Nexstar 1AAA bulb

[Tesla]

Has anyone tried these in Mag Solitaire lights? Are they as bright compared to the stock Maglite bulb as the 2AA bulbs are? The 2AA bulb turns a mini-mag into a light comparable to my wife's 4AA Streamlight in brightness (well, with used batteries in the 4AA, anyway).

 

[DavidW]

I talked Joe Talmage into trying one. He was dissappointed.

I suggest converting your Solitaire to LED use or moth-ball that sucker. Get a Photon or better yet, an ARC AAA.

 

[Klaus]

NexStar 1AAA - I also was disappointed

The 2AA for the MiniMag 2AA is GREAT - the 1AA for the Solitaire aemmh ... is NOT.

Its doesn´t fit well as the filament I think to remember is higher - so you have to almost unscrew the head to get a decent focus.

Also while the light output is pretty much the same as the standard 1AAA Solitaire bulb it takes around (from memory) 50% more power - as does the 2AA NexStar compared to the standard Mag AA but in the 2AA case you get what you pay for - just forget the 1AA.

Klaus

 

[Tesla]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by DavidW:
I talked Joe Talmage into trying one. He was dissappointed.

I suggest converting your Solitaire to LED use or moth-ball that sucker. Get a Photon or better yet, an ARC AAA.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Thanks. What was the nature of his disappointment? (i.e. brightness, runtime). The Photon & ARC are fine lights for their purpose but have the shortcoming of not being focusable. Like all good flashaholics, I want it all.

 

[Tesla]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Klaus:
NexStar 1AAA - I also was disappointed

The 2AA for the MiniMag 2AA is GREAT - the 1AA for the Solitaire aemmh ... is NOT.

Its doesn´t fit well as the filament I think to remember is higher - so you have to almost unscrew the head to get a decent focus.

Also while the light output is pretty much the same as the standard 1AA Solitaire bulb it takes around (from memory) 50% more power - as does the 2AA NexStar compared to the standard Mag AA but in the 2AA case you get what you pay for - just forget the 1AA.

Klaus<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Thanks for the info. I guess you can't turn a sow's ear into a silk purse. I was hopeful it would have the same relative performance as the 2AA bulb.

 

[Gandalf]

I bought 2 of the 1 AAA Nexsar lamps, for my Solitaire, and I couldn't even screw in the head, and get any focus. The Nexstar lamps are much taller than the stock Solitaire lamps.

I agree: if you can afford it, get an Arc-AAA, you have my personal guarantee you'll be happy with it. If that's too expensive, there are other small lights that outperform the Solitaire. Like many other Mag Instruments products, the Solitaire was really great when it was first introduced, but it's never been updated, and is now woefully outdated. I still use some of my Maglites, but I have 3 Solitaires I haven't used since I got my first UK 2AAA light. Not much bigger than the Solitaire, and about 5 times the output. Xenon lamp, of course. Nearly indestructible, too. And of course, the Arc-LE, the *ultimate* mini flashlight.

 

[webley445]

I just ordered a pair of the 2AA bulbs about two days ago. I'll post when I get them and try them if you want.

However, now I am very interested in the Arc and UK mentioned !

 

[Luca]

Hi all,

I agree with most people here. I tried it out only a few days ago, as I was already getting used to the brightness of my Arcs. So I pulled out the old solitaire with that bulb and held it next to the arc. The solitaire suddenly looked like a sorry excuse for a keychain light.

The AA Nexstar is a real improvement over the plain maglite bulb. A lot whiter and somewhat brighter. It does make the beam flatter and more oval if you completely focus the light, whereas the original beam can be focused to a spot. Unfocussed the Brinkmann does give you a beautiful round beam.

The AAA Nexstars are a big dissappointment. They are too big to decently fit in and the brightness is not very far away from the original.

You want the ultimate AAA flashlight? Buy an Arc AAA! You'll love it. It blows away the Maglite in brightness and colour of the beam. Most important: no dark centre ring anymore. And of course, it is half an inch shorter (same diametre).

Hope that helps. And, no I'm not being sponsored by Arc Flashlight

Luca

 

[Tesla]

Thanks to all for your responses. You've undoubtedly saved me time and aggravation. I believe it was Poor Richard's Almanac which said "Experience teaches a dear school and a fool will learn in no other." I'm glad to be able to absorb experience without having to "get burned." The ARC-AAA is on my Christmas wish list; however, for the purpose of backpacking, I'm going to stick to my AA Mini-Mag with Nexstar bulb & lithium AA batteries. It's the best compromise between spot, flood, weight, durability, and brightness I can currently find. I'll probably get a Photon for tent/tasklight/backup. The ARC-AAA is a terrific light but not well suited for backpacking when you sometimes need to "reach out and touch someone" with the beam. It's a shame a focused incandescent and diffused LED option aren't avail in 1 small/light package. I'm still searching for that perfect combination...small/light/bright/long runtime. A man's reach should exceed his grasp. Again, thanks