Maglight Solitaire - Why not an LED?

[R28]

The Maglight Solitaire is not LED - why do you people think that Maglight does not move ahead and improve this light?

[Tomcat!]

I've often wondered this myself. I used to have a stock incan Solitaire as my keychain light many years ago, but it was such an unreliable POS that I stopped using it. Since joining CPF I've seen so many advances in LED technology and the advent of LEDs in the Mag product line, that it seemed like a no brainier that they would update the Solitaire, but still nothing. I thought perhaps that maybe there are too many competitors in the AAA size. Certainly the folk here can easily rattle off the names of a great number of quality AAA lights, but then I realised that Mag has always been about providing decent lights for the masses, and I can't say that I've noticed many alu lights at that size for Joe and Josephine Public in shops. (At least not outside the US.) It seems like such a glaring gap in their product line, yet I can't fathom why Mag appears to have dropped the Solitaire. I would have thought it might sit pretty well with regular folk, especially if the already own another Mag.

[tam17]

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

[ragweed]

My Solitaire is reliable but, the beam is pathetic IMO. I don't think Mag can compete with the AAA lights already out there.

[hank]

There's an old dropin been around a long time; usually too expensive to be worthwhile, though.

[Changchung]

There's an old dropin been around a long time; usually too expensive to be worthwhile, though.

Yeap... I have one of those and two solitaires yet...

I really like them


SFMI4UT

[chriztt]

My Solitaire is reliable but, the beam is pathetic IMO. I don't think Mag can compete with the AAA lights already out there.

^This^ I have a solitaire and do not use it more b/c of its weak beam. An LED version might change this though.

[gsr]

The Solitare has a style that defined its segment, but I have to agree with others that the output of the Solitare is barely better than useless. I would love to see a Solitare LED, but I am not holding my breath. It would be very difficult to meet the price point of competitive products while keeping the production in the US.

[ficklampa]

The Solitare has a style that defined its segment, but I have to agree with others that the output of the Solitare is barely better than useless. I would love to see a Solitare LED, but I am not holding my breath. It would be very difficult to meet the price point of competitive products while keeping the production in the US.

Well, depends on how advanced they want to go. If they just want to do a single mode they can just go for a 3/5mm LED and remake the holder for it. If they want multiple modes, sure, maybe cheaper to do it outside of the US.

I sure love the formfactor of the Solitare, but like you all say it's pretty useless. Even my Leatherman Monarch 200 which runs on 3xLR44 and uses a 5mm led is better...

[Chrontius]

Realistically, all they need to do is build a clone of the Arc or Fenix E01. If they want to make it impressive, they'll do it with a TIR optic cast-in-place inside an aluminum reflector, and it'll even make getting an adequate seal easier.

Don't forget - Mag has been automating everything automatable. They can go very far with very modest labor costs.

[Cataract]

There's an old dropin been around a long time; usually too expensive to be worthwhile, though.

Yes... I almost bought it, but I think it was more expensive than my solitaire itself. Then came a cheaper AAA light which bumped my solitaire from backup in the car to backup of the backup.

The beamshots where very interesting, though. Day and night compared to the stock solitaire.

[Kitchen Panda]

The Maglight Solitaire is not LED - why do you people think that Maglight does not move ahead and improve this light?

There's got to be some market research reason behind it. Evidently Rayovac found a demand for a AAA LED penlight, and last time I was in a store belonging to a certain widespread discount retailer I found the Rayovac LED was selling for about a dollar less than the Mag Solitaire incandescent. At the price point of the Solitaire many's the time I've wanted to buy one as a give-away, but the thought of the tiny spot of brownish light and the idea that the light would quickly become a junk drawer item has discouraged me every time.

How hard can it be to make a flashlight? Everybody who can turn aluminum in Shanghai is making them...surely Mag could bring out a $10, AAA that did 30 lumens and that would rule every keychain.

Oh well. I'm still boggled at the Illuminati that fits through a wedding ring and can put out about 100 lumens...mind you, at about 5 times the price of a Solitaire.

Bill

[WDG]

I definitely agree Mag should upgrade the Solitaire, and when I recently looked at their line-up, was surprised they hadn't already done so.

Around 2007, I had a Sandwich Shoppe drop-in in my Solitaire, and rather liked it until it died. Too expensive for the short lifespan, so the Solitaire and I parted company. I've got some cheap AAA lights I keep as pocket lights, now.

[leon2245]

The Maglight Solitaire is not LED - why do you people think that Maglight does not move ahead and improve this light?

You people?!


no I've been waiting for an LED solitaire myself. Just hope if/when it gets here it remains a solitaire, only an LED version- no accelerometers or ramping strobes. Although I wouldn't mind an AA version of it too, or of the E01, or E05 etc.

[tacticaltony]

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

[fyrstormer]

My guess is, they haven't upgraded the Solitaire because adding the necessary driver circuit would make the light too expensive to be competitive. Similar lights can be had for less than $20 which have harder anodizing and multiple modes.

[Hooked on Fenix]

I think it's too little, too late. We already have the Fenix EO1 and plenty of high powered 1AAA lights from $20 and up. Mag would have to make one for around $10 with a decent l.e.d. to even have a chance of selling the product. Mags don't really have regulation and without it, a 1AAA light would get dim quickly. I can see an unregulated light with a cheap Cree XP-C being a possibility at that price, but nothing having a chance to corner the market.

[eh4]

Are they still making them?!
When I see them on the shelf I always assumed that it was old inventory that hadn't sold, and not being into stocking and marketing I don't know, but assumed that there was some kind of standing arraingement (can't spell) with supplier and dealer that kept old unmoving dead wood in circulation as just another market inefficiency.

[somnambulated]

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.

[Narcosynthesis]

I will have to admit I am a bit baffled about the still vacant hole in the Maglite lineup for an LED solitaire...

Certainly nowadays there are multiple options out there for an AAA LED light - Fenix, Preons, etc... - but none of those have the mass market appeal of Maglite. A lot of the general public still see Maglite as a high quality and reliable light (going on the amount of D cell lights out there and incan solitaires on keychains), so it is irrelevant if you can get a Fenix e01 for under $15, they have no idea who Fenix are, don't see them in shops regularly and would still gobble up an LED solitaire even if it was otherwise identical to the Fenix. Especially once you add in the Maglite supply chain and the ease you can find them in real stores versus having to order online.

I don't know if/when they release anything it will be worth buying over the LD01 or e01 I already own, but I would certainly be interested...

[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)