I think i've outgrown the Minimag....

thanks to the influence of my fellow CPF'ers, i think i've finally outgrown the Minimag (and Minimag style knockoffs), when i first started posting here, i still kinda' liked the MM, but thanks to your....corrupting... influences i realize the MM is just an overrated, underperforming light in stock form

it's a decent host for upgrades and the body construction itself is generally solid, if unimpressive, but now that i know there are better lights out there, i don't see myself purchasing any more MM's in the forseeable future

looks like, thanks to your....corrupting....influence, my new "minimum" flashlight is the SF G2 (for incans), still trying to find my minimum LED standard

Yeah. I have quite a few floating around here, but after seeing the surefire p61 lamp and other led products, I just abandoned them. Sure i could make them led with an mjled or some other upgrade, but it isnt worth it as it seems the real power is in cr123 batteries.

Ignorance is bliss.

lol

I had a dislike of those in the late 80s. I thought my Rayovacs had better beams way back then.

I remember feeling just like you.. until I came to this forum. :naughty:

Ah Yes, But...

Take one MiniMag, one metal reflector from Auroralight, one ceramic socket from Auroralight, 2 unprotected 14500 LiIon cells from AW, and one Carley 1499 BiPin bulb, and....

WOW!!!!!

Brighter than a p61, whiter too.

Brighter than the P91, whiter too.

Only mild artifact, which is then cleaned up with a nice UCL lens with low diffusion film, and voila, a super sleeper!!!

I'm guessing 250 lumens, maybe more, with the whitest white of anything this side of an M6, I haven't put it up against my A2 yet, but it is WHITE!

Bill

Bill, I can't find 1499 on carleylamps.com

Bill

I looked around and found 4 of them in this one room. All had LED's in place not a single one with a stock bulb. Looks like I still need at least one more I did not find one with a red led. I got a blue one a green one a 3led from Wally Word (nite eze or something close to that for 5 bucks give or take) but not a red led to be found. The terralux? if I recall the name right is not a bad drop in it is the brightest I have for MM use. I must find a red drop in or I will feel incomplete forever.
Topper

bwaites said:

Ah Yes, But...

Take one MiniMag, one metal reflector from Auroralight, one ceramic socket from Auroralight, 2 unprotected 14500 LiIon cells from AW, and one Carley 1499 BiPin bulb, and....

WOW!!!!!

Brighter than a p61, whiter too.

Brighter than the P91, whiter too.

Only mild artifact, which is then cleaned up with a nice UCL lens with low diffusion film, and voila, a super sleeper!!!

I'm guessing 250 lumens, maybe more, with the whitest white of anything this side of an M6, I haven't put it up against my A2 yet, but it is WHITE!

Bill

Click to expand...

Bill,

You are talking about a 2AA Minimag that produces 250 lumens of light???
How much does it cost (total) to make one of these bad boys, because I NEED ONE!!!
Also, how hard is it to make one? I have soldered a few LED's into dorcy's but I would hardly consider myself a modder.

Thanks

MacTech said:

... i think i've finally outgrown the Minimag (and Minimag style knockoffs), when i first started posting here, i still kinda' liked the MM, but thanks to your....corrupting... influences i realize the MM is just an overrated, underperforming light in stock form...

Click to expand...

Ooohh, the poor little things...abandoned for a newer, brighter model! :shakehead: Well, you can send all of them to me; I assure you they wil be given a Good home, and modded as befits their station in life. :thumbsup:

sniper said:

Ooohh, the poor little things...abandoned for a newer, brighter model! :shakehead: Well, you can send all of them to me; I assure you they wil be given a Good home, and modded as befits their station in life. :thumbsup:

Click to expand...

oh, don't worry about my poor, poor MM's, they *have* a good home, and will be treated well, they will be fed a rich, fattening diet of NIMH rechargables, and house LED upgrades so they can produce more usable light, i will always keep one in stock form for it's abilities as an "electric candle" and i still have use for them as experiment hosts, they will be reminders of a simpler time, a time when i was happy with "just a flashlight", when i thought a 6D Mag was the biggest, baddest monsterlight out there, in short, a reminder of my my blissful life pre-CPF

i just don't see myself purchasing any *more* of them, is all, when i can get much better performance from a more modern design

1499's aren't on Carleys site, (it's a secret lamp, known only to CPF'ers!!:nana: ) and a PM to Litho123 will get you some info, but here are the specs:

Carley 1499: 7.20v 1.84a MSCP 30.7* life= 10 hours


For those of you interested, check out Auroralite's Group Buy in "Group Buys" for the reflectors and sockets, here:

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/91851

I actually think it makes a lot more lumens than 250, but I'm guessing 250 out the front. The tiny reflector doesn't help a lot either!! But it is very nice, can be tightened down to a reasonable spot, even.

Bill

Yes indeed as Bill mentioned in regards to that high-end output Mini Maglites. I've seen that one! It will really output the stock Maglite in its 3D format. I have to agree that the beam can be "tightened down to a reasonable spot," as already mentioned above. You just have to try that one out!

As for the title of this thread: "I think I've outgrown the Mini Mag. . ."—For me not, not just yet.

WUT??? 250 lumens from a mini mag light that took 2 aa batteries? Maybe I will hang on to those to do that instead.

MacTech said:

thanks to the influence of my fellow CPF'ers, i think i've finally outgrown the Minimag (and Minimag style knockoffs), when i first started posting here, i still kinda' liked the MM, but thanks to your....corrupting... influences i realize the MM is just an overrated, underperforming light in stock form

it's a decent host for upgrades and the body construction itself is generally solid, if unimpressive, but now that i know there are better lights out there, i don't see myself purchasing any more MM's in the forseeable future

looks like, thanks to your....corrupting....influence, my new "minimum" flashlight is the SF G2 (for incans), still trying to find my minimum LED standard

Click to expand...

You'll be back. Minimag is unique in that it's a well constracted 2 AA light. There will be times when 123s aren't around but AAs are plenty....Or at least try a drop in module from the sandwichshop.

MM1499, here I come! Wow, thanks Bill!

Will the 1499 fit in the reflector for the Strion or the TL3?

I just got my Li-ion AAs from AW the other day so I've only been playing around with the TL3 version for a short time, but I'm liking it very much.

Fits perfect in the reflectors from the Strion/TL3 from Auroralites group buy.


Bill

BWAITES.... please post the link for ordering the parts..I tried a search for aroura and got all kinds of stuff but it didnt seem to be the right sites. I would likek to do a serious upgrade, even if it doesn't quite match what you did...it will be good. I still use my MiniMag (Ice blue) with Night Ize LED for my routine nightime bathroom and thermostat checks.....anything more is overkill (read: wakes me up too much to get back to sleep easy) and lights the hall too much. i'd like to mod one just for stunning my friens who have a standard stock one. Think I'll mod the Orange one when I get it....thanks and hoping you see this and post the link up. :naughty:

See Bill's post #12 above where he indicated it.