Your thoughts on drop-in LEDs for Mag Solitaire?

Lighthound is selling these LED upgrades for the Maglight Solitaire. I've been pleased with the Nite-Ize LEDs for the 2xAA MiniMag -- has anyone had any experience with upgrading the Solitaire?

I own several AAA and AA Fenixes, so I don't "need" another pocket light, but the Solitaire seems so well-constructed to me, I'm wondering what it would be like as an LED. (It's output couldn't be worse.)

If nothing else, I could consider the Solitaire a AAA battery carrier for my E1!

Is this the identical item which Lambda is selling ?

(When he completes the move to his new location next week)


The photos certainly look the same.

I don't think a lot of people have used these yet, they're a new product. We'll have to wait for the reviews. I like the idea of a drop-in for the Soli, though. It's a nice little light, but the output from the stock bulb is pathetic, and modding it is really hard. I think this drop-in, with it's incorporated circuitry, is a big step forward in bringing the Soli back into my radar screen.

That's the first Solitaire drop-in I've seen that I'd consider buying. I'm sure it won't replace the ARC AAA as my EDC, and I wouldn't go out and buy a new Solitaire to use with one, but I carried Solitaires for years on my keychains before I bought my first ARC several years back, and still have at least 3 or 4 of them laying around. One of these drop-ins along with an AAA lithium battery just might breathe new life back into my old Solitaires.

-Keith

Thanks for your comments. I've ordered the LED upgrade. I'll post my thoughts after it arrives from Lighthound...

As I mentioned above, I've converted the three Maglite 2xAAs I had lying around to the Nite-Ize LED upgrade (two of them also have the new clickie butt cap) and I've been very pleased.

I like to say that there are better flashlights than Mags, and cheaper flashlights, but no better, cheaper light than a Mag 2xAA with LED upgrade -- good floody light, cheapo batteries, decent runtime, plenty tough for my needs.

I just sent in my order to Lambda today. Looking forward to a kick a.. soli.

I just received my solitaire drop-in from Lighthound. I was surprised how quickly it arrived, ordered it last thursday evening and received it today (Netherlands).

Lighthound put a little plastic keychain light in the package too, and I was slightly disappointed at first to find this to be brighter than the upgraded maglite. However the solitaire puts out a more concentrated beam than the plastic keychain light and the tint is much better (whiter). Also the plastic keychain light already seems to be dimming after the few minutes I've played with it.

When leaving it on for some time, the head of the solitaire seems to get only slightly warm. A quick measurement of the current draw from the battery (NiMH AAA) resulted in a reading of about 0.3A.

How would you say it fairs against an ARC? or even the ARC-P?

I can assume it'll be lower but is it close?

Thank You!

Bertrik said:

I just received my solitaire drop-in from Lighthound. I was surprised how quickly it arrived, ordered it last thursday evening and received it today (Netherlands).

Lighthound put a little plastic keychain light in the package too, and I was slightly disappointed at first to find this to be brighter than the upgraded maglite. However the solitaire puts out a more concentrated beam than the plastic keychain light and the tint is much better (whiter). Also the plastic keychain light already seems to be dimming after the few minutes I've played with it.

When leaving it on for some time, the head of the solitaire seems to get only slightly warm. A quick measurement of the current draw from the battery (NiMH AAA) resulted in a reading of about 0.3A.

Click to expand...

I've gotta try one of those. Just got a package from Lighthound today, and wish I'd seen this before. MJLED at 50mA? If it's anything like my Dorcy 1AAA w/MJLED it'll destroy lights like the Arc AAA and Ultra-G(I'll try to find where I posted beamshots) output-wise with much better beam color and quality, and the Solitaire shouldn't have any problem surviving keychain use, like a Dorcy would.
Found the thread where I posted my beamshots. Keep in mind this is a Dorcy 1AAA, not a Mag Solitaire, and I have no idea how much current the LED is getting.
http://img86.echo.cx/img86/4834/dscn05612bj.jpg
http://img86.echo.cx/img86/6761/dscn05622ih.jpg
If it's anything like this, I'll be very happy--and probably get several for gifts to friends.

Very interested to know! Soli was my first keychain light until ARC AAA took over!

I just got mine from Lighthound and honestly, i'm underwhelmed, i know the Solitaire's not much to work with, but it only marginally improves the Soli, the beam still has the infamous "rings and holes", and the light intensity is slightly less bright than the .99¢ "Fauxton" that Lighthound packs in free with his orders

no, it's not fair comparing a 5MM LED to a 3MM, but the fact remains that the Soli upgrade is a novelty only, it really adda no functionality to an already laughably pathetic product, IMHO a waste of $12, save up an extra $12 and get a Fenix E1, which blows the LED'd Soli away

i'm still keeping the module as a novelty, as it *does* make the Soli at least *somewhat* usable, but don't expect miracles with this one

on a scale of 1-10, an unmodified Soli rates about a .5 (and that's being generous), so a LED'd SOLI rates around a 3, OTOH, the Dorcy 1 AAA (reflector model) rates a 5.5, and a Fenix E1 rates a nice,solid 8

Perhaps could this one be interesting for the one or another:

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/128803

Best regards

_____
Tom

MacTech said:

no, it's not fair comparing a 5MM LED to a 3MM

Click to expand...

Didn't catch the fact that it's a 3mm LED. Oh well...

its a 3mm so it fits the stock reflector of the soli. A 5mm is too big to fit without boring it out.

schiesz

Review here with beamshots compared to a Dorcy AAA and Fenix E1.
http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=129046

the MJLED module appears to have some form of basic regulation, on a whim, i put a mostly-dead AAA cell (1.3 volts) into the Soli, and turned it on, the light stayed at a fairly consistent brightness for 2 hours and then just turned itself off, the battery metered out at 1.07 volts, after resting for 5 minutes, the battery rebounded to 1.17, so i put it back in the light, it's back to the original brightness it had during the first test....

Just went out again, twice now, battery voltage 1.00-1.01V the first time, now .94V

i just let the battery rebound to 1.03V and the light lit up, we're getting....and it's out....looks like 1.02-1.03V is the shutdown voltage, current discharge state, .57V and rising

back into the light at 1.0V, it lights up for about as long as it takes me to write this...

cutoff appears to be around 1.0 to 1.3V

now... to put the depleted battery in my Fenix E1 to see if it can get anything out of it...

i will give the MJLED this, it's remarkably efficient...

But once again outclassed by the Fenix E1, i put the battery in reading .65V and rising, it would not even illuminate the MJLED, and the E1is getting usable light out of a battery registering .65V, just barely enough for navigating in the dark with dark-adapted eyes, or enough to read a book, i'll run the E1 on this cell to see how much runtime i can get out of a battery that's officially "dead"