Mini Mag 2AA LED Upgrade (TerraLUX TLE-5EX MiniStar2 Extreme?)

[JAS]

I was given a Mini Maglite 2-Cell AA Xenon at work. I was pretty underwhelmed, so I have just been carrying my youngest sons Mini Maglite LED 2-Cell AA (original version). Anyway, rather than just have the Mini Maglite sit in a drawer unused, I am considering upgrading it to LED. So far, based on what I have read here, the TerraLUX TLE-5EX
MiniStar2 Extreme seems to be a reasonable choices. Can I do better or is the TLE-5EX one of the best LED upgraded for the Mini Mag 2AA right now?

 

[jabe1]

Try THIS.

I have done the terralux thing...I won't again.

 

[nein166]

Download has a MM LED drop-in XP-G check custom b/s/t, its a bit brighter than the terralux but not much as its not intended for hundreds of lumens

 

[JAS]

That sounds pretty good. What is this intended for if it is not lumens?

 

[Stephen Wallace]

I would also support the suggestion of Download's drop in. Costs more, but it's a lot better.

I think nein is referring to the fact that it isn't a really high output conversion, but it's much better than the stock light, and still noticeably better than the Terralux.

If you are after something a bit cheaper and simpler then Download's kit, then I would suggest having a look at Nite Ize 1 watt LED upgrade. I have had both this and the Terralux, and while the Terralux is listed as being brighter, I found that it didn't focus as well as the Nite Ize, so when looking at the hot spot, the Nite Ize actually appears brighter.

 

[AZReptile1]

Now that Download's upgrades are not available - anyone else out there besides TerraLUX and Niteze?

 

[JAS]

I missed out on the deal that a fellow CPF member had here in the past, but I am once again thinking of upgrading the incandescent Mini Mag 2AA. Is the TerreLUX and the Nite Ize still the two choices for this?

 

[LEDninja]

I recommend getting a tailcap switch. That way you won't accidentally break the pins of the module when you crank down the head to turn the light off. No need to refocus the light every time you turn the light on either.

(I only had SMJLED and TLE-20 mods which are rather dim)

 

[american]

Niteize is garbage IMO its probly 15 lumens

 

[chmsam]

There are two NiteIze LED upgrades. One is supposed to be about 30 lumens and the other about 55 lumnes. A bit optimistic perhaps but if you can find them at a cheap price they'll do I guess. However for about $30 list price why not retire the MiniMag and get another light -- even the new MiniMag Pro (~200 lumens or more) or Pro + (~210 lumens or more) which are out now or due out soon? And there are lots of other brands and models to chose from.

 

[Frankiarmz]

I installed the terralux upgrade a few years back with a tailcap switch and the terralux failed when the contact pins broke after repeated turning of the lens. Terralux sent me a free replacement which had beefed up contactsto prevent breakage. Bottom line, the LED upgrade vastly improves the power and runtime of the MiniMag, unfortunatley for the same money you can get a superior LED flashlight. There are so many flashlights to choose from and with so many options such as brightness levels that it hardly makes sense to stick with the minimag. I still have mine, and it still works just fine but cannot compare with my other flashlights. My edc is a Ultrafire A1 from dealextreme, around $20. Half the size of the minimag, more than twice as bright, with three levels of brightness, strobe and sos. It is a cheap flashlight compared to lumapower, fenix, 4sevens, etc. but it proves the advancements over maglite. Frank

 

[PhatPhil]

For the amount of money you'd spend on a decent LED upgrade you could buy a Xeno E03 XM-L flashlight.

I'm not aware of any XM-L based upgrades for the 2AA Mini Maglite

 

[hiuintahs]

........There are so many flashlights to choose from and with so many options such as brightness levels that it hardly makes sense to stick with the minimag. I still have mine, and it still works just fine but cannot compare with my other flashlights....... Frank

I agree. Not worth doing even if you have the Minimag already and don't even have to buy one. The Minimag's switch which is a pressure switch has been a problem for 2 out of the 10 or so upgrades I did years ago. It was a great concept at first when things were more expensive and not as many LED lights available. Just this past week I had to retire another one which somehow got damaged by one of my grandkids (pins twisted to the point one of them broke).

The lights now are kept more as a sentimental value as they know that it was something their dad did for them years ago which involved buying their favorite color and then modifying the LED to the best one available at that time......SSC-P4. So I just recommend they keep them in their glove-box as an emergency light with lithium batteries so no acid leaks in them. That way they aren't getting used all the time (risk of breaking) but still has value to be used somewhere.

 

[Frankiarmz]

For the amount of money you'd spend on a decent LED upgrade you could buy a Xeno E03 XM-L flashlight.

I'm not aware of any XM-L based upgrades for the 2AA Mini Maglite

Well, thanks to you Phil looks like I'll be buying a Xeno E03 XM-L:twothumbs I needed another flashlight:shakehead
My wife is gonna kill me Frank

 

[american]

Good choice I have the xeno and it's my favorite light get the neutral much easier beam to look at then that ice blue

 

[JAS]

I recommend getting a tailcap switch. That way you won't accidentally break the pins of the module when you crank down the head to turn the light off. No need to refocus the light every time you turn the light on either.

(I only had SMJLED and TLE-20 mods which are rather dim)

What tailcap switch would you recommend? Is the one from TerraLUX a good one? Or should I look elsewhere for a tailcap switch?

 

[american]

Terralux switch is good but it's switch is very stiff. Nite ize switch is very easy to use but feels really cheap

 

[Locoboy5150]

A while back a CPF member did resistance tests on all the switches available for 2 AA Mini-Maglites. The Terralux one (model TCS-1) was the only one that had the same resistance as the part that it replaces, the stock aluminum tail cap. The Nite Ize one had the highest resistance. Other CPF members have reported a slight decrease in brightness when using the Nite Ize switch, which would support it having a higher resistance compared to other switches.

I have one of the Terralux switches and my only complaint about it is that its red button sticks out a bit and can be pressed when carrying my Mini-Maglite in a belt holster. That's why I kept the stock on/off switch with the rotating head functional even though I also have the tail cap switch. Though I've had the tail cap switch turn on several times without me knowing it and thus draining the batteries, I've never had it and the head both turn on accidentally.

 

[american]

There is acually two niteize switches the iq switch and the standard

 

[jabe1]

The Terralux or the Kroll switches are the best IMHO.