You can get ones made of glow-in-the-dark plastic, but the glow goes after an hour or so out of the light.

My idea combines a very low frequency (0.3 ~ 0.1HZ) IC flashing low wattage LED where the plastic cap is made of glow in the dark plastic. That should produce an interest effect and a persistent glow, and yet not drain battery powered devices too quickly.

The idea is particularly useful on things you need to find in the dark: flashlights, key chains, smoke hoods, buttons, etc.

The system is simple, small, cheap, uses proven technology and requires no clever circuitry or re-engineering to adapt existing products.
-- FloridaManatee, Jun 03 2004

UV LED http://members.misty.com/don/ledbl.html
[Worldgineer, Oct 04 2004]

I voted for, but I have to wonder what it would be like staying in room with a bunch of this stuff.
-- phoenix, Jun 03 2004


Make children's toys and women's shoes with this feature and there will be a lot fewer nighttime injuries in the world.
-- Worldgineer, Jun 03 2004


Hey guys, good to see ya.
-- FloridaManatee, Jun 03 2004


(waves)
(admires trailing effect of glow-in-the-dark LED ring)
-- Worldgineer, Jun 03 2004


My question is what is it in the glow-in-the-dark plastic that makes it glow? I know that phosphorescent items take the UV radiation and release visible variation. If glow-in-the-dark does the same thing, then the LED would not put out enough UV radiation to light up the GITD item.
-- GenYus, Jun 03 2004


Even if that's true (I have no idea), they make LEDs that have UV output.
-- Worldgineer, Jun 03 2004


I have two of those UV LEDs. They're marketed as keychain money detectors.
-- FloridaManatee, Jun 03 2004


I put a glow in the dark keychain under my shortwave UV lamp and instead of the eerie green glow I got an eerie orange glow.

Nice idea, it should work. +
-- sartep, Jun 03 2004


This type of device is well-known in the flashlight community, with the omission of the GITD phosphor. You simply run an LED at an extremely low current and it produces a very small amount of light, extremely efficiently.
-- notexactly, Mar 30 2017


I like to imagine the flashlight community has their meetings in a very dark room.
-- Worldgineer, May 04 2017


Just as long as there's space for the elephant...
-- 8th of 7, May 04 2017



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