Maglite are to introduce more powerful bulbs for AA &AAA

[dougmccoy]

I just got a reply for Don Keller of Maglite to an email I sent and he said that Maglite are to introduce new Krypton bulbs for the AAA & AA Flashlights which should give between 25-30% more light?

The release date is said to be within the next couple of months!

Anyone else heard about these bulbs? I sure hope that they work as well as Maglite said!

Doug

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

I also heard from the same guy at Maglite that an improved Magnum Star bulb for the C and D lights is coming out sometime this year, 25 to 30% brighter. Have not heard specifically about Mini Mag bulbs until now, but wonder if they are upgrading all bulbs. I hope so.

 

[Brock]

I wonder if they are just going to start using the Nextstar lamps, they are about 25 to 30% brighter

 

[Flashlightboy]

Well, these changes will be just peachy.

Just think, the light will be brighter and therefore the dark rings will be more prominent. The odd spots can't be missed or confused with poorly designed wood paneling anymore. Yippie!!!

Naw. Now that I've thought about it, I wouldn't want Mag to think that I like their stuff because they just might make some more. Make a flawless beam in a non-focusable head and then we'll talk.

 

[txwest]

You don't have to wait or buy a new light. Just buy the Winstar bulb & get some WrightRight to put on the lens.....Presto! you have a useable small light. TX

 

[Flashlightboy]

txwest,

You make a good point but I don't think buying a lens diffuser or new bulb should be necessary to make a useable light.

This isn't like customizing a car because it's reasonably useable from the factory. The goodies just make it more, well, personal.

I really think Mag makes inferior stuff (I own several lights) and if I buy something of theirs it suggests to them that they're making it right, which they definately are not.

Gracias, pero no.

 

[Tesla]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Jeff:
txwest,


I really think Mag makes inferior stuff (I own several lights) and if I buy something of theirs it suggests to them that they're making it right, which they definately are not.

Gracias, pero no.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I beg to differ...inferior to what?....Surefire lights that cost seven times more? Isn't that like saying a Chevy should perform like a Ferrari, but still cost like a Chevy? Maglites are not as refined as other designs outright, perhaps, but on a "bang for the buck" basis, they DESTROY Surefires, et. al.

 

[Flashlightboy]

Tesla,

I didn't mean this to be a SF vs. Mag debate but let's discuss.

Mags excel at playing rocko, socko, bashem' robots on someone but technologicaly speaking, Mag died 20 years ago. There's been nothing new since then. Yes, it comes in rainbow, silver, pewter and many other pretty colors but that's about all they've done.

The rest of the flashlight world left the station a long time ago. Mag knows what the competition is doing and they choose, yes purposely choose, not to further their products. I don't agree with it but obviously they're profitable and widely recognized. Still, upgrading the bulb? Big breakthrough? Big deal.

SF is cutting edge. It, along with others, are pushing the edge and not resting on past accomplishments. Mag is happy with the status quo and others aren't.

Cost isn't dispositive but if you want to talk cost, a grocery store Duracell makes just as much light, if not more. It isn't as durable or has a spare bulb but neither does SF, Pelican or few others. I'll admit that Mag has them there but really, I don't see this as being that crucial of a feature.

Focusable heads? Neat gimmick. Other than shining it on the garage door, and oohing and aahing yourself with the new purchase, is there any bona fide, not hypothetical, situation where it made the one crucial difference? I really doubt it. Mag came up with a great thing but it's genuine usefulness is highly questionable and dubious at best. If one must retain one's fascination with the focus factor, you've also got to love the rings and spots. I guess I'm too shallow to see the wonderment of it all.

I've owned several Mags, double AA on up, old and new caps, upgraded bulbs, rechargeable batteries and so forth. I also own several Pelican lights. Same with PT. A few SF lights have also found a home with me. Slide switch Ray o Vac. Photon too.

Mag was great a long time ago. The MagCharger is decent although I think the SL-20X is better IMHO. Mag has a bazillion dollars and they could really upgrade the line. They haven't and therefore, I found their usefulness rather limited.

I know that some may disagree and that's fine, because that's one of the reasons for this forum. Replies anyone?

 

[BuddTX]

If you are selling millions of flashlights a year, how much is is going to cost, PER FLASHLIGHT, to design a GREAT reflector and bulb?

I don't have the facts, but I would bet that mag-light has the biggest sales of any flashlight company, and they should have the most money to spend on a "premium" line, or just upgrade their line.

I be there are millions of "casual flashaholics", that would go ga-go over these words on a NEW 3-D maglite:

300% Brighter than before
No Shadows
Brighter Bigger "HOT SPOT"
Battereries last twice as long!

Millions of people would buy the mag-lite AGAIN!

That is confusing about Mag-Lite!

 

[Empath]

Better bulbs are available from other sources. What doesn't seem to be available is an different lens. Maglite has the quality construction. All they need now for a quality light is to provide a faceted reflector.

 

[Size15's]

It's about time!

 

[dano]

Mag-lite...With heavy influence of the first heavy duty aluminum bodied flashlight, designed by Donald Keller (Kel-Lite, who went on to form Legend Lights, which was bought-out by Brinkmann), Mag-lite has created, probably, the most recognizeable light out there. It's the Coke of the flashlight world. I don't understand the constant bashing of Mag-lites...I realize that the beam quality isn't the best, but with a little focusing, I can get a really nice tight, bright circle from one. The original design was upgraded in the early '90's, but other than that, there hasn't been much change, and with Mag's success, why should there be? You can purchase a 3D Mag for fifteen bucks (the cost of a Surefire bulb), and use a really decent tool...

--dan

P.S. Please don't let this get out-of-hand...

 

[Flashlightboy]

Dano,

You make a good point but I doubt CPF members are Mags target market. I think CFRers are more knowledgable and therefore more discriminating in their purchases. Mag offered a decent product years ago and based on their undisputed success, they have no need to change.

It's working well for them but they have great potential to do so much more. Sad that they don't.

 

[BuddTX]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by dano:
P.S. Please don't let this get out-of-hand...<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Your right. Let's look at the good things about Mag-Light 3-D and Mini-Mag

- Extremly durable
- Extremly reliable
- Replace the batteries at almost any store
- Standard replacement bulb included (I had to take advantage of that when my Hospital had a flood and all the power went out for many days - the hardest part was replaceing the bulb in total darkness!)
- Relatively inexpensive
- Readily available

Compared to the other selections at your local Wal-mart, k-mart or sporting goods store, mag is the best choice.

If my car broke down in a strange, maybe dangerous part of town, and I could only have ONE flashlight in my hand, it would be the Mag over my Surge.

You said Mag is the Coke of the Flashlight world. I would think a better analogy would be "The McDonalds" of flashlights.
I think that explains itself.

What I would like to see is for "Mag" to become the "KODAK" of flashlights. You can go almost anywhere and buy Kodak film. I am sure that there is are high end films out there, but Kodak is know for being the best.

They should have the income to do this, the seem to be selling LOTS of lights!

 

[BuddTX]

Oh, here's one more thing.

Just like Streamlight had an upgrade kit for the superstinger to become the Ultrastinger, what if Mag put out an upgrade kit for their mag lights?

Put an improved lense, reflector and bulb in a box, sell it for 8-15 bucks, they would sell millions!

(I would buy three!)

Oh, what if they had a secondary LED light in there too!

 

[geepondy]

There are just SO many people out there who think Mag lites are the best, including myself until a year ago.

Why? Go to any bread and butter American retail store and what do you see? Cheap plastic 2D lights and the equivalent for generally five bucks or less, maybe a few "heavy duty" lights for slightly more and at the "high end" section, $10-$25 maglites, depending on model. Two years ago, I remember what a deal I got at Costco, getting a 3D mag and a 2AA mag together for just $20.

Where can you buy a Surefire? Either at a gun/police specialty store or online. How many non-flashaholics and we're a very small minority, ever even heard of the name Surefire? I never did until discovering this forum early last spring. You're certainly not likely to come across the name Surefire while casually browsing the internet.

Even other better lights such as Princeton Tec and Pelican products, I have only ever seen at specialty outdoor shops. Walmart seems to be a bit more progressive in this area so perhaps products such as a Princeton Tec Surge may stand a shot at gaining headway into the American mainstream shopping venues if Walmart would start carrying them. Until something like this happens, a better quality light at a near mag price, mags will continue to rule and I can see no reason why they would change their current operating strategy. As another poster has mentioned, just the words on the package of a mag in a big blurb "Now 30 percent brighter!" will probably increase their sales. People will upgrade their old mags to the "new" mags.

Just my two cents on how I perceive things here in the US, not sure how they are in Great Britain or other countries where fine alumni of this forum call home.

 

[Tesla]

Jeff

Understand I'm not "knocking" Surefires (because if I did, the bulb would probably go poof). I think they're great lights....but technologically superior?...come on.....we're talking flashlights, not rocket science. Are they well made?....yes. Do they have better bulbs & reflectors?...yes. Are they made to better tolerances?....again, yes. But their "technology" is a pre-focused bright incandescent bulb....big whoop. So I can appreciate the workmanship of the product, but it can hardly be considered technologically advanced. It's more costly, more delicate, more costly to run, doesn't run as long (yes, it's brighter with a better beam quality). In short, the over-hyped, over-priced Surefires have their shortcomings just like any other light. Try getting a replacement bulb or battery for one at Eckerd's on Friday night. In short, the Surefires are not "desert island" lights (the one you would take if you could only have one). It's no coincidence that most Surefires are not peoples' only light...they can't fill that large a shoe. Again, I don't mean this to sound like I'm trashing Surefire lights, but they don't have the utility in "normal" use that Maglites do. Think of it this way...when you drive on the freeway 90 percent of the time, you don't need 300 horsepower/8 mpg....most of the time, you're better served by 200 horsepower/25 mpg...same with the flashlights & that's why the "public" hasn't come around to Surefires...they're a "specialty light", pure & simple.

 

[Glow Bug]

I guess that makes me special. I own 5 of em (Sure Fire's) and love them all. The 9N is been in use with the same battery for over 5 years with the same bulb. It has been dropped many times. The others have not give me any trouble either. I used the 9n the most until recently when I got the 10x Dominator. Three hours of light at 60 lumens and 20 minutes at 500.

I also have 4 maglites of various sizes. They were and are good for what they were designed for

 

[lightlover]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Tesla:
... I'm not "knocking" Surefires (because if I did, the bulb would probably go poof).
... but technologically superior?
... it can hardly be considered technologically advanced.
It's more costly, more delicate, ... the over-hyped, over-priced Surefires have their shortcomings just like any other light ... <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Tesla,
where did you get the idea that SF's or their Lamp Assemblies are "delicate" ?

My E2's MN03 has been "knocked" 15 times now, (a weighted total of serious and minor drops) and it still works fine. That LA is really tough.

To say that a SureFire isn't technologically advanced is to seriously underestimate the level of R+D that goes into their designs. It sure isn't as easy as it might seem.

The E2 is a finely balanced design, with a remarkably well distributed beam.
Re: my M2 - the SF Millenium series, with the shock-isolation system, T8 Aluminium, and the HA3 is well beyond anything any other manufacturer has reached.

Look at the amount of work that's gone into the Arc AAA - it's progress in design, development and manufacturing is quite clearly detailed in the main Arc topics. No decent light is just a matter of whacking together a few parts in a convenient fashion.
Leaving aside the questions of balancing resistances, positioning *bulbs*, etc., the exact type, size, and placement of a "simple" O ring has been much thought over.

I decided that SureFires must definitely be over-hyped when I first read all the CPF posts about them, especially the E2.
Then, by chance, I saw a SureFire beam for about 5 seconds. That convinced me. I'd never seen anything quite like it ......

Over-priced, well, I think that SureFires are expensive, but not yet *quite* past the point where diminishing returns begin.
They have their quirks, and yes, they have their shortcomings, just like everything else.

I have a Silver 3D Mag-Lite, which I consider to be "A Great Work of Art" - Fact !
And I think the Mag-Charger is almost equally beautiful, and a very good light.

Shame about the 5-cent reflector though ......

lightlover

 

[Flashlightboy]

Tesla,

Let me come right out and say that, "SF doesn't have the best ideas for every application." With that in mind, I still think they are doing much more to develop light technology than Mag.

Mag makes pretty colored things and SF is working with HID. Mag might upgrade to an improved bulb and SF is THE Special Forces light of choice. If one were to search prior posts, I think you'd see that people are comparing things to SF. The LX vs. E2 debate went on forever. The tinkerers are constantly talking about putting SF or PT bulbs on other bodies. Patterns abound.

It isn't rocket science but for the few things that make up a light (bulb, power, housing etc) Mag is neither a leader nor shows any signs of wanting to make a better product.

I certainly wish that SF would make a SL-20X type of light. I don't find much use for their "take the battery out to charge it" approach because I'm not a heavy user. Still, their light quality is superb.

I disagree with the island scenario. I'd take my SF and batteries. Their bulbs don't seem to be any more fragile than on any other light. (Supplier quality problems aside) and the failure rate is rather low. The bulb is the weakest link on any light regardless of the manufacturer.

Batteries aren't a problem either. Volume wise, 123As take up half the space of a AA. Cost isn't a problem because if I could afford the island trip, the budget would include mucho batteries.

I'm not really Mag bashing - they simply haven't had much to get excited about since Reagan was President. Mag has a place until the prospective purchaser becomes educated on what makes a better light. It still might but I doubt it.