Sold/Expired Found! - Download's drop-in kit for Minimag

[Bimmerboy]

About 10 years ago, CPF member Download offered 3 runs of a drop-in kit for the 2xAA Minimag, and I should've bought one (or two) back then. Here is the original link. https://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?290229-Mini-Maglite-AA-Drop-in-kit

Looking for the complete kit with no missing parts.

Thanks for reading!

 

[yazkaz]

Re: WTB - Download's drop-in kit for Minimag

Have you considered this instead?
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/v...tsink-for-Maglite-2AA-(incandescent)-LED-mods

 

[Bimmerboy]

Re: WTB - Download's drop-in kit for Minimag

Hi, Yaz!

I have two of those bad boys laying around for years now (possible I even bought them from you!), but have shy'd away from using them due to lack of time, money to invest in the board I really want (a 3 level GDuP), and last, but definitely not least, the inability for that setup to use as a twisty.

Unfortunately, there are no GOOD tailcap options for the Minimag that don't introduce a bunch of brightness and efficiency loss through voltage drop (by way of contact pressure and surface area). The Terralux reverse clicky may be the only "acceptable" solution, but is crude, ugly, and still lossy. If it weren't for that problem, I'd have used those excellent heatsinks a long time ago in some kind of high power mod. Not ready to sell them quite yet... see last paragraph.

Download's offering is, by far, the easiest way to go. Twisty with no clicky resistance, and relatively easy drain on primaries.

A long time ago, I made a few attempts at improving the Kroll switch, then trying to stuff a severely shaved down 10A Judco into a Kroll. Part of which I made a thread about. None of it ended in success... haha. I've recently re-visited the thought, and may look into a small FET switch type of thing inspired by others here in the past, working on other platforms. Hopefully I can explore that sometime this year, and get a working prototype by next year to support a fully high quality high power Minimag from top to bottom. THEN I would use my mariposaoyako style sinks in anger!!... lol.

 

[yazkaz]

Re: WTB - Download's drop-in kit for Minimag

Hi, Yaz!

I have two of those bad boys laying around for years now (possible I even bought them from you!), but have shy'd away from using them due to lack of time, money to invest in the board I really want (a 3 level GDuP), and last, but definitely not least, the inability for that setup to use as a twisty.

Unfortunately, there are no GOOD tailcap options for the Minimag that don't introduce a bunch of brightness and efficiency loss through voltage drop (by way of contact pressure and surface area). The Terralux reverse clicky may be the only "acceptable" solution, but is crude, ugly, and still lossy. If it weren't for that problem, I'd have used those excellent heatsinks a long time ago in some kind of high power mod. Not ready to sell them quite yet... see last paragraph.

Download's offering is, by far, the easiest way to go. Twisty with no clicky resistance, and relatively easy drain on primaries.

A long time ago, I made a few attempts at improving the Kroll switch, then trying to stuff a severely shaved down 10A Judco into a Kroll. Part of which I made a thread about. None of it ended in success... haha. I've recently re-visited the thought, and may look into a small FET switch type of thing inspired by others here in the past, working on other platforms. Hopefully I can explore that sometime this year, and get a working prototype by next year to support a fully high quality high power Minimag from top to bottom. THEN I would use my mariposaoyako style sinks in anger!!... lol.

Yes you've bought from me before. But lately I've had some new (and better) ones made.

The prerequisite for the Jap heatsink config to work is to sacrifice the twisty mechanism and to instead use a compatible tail switch (esp. Kroll). With LED focusing is seldom needed and thus the twisty mecha should go as well. The other thing is that, with the head assy screwing down, forcibly touching the LED emitter could damage or destroy the wiring and/or the slug itself. So remaining the LED at fixed focus is key.

Also too much effort devising a valid tail switch for the MagAA. It's just not worth it. Also with the Jap heatsink you CAN'T install the GDuP driver -- I think the GDuP is double-deck and thus too thick to fit under it..

BTW you're right about having no truly good tail switch options. The TCS-1 was OK at first but eventual mechanical failures followed. Then came the fitment issue due to threading discrepancy. I still have 1-2 on reserve but am scared of using them. The Kroll meanwhile is still available cheaply so I procure as many as I need (I use them for Pelican M6 switch mods as well). It does great on the MagAA but the rubber boot wears out every 2-3 years.

 

[Bimmerboy]

FOUND! - Download's drop-in kit for Minimag

Going by memory until looking it up, you might mean the Remora with its stacked daughterboard... I hope! The GDuP is a single board, but have to look again to see if it'll fit. (keeping my fingers crossed)

Ughhh... one of these days I'll find a way to make a tailcap to properly support a high power Minimag!

 

[Bimmerboy]

Re: FOUND! - Download's drop-in kit for Minimag

Thanks to an outstanding CPF member who has contributed much to this forum, I've received one of these and I love it. It's now in a custom hard anodized Minimag that's been sitting here for YEARS just waiting for the right drop-in.

It is now a functioning member of the Bimmerboy arsenal, and I couldn't appreciate it more. Thanks again, Mr. CPF Member!