Maglight Solitaire - Why not an LED?

[ev13wt]

Mag's strategy, like a lot of American companies, is to keep selling an outdated product for as long as they can, because their customer base doesn't know any better, and they think it will still sell.

1. Small light? Mag.
2. Why Mag? The big ones are the best flashlights in the world.
3. Goes to store, buys.
4. Buys batteries.
5. Breaks bulb. Why? Dropped it. Whos fault? His.
6. Looks for new bulb, buys new light because its so cheap.
7. buys batteries.
8. Drops light

and so on and so forth.

Why change a working system?

 

[Monocrom]

Maglite has been a American household name. Everyone has had a maglite, known for dependability. Yes there are a lot of competitors from overseas, but none have lifetime warranties, and I suspect their not completely honest with their ANSI/fl1 standards. I really do hope they find this these and make it into a brigh led. I would be confident using it as my backup edc

I've had three fail on me. Including a 3D model that literally fell apart in my hands as I was checking the batteries. The only use it ever saw in 3 years was riding underneath the front seat of my car. Don't believe the hype.

Out of all the flashlights I own (far too many to even try to count) the only truly dependable ones I've found are the models from SureFire that feature simple construction and use a momentary tailcap switch.

 

[Woods Walker]

It does have a nice tint. I rather like mine even with the hot wires. Granted I go with an E01 or iTP in AAA for EDC because of the low output and runtimes of the Solitaire . Not sure why M@g never put an LED in it.

 

[ZMZ67]

That would be nice, and there is already a CPF thread regarding LED Solitaire.I was hoping to see New Soli at the recent Shot Show, but still not a word from Mag. It was unofficially announced (i.e. in replies to customer e-mail enquiries) first for xmas 2011, and then for early 2012. I guess any announcement from Mag must be taken with a grain of salt...

Cheers,

Tam

I e-mailed Mag.......around 4 years ago I think and they told me about the C-cell LED Mags they were going to be released soon.The C-cells just hit the market last year didn't they? If Mag said they are going to produce a solitare my guess is it is still a few years away but at least it may be coming.With so many small bright lights in the market I think Mag will eventually be forced to produce something,though I wonder how it will stack up against the competition.

 

[Jamamp]

I have a Maglite Solitaire I got many years ago in a double-pack at Walmart. I can't see them selling too well as my itp a3 on low blows it out of the water. Damn I love that little a3!

 

[tam17]

I'm not sure how much user feedback (from an average Joe, flashlight community, LE and security officers...) Mag folks take into account when they lay down the concept of a new flashlight, but I sincerely hope there is someone at their HQ who is reading this and other threads re. their lights.

The only way I'm going to continue buying their stuff is if they keep it simple and reliable. There are 1xAAA pocket rockets out there, equipped with clicky switches, strobes/SOS signalling, user-defined multiple levels, 10440 support and max. outputs exceeding 100lm, but all that has no real meaning for an average buyer who will be satisfied with a simple, small, single-level XP-C, XP-E or even P9 twisty hanging from his/hers keychain, able to produce 25lm of neutral floody light when it's needed. Think about popularity of Fenix E01 and E05. That's just my 0.02lm.

 

[Lynx_Arc]

I'm thinking the LED solitaire requires almost a complete redesign as the tiny size has to include a boost circuit and change reflectors possibly adding a longer one. If they go with a 5mm LED then pricing has to be lower than with a more powerful LED solution. In a light that uses a AAA battery either they will have to include a lithium battery or use an underdriven cree in it so it will give somewhat useful runtimes off alkaline batteries. If they could do as dorcy did with their AAA LED light but one better put a cree in it and multimode driver and offer it for $15 or less it could sell but the average person may look at it and spend $5 more for a 2AA or 3AAA light instead.

 

[fyrstormer]

The only times I've seen Solitaires outside of stores is in gift boxes, usually with corporate logos etched on them. I'm not sure anyone has ever bought them for more than novelty value.

 

[Sub_Umbra]

To understand why the Solitaire will never be updated one must understand a few facts about it's origin. It's all here if you look for it. Once you know who designed it and how their lives are different today it all makes perfect sense.

I would go so far as to say that before the Solitaire is updated it will more likely be replaced by a totally different design for a 1xAAA LED light with a new name.

 

[budynabuick]

Mag's strategy, like a lot of American companies, is to keep selling an outdated product for as long as they can, because their customer base doesn't know any better, and they think it will still sell.

It must be working. I showed my my MIX6 and the next time I saw him he gifted me Solitaire. I guess he wanted me too have a REAL light LOL.
Keith (who has a 2xAAA XML T6 Mag coming)

 

[LEDninja]

The MiniMaglight Pro is 226 lumens single mode.
The MiniMaglight Pro+ is 245 lumens 2 mode.
None of those annoying blinking modes the Chinese manufacturers are so fond of. No funny lithium batteries either. Good old Coppertops.
Under $30.

Mag can compete when they get around to it.

 

[shelm]

To understand why the Solitaire will never be updated one must understand a few facts about it's origin. It's all here if you look for it. Once you know who designed it and how their lives are different today it all makes perfect sense.

i dont know the story..
any link

 

[EZO]

Re: MagLite Solitaire - Why not an LED?

With the many appealing AAA lights available today an LED MagLite seems besides the point. It does seem odd that they still offer this obsolete product but they must be selling them to somebody.

I've had a couple of these kicking around in a drawer for years. Recently I pulled one out, cleaned up the contacts and popped in a battery just for fun. Well, it turns out that the ol' incan Solitaire is an excellent bedside light for those times when you don't need or want a higher output. (MagLite rates the Solitaire at 2 lumens) Of course, I have various lights with better low lumen settings and performance that I usually use for this purpose but it's been fun to find a use for one of these old little lights. If you stop to think about all the discussion here at CPF about the desire for low lumen settings and Hi CRI output, the old Solitaire might still be relevant. And the candle mode with the head removed on this light is still an excellent feature that wouldn't be available with an LED......it is a true "candle mode".


P.S. With respect to the OP and a few other posters here, I've taken the liberty of changing the title of this thread to reflect the correct spelling for the name of the company.

 

[fyrstormer]

To understand why the Solitaire will never be updated one must understand a few facts about it's origin. It's all here if you look for it. Once you know who designed it and how their lives are different today it all makes perfect sense.

I would go so far as to say that before the Solitaire is updated it will more likely be replaced by a totally different design for a 1xAAA LED light with a new name.

Fascinating. What are the secret answers we're all failing to notice?

 

[fyrstormer]

Re: MagLite Solitaire - Why not an LED?

I've had a couple of these kicking around in a drawer for years. Recently I pulled one out, cleaned up the contacts and popped in a battery just for fun. Well, it turns out that the ol' incan Solitaire is an excellent bedside light for those times when you don't need or want a higher put.

I modded one of my McGizmo Sapphire 25s with a warm Nichia DS (I mean really warm, like a low-voltage incan bulb), and I'm guessing it will run a lot longer than the Solitaire. It's just a shame the Sapphire 25 costs $150 apiece and is the only easily-modded 5mm LED light on the market right now. Everyone else seals up their 1xAAA lights with epoxy, as best I can tell.

 

[Sub_Umbra]

Fascinating. What are the secret answers we're all failing to notice?

In a nutshell:

Man and woman marry.
Woman designs Solitaire.
Man and woman divorce.
Man eventually modifies and updates all of his light designs that are not legally encumbered.

Tha-tha-tha-that's all, folks!

 

[WDG]

Re: MagLite Solitaire - Why not an LED?

...they must be selling them to somebody...

Without knowing any actual numbers, it would not surprise me to discover it's sold primarily as a corporate logoed promotional item. That's what mine was, along the my two AAA MiniMags.

 

[EZO]

Re: MagLite Solitaire - Why not an LED?

WDG, I saw Mag Solitaires offered for sale at the local Walmart yesterday and your post prompted me to do a little searching. They seem to be widely sold on eBay and elsewhere in a range of colors. Surprisingly, the eBay search turned up the previously mentioned LED upgrade kit. I didn't realize those were still available.

 

[tam17]

Re: MagLite Solitaire - Why not an LED?

Without knowing any actual numbers, it would not surprise me to discover it's sold primarily as a corporate logoed promotional item. That's what mine was, along the my two AAA MiniMags.

Not necessary, they're still exported and sold worldwide. Their price here hit the rock bottom this year (around EUR 6.00 in a B&M store). That calls for a change...

 

[TheSilverman]

To understand why the Solitaire will never be updated one must understand a few facts about it's origin. It's all here if you look for it. Once you know who designed it and how their lives are different today it all makes perfect sense.

I would go so far as to say that before the Solitaire is updated it will more likely be replaced by a totally different design for a 1xAAA LED light with a new name.

Actually, the new Mag-Lite Solitaire LED was announced a few weeks ago. Same design, same name.