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7K views 11 replies 8 participants last post by  Kodie 
#1 ·
I've just learned about and ordered what appears to be the best thing since sliced bread for interior lighting on those dark and stormy nights.

I keep a number of kerosene lanterns on hand but have never been satisfied with the amount of light they produce. Knowing that fire departments won't respond during a SHTF scenario makes them even less attractive and recently I began searching for alternatives. What I discovered is a solar powered lamp that produces light for up to 12 hours and is bright enough to light up a room.

The D.Light S250 was introduced in 2010 and is already being used in a number of developing nations. It needs no fuel (other than sun light), is inexpensive, and even has the capability of charging a cell phone or other small device.

At just $45.00 this seems like a sure win and since it hasn't turned up on our Board yet I wanted to draw attention to it. Search YouTube for videos demonstrating it's use as well.

Amazon.com: D.LIGHT S250 Solar LED Lantern: Home Improvement

From Amazon's site:
D.LIGHT S250 is a dual purpose solar light and solar mobile charger. Currently on display in the British Museum as the 100th object in BBC Radio Four's "A History of the World in 100 Objects," now you can own the innovative product that was chosen to define the 21st century. D.LIGHT S250 has provided better, brighter, safer, and more affordable light for millions of people who do not have access to reliable electricity in over 35 countries.

D.LIGHT S250 can be charged with either a solar panel or an AC adapter (just including solar panel), and can provide up to 12 hours of bright light on a full charge. D.LIGHT S250's bright white light illuminates a room similarly to a 3 to 5 Watt CFL lamp, and is up to 50% more energy efficient. D.LIGHT S250 also charges the most popular mobile phones in India and Africa, keeping personal mobile phones fully charged even when AC power is unavailable.

D.LIGHT S250 comes encased in a sturdy housing unit that protects the interior from dust, insects and water. It comes with an ergonomically designed handle with a top strap to allow users to hang the unit from hooks or poles to light up their work, study or living area. D.LIGHT S250 takes on a friendly rounded form with closely fitted component parts to create a rugged light, suited for everyday use. D.LIGHT S250 is designed in the USA and is patented.
 
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#4 ·
But, Zolon, how will you be able to SEE your multi-purpose items without a bright light?

Eventually, you'll run out of kerosene. I'm going to enjoy extending mine by using this nifty cheap lantern instead AND not straining my eyes in the process.



(and yes, I agree that the inventor is a goofy looking kid. But he's doing pretty cool stuff.)
 
#5 ·
Gee, umm.. How am I going to find the nifty solar lantern when it's battery stops holding a charge? It does still use a battery (or capacitor) system to hold a charge. This will wear out over time.

Questions like that bother me. That doesn't still fix the issue that it's only got one real purpose.

It also doesn't counter the fact I said it was nice, just not for me.

I'm trying to keep the electronics down in my JIC kits (stationary), as those are generally the first things to break.

Now, I might pick one of these up for general camping. As when I am camping, hiking distance with a kerosene lantern is a pain. I just don't personally see this as a survival tool.

AGAIN, for me. I am sure others will like this, and I encourage them to get it. It is an american product.
 
#6 ·
I've just learned about and ordered what appears to be the best thing since sliced bread for interior lighting on those dark and stormy nights.

I keep a number of kerosene lanterns on hand but have never been satisfied with the amount of light they produce. Knowing that fire departments won't respond during a SHTF scenario makes them even less attractive and recently I began searching for alternatives. What I discovered is a solar powered lamp that produces light for up to 12 hours and is bright enough to light up a room.

The D.Light S250 was introduced in 2010 and is already being used in a number of developing nations. It needs no fuel (other than sun light), is inexpensive, and even has the capability of charging a cell phone or other small device.

At just $45.00 this seems like a sure win and since it hasn't turned up on our Board yet I wanted to draw attention to it. Search YouTube for videos demonstrating it's use as well.

Amazon.com: D.LIGHT S250 Solar LED Lantern: Home Improvement

From Amazon's site:
D.LIGHT S250 is a dual purpose solar light and solar mobile charger. Currently on display in the British Museum as the 100th object in BBC Radio Four's "A History of the World in 100 Objects," now you can own the innovative product that was chosen to define the 21st century. D.LIGHT S250 has provided better, brighter, safer, and more affordable light for millions of people who do not have access to reliable electricity in over 35 countries.

D.LIGHT S250 can be charged with either a solar panel or an AC adapter (just including solar panel), and can provide up to 12 hours of bright light on a full charge. D.LIGHT S250's bright white light illuminates a room similarly to a 3 to 5 Watt CFL lamp, and is up to 50% more energy efficient. D.LIGHT S250 also charges the most popular mobile phones in India and Africa, keeping personal mobile phones fully charged even when AC power is unavailable.

D.LIGHT S250 comes encased in a sturdy housing unit that protects the interior from dust, insects and water. It comes with an ergonomically designed handle with a top strap to allow users to hang the unit from hooks or poles to light up their work, study or living area. D.LIGHT S250 takes on a friendly rounded form with closely fitted component parts to create a rugged light, suited for everyday use. D.LIGHT S250 is designed in the USA and is patented.

i wouldnt abandon the oil lamps because they are a for sure light source for the moment,but i would like to add one or 2 of these to my long term preps :thumb:these will be good for when you know your going to be going without lights and can plan ahead

does anyone have one of these lights that can give us a field report on how good they are? and about how many lumens it is?

and what about the S10. does any1 got one of these?




im real leary to get solar lights most ive seen has been a poor light source.if you can get it charged and still it doesnt stay light for long.but the reviews on these seem to be REALLY good on the S250 low 100hr med setting is 12hrs and on high 8hrs


thanx for this link i was just about to go out tomorrow and buy 15 gal of karosene which if these are good i could get the S250 and a S10 for the same money :thumb:
 
#7 ·
Seems to me to not be so well suited for the U.S. market just yet. It's not compatible with North American cell phones so that eliminates one advantage.

Does it clearly state that the solar panel is included with the lamp? It was unclear to me but perhaps I am reading it incorrectly?

It does not state the parameters of a "full charge" either. It may give 12 hrs of light on a full charge, but most solar charged lamps these days give you a max charging time under good sunlight and many of those require upwards of 35 hrs of sunlight before you reach "max charge." Meaning, if you were lucky enough to get a full eight hours a day of sunlight, it would take what, more than four full days of sunlight to get a max charge that would afford you 12 hrs of lamp time max?

It's a fine idea and one that will improve by leaps and bounds in coming years with advanced solar technology and battery design. But at the moment, the better choice, imho, would be to use that same $50 you are spending on product and shipping, and instead buy a AAA/AA/D cell battery charger and plenty of spare NiCad, et al, batteries and keep them charged, rotating and using them in your remotes, small LED flashlights, etc., and then recharge them using your generator, etc., if needed after loosing power.

In the long run the return on you investment would be much greater imho.
 
#8 ·
The S250 requires just 8 hours of sunlight for a full charge. ie: Set it in the window all day and have light all night. And not just a little light. Enough to light a room.

Additionally, these batteries are replaceable, so if they were to no longer accept a charge, you'd just have to swap them out (they're commonly available NiCads) and it's brand new again. And these DO, in fact, work with North American cell phones. :) However, they don't output enough juice to power a smart phone (iPhone, Blackberry,etc)

These were built to withstand a lot of abuse and to be used in areas where there is no electricity now so they are already proven. For my purposes, it's an excellent choice. And there's no danger of fire, respiratory issues, or lack of fuel.
 
#9 ·
Thanks DigitalSherpa ... I did a little research on it and, from what I can tell, it is better than a lot of things in its class but still needing to have some of the bugs worked out.

It was Solux's flagship product, made in China, but it has been discontinued in favor of smaller models, the S50 and S100 I believe.

www.solux.org

BTW, the one above, does it come with all the necessary converters and adapters? I was reading a European site and there were some complaints that there was not an adapter for every country - and that the light was designed strictly for use in Africa, India and China but that if you managed to get a set of adapters and converters for it, it was doable in Europe.
 
#10 ·
This is one more source of light and power. Wouldn't hurt to have one. I think a general purpose solar panel would be more versatile. I also don't like the fact that the batteries are NiMH. I just bought two of these:



Amazon.com: Eco-I-Lite Multi-Function Power Failure Light, 2-Pack: Home Improvement

At Costco for about $20 IIRC. They are Lithium Ion batteries so they will last longer (more recharge cycles, more power). They turn one when the power goes out. I gave one to my kids and kept one for myself and set it to flash when the power goes out. The only things I don't like are:

1) There is no low power mode - but the flashing probably will make it last longer if I am not home. But still it would be nice to have a low power mode when I don't need all of the power.

2) If I am not home it comes on and stays on until the power returns. At my house that is usually a matter of seconds to minutes about once or twice a year when a crow lands on the transformer that feeds my house, but still...

But it was cheap, it is a nice emergency automatic power out light and it has a night light too. My kids have theirs in the hallway.

Of course, I have a number of other emergency light sources, including a kerosene lamp.
 
#11 ·
This looks really cool. I am definitely going to get one in the near future. I have read up on it and it does include the Solar Panel and it now comes with a free mini usb adapter for charging stuff. Apparently it can charge a phone to full overnight and still have some juice left.
 
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