The Hydra-Light PL-500 Salt Water EnergyCell Lantern – a breakthrough in portable lighting & DC power.

• No replacing batteries
• No plugging in to outlets
• Bright LED light anywhere, anytime
• Phone & portable device charging anywhere
• Powered by our innovative Salt Water EnergyCell

The Hydra-Light PL-500 Personal Lantern is a breakthrough personal LED lantern & charger powered by an incredible technology – the Hydra-Light Salt Water EnergyCell. Simply add water and a little ordinary table salt for instant light and DC power.

The PL-500 evolved out of our search for a safe, inexpensive alternative to current portable lighting and charging products that use replaceable batteries. We set out to make a lighting product that was compact, portable, safe and ecologically friendly with extended usage times and lower operational costs than conventional battery products.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, each year Americans throw away more than three billion batteries. That’s about 180,000 tons of batteries, more than 86,000 tons of which are single use alkalines. Placed end to end these dead batteries would circle the world at least six times.

Enter the PL-500 – powered by a proprietary Salt Water EnergyCell. No more replacing and throwing away used-up batteries. The PL-500 is ideal for camping, emergency lighting or any situations where light & DC power are needed away from electrical grids. It works perfectly with seawater, so makes a great maritime working or emergency light for boating.

The Hydra-Light PL-250

We’re also offering the PL-250 lantern, the identical product, powered by the same 250+ hour Salt Water EnergyCell, but without the USB charging feature or internal storage. The PL-250 also includes the multi-purpose AL-100 accessory light with 30 foot cable.

ELECTRICITY FROM A SALT WATER ACTIVATED REACTION

Here’s how it works: inside the PL-500 is a removable Salt Water EnergyCell – the EC-250 – that works via the interaction of a replaceable PowerRod and a proprietary carbon based membrane. When salt water – an electrolyte – is added, the reaction between these elements creates an instant and continuous flow of electricity. As the reaction cycle continues over time, the PowerRod gradually becomes consumed and slowly shrinks in size, turning into harmless mineral sediment. When the rod has become very thin, it is removed and a new one is inserted – which takes just seconds – making the cell like new and ready to continue generating power. All that’s needed during the lifetime of each PowerRod is a periodic rinsing out of the mineral sediment and re-filling with fresh salt water. Unlike conventional batteries, the power output remains constant and does not decline over the lifetime of the rods.

The PL-500 also contains internal Li-ion storage which is continuously trickle-charged to provide quick charging of phones & handheld devices.

ACTIVATING THE EC-250 EnergyCell

The EnergyCell prep steps shown below are literally as easy as 1-2-3.

• Dissolve a little ordinary table salt in water
• Remove the PowerRod and fill cell with salt water
• Replace the PowerRod

That’s it! For optimum performance and proper maintenance, the cell should be periodically rinsed clear of mineral sediment and re-filled with salt water, with a frequency determined by your usage. The more continuous & heavy the usage, the more frequent rinsing and refilling should be.

If you’re not going to use your PL-500 Personal Lantern for awhile or are storing it for emergency use, you can prepare the EC-250 EnergyCell for long-term storage simply by rinsing well and allowing it to dry out thoroughly. When needed again, just add fresh salt water and the cell is instantly re-activated.

Then simply re-insert the cell into the PL-500 for instant light & DC power.

 PowerRods

A single inexpensive PowerRod provides run times of 250+ hours – the approximate equivalent of 85 conventional AA batteries – at a fraction of the cost. While we’re all for the latest advances in solar technology, in terms of portable power, the PL-500 offers significant advantages. It generates power 24 hours a day, day or night, in any weather, under any conditions. It’s rugged and lightweight, with practical & reliable construction. Stored dry the PL-500 has a virtually unlimited shelf life of 25+ years. Activated with salt water it provides instant light & power output. Sediment from EC-250 EnergyCells is non-toxic and eco-friendly. It’s perfect for camping, outdoor activities away from mainstream electrical grids or as an emergency light during power outages.

The AL-100 Accessory Light

The AL-100 is a handy, palm size 3 LED accessory light with a built-in 30′ cable, designed to plug into the 2.5 mm jack on top of the PL-500. The AL-100 lights a discreet area up to 30′ away using the PL-500 as its power source.

With Hydra-Light, you’ll never be stuck with a dead light or phone when you need it most!

HERE’S WHAT WE’RE OFFERING AS A PACKAGE

• The PL-500  OR  PL-250 Personal Lantern – the PL-500 is a 16 LED lantern & charger with internal Li-ion storage, a 2.5 mm DC jack and a standard USB port. The PL-500 is configured to trickle charge the internal storage for quick charging of phones, notepads and other handheld devices. The PL-250 is a lantern only, without USB port or internal storage.
• The AL-100 Accessory Light – a small, palm size 3 LED light that plugs into a 2.5 mm DC jack on the top of the PL-500. The AL-100 has a permanently connected cable for lighting adjoining areas up to 30’ away.

We’re also offering extra PowerRods in packs of 2. Each inexpensive power rod provides up to 250+ hours of continuous use.

The Hydra-Light PL-500 has been in development for over 3 years, and you can be one of the first to get your hands on one!  Our team has been working hard to perfect the technology, get the patents in place and create the designs and prototypes you see. We have engineering and manufacturing experts standing by to take this from proven prototypes to high volume production. Please make a pledge to get your own PL-500 and tell your friends about us. Kickstarter users will be among the first to receive Hydra-Light PL-500’s off the production line. Share our Kickstarter campaign with the Share buttons below the video at the top.