NightStar FAQs - Can batteries be included in the design to allow for a longer, brighter light output?

A battery will power the StarCore^® LED in NightStar for several hours at its maximum light output (the same light output obtained when the capacitor is fully charged and the light is first turned on). Additionally, the ETS Cell in NightStar can be used to charge a battery as well as a capacitor. However, the energy storage capability of a battery is many times greater than the capacitor used in NightStar. Consequently, it would require thousands of shakes to recharge a battery using an ETS Cell. Also, the lifetime of a rechargeable battery is rather limited when compared to a capacitor.

The capacitor in NightStar can be recharged several hundred thousand times. Rechargeable batteries, such as NiCd, NiMH, and LiIon, can only be charged and discharged several hundred times.* Batteries also fail to work effectively in cold environments; capacitors do not suffer this problem.

Finally, batteries are both costly and considered a hazardous material. Batteries that depend on chemical reactions not only pose a danger to the environment but are also corrosive and can destroy a flashlight. Adding a battery to NightStar would therefore weaken its design and marketability. One of the most unique and significant features of NightStar is that it will never need replacement parts or maintenance. The components within NightStar and their integrated design yield a product that can be relied upon to light the way anytime, anywhere.

*The rated lifetime of these devices is determined by the number of cycles it takes to reach 80% of their rated energy storage capacity. The user will still get additional cycles after the rated life; however, the diminished storage capacity means less useful battery life.

More Frequently Asked Questions:

• Who invented the shake flashlight?

• How does the switch work?

• Why do NightStar, NightStar CS and NightStar RS require different amounts of shaking?

• What are the magnets made of and how are they magnetized?

• Can light output be made brighter by replacing the StarCore® LED with an incandescent bulb?

• Can batteries be included in the design to allow for a longer, brighter light output?

• Is a pacemaker sensitive to the magnetic field that surrounds NightStar?

• Can adding more LEDs increase the light output?

• How is the charging magnet reflected at either end of the flashlight?

• Why was a lens chosen for the output window?

• Why doesn't NightStar interfere with night vision?

• Why is the housing made from plastic?