I see the light

Oct 2, 2008
3,807
Pearson/ 530 Strafford, NH
Hi all,

Its that time of year when I post one thing you may find useful on your boat. This year I have been reviving my LED flashlights by adding a new penny. Most of these lights have a battery pack with three AAA batteries and can’t maintain contact well enough for good lighting. I’ve been putting the new penny between the little spring and the negative end of the battery pack. The light is now stronger and doesn’t go out when you turn it around.

.DFF2F278-98FB-4A50-92A2-B8A566B60B00.jpeg
 
Jan 11, 2014
11,321
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
Hi all,

Its that time of year when I post one thing you may find useful on your boat. This year I have been reviving my LED flashlights by adding a new penny. Most of these lights have a battery pack with three AAA batteries and can’t maintain contact well enough for good lighting. I’ve been putting the new penny between the little spring and the negative end of the battery pack. The light is now stronger and doesn’t go out when you turn it around.

.View attachment 172650
Cool idea. I have several of those intermittent LED flashlights. If a new penny isn't available, an old one could be cleaned up with some copper polish or ketchup.
 
Jan 4, 2006
6,444
Hunter 310 West Vancouver, B.C.
I see the light

Well that's better than everybody yelling "GO TOWARDS THE LIGHT".

I think every bloody LED flashlight I've ever bought (with the three AA batteries) has that intermittant problem. Got to try the penny spacer.

Oops, we don't have pennies here any more. Gotta use a nickel or get my hands on some US pennies. Or start a "go fund me" for pennies.
 
May 23, 2016
1,024
Catalina 22 #12502 BSC
good tip....used to do it in the house "fuse box" in place of the fuse :yikes: back in the day, worked well!
 
Jan 11, 2014
11,321
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
I see the light

Well that's better than everybody yelling "GO TOWARDS THE LIGHT".

I think every bloody LED flashlight I've ever bought (with the three AA batteries) has that intermittant problem. Got to try the penny spacer.

Oops, we don't have pennies here any more. Gotta use a nickel or get my hands on some US pennies. Or start a "go fund me" for pennies.
Perhaps a copper washer would work?

 
  • Like
Likes: D Swanson
May 24, 2004
7,129
CC 30 South Florida
Old Pennies are 100% made of copper, surely today worth more than it's coin value.
 
Oct 1, 2007
1,856
Boston Whaler Super Sport Pt. Judith
Hi all,

Its that time of year when I post one thing you may find useful on your boat. This year I have been reviving my LED flashlights by adding a new penny. Most of these lights have a battery pack with three AAA batteries and can’t maintain contact well enough for good lighting. I’ve been putting the new penny between the little spring and the negative end of the battery pack. The light is now stronger and doesn’t go out when you turn it around.

.View attachment 172650
Tom:
This is absolutely brilliant. I have seven of these lights and many of them no longer work correctly. I took one of the worst offenders, inserted the penny, and voila, bright light.
Thanks so much. One of the better tips I have seen on this board.
Rick
 
  • Like
Likes: Rich Stidger
Oct 2, 2008
3,807
Pearson/ 530 Strafford, NH
Tom:
This is absolutely brilliant. I have seven of these lights and many of them no longer work correctly. I took one of the worst offenders, inserted the penny, and voila, bright light.
Thanks so much. One of the better tips I have seen on this board.
Rick
Just wanted to add my two cents. Poor Canadians, I’m saving the old maple leafs hoping they will be worth something.
 
  • Like
Likes: Rick486
Jan 22, 2008
8,050
Beneteau 323 Annapolis MD
Hi all,

Its that time of year when I post one thing you may find useful on your boat. This year I have been reviving my LED flashlights by adding a new penny. Most of these lights have a battery pack with three AAA batteries and can’t maintain contact well enough for good lighting. I’ve been putting the new penny between the little spring and the negative end of the battery pack. The light is now stronger and doesn’t go out when you turn it around.

.View attachment 172650
Should the penny go in heads or tails up?
 
  • Like
Likes: lehighsail
Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
Old Pennies are 100% made of copper, surely today worth more than it's coin value.
Absolutely true, but taking advantage of that can cost you 5 years in the federal clink.
 

DArcy

.
Feb 11, 2017
1,690
Islander Freeport 36 Ottawa
I just had an LED flashlight go flaky on a long distance race. I have two the same and they have been great over the last few years but this one must have had some moisture get in and it had corrosion on one of the contacts. I cleaned it and it came back, maybe the penny trick would help as well - but I'm Canadian so maybe a dime. Everything is more expensive here :confused:
 
Sep 25, 2018
258
Catalina Capri 22 Capri EXPO 14.2 1282 Stony Point
Destroying coins is OK. Defacing them is a crime. As a kid I learned this when the MAN showed up while we were placing pennies on the tracks of the LIRR in Queens and tried to arrest us for destroying species. When at the station house, the captain admonished the beat cop for not arresting us for trespass rather than what they thought was a crime. The captain said that they should have dealt with a bunch of 12 year old boys like that used to do, scare the S*** out of us as a lesson. Things were different in the late 1950's then today. Today we criminalize every action rather than give life lessons that only follow you through life by the knowledge gained (without the RAP sheet).
 
Jan 22, 2008
1,654
Hunter 34 Alameda CA
I see the light

Well that's better than everybody yelling "GO TOWARDS THE LIGHT".

I think every bloody LED flashlight I've ever bought (with the three AA batteries) has that intermittant problem. Got to try the penny spacer.

Oops, we don't have pennies here any more. Gotta use a nickel or get my hands on some US pennies. Or start a "go fund me" for pennies.

Ralph,

Would you like some of your old pennies back? I always got struck with them when they'd end up in my change and then nobody else would take them. :)
 
Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
What about all those machines at amusement parks that roll and stretch pennies leaving an imprint of the place?
Didn't you READ that statute I posted?!?!?!?!? ;*)

It's OK.

the regulation includes an exception for the treatment of 5-cent and one-cent coins for educational, amusement, novelty, jewelry, and similar purposes as long as the volumes treated and the nature of the treatment make it clear that such treatment is not intended as a means by which to profit solely from the value of the metal content of the coins.
 
  • Like
Likes: LloydB
Jan 7, 2011
4,726
Oday 322 East Chicago, IN
Didn't you READ that statute I posted?!?!?!?!? ;*)

It's OK.

the regulation includes an exception for the treatment of 5-cent and one-cent coins for educational, amusement, novelty, jewelry, and similar purposes as long as the volumes treated and the nature of the treatment make it clear that such treatment is not intended as a means by which to profit solely from the value of the metal content of the coins.
Sounds to me like the kids were looking for amusement ! I did the same thing as a kid.
Putting a .22 cartridge on the track was more entertaining, but I put many a penny on the tracks.

Greg