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8 August 2005
Boy,
don't you hate underpowered
flashlights? Well, suffer no more. Now you can buy one with 15 million
candlepower, allegedly, that runs off a rechargable 12-volt battery. In
comparison, car headlights in the U.S. cannot legally exceed 150,000
candlepower (though many are brighter and enforcement is lackadaisical).
The landing lights on planes are typically half a million. The
brightest lighthouse in the U.S. is the one at Oak Island in North
Carolina, which can operate from 1.4 million candlepower to 14 million
when visibility is poor. It’s said that the operators must wear protective
clothing to shield them from the heat. The brightest in the world is the
Créac'h d'Ouessant in Brittany at the English Channel which can
supposedly operate at up to 500 million candlepower and be seen for 200 km
(120 miles). Anyway, that flashlight/spotlight is about $70.00 and you can get it
here. Just don't get too carried away with it.
© Peter Blinn 2005
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