Most of the time, the power grid works well, but sometimes a weather event or other glitch reminds us that having power isn’t a sure thing. You’ll be able to stumble around by the light of your smartphone for a night or two after an outage, but what are you to do afterwards?
Hopefully, the answer is that you have enough batteries, flashlights, candles, and other provisions to carry through until power is restored. If needed, one way to stretch the supplies you have out as far as possible is to “revive” used batteries with a Joule thief.
A Joule thief uses an inductor and a transistor used to boost a lower voltage to a higher one. This means “dead” batteries and still have some life squeezed out of them, especially when paired with low-power LEDs. Those with a well-stocked workshop can make one themselves using instructions found here, which could be very useful if you find yourself unprepared.
Alternatively, you could order a ready-made Joule Thief from Sdp8483. This Tindie seller offers two variations on this device, a single-LED electric candle that is meant for decorative use, and a multi-LED device that would be very useful for emergency lighting. Both of these items are capable of producing light from a used battery for days on end, and wouldn’t be a bad idea to keep around just in case!
The seller is also currently offering a deep discount on a few devices with cosmetic damage. Head over to his store to see what’s available.
