Mini-Mag w/nite-eze LED bulb

I'm sure I didn't spell the Nite-eze cheapo replacement LED correctly, but you know what I mean. Its the 3 LED replacement bulb for the Mag 2AA.

Anyway, the one I got has pretty good color, and OK bright; however, the problem I'm constantly having is that it just doesn't turn on and off very reliably. It flickers a lot when turning on/off and sometimes I have to try and turn it on a couple times before it comes on. Anyone else have this problem and/or have a fix? Many thanks.

I've had two of them and both of them worked normally. The last one seems like the wires are almost too long since my minimag sometimes makes a crunching sound when I turn it off. It also didn't want to go in all the way at first, but it went in when I screwed the bezel down. Could be the minimag I had or the module. Dunno. Works great though and much whiter than a Nichia, though still has a bit of blue tint like all cheap 5mm LED's...

I have several of these Nite Ize modules and have had no problem with any of them.

Pull the module out and check to see that the two pins are not bent. If you twist the light off to hard, you can actually twist the bulb slightly also. This may slightly bend the bi-pins and make for a bad connection. Thats just a shot in the dark, but sometimes the simplest things............

The contacts on your minimag are dirty. Clean the threads, the tailcap. Disassemble the switch and clean it's contacts as well. You may need to clean the inside lip of the battery tube also. Reassemble and violà! (I hope)

PS. Try bending the module's legs a bit outwards, it might also be a bad contact there.

I've found that flickering usually occurs when either, as greenLED said, the contacts are dirty, or the contacts (inside the Minimag switch) are loose/bent.

Issue RESOLVED - Thanks

Folks,

Many thanks for the recommendations. I am most seriously embarrassed. I can't believe I didn't clean the flashlight up before asking for help. Of course that was it. In fact - the minimag is probably the oldest flashlight I own and all the black is worn off the knurling - its been around and I doubt I've ever cleaned it. I "do" pay more attention to my nicer lights

Perhaps the Nite-ize inserts are subject to the lottery like all the rest - but even with new batteries, I find it gives little more overall light than my Infinity Ultra G - 1 5mm LED with one lithium AA. It appears obvious the Nite-ize is not as over driven. In fact, the 3 LED Gerber Trio is considerably bright which is actually a pretty good comparison since it is also a 2AA like the MiniMag.

Still - it is a nice warm color and good for walking around the house. Better still, I now sometimes actually use my minimag again I know - there are a lot of brighter mods for the minimag - but with all the new 2AA lights out now, I just can't justify spending much on the Minimag. In fact, I have no doubt I'll be buying the entire MagLight LED lights as they start to come out. Now - won't that be fun.

Mine has a kind of purplish tint, but otherwise works okay. I do not like the really wide folld beam, and lack of throw, but OHWELL. I only use it for reading, as my eyes are getting on as time goes by. At least it will always work, unlike the junk bulbs that come with the lights.

By the way, does your name here have anything to do with the Canadian liqueur using the same name? I like that stuff!

Re: Issue RESOLVED - Thanks

Yukon_Jack wrote: "I can't believe I didn't clean the flashlight up before asking for help. Of course that was it.
Perhaps the Nite-ize inserts are subject to the lottery like all the rest - but even with new batteries, I find it gives little more overall light than my Infinity Ultra G - 1 5mm LED with one lithium AA. It appears obvious the Nite-ize is not as over driven. In fact, the 3 LED Gerber Trio is considerably bright which is actually a pretty good comparison since it is also a 2AA like the MiniMag."

Still sounds a little dimmer than expected/normal -

Please take a look at the side-by-side comparison beamshots in this review thread -

Nite Ize drop in module

and please let us know what you think?

white nite-ize with their mediocre tailswitch

Flickering happens once awhile...
Sometimes It doesnt come on even with the tail cap pushed down...Smack the maglite on a hard surface usually corrects the problem [smashing a maglite...lol]

Sometimes on the initial output the white diodes emit a low output of turquoise...almost an "angry blue"
Whereas light tapping on the table corrects this problem

Could this be thought of as accidental overdrive caused by some unknown arcing of the circuity?

The lamp module was not bought, it was found intact with the tail cap inside a blister package that has faded colors...
When i founded It was submerged in water...unopened, in a store [Lowes / garden section] that doesnt carry the item.

Illum_the_nation wrote: "Flickering happens once awhile...
Sometimes It doesnt come on even with the tail cap pushed down...Smack the maglite on a hard surface usually corrects the problem [ smashing a maglite.. lol ]
Sometimes on the initial output the white diodes emit a low output of turquoise...almost an "angry blue"
Whereas light tapping on the table corrects this problem


The lamp module was not bought, it was found intact with the tail cap inside a blister package that has faded colors...
When i founded It was submerged in water...unopened, in a store [Lowes / garden section] that doesnt carry the item."

This is just not right - if it were typical - this would have been reported and discussed on CPF.

I think you have bad electrical contact problems with your set up -
if possible please go through the steps described earlier in this thread,
and please let us know if it is any better?

Perhaps from your own description this was a damaged unit?