San Angelo, TX, Library
In a 30 June post earlier this year I labeled the Torch Crank Light the Most Useful Christmas Present I've ever received. [See the 1st link below.] Now I'm having second thoughts -- especially about its durability.
Initially I charged the light's internal battery using the hand crank; however, it broke off in Mar 2013. Two different members of Goal Zero's support told me that was rare. I told them that when I was next in the Salt Lake Area I'd drop by to get another Crank Light.
On 9 April I located Goal Zero's plant/showroom in Bluffdale, UT, just south of Riverton and the saleswoman gave a new Crank Light.
She also gave me a new box containing both the d.c. & a.c. adapters. On 17 Aug the d.c. adapter did not seem to charge the light's battery very well; since it was dark I decided to wait til the next day to determine the problem. The next day I had my F250 serviced at the Cape Girardeau, MO, Ford dealer & immediately headed north to avoid an oncoming hailstorm. When I attempted to plug in the d.c. adapter I found parts I thought the dealer's serviceman had left in the +12v socket. (Since there are devices to test the truck's battery using that socket, I thought the parts I found in the socket had been left by the serviceman.) Later that evening I learned that the parts were from the d.c. adapter. Unfortunately, I didn't gather all of the parts together and eventually lost some of them.
Conclusions: 1)GoalZero apparently has a quality control problem with the assembly of its Torch Lights in China and 2)The Torch Light is designed for intermittent or emergency use and not everyday use.
In an e-mail dated 7 Oct 2014 Andy Earl of Goal Zero stated that the Torch Crank Light has been discontinued. He suggested I check out the Torch 250.
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Links:
- 30 Jun 2014 post: My Most Useful Christmas Present
- GoalZero website
- Torch 250 Crank Flashlight
Routes:
F 26 Sep Actual Route: Sherwood Wy W/M - Lib - Sam's Club - Sherwood Wy W/M
Sa 27 Sep Actual Route: Sherwood Wy W/M - Lib - Sam's Club - Sherwood Wy W/M
Su 28 Sep Actual Route: Sherwood Wy W/M - Lib - Sam's Club - Sherwood Wy W/M
M 29 Sep Actual Route: Sherwood Wy W/M - Jim Bass Ford -Lib - Sam's Club - Sherwood Wy W/M
T 30 Sep Actual Route: Sherwood Wy W/M - Lib - Sherwood Wy W/M
W 1 Oct Actual Route: Sherwood Wy W/M - Lib - Visitor Ctr - Sherwood Wy W/M
Th 2 Oct Actual Route: Sherwood Wy W/M - Lib - Sherwood Wy W/M
F 3 Oct Actual Route: Sherwood Wy W/M - Lib - Sherwood Wy W/M
Sa 4 Oct Actual Route: Sherwood Wy W/M - Lib - Sam's Club - Sherwood Wy W/M
Su 5 Oct Actual Route: Sherwood Wy W/M - Visitor Ctr - Sam's Club - Sherwood Wy W/M
Finding Campgrounds:
- RV Campgrounds from TrailerLifeDirectory.com
- Family Camping Directories from Woodalls.com
- Free campsites website
- Info on finding BLM Campgrounds
