MiniMag bulbs with green bottom segment

[radellaf]

I saw at Wal-Mart today the newest MiniMags came with a 2-pack of bulbs where the bottom segment of the glass is colored green. Anyone know if this is just a new color code or if the bulbs are "new & improved"?

 

[radellaf]

Reply from Mag:

They are the new krypton lamps, up to 50% more brightness.
-Don

Wonder if they are also up to 50% more power hungry (e.g. 450mA). Maybe I can pick up a pack at Home Depot without having to get another flashlight in the process.

 

[Gandalf]

What the h*ll?

M*glight FINALLY took the time to get a supplier (likely Carley) to market improved lamps? (Like the ones Brinkmann has had for *years* now....).

This will shoot their entire R&D budget for the NEXT 15 years!

 

[BatteryCharger]

[ QUOTE ]
Gandalf said:
What the h*ll?

M*glight FINALLY took the time to get a supplier (likely Carley) to market improved lamps? (Like the ones Brinkmann has had for *years* now....).

This will shoot their entire R&D budget for the NEXT 15 years!

[/ QUOTE ]

Haven't they allways had "krypton" and "regular" bulbs?

 

[detenebrator]

Not for the Mini. There have been aftermarket ones since Back in The Day, though.

 

[greenLED]

Yeah, but only for the larger Mags. There was only one kind of bulb for the minimag, AFAIK.

 

[BatteryCharger]

Well then...off to Home Depot I go... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[markdi]

radioshack sells a halogen or is it a krypton mini mag bulb

 

[BatteryCharger]

Damnit...homedepot didn't have any. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[radellaf]

Oh I see, these are Kr versus the original ones that are ? Vacuum? Argon?

They are _very_ new, only the latest minimags up on the rack had them, and not the Blue Shimmer color that I came to buy. Best bet might be to order up a batch from BrightGuy and let him know to only send the new green ones. That's what I've done, anyway...hope I get the right ones.

 

[KevinL]

That's interesting. Are they REALLY that much brighter?

Hm... OTOH, with my other green bottom bulb I needn't worry actually.... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/evilgrin07.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[radellaf]

"Up to 50% brighter". Which means, since 100% brighter is the minimum to look like much, no, they probably aren't.

But they're new, they're flashlighty, and we're geeks.

 

[turbodog]

It is my understanding that the original minimg bulb is a vacuum bulb. Even if the new bulbs aren't much brighter hopefully they are argon/krypton/halogen/etc filled and will last longer and stay bright.

 

[radellaf]

BrightGuy says next order of lamps coming in four weeks.

 

[radellaf]

Lowe's Hardware had all new-style lamps on their rack so I bought 3 packs, and couldn't resist another purple MiniMag, as my other has an Amber inretech and i don't use it much, but it's great for using alkalines that are sub 1.2v.

Anyway, I'm at a friend's house at the moment and fortunately his dad is an EE so he had an IBM digital multimeter with a 2000mA range.

Using a pair of Sony 2100mAh NiMH AAs (pretty fresh charge on 'em)I get 348mA for the new and 291 for the old. So roughly 20% more power for "up to 50%" more light or "up to" 25% more efficiency. Good. I was hoping they wouldn't be 450-500mA lamps. This way I can still use them in good conscience with alkalines.

They do burn just noticeably whiter than the stock lamp. I wonder if they will not silver over as much.

 

[radellaf]

More feedback from Mag:

The new lamps will not turn dark until they blow. You should get 3-4 battery changes per lamp.

Don

---------- ORIGINAL MESSAGE ----------
TO      : Mag Instrument, Inc. Web Site (www.magmail.com)
FROM    : [email protected]
RECEIVED: 11/3/2004 1:39:16 AM EST

>Renard:
>They will reduce your on-time by approx. 10%.

So current draw must be slightly less than 10% more, so they are more
efficient.  Great.  I just got some and they look it, as theyre
whiter than the previous version.

With the original (vacuum? Argon?) bulb it was a problem that they
"silvered over" about halfway through their life.  Do you know if
these will do that?

Also, approx. how many hours or sets of batteries will they last through?

I think it was five sets per bulb in the 1989 MiniMag manual, but the
new multiligual manual-ette doesnt say.

Anyway, thanks for releasing these, theyre a real improvement.  Mag
doesnt change things often but these and the new Xenon MagNum Star
bulbs are appreciated.

LEDs and an optional textured-surface reflector are still on my
wish-list though.  Please pass them on to mgmt.

 

[TORCH_BOY]

Interesting I'd better check my MiniMag bulbs out.

 

[voodoogreg]

[ QUOTE ]
radellaf said:
"Up to 50% brighter". Which means, since 100% brighter is the minimum to look like much, no, they probably aren't.

But they're new, they're flashlighty, and we're geeks.

[/ QUOTE ]

WORD. I just hope they don't darken up like old ones. I moved on to other LED light's for what i used to use
MM's for, so no biggie, but for all the new roadie's/ techs using them still, maybe they won't need to keep wondering if it's the batt's or bulb. I know guy's in the music industry that have used for yr's still think the batt's are going after a 15 min run time, and change cells. VDG

P,S, why do you guy's alway's put a "*" in mag?

 

[voodoogreg]

Oh, also for the $$ i still think a mini mag is a good light. like someone said about R&D= $$, if they had a better lamp, and a sputtered reflector and added 2-4 buck's on it I bet it would be a pretty good light. a company with it's resources could do a "little" more, and go up a notch in the mind's of "some" CPFer's and the general public.
Hell, do "something" to that sad *** solitaire! It seem's like a killer host for improvement.

If our SF's, ARC's, HDS's, PT's, brinkmann's etc,were to vanish into thin air, what would be the first light you would go get for the money? I would say 70-80% of the local LEO's in my town still carry mag's, and on there belt an MM for closer stuff. VDG

 

[GarageBoy]

We like to think of m@g as the big evil corp =D