Mag-Lite LED Solitaire?

Will Mag make a LED Solitaire? That would create some interesting competition in the keychain/AAA light category. I've read a few brief mentions to this here in the forums, but I never could discern if it was just speculation or based on solid intel.

I converted one to LED. It's unreal how much nicer it is.

edit: I hope they do come out with one!

I just got a MJ dropin from ArcMania (about $15). the only modification I made was to chop the bottom of the reflector to the head would screw down a bit farther. Its amazing haw small the booster is. This is a drop in, ie, bi-pin-booster-3mm MJled, that just replaces the original bulb. DEFINATELY brighter and WWAAYY more usefil.

WildRice said:

I just got a MJ dropin from ArcMania (about $15). the only modification I made was to chop the bottom of the reflector to the head would screw down a bit farther. Its amazing haw small the booster is. This is a drop in, ie, bi-pin-booster-3mm MJled, that just replaces the original bulb. DEFINATELY brighter and WWAAYY more usefil.

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I am interested in knowing how to remove the reflector from a Solitaire to 'chop' it. Can anybody provide directions on how to remove... Looks like only about 1/16 of an inch removed would really help the bezel screwing down better.

Thanks,

there is no brute force way of removing it, its pure finese(sp?). I took a xacto knife and carefully 'pulled' each of the tabs away from the inside if the wall. Too much can break and deform them. I kept a bit of pressure on the cover slide all the time. Once all of the tabs were free of the ridge holding them on place, the reflector assembly was able to be pushed out. Once removed I carefully bent the tabs a bit towards the outside, so when re-inserted they would re-catch.
Jeff

There is a "brute force" method, at your own risk...

Take off the head and lay it on a hard surface with the lens up. Take a round object close to the inside diameter of the bezel around the lens (I use a small socket from a 1/4" drive socket set) and put it on top of the lens, then hit it with a hammer. This should push the lens and reflector out the back end.

After removing the reflector it seems that the back end of the reflector is split and flared slightly so that once it is installed in the head the flared edges grip the threads inside of the head. I don't know if they push the reflector into the head during assembly or screw it in. After disassembling mine I wondered if you could screw the reflector back out. If I have to disassemble another one I will probably try to unscrew it first.

OK OK, I did know there was a brute force way, but I would not recommed attempting it for the first try :sweat:. but thats just me.

Jeff

I upgraded my maglite to LED, simply by buying a Fenix L0P-SE.

Same size, and about the same battery life, unless you turn it to bright or dim.
But, some 20 times brighter. I no longer look for a 'proper' torch if I'm going outside.
On bright - there is no comparison, it's a completely different animal.

I have come to the conclusion that there is little point in a AAA light that can't put out 20-30 lumens from a single cell, unless it's much, much cheaper than $35 (shipped, worldwide).

There are things that might make me pay a little more - integrated tritium, low power glow modes, adjustable focussing, but though my minimag-solitare has survived nearly a decade on my keyring, putting out a pretty anemic glow when it worked at all (oxidation around the bulb leads), I don't think I'll be going back to maglite.

You are quite right, SpeedEvil. I've considered the drop-in for an old Solitaire, just for giggles, but I'd likely never use it. The L0Pse is just too good.

Geoff

The brute force method didn't work for me. Even the lens was destroyed.

I'm honestly shocked Mag hasn't put out an LED Solitaire. Even four years ago it would have been an improvement. Of all the lights in their product line that one is most asking for an LED.

I also didn't bother with the Solotaire - I picked up a Fenix L0P-SE. 3 levels of output without all the mod work required to retrofit a Mag solotaire.

eebowler said:

The brute force method didn't work for me. Even the lens was destroyed.

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Been there with the blunt force method, i suggest the x-acto knife method.

What you do is take the exacto knife with good tip:

-Open solitare invert the cap
-place something roughly the size of the plastic lens exposed under the lens
-use the exacto knife to pry out the prongs
-carefully tiwst the kinfe while sideways and push into the top of the tabs between the tabs and the aluminum ring shelf ~45 degrees
-then carefully pull the tabs out by forcing the knife vertical it should pop outwards
-once thats done keep pressure on the lens and keep going around
-once they are all done use a long plastic (pref.) rod or piece to push the lens out a lot of force but it should work.

Just did it that way and it came out in one whole piece.

Anyone know of a good driver circuit for a .5 watt luxeon? if .5 watt luxeons exist.

I ground the reflector down while it was still in the head by using a small cylindrical Dremmel grinding stone. I wrapped the side of the stone with electricians tape so that I wouldn't inadvertently damage the threads on the inside of the head and then proceeded to grind away. I had to trim the reflector hole slightly with an exacto to remove the "slag" – the little bit of melted reflector and then gave it a quick blast of compressed air to clear out the particles that ended up between the reflector and lens. Worked for me.

It was quick and I was able to test the depth as I went without having to remove and replace the reflector.

Don_Redondo said:

I ground the reflector down while it was still in the head by using a small cylindrical Dremmel grinding stone. I wrapped the side of the stone with electricians tape so that I wouldn't inadvertently damage the threads on the inside of the head and then proceeded to grind away. I had to trim the reflector hole slightly with an exacto to remove the "slag" – the little bit of melted reflector and then gave it a quick blast of compressed air to clear out the particles that ended up between the reflector and lens. Worked for me.

It was quick and I was able to test the depth as I went without having to remove and replace the reflector.

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I like this idea... I think I'll give it a try.

BTW - sorry about hijacking this thread.

Thanks,

most of my exato knives are rusted beyond recognition

I have a dremel handy...will that work under low rpms with a fine disk sander?

Flying Turtle said:

You are quite right, SpeedEvil. I've considered the drop-in for an old Solitaire, just for giggles, but I'd likely never use it. The L0Pse is just too good.

Geoff

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Agreed! I had three old Solitaires lying in a drawer and decided to upgrade them, but there are too many other vastly superior options to waste time on these. They make the light much more useable but not competitive.