View Full Version : Kit review - Glowring X2
Received some Glowrings through the post last week from Jack at Woodland Organics ( thanks Jack)
The glowrings themselves are a glass cylinder around 2" in length ( including the metal ferules at each end )
I got 4 glowrings 2 blue 1 pink ( for the wife ) and one green , my intention was to give them to the wife n kids at chrimbo :o): but I may keep them.
I was hoping to be able to use them on my TA weekends for map reading etc but they really don't throw out enough light. However I can see that they would be very useful for attaching to kit you don't want to lose or as markers , for example I could use two as "arcs of fire " markers , but it may be a dead giveaway to the "baddies"
So , if you were going to get some of these to map read at night then you may be better off with a normal torch, if you need to find something in the dark and don't want to use a torch then attaching one of these babies to you sleeping bag , bergan, socks, could well be the way to go.
Have you tried putting them inside the map case? That normally works quite well.
Have one on my windmill lighter and one on my compass.
The compass spends most of it's time in a pouch so the luminous paint never gets charged up. A green glowring quite bright enough to let me set and take bearings when it's too dark to see the needle.
Handy gadget and yes they are still perfectly usable well beyond the 10 year half life.
Cheers
can someone post a link i dont know what these things are!
can someone post a link i dont know what these things are!
http://www.h3products.com/cgi-bin/new_products.cgi?act=list_prod ucts&category=Glowrings
http://www.h3products.com/cgi-bin/new_products.cgi?act=list_prod ucts&category=Glowrings
Here are the original ones:
http://www.h3products.com/cgi-bin/new_products.cgi?act=list_prod uct_detail&id=1057926045&category=Glowrings
Tantalus
06-11-2004, 17:45
hmmmmm they look handy
how would they stand up to being attached to a dog collar?
either the old or the new versions
do they break if dropped?
Tant
I've had the old ones on my keys for over a year now and they are still going. I also have some on torches and so on and so far I've not broken a single one. They seem quite robust although I have heard of the caps falling off the newer ones ... I've not had that happen but if I was worried I'd add a blob of epoxy.
Tantalus
06-11-2004, 18:17
just while i am on about dogs.......
how far away can you see them ?
really only need to see the little blighter 100m or so away but it helps to know which direction :roll:
oh heck for a fiver i can get meself one and see
Tant
I wouldn't think that they are bright enough to be visible from 100 m unless it was really dark. Say 20 - 50 m. They work great if you use night vision though!
bothyman
06-11-2004, 18:24
>> http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=67587&item=2282774440&rd=1
Are these the same thing?? is it a good price??
Never seen them before, but wouldn't mind a couple of them
Tantalus
06-11-2004, 18:30
search ebay for H3 glowring
a lot of sellers out there offering them at lower prices
Tant
bothyman
06-11-2004, 18:33
Yes, Tant I noticed that too. :roll: :wave:
Tantalus
06-11-2004, 18:43
lol well ya asked...............
just a bit iffy at ebay since i got my fingers burned on a lot of knives that havent appeared after 7 weeks
and the "buy it now" option has never worked well for me
Tant
beachlover
06-11-2004, 19:07
If anyone is thinking of buying one go for the green. It is the brightest, followed by blue.
I have a pink one (no comments or inferences please!) that is is surplus to requirements ( I know....Stop digging!) if anyone wants to try one out on a dog collar etc.
I use the ones I have for finding zip pullers and keys in the dark. For map reading I dont think you can beat one of the old betalights, or my petzl tactikka with its flip down red cover - super piece of kit.
If anyone is thinking of buying one go for the green. It is the brightest, followed by blue.
I have a pink one (no comments or inferences please!) that is is surplus to requirements ( I know....Stop digging!) if anyone wants to try one out on a dog collar etc.
I use the ones I have for finding zip pullers and keys in the dark. For map reading I dont think you can beat one of the old betalights, or my petzl tactikka with its flip down red cover - super piece of kit.
Yeah, for map reading you need the power of one of these:
Betalight (http://www.shop.edirectory.co.uk/penrith_survival/pages/moreinfoa.asp?pe=CECAEFQ_+Beta light&cid=55)
Dunno how wise it is to keep 1.9 Curies if Tritium near your vitals ... hasn't hurt me though ... :bu: :borgsmile
beachlover
06-11-2004, 19:31
Dunno how wise it is to keep 1.9 Curies if Tritium near your vitals ... hasn't hurt me though ...
Probably better than canesten for a lot of things in that region! :o):
PS it explains why you type in soprano :rolmao:
Seriously, if anyone wants to try the spare one I have Pm or mail me. I used it on the dog collar but the little s*d is a terrier and once its in bushes or digging it's no use.
Yeah, for map reading you need the power of one of these:
Eek - fifty five quid - you could just about have two inova 24/7's for that ! :yikes:
I was thinking of adding a strip of shiny foil to the back of a glowring to see if it would increase the light output , in theory it would :?:
I remember hearing about an American using these to decorate his Christmas tree - the authorities weren't very impressed and he got arrested!! :o):
Tantalus
07-11-2004, 19:20
someone on BB pointed me towards these
underwater dive markers that work out of the water too :super:
and a price in between the 2 extremes already mentioned
ebay has lots of them, mostly us sellers at the moment tho
http://www.glo-toob.com/
http://www.glo-toob.co.uk/acatalog/Glo_Toobs.html
Tant
why was he arrested Stew?
Probably because they have stricter laws regarding the ownership of radioactive materials in the US than in the UK.
radio active key ring :yikes:
Probably because they have stricter laws regarding the ownership of radioactive materials in the US than in the UK.
Yep!
:lol:
It would be very cool to do though!
In the US you need a NRC (Nuclear Regulatory Commission) license for more that 1000 microcuries of H3 (tritium) - a betalight holds nearly 2000 times this amount. I believe that a glowring contains about 100 microcuries ... so the amount of tritium in a glowring is 20000 times less than in a betalight!!!!
However, no need to really worry ... the radioactive particles can't escape the plastic (they can only penetrate it by approx 0.001 cm) and even if you were to break a betalight, the exposure is much less than you get from a chest x-ray or flying.
Just by way of warning... The old style glowrings are not as robust as they might be. I've broken several over the past few years, usually by dropping them onto hard surfaces. The Pyrex vial snaps on sharp impact, and they no longer glow. (OK, actually, they are still glowing a tiny bit as the H3 is still contained, but they aren't effective any longer)
Can't comment on the new ones, as I don't remember where I''ve put the small number I have...
MagiKelly
08-11-2004, 11:29
Can't comment on the new ones, as I don't remember where I''ve put the small number I have...
Have you tried switching the lights out and looking :?:
Yes, but they don't glow through whatever box they're stored in ;)
Tantalus
08-11-2004, 15:28
try a geiger counter??
:rolmao: :nana:
Tant
bob_the_bomb
08-10-2008, 16:16
Hi. I have fitted one of those red flashing LED lights to my dog's collar and it works up to 100m. Dogs apparently cant see red light so it doesnt seem to distract him. But when the ******* thinks he's hiding from me he gets very confused when he can hear my voice calling directly to him!
korvin karbon
08-10-2008, 16:37
Hi. I have fitted one of those red flashing LED lights to my dog's collar and it works up to 100m. Dogs apparently cant see red light so it doesnt seem to distract him. But when the ******* thinks he's hiding from me he gets very confused when he can hear my voice calling directly to him!
i sometimes stick a glowstick on mines, doesnt bother them.
are you trying to be the next indianna jones BTW, this thread is ancient LOL
edispilff
08-10-2008, 23:07
It's so ancient that the websites aren't even around anymore ;) I want some of that high powered goodstuff betalite... i'm deep enough in the woods that i'll not have to worry about FED geiger counters sniffing for a license. Plus, what can you really do with 2000 microcuries of H3 anyway? Kill X-KGB agents while they're on vacation?
mmmm Tritium can be a bit dodgy, i use night fishing light sticks. They're about 2 inches long and bright enough to map read, they can be seen for a fair distance aswell. I get mine from ebay, i get 50 for about a fiver, you have to bend and crack them like a cyalume stick but they glow for hours and hours.
Gray