Mini Mag LED convert

LONGTIMEWOLF

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Dec 8, 2005
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I just got a MiniMag LED conversion kit and really not impressed. I didn't know about them until I saw this one in REI when I was looking at headlamps.

Do they all suck? I would rather have the stock Mag.
 

nzgunnie

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Well I don't know what kind of upgrade you've got, but I got a Terralux Ministar2 TLE5. It is a great upgrade for the AA minimag. It is quite white ( bit blue) and very bright when compared to the standard mag bulb. It is also nice and even, where the mini mag bulb has a big hole in the middle and is full of dark areas.
 

LONGTIMEWOLF

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nzgunnie said:
I like the look of the click on tailcap in your link, if I had a black mini mag (mines green) it would be a handy upgrade in itself.

Well, the switch is cheap and plastic. Lots of play in the button.

I guess for 9 bucks...you can't expect much.
 

Wyeast

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May 6, 2005
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For close-mid work, the Nite-Ize is comparable to the stock MiniMag with a reeeeal long runtime (11hrs vs what, an hour maybe?) The main thing you lose is the throw when the stock is focused to a tight spot. But I've got other lights for throw instead of the minimag :D

Actually, being able to turn them into endurance lights has resurrected two MM's that have been collected dust for probably 5+ years.
 

bjn70

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There are some real good conversions available, but I'm not sure that you can find any of them in retail stores.

There are 2 types of conversions- flood vs. spot. For most uses, flood is best but if you need longer range then you need some throw. The flood types mostly use 5mm LED's, the ones with some throw mostly use Luxeon LED's.

It's not hard for an LED to equal or beat the light output of a MM, and all but the high output models will have longer runtime. Check out some of the better ones on flashlightreviews.com.
 

cratz2

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The Nite Ize serves its role and I think it makes an excellent upgrade for actual indoor use... not just impressing the owner with scads of brightness but it is white, it puts out a usable amount of light and the cells last radically longer than the do with incandescent bulbs. I have heard the optional tailcap part is kinda cheesy. Kroll makes the de facto clickie for Minimags and there is a brand of minimag knockoffs called Quest available from ****'s Sporting Goods that come with clickies. They generally work very well... no play, reasonably stuff but not overly so. Out of the probably 30-ish that I've had, one had a dead clickie right out of the package and one died the first night of playing with it. But for the price, I can live with that DOA rate and they were replaced with no questions anyway.

I also recently had a TLE-5 module just to see what it would do. I had previously had the older low dome version and was much less than impressed. The newest ones have R-bin high domes (the same emitters that come in the Fenix Premium models) and I was very impressed with it.

From there, there are an infinite range of options from the Shoppe, Lambda's creations and many others. Still, I think my two favorites overall are the cutdown MJLED with a smooth on 2 Lithiums (though some versions may die on Lithiums) and a Nichia CS on a single 14500 LiON cell. I sand the LED gently and sputter the reflector. The result is basically just a large hotspot from edge to edge. VERY useful and gives unbelievable runtime.

I think these are among the most useful indoor lights providing a good deal of attractive and usable light and great runtime but if you were unhappy with the output of the Nite Ize, these are only marginally brighter if at all.

If you want bright, a Lux III at about 600 ma should make you happy. But runtime is less than great and it's gonna cost ya!
 

CLHC

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I've had the TLE-5 and the NiteIze LED replacements for the Mini Maglites but have since given them away to my dad.

Like what the others have stated above, if you decide to go with the ones that The Sandwich Shoppe sells, it's going to cost you some. I have three (3) of the NexGen 750 Bad Boy Lux III TW0J LED drop-ins along with the 20mm IMS replacement reflectors [MM heads are bored] + UCL lens. Let me just say that these are BRIGHT with perfect beam!—(Maybe it's just these particular ones) And that's the way I like them. There is simply NO comparison with the other aforementioned drop-in LEDs.

What sold me on these pill/sandwich LEDs was seeing them at a CPF get together where there were others who had them. Kind of hard to get an idea from just reading and not being able to see it. After that get together, now I understood what the fuss was all about, hence the reason for getting them.

Well, hope you find what you're looking for and Enjoy!
 
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NotRegulated

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I just recently discovered the Nite-Ize and it resurrected my Minimag that had been lying around unused for years. For $5 it is a great upgrade. It is a good choice for closeup work.

I recently was at the CPF get-together and had a chance to compare my Nite-Ize to a CHC's NexGen. No comparison. The NexGen is bright. Much brighter than the Nite-Ize. It was really impressive.

Thanks CHC!
 

GWC3

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Dec 10, 2005
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will minimag with the LED conversion (nite-ize) work with L91 lith AA's? or will the L91 AA's blow the LED?
 

cratz2

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I don't know how long they will last on the Lithiums, but I've ran them for at least a couple hours and afterwards they seem just as bright as ones that had never been on Lithiums.

They won't instantly kill them.
 

AuroraLite

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LONGTIMEWOLF,

Welcome to CPF!

There are really quite a few options for Minimag, and if you are interested, do feel free to check out my humble Dummy Reference Guide to Minimag Mod, in there, you will find Minimag mods that are ranging from few lumens up to 120+ lumens minimag mods. :)

As for led replacement drop-ins, there is the new option of SMJled which seems promising and might even out-do the NiteIze with competitive price.
 

randyo

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Sep 15, 2005
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Beacon - we're off topic, but here's my take on the Solitaire mod:

The drop-in replacement mod for the Solitaire is the Tektite LT-3. It's gonna set you back about $22.95 + shipping. It's a decent mod. Pretty bright, probably the equivalent of the non-premium ARC or Peak Matterhorn in overall light. However, for just a few $$ more, the ARC or the Matterhorn are a million percent superior in overall design and durability. The Solitaire head with the Tektite mod does not screw all the way down, making it longer than it needs to be and even less water-resistant than before (never was much to begin with). There is also very little useful "focus" remaining, not that it's needed. I have compared the Solitaire/Tektite side by side with the Premium Matterhorn, and the Matterhorn has a more pleasing and useful light output. I can't wait for my ARC-AAA – it should blow away both of the others. Bottom line – forget the Solitaire mod – get a REAL mini.
 

Brighteyez

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That's odd, I just picked one up and thought it was great. For an LED it works great and the output is brighter than the Opalec that it emulates. I'm guessing, but I'd suspect this is your first LED and you're not impressed with the throw? If that's the case you should look for a Luxeon or Jupiter rather than a plain LED. The LED lights like the Nite Ize, like any other LED light will give you an excellent flood, they won't produce a beam unless you use one of the focusing lenses.

After playing around with the Nite Ize bulb replacement, I'd say that my colleciton of MiniMags (many still in the plastic) have found a new potential for life.


LONGTIMEWOLF said:
I just got a MiniMag LED conversion kit and really not impressed. I didn't know about them until I saw this one in REI when I was looking at headlamps.

Do they all suck? I would rather have the stock Mag.
 

geofred

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May 13, 2011
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Have you updated your list of minimag mods?



LONGTIMEWOLF,

Welcome to CPF!

There are really quite a few options for Minimag, and if you are interested, do feel free to check out my humble Dummy Reference Guide to Minimag Mod, in there, you will find Minimag mods that are ranging from few lumens up to 120+ lumens minimag mods. :)

As for led replacement drop-ins, there is the new option of SMJled which seems promising and might even out-do the NiteIze with competitive price.
 

LEDninja

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Jun 15, 2005
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Hamilton Canada
Have you updated your list of minimag mods?
:welcome:
Ever since Fenix introduced the L1P around 2005 there has been a decline in minimag mods. A 1AA LED light or even a 1AAA can outshine most 2AA minimag mods except the 200 lumen AuroraLite. But the zebralight SC51 and the Xeno E03/cube XM-L can now match the 200 lumen high and have lower modes as well. When Maglite started making LED versions of the minimag as well as the XL50 and XL100 that pretty well killed off minimag mods.

I am not aware of anyone still making the ceramic bulb holders and metal reflectors required for the incandescent hotwire mods.

The only LED mods I am aware of still available are:
MJ2-AA Module kit
MJ 2-AA Module kit 2-pack
MJ 2-AA Module kit 10-pack
These are roughly 15 lumens.

TerraLUX TLE-20
also here
This is roughly 20-25 lumens.

TerralUX TLE-5EX
also here
Roughly 140 lumens.

-

Here are some 1AAA, 1AA, 2AA flashlights for comparison:
Fenix E05 XP-E R2 LED 1xAAA $19.95 27 lumens.
ITP A3 EOS Cree XP-E Q5 LED Flashlight "Standard Edition" 1AAA $14.75 80 lumens

Quark MiNi AA Low: 2.7 OTF lumens, 60 hours - Medium: 25 OTF lumens, 8 hours - High: 90 OTF lumens, 1.3 hours - Special (hidden) modes: Strobe - SOS - Beacon (Hi) - Beacon (Lo).
ITP A2 EOS Cree XP-E Q5 LED Flashlight 1AA $24.95 Low 1.5 lm (60 Hrs) --- Med 18 lm (7 Hrs) --- High 80 lm (2 Hrs)
Xeno E03 XML $29.99 5.4-130+ lumens.

Quark MiNi AA² Length: 5.0 inches. Low: 3.0 OTF lumens, 3.4 days - Medium: 36 OTF lumens, 8.8 hours - High: 180 OTF lumens, 1.7 hours - Strobe - S.O.S. - Beacon (Hi) - Beacon (Lo)
Fenix E21 Cree XP-E LED 2xAA $34.95" 150 lumens.
 
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