2AA or 3AA LED Mag.

I am considering Getting either the 2AA or 3AA LED minimag. Any thoughts on which one?

Nightstalker101

What do you need them for? How will you be using and carrying them?

I couldn't decide either so I got both.

3AA works quite well.

However, the focusing doesn't work very well... it brings the hotspot together a little more coherently but that's about it.

Gets warm like all LEDs. Seems to have been 'sinked pretty well. Bluish tint as opposed to the greenish Lux3 I have.

The output of the 3AA is higher but not 50% higher to merrit the extra battery. I have only gone thru a set of cells so itis hard for me to judge battery life. I would say for "usual" use run times are similar. I have not tried constant on to see which runs longer but I am sure a search would turn that up for you.

The issue is really the length of the 3AA, while it is not that mcuh longer, to me it is too long for EDC. The 2AA just fits better in places like pockets...

Neither is a great flood and the focus mechanism is a compromize but it is better than the old mini.

For me go on size unless the extra output is critical to you. Both beams are very useful "utility" type patterns ( a good balance between flood and throw )

Theoretically, 3A is a better lite, but in practice, I've used it only once, while using 2AA every day.

I got both and took the 2AA back.

alkaline or rechargeables?

eebowler said:

alkaline or rechargeables?

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I don't know, rechargeables if I can, Can you use them in both of these light?

Anyone know how many lumens each model pumps out? Official site doesn't give this info. although it does for their icans.

check out flashlightreviews.com, and also pay attention at the runtime graph, pretty disappointing if you ask me

Here's my runtime plots using alkaline and lithium batteries.


For the 2xAA Mini Mag LED the Runtime = 3h 45m



For the 3xAA Mini Mag LED the Runtime = 2h 52m



2xAA Mini Mag LED using Energizer Lithium batteries
Runtime to 50% Max brightness = 6h



3xAA Mini Mag LED using Energizer Lithium batteries
Runtime to 50% Max Brightness = 4h 46m

Yeah, you'll get a lot more run time from a light running a 5mm LED.
If you dim the output and reduce the current that is being drawn from the batteries you'll probably get a lot more run time. Guess there's nothing in life that is free unless you're real good at stealing things.

LowTEC said:

check out flashlightreviews.com, and also pay attention at the runtime graph, pretty disappointing if you ask me

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Seems that someone had some runtimes with NiMH batteries too, don't know if they graphed them out or not. I seem to remember that like other Lux based lights, the NiMH batteries seem to give a bit better runtime than the alkalines with these lights as well.

Roy said:

Here's my runtime plots using alkaline and lithium batteries.

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Thanks for all of the info. Another quick question for Roy, what did you use to make these graphs, did you make them yourself?

Are energizer lithiums really the safe way to go ? MagyLite says lithiums will harm the LED in the long run and to only use alkalines. What are the thoughts on this matter.

nightstaler

I use a program called "ScopeView V 1.08". It came with my DVM, a RadioShack 22-805.

lightinsky said:

Are energizer lithiums really the safe way to go ? MagyLite says lithiums will harm the LED in the long run and to only use alkalines. What are the thoughts on this matter.

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Does anyone have any info on this?

I don't remember seeing anything about Lithium batteries in any of Mag's product documentation. The documentation on the LED products is just copied over from their incandescent products and is probably pretty old (well before lithium batteries were available and probably before Al Gore invented the Internet.)

The no Lithium remark may have been something off the cuff, or a CYA remark made during a phone call or a perception made by the poster from reading the documentation. Since lithium batteries do run at a higher voltage, I wouldn't encourage it without some testing, but the Mag product documentation also says not to use rechargeable batteries, and most people have or do use rechargeable batteries at some time or all of the time with Mag products. On some modifications, like running a 6 cell bulb with 6AA batteries in a 2D light, you'd need to run NiMH or NiCD batteries because of the amount of current being drawn; run-time with alkalines would be severely reduced.

nightstalker101 said:

Does anyone have any info on this?

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So, Is it ok to use rechargeables in the new LEDs?