LIGHTCAP SOLAR RECHARGEABLE
LED WATER BOTTLE


Lightcap Solar Rechargeable LED Water Bottle, retail $24.95 (www.sollight.com...)
Manufactured by Sollight (www.sollight.com)
Last updated 02-13-07




The Lightcap Solar Rechargeable LED Water Bottle is a clear plastic water bottle with a 32 fluid ounce capacity. What sets this water bottle apart from other water bottles or sports bottles are that this one has red and white LEDs in the cap, has rechargeable batteries built into the cap, and has a solar panel on top so you never have to plug it in to feed it.

The LEDs are switch-selectable so you can have either the white one or the red one illuminated, and a CdS (cadmium sulfide) photocell near the solar panel turns the LED off when the product is exposed to reasonably bright light if you somehow forget about the switch and leave your Lightcap turned on.


SIZE



Use the Lightcap as you would any ordinary water bottle or sports bottle. Unscrew the cap, fill the bottle with up to 32 ounces of your favourite beverage, and screw the cap back on.

There is no contact between the liquid inside the bottle and the batteries, so unless the cap is seriously damaged on its interior, contamination of the bottle's contents with cadmium from the NiCd batteries inside the cap will not be an issue. I am confident of that.

On the cap, you'll find a switch on one edge. As the switch is facing away from you, rock it to the right to turn the red LED on, rock it to the left to turn the white LED on, and return it to the center position to turn the Lightcap off.



The batteries are not designed to be replaceable, so this section of the web page will be a bit on the bare side.

Set the bottle in direct sunlight, standing upright, for as long as 24 hours assuming the batteries are totally dead. This will provide "over 8 hours of useful light" (as it reads in the instructional pamphlet).

If it is overcast or cloudy outside, charging will take longer, and you can even charge it a bit indoors by exposing the solar panel to good room light.

Due to the way the Lightcap was constructed, I am not able to furnish you with current draw measurements.




Photograph of the top of the cap, showing the solar panel, the CdS photocell (the circular opening to the left), and the switch.

This product is meant to be used as a water bottle, not as a flashlight meant to be thrashed and abused, so I won't try to drown it in the toilet, bash it against the corner of a concrete stair or a steel rod, let my housemate's cat go to the bathroom on it, run over it with a 400lb Rascal, or perform other indecencies on it that a regular flashlight might have to go through. So this section of the web page will be more bare than this section of the web page on a page about a flashlight.

The water bottle itself is dishwasher-safe, but the cap is not. Remove the cap and its plastic retaining loop from the bottle before putting the bottle in the top rack of your dishwasher.

The only possible damage mechanisms that I can immediately see are that the solar panel and CdS photocell are covered by a transparent plastic window; this window appears to be quite thin and may or may not be water-resistant. The area around the switch may also admit water, so you'll want to be careful you don't douche the top of the cap. Don't douche it thoroughly, anyway. I don't believe you'll have problems using it in the rain or snow, but please try not to drop it into water or water-like liquids (deep puddles of antifreeze, gasoline, pee, slush, etc.).



Photograph showing red LED illuminated.



Photograph showing whte LED illuminated.



Photographs showing the Lightcap in use.

Unit was filled with 32oz of tap water with a few drops of milk
added to increase the turbity and make these photographs possible.


Spectrographic plot
Spectrometer plot of the LED (white) in the Lightcap.


Spectrographic plot
Spectrometer plot of the LED (red) in the Lightcap.
Ocean Optics USB2000 Spectrometer on loan from WWW.TWO-CUBED.COM.



TEST NOTES:
Test unit was purchased at www.sollight.com on 05-02-05, and was received on the afternoon of 05-07-05.

Product's country of origin is not stated, but I presume it was made in the United States.


UPDATE: 00-00-00



PROS:



CONS:



    MANUFACTURER: Sollight
    PRODUCT TYPE: Illuminated water bottle
    LAMP TYPE: LED
    No. OF LAMPS: 2 (1 red, 1 white)
    BEAM TYPE: N/A
    SWITCH TYPE: Three-position rocker on top edge of cap
    BEZEL: N/A
    BATTERY: Internal NiCd rechargeables
    CURRENT CONSUMPTION: Unknown/unable to measure
    WATER RESISTANT: Yes
    SUBMERSIBLE: No
    ACCESSORIES: None
    WARRANTY: 1 year

    PRODUCT RATING:

    Star Rating





Lightcap Solar Rechargeable LED Water Bottle * www.sollight.com...






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