As if we haven't gone over enough LED lights, but I just found another cute little trinket at the local Target, actually a pair. I dunno if anyone else may have discovered these and reported on them, as I've only just returned into circulation here again.

What I'm talking about is a pair of Brinkman "Go-LED" emergency lights. Let me describe:

These things look like a micro terrarium, and remind me of the little bubble popper from my old "Trouble" board game. There's a single Nichia LED inside the transparent little dome, with a flat aluminum reflective platter under the dome just below the level of the LED. The outer third of the dome is diffusion finished, and the base is phenolic. There is no on/off switch, but in the back of the base there's a removable piece of flexible plastic (like a thick piece of tape) stuck in a slot with the other end sticking out and bent over to conform to the surface of the base. You simply remove the tab to activate the light, and the tab can be reinserted fairly easily to turn it back off. The light is typically bright, with a decent flood and a noticable spot in the middle at about a 14 degree spread (the flood effect is quite nearly 180 degrees). Easily capable of lighting a tent or reading a book by, there's also a small detent in the base where a lanyard or lace could be threaded through. The dome is maybe an inch or so in diameter, and stands maybe 3/4 of an inch tall when sitting flat on it's base. I tried to stand it on it's edge, and once it quit rocking around, it stayed on it's edge at about a 20 degree up angle (there's a lip around the edge of the dome where it meets the base). They advertise that the light will last 170 hours. It is quite light for it's size, and I have to think it must use a small watch lithium for a power source (I may crack one open to see what really is inside).

They come packaged as pairs, and mine cost $2.99 for the pair. I figured that was a darned good price for a pair of disposable lights, and plan on getting a couple more to put into various packs and places. I suppose one could even be worn around the neck or some such.

Anyways, I thought I'd pass this on. It is definitely ETS material.

As a suggestion, try roughening the bottom slightly and then sticking one of those two sided sticky patches (the one's used for sticking hooks, pictures and things to the wall) to the base. If it fits, you will be able to use the patch to stick the light to quite a number of different surfaces.

CPF did a review - http://tinyurl.com/m9bae - and there is a picture of them in the package. Several folks there indicated they are going to slightly modify the lights to allow easy battery changes and a simple idea (from another light) sketched out to non-destructivley add an on-off switch.

Yup, I can see some potential with modifying these little goobers, but given all the other lights I got now, I think I'll leave these virginesque except for the stickback idea maybe. Then there's still the issue of what am I gonna do with the hundreds of Nichia LEDs I have sitting in film cannisters. Hmm, maybe a tent stringer or some such.