Anyone fitted a charge port light?

[Dilly]

This reminded me of a useful purpose for an otherwise useless Christmas cracker toy.
It was a motion sensitive LED silicone wristband. There are some available online.
It might need tweaking but should fit around the charge plug as it’s pretty much wrist diameter.
The LED’s mostly point upwards from the wrist but could be persuaded to shine forwards I’m sure.

 

[Sparkeur]

A simple and I think, elegant solution.

 

[Adopado]

A simple and I think, elegant solution.


View attachment 604043

Believe me, when you live somewhere without street lighting such things are normal head ware! (cheapo versions rather than the mega laser blaster pictured!)

 

[HenryT]

There is what looks to be a suitable option out there which you will see at about 2.09 on the video below.
The video is a review of a NFC ring, but the box it comes in seems to have a little LED inside it with an actuator that turns it on when the lid is opened.

 

[Glan gluaisne]

Believe me, when you live somewhere without street lighting such things are normal head ware! (cheapo versions rather than the mega laser blaster pictured!)

Definitely the case here, everyone walks around with a torch come the winter. I got caught out a couple of years ago, walked to the village hall for a meeting early in the evening, when it was still light. When it came time to walk home I realised I'd forgotten to bring a torch. I stumbled home, trying hard not to fall into the stream alongside the lane, totally unable to see a thing. It was so dark that I literally couldn't see my hand when held in front of my face. Navigation was by the sound of the stream and by feeling when my feet touched the edges of the lane.

 

[GRiLLA]

Definitely the case here, everyone walks around with a torch come the winter. I got caught out a couple of years ago, walked to the village hall for a meeting early in the evening, when it was still light. When it came time to walk home I realised I'd forgotten to bring a torch. I stumbled home, trying hard not to fall into the stream alongside the lane, totally unable to see a thing. It was so dark that I literally couldn't see my hand when held in front of my face. Navigation was by the sound of the stream and by feeling when my feet touched the edges of the lane.

Most people would always have their phone with them, so an available light. I use mine pretty much daily. We do hear a lot about your challenges not using your phone Glan.

 

[Sparkeur]

Definitely the case here, everyone walks around with a torch come the winter.

I don't know how I've lived without one here in the wilds of France...so I've just bought an 18000 lumens system.

From little threads on Tesla Motors Club, do impulse purchases come...

 

[Glan gluaisne]

Most people would always have their phone with them, so an available light. I use mine pretty much daily. We do hear a lot about your challenges not using your phone Glan.

Not a lot of point in carrying a phone that won't work, is there?

Admittedly it could have been useful as a makeshift torch, but in this case it would have been more sensible to just remember to take a proper torch with me.

 

[SergeyP]

Problem:

Solution:

 

[Cnixon]

It looks as if a betalight could be fitted to the flap, in line with the upper gap around the connector. 2mm and 3mm diameter betalights are readily available, just a matter of finding the best way to fix one in place. A bit of hot melt glue might do the job; strong enough, yet could probably be prised away without leaving a residue if needed.

I'll order a suitable looking betalight and see how it goes.

I tried betalite but only works in the darkest of situations if your eyes are already acclimatised. I am trying with the led and button cell but with manual switch as timer will kill battery.

 

[Adopado]

Now, when I was a boy you didn't need a battery or lamp for this kind of illumination ... we had radiation, usually from radium I believe! Not uncommon for children to have a seriously luminous alarm clock beside the bed ... I can't think it did our brains any good! I still have my step-father's wartime aircraft navigation compass that glowed brightly for many years. I naively thought that because it no longer glows that the radiation was no longer being emitted ... I only recently read that this is due to the breakdown in the other constituents of the radium paint mix blocking the visible light and that the actual radium is still doing its thing, having a half life of about 1600 years ... .

 

[dspwhite]

Resurrecting this thread. I had the same problem the other day. I wish a third party seller could make something suitable, especially if it hooks up with the LED light already there.

Putting aside "glow in the dark" paint, I wonder if fluorescent paint would work better, since very few places are completely dark. Perhaps something like this paint marker pen or this one or even some dedicated paint. If you didn't want to mark the car, you could even create a template from some sticky back card, and paint on that instead. Heck, why not even adhesive fluorescent paper if we're going that route..

 

[bobbychariot]

That's a PITA, as for the past ten years or so every car I've owned has turned the interior lights on automatically as you approach (or, in the case of the i3, when you use the remote to unlock it).

I've never had a car do this as you approach without using the keyfob to unlock or touching the doorhandle in the case of keyless entry.

 

[MrBadger]

Heck, why not even adhesive fluorescent paper if we're going that route..

I bought some 3M reflective paper (excellent outdoor lifespan) to wrap the charge port area. Admittedly it was black when not reflecting but I never bothered fitting it as when I tested it out it wouldn’t have made any difference - it reflects direct light really well but not great for ambient light when in a shadow as our position would be. In addition it has quite strict fitting instructions and even if I did cut it well I’m not sure that I could have managed to get it to sit right long term.

 

[Nick77]

Instead of paint, couldn't you just use some glow in the dark stickers and cut out a thin surround for the charging hole, thus guiding you where to plug in?

 

[Medved_77]

I bought a solar powered led light with a movement sensor and screwed that to the nearest wall to the charge port. Does the job.

 

[NeilG40]

If I've just got out of the car and the tail lights are still on I've found just holding my hand in front of the light is enough to illuminate the charge port to be able to see it, if they've already gone off I'd just use my phone or apple watch.

 

[dspwhite]

I've put my money where my mouth is and bought three fluorescent products. I'll let you know if any of them work, and if so, which works best.

 

[dspwhite]

Instead of paint, couldn't you just use some glow in the dark stickers and cut out a thin surround for the charging hole, thus guiding you where to plug in?

Phosphorescence only works if the material has been exposed to light for a while. Since the port door is closed 99.999% of the time, that's going to be a problem. Fluorescence on the other hand works by trying to extract as much light as it can from longer wavelengths (such as blue) and focusing that energy into what we perceive as brighter colours, such as yellow or orange.

 

[Nick77]

I was assuming that the charge flap isn't 100% opaque and that enough ambient light might get through for it to work.