside: It’s not easy to replace the rechargeable battery when it dies.
How long do these stay lit once activated? I’ve got two utility cabinet that I’ve used various Meh lights to illuminate. These have switches that I often forget to turn off.
So I open a cabinet & they activate. Close cabinet, they shut off… eventually?
@Joedetroit the last ones I got from meh only turn on for about 15 second. No idea if these are the same though
What are the Nutrition Facts for these Bars?
@growyoungagain Half the calories…Lite version.
Pretty sure that these are motion AND LIGHT activated. I have bought several different ones trying to light under a kitchen cabinet, but they do not turn on if there is already some light in the area.
@bbfergie If you can find the light sensor, then a little piece of black tape will solve the problem.
Even if you can’t see the sensor, you can hunt it down with a small focused flashlight.
Does anyone know the color of these lights?
Are they 3200K, 5000K, 6500K?
@LongIslandDad
5500-ish, I’d say. Not as yellow as the last 5000 that I got stuck with, not as blue-white as the 6500 that I really want.
@LongIslandDad
Oops. Specs say 3000K, but they looked a little bluer than that to me; it might have been due to lack of reference lighting.
@LongIslandDad @werehatrack
and yet… they say “…give off a cool white glow”
But, 3000k should be a dingy yellow… bottom line is anyone’s guess on these particular ones.
@chienfou @LongIslandDad @werehatrack Actually I like “dingy yellow” for many things, but that’s more like 2000K or 2700K as common “old-style low-wattage incandescent colors.” 3000 is a bit cooler, but you are right, I noticed that too, that “cool white glow” sounds a bit more than that. Maybe a “cool white” incandescent (used to be a color designation). Once you get up to 5000K I guess the LEDs are often called “daylight”
@LongIslandDad @pmarin @werehatrack
here’s a reference chart
@chienfou @LongIslandDad @werehatrack That’s very cool. (or warm, on the left). Yeah I’d say “cool white” is more like 4-5000 given that. Maybe daylight is a bit more. The really blu-ish ones on the right remind of the very early LED lights that really had this erie color that was not at all natural (not like daylight either, except maybe in some weird sci-fi movie). I do have some desk and floor lamps now that let you choose the color temp because they have a mix of LED types. The idea is that you might want the “cooler” one for reading, studying, crafts, things like that, and the warmer (lower color temp) more as relaxing background light, especially in the evening before bed. I find I mostly tend to use the “warm” (lowest) setting.
@chienfou @LongIslandDad @pmarin
And having replaced the now-dead batteries in the seldom-activated sample of these lights, I have this to add:
– The color temp is definitely more 5500-ish, based on direct comparison to the track light in the work room.
– Where I had that unit positioned, it would have been activating maybe one or twice a week, and likely less. But the batteries were dead after less than a month. I suspect that the control circuit’s drain is substantially higher than it needs to be, and this may explain why Meh ended up with them. This makes them the perfect portable item to equip with a Trackr Pixel since by the time the light stops working because it has killed its batteries despite having seldom illuminated, the Pixel will likely have exhausted its tiny lithium cell as well.
/buy
@DLPanther It worked! Your order number is: painful-noble-net
/image painful noble net
@DLPanther @mediocrebot At least this guy sees the light. probably not this light.
@DLPanther @mediocrebot @pmarin It can’t be anywhere near that bright.
Triple A? Forget it.
@blaineg Yep, boneheaded portable device design continues. In something like a small flashlight, maybe I can understand. In something you mount into a cabinet or closet, there is no reason not to redesign it maybe a few MM thicker and let you use AAs instead.
Regarding the “rechargeable” ones mentioned with USB charging, that sounds good, except for the period of maybe 1-6 years down the road when the internal battery dies, and then you basically have nothing but e-Waste. Being able to replace batteries is important. I’d love more things like this with replaceable Li batteries like the 18650s that are everywhere now, but that’s a bit too big in form. As far as I know there’s no small-format Li battery in a standard easily-available size.
As others have said, get something like this instead:
https://www.amazon.com/Lighting-Wireless-Rechargeable-Wardrobe-Cupboard-2Pack/dp/B08FXTTCJX/
$20 for two, USB rechargeable.
One more vote in favor of “I want some that use better rechargeable batteries, and have a 6500K color temp, and don’t have to be dismounted to swap the batteries, and particularly don’t use leaky-bottomed alkaline cells no matter what size the batteries are.” But those won’t get down to this price until there are a lot more people who want them. Maybe I’ll convert the ones I bought last time…
I have a different version in my boiler room that is amazing. It lasts almost 6 months and gives amazing light, but uses 4 C batteries. I wonder if the AAA is enough juice.
@kvs2000
I have a tiny one with just three LEDs across from the bathroom door, and it uses three AAA batteries. It’s not bright enough to wake me up at night when the cats trip it, but it makes the difference between stumbling over loud things in the dark and maneuvering around them. When the LEDs start to dim a bit, I know it’s time to swap the batteries, but I suspect that with four, one could go fully dead and leaky before the light level gave a clue. Plus, if any cell leaks in this one, it’s going to be a pain to remove because it misfeatures a small-door end-loading design.
@kvs2000 agree, and extra credit to you for using the word “misfeature” one my favorite engineering/design words.
/buy
@Jebbielax It worked! Your order number is: glittering-fluorescent-hole
/image glittering fluorescent hole
OH MY GOD THEY GOT GLEN OUT OF THE CLOSET!!!
@shahnm
Were explosives involved?
Is Glen even more fabulous now?
I definitely would use rechargeables in these, but the last ones I got were a pain to change batteries in due to having them in a dark location in the back of a broom closet and taped in place. Guess I could cobble together some sort of magnetic or velco hanging method instead of the ‘included adhesive tape’. OR, I could finally, actually hardwire a light in there using the fridge switch I salvaged at one point…
/giphy decisions decisions
Well DID want these, at first. There is no design advantage to these being 1/8th" smaller - so why don’t these take AA batteries? AAA batteries have too little capacity in comparison. Who wants to take these down every few months for a battery change
.
@Commonwealth109
You won’t get a few months, based on the experience of users (including me) who are commenting here. More like “under a month”, even when it doesn’t light up very often.
I wouldn’t recommend these. The two i have Eat through batteries Like crazy and they are in our clothes closets which don’t get a ton of use. I ended up taking them out. Pretty garbage
@cliquid
Regrettably, I can confirm the short battery life despite low usage levels.
@cliquid @werehatrack Yeah and I can’t really blame the LEDs because now most of them will be similar efficiency of Lumes/mWh, – the problem is the AAA batteries. As I’ve mentioned, for a few mm thinner case, (which probably wouldn’t matter in a cabinet or closet), the AAAs give you about 1/3 the capacity of an AA, at basically the same (or higher) cost, and that’s whether you go with disposable or rechargeable. I mostly use rechargeable all the time but if swapping is a pain, then I would hate this light.
@cliquid @pmarin
Based on the longevity of the same brand and size of batteries in a different design of unit, but still one that has nominally similar operational parameters, the batteries are being killed by this light’s control circuit. The same brand of batteries, activating a light multiple times per night, last for as much as six months in the other light, but are exhausted despite a very low cycle count in less than a month in these units. That’s the problem with electronic switching circuitry; if it’s not designed right, it eats a bigger-than-trickle amount of juice all the time, and runs the battery flat all by itself.
@cliquid @werehatrack yeah, I forgot about that drain. Now a motion sensor is going to use a bit of power constantly — another reason to at least not use AAAs. But yeah there have been notable failed products, like some Duracell flashlights at Costco a few years ago, that just for a « smart » on/off switch would drain the AAAs in a few months when off. Not very « smart »
@cliquid @pmarin
I had a set of those Costco flashlights. They weren’t Duracell branded lights, but they came with Duracell batteries. I swapped out the “smart” three-function switch for a very dumb one scavenged from the old freebie flashlights that Harbor Freight used to feature as a gimme every so often, and that solved two problems. The batteries no longer went dead for no good reason, and the flashlight didn’t have two factually useless modes that served only to annoy me.
I have an identical unit in our laundry closet/garage entry hall. With frequent use, the A³ batts need changing monthly. I have two round ones in the garage that use C batts, which need changing every 1-2 years.
@MrNews Yeah I have some outdoor lights in driveway that use “D” batteries. It set them in expecting to last a few months max. They are still working after 2 years. It’s not something that gets triggered that frequently, so that’s one reason. But yeah, bigger batteries is good in this case. AAAs definitely are not.
@MrNews @pmarin
As long as you remember to check the batteries for leakage periodically regardless of use, and regardless of whether the device is functioning, yes. I’ve had the displeasure of extracting the badly-corroded-in-place leaky alkalines from a Maglite that was still nominally functional a week earlier, and it was an all-afternoon task. Power tools and specially modified chisels were emphatically involved.
@MrNews @werehatrack yep. I had an old vintage MagLight. But it was more than a week I left it. Maybe 10 years. But anyway tried many tools, watched YouTube. Considered all sorts of toxic disassembly. Ultimately had to give up and process as e-waste. (or maybe it’s in a box outside waiting for a place to accept e-waste again)
@pmarin @werehatrack I did not have battery leakage problems for decades, then suddenly had ruinous leakage in several devices over 1-2 years, all containing Kirkland (Costco) A² or A³ batteries. Stopped using them and went back to slightly-more-expensive Duracell batts, and leakage problems ceased. Considered bringing the ruined devices & leaking batts to Costco, but too much trouble. Lesson learned.
@MrNews @pmarin
My leakers were all either Duracells, Energizers, or Ray-o-vac. The latter were the worst for a while; I had an 8-pack that had six leakers before I had opened the clamshell, and they were just over a year old. I’d avoided all of the store-brand batteries in a quest for a lack of leaks, but for a long time, they all were really bad about it. Energizer claimed to have cleaned up their act first, and was advertising “won’t leak like the other leading brand”, but really, they’ll all still leak a bit if they aren’t yanked before they go completely dead.
@MrNews @pmarin @werehatrack My worst leakers are Costco’s Kirklands, I’ve quit buying them. I’ve also had some leakers from the Lucas AA’s that were sold here or on Woot. Yes, I should probably expect that from Lucas.
But the Lucas leakers are weird, they keep working while leaking.
@MrNews @pmarin @werehatrack Drill, long woodscrew, crowbar, vice, hammer, gloves, eye protection, etc.
Once batteries are out, aluminum tube has “shrunk” due to AL + acid = growing shit on inside of tube.
Grind, file, scrub (outdoors, on a windy day, because your neighbors suck).
Throw the whole pile of shit into appropriate recycling bin.
These just appear to have an on/off switch? Not sure how that works. The ones I got from Costco a few years ago had a 3-position switch off/motion/on, so you could make it stay on if you wanted (obviously limited by battery time), or motion, or off-for-sure. That one took AAs (GOOD!). Also needed you to remove it and use a tiny philips screwdriver to swap batteries (BAD!). And I don’t think they cost more than 2/$20 at the time. So, all that said, not sure that these are such a good deal, especially with the “remove sticky tape and insert more AAA batteries” thing.
@pmarin note an answer below seems to say turning switch on keeps it on for 15 seconds then goes to motion mode. Seems reasonable.
@pmarin
The ones I got from the last round have no switch of any kind.
200 Lumens is about equivalent to a 15 W incandescent bulb.
@bvandrasik plenty bright enough for the back of the cabinets I would use it for. But swapping AAAs that self-drain is the problem for me. There are pleny of 500-1000 lm lights usually for outdoor use, but they should use C or D cells, 18650 or similar, or proprietary Li batteries like Arlo and Ring.
EDIT a lot of the proprietary ones have solar-charge options so for outdoor use you can wire in a panel and basically be permanently charged (as long as get some sunlight occasionally and configure to not run too long at a time).
Funny how I have to come to the forum to find out they stay on for around 15 seconds without movement. For this price they aren’t too big of a gamble.
dainty-cursed-word
@Larry1977 now go and invest in a bunch of AAA‘s because you’re gonna need them with these lights
I’m ready for a better battery standard than AA or AAA. it’s 2021 already, let at least switch to those 18500 or something
@username
ITYM 18650. Some of us already have, where possible.
Wish I would have read these comments 5 mins ago.
/giphy appreciative-accessible-doctor
All these bad reviews is giving me buyers remorse.
I bought the lights. Guess I better stock up on the triple A’s.
I got these and the batteries were already dead.
So far, so good. Mounted inside the doors of two huge cabinets we have. We need these huge cabinets to put all the crap that we seem to buy.
I open the door The Light goes on.