Maglite Solitaire - Incandescent - Do you still use them?

N_N_R

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For some reason during the past week I've wanted to buy one of these old Solitaires... however, I don't want to spend my money on something as useless as this, but I do feel kinda nostalgic, lol. I used to have one for a short period of time, but the LEDs are of course so much better. I wonder if I'll be disappointed again if I buy one Maglite now or I'll like it, knowing I can't expect much from it.

So, do you still use your old Solitaires? If you post pictures, it would be great!
 

StarHalo

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"Flashaholic" and "stock Solitaire" don't go together in the same sentence. The notably smaller Klarus MiX5, with uses the even-smaller AAAA battery size, is five times brighter..
 

Colonel Sanders

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Hmmm....I once gave a pink one to my then three year old daughter...but she soon preferred my Zebra SC30 so I gave her one of those as well. Haven't seen that dim little pink light in a few years now. :crackup: :candle:
 

StorminMatt

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I can't say if you would be satisfied with an incandescent Solitaire. After all, the average match is bright by comparison. i would say that, if you want one for sentimental reasons, go ahead and buy one. They're not particularly expensive. But unless you are one of those folks who actually like moonlight modes, you might not find it to be the most useful light out there.
 
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N_N_R

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Lol, comparing it to moonlight mode sounds about right :D

Well, yes, I like their appearance for some reason... I'll think a bit and decide if to spend my money on one or get just another Fenix E01. I've had an E01 before and then sold it.
 

Swedpat

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Solitaire was my very first keychain light. I bought it around 1997-98 in my early flashoholism. I wanted quality flashlights instead of plastic 4AA and 4D lanterns: 6D, 2D, MiniMaglite 2AA and finally I got also Solitaire(All in black because swedish dealers usually sold only black Maglites). I used it a lot and remember it became worned. Don't know if I still have it somewhere. However I remember I was impressed by the brightness from such a small light, but yes; the runtime was very short and the brightness very fast declined... If I find it at a low price and a nice color, it may happen I buy it again, just for fun to compare to Fenix LD01...
 

PCC

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"Flashaholic" and "stock Solitaire" don't go together in the same sentence. The notably smaller Klarus MiX5, with uses the even-smaller AAAA battery size, is five times brighter..
Yes, five times brighter and should last at least five times longer as well!

I recently dug up an old, well worn Solitaire in a former coworker's desk at work. Luckily there wasn't an alkaleak in it. I had crazy ideas to modernize it, but, finding a suitable driver that would fit that small diameter tube proved to be extremely difficult. It's now been modified into a spare AAA carrier, which is about as good as it's going to get from this thing.
 

StarHalo

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There are just so many more awesome options in that format though; the Illuminati comes to mind, same size as the Solitaire but with 130+ lumens.

And just reiterating the insane size of the Klarus MiX5..

i9PA0H9LSchZ9.jpg
 

mcnair55

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I imagine you will be so disappointed,they really are terrible and i am surprised you do not find them as a tatty gift in a Christmas cracker.
 

N_N_R

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Oh, well. I guess I just need a cheap crappy keychain flashlight to use for a while... so that I convince myself and others that I need to spend MORE money on yet another proper light. Lol.
 

Boko

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There are times when having a very dim yellow light is just what you want. I'm thinking of around the house, operating the remote control when watching tv in the dark or just finding the keyhole when you get home. The Solitaire is perfect for that. The Fenix E01 can be a bit too bright in the house and moonlight modes in more versatile torches are usually a bit of a faff to find. If you use rechargeables battery life isn't an issue.
Three cheers for the incandescent Solitaire, then!

Paul
 

mcnair55

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There are times when having a very dim yellow light is just what you want. I'm thinking of around the house, operating the remote control when watching tv in the dark or just finding the keyhole when you get home. The Solitaire is perfect for that. The Fenix E01 can be a bit too bright in the house and moonlight modes in more versatile torches are usually a bit of a faff to find. If you use rechargeables battery life isn't an issue.
Three cheers for the incandescent Solitaire, then!

Paul

Plenty of decent kit with super low lumens, no need to waste money on a museum exhibit like the baby Mag.
 

StorminMatt

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Plenty of decent kit with super low lumens, no need to waste money on a museum exhibit like the baby Mag.

This is true about a good many lights. BUT, an incandescent Solitaire can still have its advantages. First of all, it has only two settings - off and, well, almost off. This is unlike more modern multimode lights, where you may have to find moonlight modes or go through brighter modes first. The advantage here is that night vision is better preserved. Secondly, a Solitaire can go places that more expensive lights can't. Who wants to ding up their nice, new SC52? But a Solitaire that costs less than $10? Not such a big deal.
 

N_N_R

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Yeah, working with the remote at night and using the Solitaire when a seemingly low mode looks TOOMUCH is a good idea :D I also thought of the fact that hardly any lights start on Moonlight for this use and you have to go through modes to use it for such a simple thing as seeing the remote keys. And having rechargeables also makes the battery life problem much easier...

I'll see, the fact that the more I search online, the cheaper I find them, also tempts me.. Eventually, I may use the body as a nice pill tube as someone pointed out :D
 

AnAppleSnail

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I put a low-voltage red LED in a Solitaire along with an energizer Lithium AAA. I didn't take pictures (Couldn't take pictures) of the dim glow that resulted.

There is an impressive lux-to-lumen ratio in a stock Mag Lite Solitaire. Of course, anything-to-2 can be a high ratio...
 

El Camino

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I found that my incan Solitaire has been quite useful for middle of the night bathroom trips. I was using an led, but the warm glow of the incan light is easier on my eyes and turning it on is silent. Considering that my eyes are more night-adjusted, I can see pretty well with it. Plus I can hold it in my mouth like a cigarette if I need to.

I use the LED Solitaire as a backup EDC, and it is plenty bright for that.
 

StorminMatt

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Another thing that a Solitaire is useful for is nighttime photography. You don't exactly want an XM-L triple to do such things as check camera settings, mount lenses, or insert memory cards. Those two (or so) lumens are just what you need when looking at a camera up close in pitch darkness.
 

StorminMatt

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Speaking of Solitaires, I actually saw them yesterday at Target for $5.39. I haven't had a Solitaire in YEARS. After all this talk, I decided 'what the heck' and picked one up. I have to admit that it is a rather attractive light, especially in blue. If only better 1xAAA lights could have the same nice, clean lines! My Tank007 E09 is an ugly duckling by comparison. On the other hand, light output is as low as everyone says. Two lumens just isn't very much, after all. A quick ceiling bounce test revealed that a match truly DOES have the edge.

image_zpscd59df5b.jpg
 
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N_N_R

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Haha, thanks for the picture :)) I also like the looks of it a lot. I mean, something simple and sleek. Not so tactical-looking. I've had like 6-7 Fenix lights and I guess I'm tired of their tacticoolness... It would be cool to compare a regular Solitaire to my Oligh i3S, lol.

Or I might just try to find the LED version around here or wait for a chance to order from abroad..
 
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