Last Updated on May 13, 2023 by Dwayne Easton
We use flashlights so often, especially as hunters, but have you ever stopped to think – how did flashlights come to be? We’ve done the research so that you can answer exactly that.
Since the dawn of time, humankind has been in search of a portable light source. The purpose of this search was to combat the human’s own vulnerability. Apart from the sun, the fire was the primary source of light. People used to hunt at night with fire, as a source of light. They carried it around in the form of candles and kerosene lamps. Because of the flames, all these sources turned out dangerous and unsafe. Humankind needed to figure out how to lighten the darkness. The traditional method could not bring a satisfactory solution to this problem. The electric bulb and the dry cell were invented at the end of the 19th century. This led to the flashlights and pocket torches these days. Flashlights are useful in hunting and military. The invention of flashlights has brought ease for the hunters in any game. Nowadays, flashlights come with different features and technological advancements. They can suit anyone’s needs and purposes, as well as budget. Considering that they are only over 100 years old, they have definitely come a long way
Who Invented The Flashlights?
The evolutionary era of 1896 started with the invention of the first dry cell battery. In 1899, an English inventor David Misell invented the first flashlight. The first flashlight has three D batteries which powered a small incandescent bulb. The bulbs would glow with a simple ON/OFF switch.
MANUFACTURING OF FLASHLIGHTS:
On January 10, 1899, David applied for and obtained the US patent No.617592. The American Electrical Novelty and Manufacturing Company got assigned the patent. Russian immigrant Conrad Hubert founded this company in 1888. The company was later renamed as Eveready. Eveready started the mass production of these flashlights. “Let there be light”, a biblical quote, was on the advertising catalogue of the flashlights.
WHY WERE THEY NAMED “FLASH” LIGHTS?
They were named “flash” lights because they could not produce light for too long. These flashlights produced flashes of lighting. The user would turn OFF the switch from time to time. These flashlights ran on zinc-carbon batteries and did not give constant current. The production of the first flashlights was not successful. It was due to the behavior and inefficiency of the batteries. In 1902, Bulb makers started using high-quality filaments in their electric bulbs. This induced consistency and long-lasting qualities. Thus, the popularity of flashlights increased.
In 1910, Eveready introduced the new flashlights. They replaced the carbon filament with a tungsten filament. This topped Eveready in the manufacturers’ list of flashlights. The flashlights This is how flashlights became a commercial success.
Did Flashlights Exist in 1912?
The flashlights did exist in 1912, but they were not functional as much as they are now. By the end of the year 1922, several styles of flashlights got introduced. This includes the lantern version, small pocket torches and the typical cylindrical variant. In 2008, the UK manufacturers sales of flashlights raised to 15.19 million GBP.
What Are Flashlights Used For?
We all know cell phones come with flashlights now. But in particular time of need, cell phones are only used for the sake of communication. Flashlights do have a specific “job”. They come helpful in the duties of electricians, firefighters, police officers, mechanics, and many more. Hunting Flashlights are useful to knock down a hunt that you might miss in the dark. Apart from these, flashlights are helpful for personal security and domestic purposes. Flashlights come in handy whether you go hiking, camping or a quick bathroom break at night.
What Is The Most Powerful Torch In The World?
The answer varies depending on the intensity of light. Daniel Rile of Stratus Productions created the most powerful torch. The torch has powerful 1000 Watt light emitting 90000 lumens light. The light emitted is almost equal to the light from the sun. A giant heat sink backs up the flashlight for the dissipated heat. However, this torch is not suitable for practical uses. Now let us talk about the torch having highest light intensities which is also practical. The Fenix Lr40R LED flashlight gives a light output of 12000 lumens. With a beam distance of 773 meters, the Fenix Lr40R comes with a rechargeable battery. The battery gets charged in 3 and a half hours.
The next one is Nitecore TM10K rechargeable flashlight. It has a light intensity of 10,000 lumens and a beam distance of 288 meters. The aluminum coating makes it waterproof and impacts resistant. There are some other torches with powerful light intensity. They are Fenix TK72R (9000 lumens), TK75 (5100 lumens), Niteocre concept 2 (6500 lumens), and many more.
What Flashlight Shines The Farthest?
The best throw flashlight is a necessary element among different survival gears. A throw flashlight or a thrower can shoot beam up to a long distance. It may or may not light up all the area surrounding the flashlight. You can determine the throw of a flashlight by pointing it at something with a known distance. In this way, you can calculate the beam distance of the flashlight. The longest beam distance recorded is 1500 meters. Since it is hard to name the best one out there, we are going to mention a few of them. Fenix has some high-quality long-range flashlights. Fenix TK75 has a beam distance of 850 meters equal to 2788 feet. The output of the flashlight is 5100 lumens. Fenix TK61 1000-lumen flashlight is the second one in the list. It has an impressive beam distance of 824 meters equal to 2703 feet. This flashlight has a little wide spill which could be a good thing for some, a bad thing for others. Nitecore MH20GT is another option for people who prefer small, pocket-sized flashlights. It has a beam distance of 362 meters (1188 feet). This flashlight is smaller than others in the market. All the flashlights as mentioned earlier are rechargeable. Throwers are beneficial for self-defense and tactical purposes. So, finding the best throw flashlight depends upon the question “why” you are using it.
