Mini Mag LED Conversion *Moved*

[ElektroLumens]

For a nice LED light to carry around, and hang on my belt, I sometimes use a Mini Mag Lite, with a single Nichia LED in it. It works, and is inexpensive. Anybody else done this mod?

Here's a link to my web site on this mod:

Mini Mag LED Flashlight


Out of curiosity I put this one up on eBay. just to see what would happen.

Mini Mag LED Flashlight on eBay

Wayne www.elektrolumens.com

 

[Luff]

Yep. Someone else here - don't remember who - suggested using two "N" and one AAA battery. Works great and you get a wee bit more run time.

Depending on the AAA, I sometimes have to lightly tap the positive terminal to shorten it by a hair for a better (not too tight) fit.

I much prefer using the blue-green Nichia in this mod for the extra brightness, but carry a white in the tail cap for when color accuracy is important.

 

[JollyRoger]

Nice mod, Wayne! I think I'll do this one tonight with my minimag.

 

[lambda]

Yep, that's my use at night to not wake everyone light. Makes for a very nice mod.

 

[ElektroLumens]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by lambda:
Yep, that's my use at night to not wake everyone light. Makes for a very nice mod.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

That's pretty much what I made this one for. I need something that isn't too bright during the middle of the night. When I click on the 8 'AA' Luxeon Star, or one of my other Luxeon Star flahslights in the middle of the night, I always hear a complaint 'groan' from my wife.

With all these bright flashlights we have, and the Luxeon Star, sometimes we forget that the single Nichia is plenty bright for this kind of use.

Wayne

 

[ElektroLumens]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by JollyRoger:
Nice mod, Wayne! I think I'll do this one tonight with my minimag.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Hey JollyR,

I used to use a spacer made of wood, but in this one, I installed a long skinny spring to take up the slack. I neglected to get a photo of that part. I am thinking of using 1 ohm resistance, although I usually just drive it direct.

Wayne

 

[ElektroLumens]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by BeamRider:
Yep. Someone else here - don't remember who - suggested using two "N" and one AAA battery. Works great and you get a wee bit more run time.

Depending on the AAA, I sometimes have to lightly tap the positive terminal to shorten it by a hair for a better (not too tight) fit.

I much prefer using the blue-green Nichia in this mod for the extra brightness, but carry a white in the tail cap for when color accuracy is important.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Three 'N' cells work nicely. Last a super long time.

Is the AAA compatable with the 'N' cell, to combine like this?

Wayne

 

[hotfoot]

Nyuk nyuk nyuk.... this really is a nice quick little mod. Just tried it out myself, took only five minutes and I'm grinning ear-to-ear already. It ain't no Arc-LS, but it'll sure outlast it runtime-wise! Thanks, Elektrolumens!

 

[aso]

I used the Sears Craftsman version of the minimag to do this mod. No drilling involved,3 N cells and the spring borrowed from the FlashLED

 

[Luff]

N and AAA compatible? Good question! All I really know is I've been using that combination for more than a year in two different MiniMags and have had no problems at all. Cost savings isn't much, but no need to put in a special spring/spacer & the batteries don't rattle.

I can't imagine a reason they woudldn't be compatible ... they're both alkalines and not drastically different in capacity, but maybe someone here can educate us?

 

[Xenon]

Interesting. Is the light still focusable with the LED in it or shall I remove the reflector?

 

[ElektroLumens]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by hotfoot:
Nyuk nyuk nyuk.... this really is a nice quick little mod. Just tried it out myself, took only five minutes and I'm grinning ear-to-ear already. It ain't no Arc-LS, but it'll sure outlast it runtime-wise! Thanks, Elektrolumens!

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

This was probably the very first flashlight conversion I tried. I don't remember where I first heard of it. Somebody else did it and I read about it, and decided to try it myself.

I also have a Brinkmann 3 AA flashlight I'm sure it would work fine in too, but I've got a Luxeon mod slated for that one, if I ever get to it.

Wayne www.elektrolumens.com

 

[hotfoot]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Xenon:
Interesting. Is the light still focusable with the LED in it or shall I remove the reflector?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

In the mod that I tried, yup! Not that much effect, but it certainly does "focus". I had to enlarge the reflector's bulbhole to accomodate a 5mm, but nothing other than that

Its like having a very big and focusable Arc-AAA!

 

[Bushman]

If any body is interested i have a "kit" for modding a solitare like the one on quickbeams site... i sell for 12.00 postage paid includes 5600mcd white led, 12v batt., spacer spring, and new reflector esp for the led.takes about 15min to do and is completely reversable back to the regular incadesant state (if ever wanted to but cant imagine why)

 

[Klaus]

Another similar mod is using 2 Lithium AAs.

No resistor for the 3N`s ? Whats the current ?

Klaus

 

[ElektroLumens]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Quickbeam:
http://www.whitelightled.com/


5600 is the mcd output. They are 5mm in diameter (standard LED). This is a reputable dealer. He's the one everyone used to go to for small quantities of white LEDs on CPF. He took a hiatus for a while, but is back now.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

He's got the best price on these white LEd's I've seen anywhere. Next time I need some, I'm getting them from him!

Wayne www.elektrolumens.com

 

[Klaus]

Wayne,

I´m talking about the "standard" L91 Energizer Lithiums with 1.5V - but having 1.7V - 1.8V no-load voltage - just perfect to run one Nichia - this also has been posted befor and I liked it better than 3Ns - you can also use it in pretty much every 2AA light whereas the 3N mod is only usable where the 2AAs are inline. Don´t want to bash the 3N thing though - the L91-mod is also quite good runtime-wise. Didn´t run one down till the very end but others posted about approx 100h + runtime (obviously dimming towards the end) which would go well with the L91 spec of 122h at 20ma load.

I have even better results after selecting Nichias with a lower voltage for this mod - the ones with higher voltage should do better using 3N´s though.

BTW: The N´s have 800ma the L-AA´s 2800ma

Klaus

 

[ElektroLumens]

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

I´m talking about the "standard" L91 Energizer Lithiums with 1.5V - but having 1.7V - 1.8V no-load voltage - just perfect to run one Nichia - this also has been posted befor and I liked it better than 3Ns - you can also use it in pretty much every 2AA light whereas the 3N mod is only usable where the 2AAs are inline. Don´t want to bash the 3N thing though - the L91-mod is also quite good runtime-wise. Didn´t run one down till the very end but others posted about approx 100h + runtime (obviously dimming towards the end) which would go well with the L91 spec of 122h at 20ma load.

I have even better results after selecting Nichias with a lower voltage for this mod - the ones with higher voltage should do better using 3N´s though.

BTW: The N´s have 800ma the L-AA´s 2800ma

Klaus<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


Of course you can always go to different colors, which have lower voltage requirements. I have a few colors, like a 6000mcd ultra blue, with voltage requirements of 2.5 - 3.0 volts. Also an aqua LED, 7000mcd, which is rated at 3.2v. I also have a 10,000mcd green rated at 3.2 volts.

I think these would work too, if you like colors, especially the blue, which seems to be popular these days. I got all these at Hosfelt.

Perhaps I'll do a mod of a Mini Mag with one of these colors.

Wayne

 

[Klaus]

Wayne,

sorry I wasn´t exact - I talked about Nichia whites but selected after the voltage they draw at lets say 10ma or 20ma - I saw differences like between 3.07V to 3.4V at low currents like 10ma - the ones with the lower voltage work nicer / brighter with the 2 Lithiums but might get too much overdriven with the 3N´s - for the 3N´s maybe the higher end of the spectrum is better.

Klaus

 

[lambda]

If you want to focus the beam spot, file the LED flat and polish clear. About like a Dorcy when at tightest focus.