flash light

Do you mean a flash light as in a torch or

A flash light as in a camera flash?

John.

LOL, "torches".
When I hear Brits calling them that, it always makes me think of the village people carrying burning torches chasing down the monster in a movie. "Get the torches, burn the castle!"

Either one would have the same basic MO, as would any incandescent light bulb.

Electricity flows through a thin metal wire or "filament" that is designed to have a specific resistance. The electricity applied is "more" that that wire can carry without overheating, so the wire super heats and starts emitting photons, i.e. light.

LED flashlights (or torches if you will) work differently, LEDs emit light when simply stimulated by electricity, but the process of how and why is a much more complex explanation that can be done here.

That's why I asked.... the 'Guest' doesn't specify where they are located so it could be a xenon tube flash lamp for a camera, could it not?

That certainly doesn't use a hot wire filament.

John.

Damn, didn't think of a xenon tube when you said camera...Got me!

I also had no idea there was a biblical connection to ship flash light communications. What was it though, a form of shorthand? Because I know they use Morse Code for the flash patterns.

Older flash bulbs used magnesium wool and a spark, Real old ones were just magnesium on a plank.

A slide or pushbutton switch makes a "torch" flash light work (ok batteries,wire bulb as well)

The lamps used on ships for telegraphy to other ships simply use a mechanical shutter arrangement to expose or cover the lamp. The shutter is operated by an individual trained in Morse Code telegraphy and read by a similarly-trained individual the other end. Hence, flash-light. Very useful when enemy action has knocked out the radio.

To speed up communications a form of short-hand was developed using selected passages from the Bible. The chapter and verse would be transmitted and the recipient would look up the passage to determine the meaning.

John: 11, 35.

Get the idea?

Those signalling lamps were also very useful if you wanted to keep radio silence so as not to give your position away...

Didn't know about the bible shorthand though...

I suppose the phrase "go forth and multiply" would be in there as well

John.