Glowrings: What? where? and How much?

Chambers

Chambers

Joined
Jul 11, 2001
Messages
1,137
I hear a lot about glow rings on alot of the boards but no one is ever very specific about them so the title of this thread ought to cover it. Can some folks tell me more about them? Can you tell me where to find them? and in general how much they run?

Thanks
 
How does the GlowRing work?
The glow inside a GlowRing is created by a small self-activated cold light source called a GTLS.

These light sources are produced by using highly specialised technology. Each GTLS is a small hollow glass tube, which has been internally coated with a phosphorous material, injected with a special gas and then sealed by a laser. The gas inside the tube excites the phosphor, which creates a cold light that will glow for ten years without any external power source.

----------------------------------------------

Now, call me a quibbler... but didn't they forget, somehow, to mention that little thing called RADIOACTIVITY when explaining what makes the phosphor excited? I guess that would be bad for marketing. People tend to SHUN items that are radioactive and yet designed to be put in their POCKETS!!!

Granted, anyone who doesn't wonder what kind of gas would make the thing "glow for ten years without any external power source" is kind of a moron and deserves no sympathy. AND I KNOW that tritium is not the kind of radioactive substance (at least not in this quantity) that is gonna cause you any health problems BUT...
...We all know that the British (Traser is British) were the ones who told the world, "Oh, don't worry, it's just the COWS that are sick. PEOPLE can't get this -- no WAY!"

Sick of marketing "spin,"
---Jeffrey
 
Tritium emits only beta radiation which cannot penetrate the capsule it's in. There are hazards involved in manufacturing, and they'll have to be disposed of eventually which could be a problem if everybody and his hamster had a dozen or two each (which we might if they were unrestricted) but there is no hazard to the user. You would have to break the capsule and inhale the gas inside to get any dose of radioactivity at all, and even then the dose would be tiny.
 
Ok Great sources and such, my next questions after all this are: So you can't turn them on or off they just glow when it's dark? RAIDOACTIVE? now that sounds like a hell of a conversation starter. It's not gonna do anything wierd to my nads or anything if I carry it in my pocket right?
 
(1) Tritium sources used for illumination by the military are not a biological hazard as long as they remain sealed. Radiation emitted when tritium decays is so weak that it will not penetrate the glass vial containing the source or the cover glass on a tritium painted meter face. Therefore, dosimetry is not required when maintaining or handling this low energy isotope. A tritium source must be damaged before the radioactivity can escape. Released tritium may cause contamination of personnel, personnel clothing, work areas, and the air.

(2) When the tritium is released into the air or has contaminated a working surface, it creates a biological hazard. The body intakes tritium via inhalation or absorption through skin contact. The amount of tritium intake determines how much biological hazard exists. Treating tritium sources with special care, and ensuring they are not damaged is the best protection against contamination or exposure. Intact sources of tritium are not hazardous.

www.monmouth.army.mil/cecom/safety/rservice/tritium.doc
 
alpha and beta radiation don't penetrate paper or skin, much less plastic and glass
worry when you break it, not before

about as dangerous as a mercury thermometer, imo
 
I have several Glowrings and love them. All purchased from our very own BAGHEERA (Piet) here on Bladeforums. His service is second to none, prices are competitive with anyone out there in the marketplace (Ebay, etc.), and the profits are used for the local Boy Scouts!

While you are at it, see if you can get one or two the the "Light-My-Fire" FireSteels.

As a side note, at first I thought it was such a novelty that I dismissed it. People kept talking them up so much I finally bought a couple. I no longer lost my keys in the evening. That subtle green glow makes them easy to spot. I was so impressed, I bought 11 more!

Now, when I go to a hotel room, that gentle green glow is attached to my shave kit and each of my bags. Sounds rather simplistic but, it is amazingly conventient when you wake in the middle of the night after a lot of jet lag to find things in a strange hotel room easily identified and located in the room with that subtle green glow.

Buy several of these and attach them to anything you have lost more then once in the house. Next time it goes MIA, wait until the sun goes down, turn the lights out and :cool: :eek: :cool:
 
uh.... I sell green ones at 10.50 each, shipped in the states... paypal only please

I give them to customers and sell the extras.
 
Glowrings are great for keys, flashlights or anything else you don't want to lose in the dark. They will also light up a tent surprisingly well. It's not that noticeable when I go to bed, but when I wake up with completely dark-adapted eyes, my tent is surprisingly bright--bright enough to find gear. I plan to buy a few more.

I want to get one of these next:

P0290.jpg
 
Hello Sid,

Thanks for the kind words we really appreciate them.

We're thinking about getting another order together of Glowrings, Traser has increased prices somewhat but they also introduced the X2's. The X2's look very nice but they cost about 60% more then the regular Glowrings and.. and that's the worst part the minimum order for them is 100 and that's a huge amount of cash to invest for our Scouting group and they only come in 3 colors.

Still if we get enough response from our Scouts and requests from forumites we might be able to get an ordder together.

Again, thanks for the kind words,

Best Scouting wishes from Holland,

Bagheera
 
Then I must be doomed because I had 100 Glowring in my bedroom for several weeks!

I give them away as gifts - of the hundred I've had about a dozen break (people let me know) after a few months use. I also know that my mates have been using them on keyrings for a year or so and have no problems

For £3 (all in) it's like buying somebody a beer and a bag of crisps but at least the glowring is useful for finding your keys in the dark (Ladies like them for finding things at the bottom of their handbags like keys)

I have about a dozen around me at the moment. I'm after the pink ones for some girlfriends and have a few broken ones to send back (they usually put a couple extra in for free then even though they don't have to) The new version I've not seen yet though.

Al
 
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