portable distress signal - a portable 'Mayday flare' for the motorist with engine problems, the pleasure sailor in trouble, or the stranded mountaineer

portable distress signal elektor june 1984 Photo 1. The plastic case should be kept as small as possible in the in- terests of making the cir- cuit portable. If it is to be used in the car it might not be a bad idea to add a suitable length of cable fitted with a plug for the car"s cigar lighter socket or crocodile clips for con- nection directly to the battery. portable distress signal a portable "Mayday flare" for the motorist with engine problems, the pleasure sailor in trouble, or the stranded mountaineer The flash light tube, which is also used in stroboscopes, is capable of producing very intense light, surpassed only by the laser. Unlike the laser, however, it has quite a low energy consumption because, although the flashes are high intensity, they are of very short duration. This fact led to the idea of using it as the basis for a portable "distress signal" that could be used to attract the attention of anybody who might be in the area. General layout The different functio...