Maglite lego 1xAAA mini thrower?

[Chicken Drumstick]

Was cleaning and lubing the o-rings on some torches today. Happened to grab the AAA Mini Mag LED off the shelf and the LED Solitaire. And I noticed that the head from the Mini Mag screws onto the Solitaire and activates switch correctly. The emitter also aligns in the reflector brilliantly.

I tried the head off an incan AAA Mini Mag and it doesn't screw on or work the switch.

Makes for what would be an interesting little light. Very small and pocket friendly still, but with more throw than the stock Solitaire head.

Makes you wonder why Mag has never offered anything like this. It would seem they even have the bits in production already (although you could probably up the lumens a tad in this guise).

I'd love to see some more pocket friendly lights from Mag.

Why isn't there a 1AA Solitaire? And if there was, you could easily make a 1AA Mini Mag in much the same way above. Surely lights like these would sell well for Maglite?

 

[aznsx]

I have no answers about what 'makes ML tick' (although @bykfixer probably has somewhat of a handle on it), however I too am a user of a lot of lights specifically in the 'pocket friendly' size category. One thing I have noted in recent history however is that they have begun to offer more lights in that category with a (at least somewhat) proper tailcap pushbutton switch for primary function, and for that I think they are to be applauded / commended. That would seem to have been a big step for them, and I'm glad they've taken it!

 

[ampdude]

Very cool. Darn, I was hoping you would say the incan one would work too, but I knew better, it's different by a bit.

 

[aznsx]

I have no answers about what 'makes ML tick' (although @bykfixer probably has somewhat of a handle on it), however I too am a user of a lot of lights specifically in the 'pocket friendly' size category. One thing I have noted in recent history however is that they have begun to offer more lights in that category with a (at least somewhat) proper tailcap pushbutton switch for primary function, and for that I think they are to be applauded / commended. That would seem to have been a big step for them, and I'm glad they've taken it!

@Chicken Drumstick :

I stopped by the ML site, and I had mistaken something. Apparently there aren't as many models that fit that bill as I'd thought, with most coming in at ~4.8x1", which is a bit larger than what I normally carry. My most used lights are generally 1xcr123A sized and are smaller than that, so although some do have tail switches, they haven't gotten as small as I'd thought. Most of the ones I see are XL50 size (3xAAA), or Mag-Tac (2x123) size, and many of the lights I thought I'd seen are actually the same light(s) aside from different finishes, etc. Those are still 'pocket size', but not the sizes I'd assumed. Those would likely be 1xAA or 1x123 lights, and they don't seem to be in the lineup. My mistake. I do still give them credit for tail switches on the 2 aforementioned lights, but they probably aren't as small as what you (or perhaps I) might be interested in. I certainly don't see anything that wouldn't be rather huge compared with a Solitaire, if that's what you're used to!

 

[bykfixer]

That's a pretty neat trick CD. 👍

There are some "throwy" LED minimags from days gone by. The 85 (or 87?) lumen aaa for example had a throwey LED. Last time I checked zbattery still had some, but not many.

Later this evening I'll try to Franken-Mag an incan solitaire and incan aaa minimag.

From what I understand Tony Maglica still makes decisions on what gets produced and what does not. The factory is nearly 100% mechanized so if an idea is brought up to Tony and an assembly line can be built without an extreme length of time or cost he'll try it. The LX series of ML lights for example. Not much had to change to machine grenade grip versus the diamond pattern. And now those outsell the diamond pattern lights.

I suppose that is why no aa solitaires or 1x123 tac lights. Heck, they showed off the MagTac 2 at the 019 SHOT show but it did not get released until summer of 2022. And it uses the same plastic clip and size filter holder/anti-roll as the previous MagTac.

 

[Chicken Drumstick]

I suppose that is why no aa solitaires or 1x123 tac lights. Heck, they showed off the MagTac 2 at the 019 SHOT show but it did not get released until summer of 2022. And it uses the same plastic clip and size filter holder/anti-roll as the previous MagTac.

Didn't know about the MagTac 2, it doesn't or didn't appear on their site very easily when I was browsing it a couple of weeks back. Is it actually for sale?

Sadly seems like it has no low output. I'd have thought indoors or close quarters it can't be very useful only glaring and blinding..... very odd design decisions.

 

[bykfixer]

There are two versions of the MagTac 2
Smooth bezel is momentary, hi/lo (said to be 30%)
Strike bezel is monentary, hi, strobe.
Yeah, agreed they were odd design decisions.

Now I do not know if swapping the tailcap causes one to have the mode of the other. Example is an XL100 tailcap on an XL50 causes the 50 to act like a 100. The XL200 tailcap on an XL50 causes the 50 to act like a 200. A 100 on a 200 body, same thing.
So perhaps the tailcap from the snooth bezel on a strike bezel body causes the strike bezel to act like the smooth bezel version. I aint payin' $100 for the strike bezel version to find out......🥴

Meanwhile

The incan solitaire and aaa minimag mate up but, the minimag head runs out of threads before it pushes the switch to off on the solitaire.

 

[gurdygurds]

That's the coolest thing I've seen in a while! They look like miniature Prometheus Alphas. Gotta love a good lego. Nice find Chicken Drumstick

There are two versions of the MagTac 2
Smooth bezel is momentary, hi/lo (said to be 30%)
Strike bezel is monentary, hi, strobe.
Yeah, agreed they were odd design decisions.

Now I do not know if swapping the tailcap causes one to have the mode of the other. Example is an XL100 tailcap on an XL50 causes the 50 to act like a 100. The XL200 tailcap on an XL50 causes the 50 to act like a 200. A 100 on a 200 body, same thing.
So perhaps the tailcap from the snooth bezel on a strike bezel body causes the strike bezel to act like the smooth bezel version. I aint payin' $100 for the strike bezel version to find out......🥴

Meanwhile
View attachment 33028
The incan solitaire and aaa minimag mate up but, the minimag head runs out of threads before it pushes the switch to off on the solitaire.

 

[tech25]

Years ago, I had a single AA knock off of the Incan mini mag. I don't remember which bulb it used but it was significantly brighter than the solitaire and much more pocketable than the 2x AA version. Looking through archives, I can't find anything like it.

Why isn't there a 1AA Solitaire? And if there was, you could easily make a 1AA Mini Mag in much the same way above. Surely lights like these would sell well for Maglite?

 

[gurdygurds]

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