Need help: I want a brighter light the size of a Mag 2AAA.

DuckhunterInTN

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First off, great forum!

I am looking for a very specific flashlight and thought you guys might be able to help me out. I often carry a Leatherman "Surge" tool while working on stuff. The leather pouch has a side pocket that has to have been made just for a MiniMag 2AAA. The light is the perfect size, diameter, length for the pocket. Even the top flap of the pouch has a cutout to fit the flashlight head. Anyways, my problem is the pitiful output of the MiniMag 2AAA. I have many brighter flashlights but because this one is so handy I end up using it, even though it is so dim. Either that or I have to go hunt for a decent one.

I would really, really, like to find a flashlight that is brighter but is exactly the same as the 2AAA, dimension-wise.

I would be up for modding a MiniMag, too, if anyone can tell me how to do that somewhat easily.

Thanks guys!
 

Buck91

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Doesnt mag offer an LED version of the 2AAA minimag? You could also look into a terralux module here or the SMJLED at Light Hound or The Sandwich Shoppe.
 

Lee1959

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The closest thing I have found so far that I have liked is the Inova Bolt AAA. It is considerably brighter than the AAA Minimag which was a favorite of mine. It is slightly larger though. The Bolt has become the one that takes the Minimags place.

If you really want the exact same size, you may look into putting an SMJLED into the Minimag, I have done so and it is much brighter and it lasts about 30 hours for runtime. Its not a hard update by removing the reflector and drilling it out to use a 5MM LED. It took perhaps 15 minutes toperform. I beleive you can also get AAA Minimag LED upgrades in the Sandwich Shoppe here and I think at Lighthound.

Here is a thread about upgrades to the AAA Minimag.

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/173113
 
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DuckhunterInTN

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Thanks guys. I will be looking into all of your suggestions. I have some questions:

Marduke:
I will be going by Target today to look around the River Rock. I was there the other day and didn't see any 2AAA's, though. Do you know if they still make that flashlight? Thanks!


Lee1959:
How much larger is the Bolt than the Mag? Is it longer? Larger diameter, etc? Thanks!


Marduke, Buck91, and Lee1959:
Do y'all know which upgrade is brighter? The terralux model or the SMJLED? What about the color of the LEDs? Do you have to use a dummy cell with the SMJLED?
 

LukeA

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Frankly, I'm surpised no one makes a 2xAAA extension for the L0D-CE, seeing as that would be perfect for you and it might make me buy an L0D-CE.
 

kosPap

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Welcome to CPF.
This may be your ticket.

Now I would not buy that AGAIN. Lume s must be around 15, and not the advertised 25, and there is a horrible ringy beam with a YELLOW ring around the hotspot. I have retired mine to a Hurricane Light use.

Best of luck. Unless someone makes a current 2xAAA light or an extension tube for one we are bust.

Fenix and LifeLux do you listen?
 

DuckhunterInTN

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Now I would not buy that AGAIN. Lume s must be around 15, and not the advertised 25, and there is a horrible ringy beam with a YELLOW ring around the hotspot. I have retired mine to a Hurricane Light use.

Best of luck. Unless someone makes a current 2xAAA light or an extension tube for one we are bust.

Fenix and LifeLux do you listen?


Although it sounds like it is not a great upgrade, was it still a lot better than the factory bulb? Or would you just have soon kept the factory bulb?




joema, I saw that streamlight light during my earlier research. I am very tempted to try it. I wonder if the pocket clip is removable?
 

Gatsby

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I think the best stock upgrade is the SMJLED although I'm not sure if they are still available.

Other than that, the Peak Pacific head on their 2xAAA body is a much, much better light than the stock Mag or any of the Mag upgrades. See Quickbeam's review:

http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/peakled_pacific.htm

Dorcy also has a decent looking new 2xAAA light - I've never seen one and can't comment on the performance but it might be worth checking out:

http://www.dorcy.com/products.aspx?p=414254

But truly you will not regret a Peak Pacific. Great light and you can also purchase a AA body, CR2 body, in addition to the stock 1xAAA body. I carry one with the CR2 body as my EDC.
 

Gunner12

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IIRC, the newer Peaks(website) can be had with the brighter Seoul LED but you might have to ask. The Luxeon Pacific with half the efficiency already beats the Minimag AAA ion output so the Seoul one should be better. They are expensive but well built and probably a better companion to the Leatherman then the Minimag AAA.
 

LED_Thrift

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I put a TerraLux module in my AAA minimag a few years ago and it became a useful light. They may have even brighter modules now. Mine was not the Luxeon module. It did not increase the brightness very much, but the beam and tint was better and the runtime MUCH better. This would be a lower cost solution. If you want to spend more to get more, the Peak Pacific would be my choice.
 

Lee1959

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My personal comparisons:

Inova AAA Bolt
Length: 4 3/4"
Diameter: 3/4" at bezel, 5/8" at buttcap
Battery Life: 5 hours to dead, the last 30 minutes barely useable.
Brightness: Visually perhaps 5 times brighter than the standard AAA Minimag, and probably still at least 3 times brighter than the AAA Minimag SMJLED upgrade, but this is unscientific and just my visual.

Minimag AAA
Length: 5 "
Diameter: AAA 11/16 bezel 7/16 tail cap
Battery Life Standard version: 2 hours to dead visibly increasingly dim from the first hour on
Battery Life SMJLED upgrade version : 30 hours to dead, last hour pretty dim and useless

Hope this helps.
 

BentHeadTX

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The Peak Pacific HP with 2AAA body (optional) will run you around $70 and that is as close to a AAA minimag as you can get. If weight is not a problem, it can be had in brass or stainless steel to match the Leatherman.
 

DuckhunterInTN

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The Peak Solutions Pacific looks like a really nice light. However as badly as I beat up the light that is in the Leatherman's pouch I will at least have to think twice before getting a $70 flashlight to go in there. I don't mind using something but it just gets abused....all of the black finish on the head of my Mag 2AAA is basically gone from getting scraped while crawling on concrete under a vehicle. But if it is really that good, I am tempted as long as I know it will work. But the head looks too long on it to fit my pouch correctly. Can anyone tell me how much longer the head is on it versus the Mag 2AAA?

Also, can anyone tell me where I can purchase the Pacific besides on their website? I could not find on their website any information about the 2AAA body.

I like the Inova Bolt and hope I can find one locally. That looks to be a good solution. My only concern is the grip. Is it very "tacky"? The pouch for the light is made of stretchy elastic and I think it would be difficult to put in or remove the light if it was very tacky. Do you think you could cut off the rubber grip?

I will also have to check out that new Dorcy light. The only potential problem with it, though, is that the elastic pouch where the light resides is open on both ends and the fatter head on the Mag 2AAA helps keep it from slipping. This light's head is of the same diameter.

Thanks to everyone for their help. Keep the ideas and suggestions coming!
 

elgarak

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I guess the closest to a Minimag AAA I have seen is the Victorinox 2AAA. Made by Inova/Emissive Energy. Less bulky than the Bolts, I believe. No tailcap switch, handles exactly like the Minimags (except for the focusing, of course).
 

Gatsby

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I don't have a 2xAAA mag currently to compare, but the head and body of the Peak (measured) are the same diameter as that on the Minimag according to the mag website measurements. But I don't know if the head is a tad bit longer overall. I'm not sure that it is, but it may not taper as quickly.

As for how to purchase - you pretty much just need to call their phone number. The website is pretty difficult to use and doesn't mention all the extra features. The Pacific comes in three finishes, HAIII, stainless and brass, comes in I think now 3 or 4 power levels, and has 4 different bodies including pocket and key ring versions (AAA, AA, 2xAAA and CR2). Again, the best thing to do is just call and they will walk you through the various features and options, and help you make a decision about what will work for you. There are a lot of options and this is about as close as you can get to a custom made light without buying a custom made light!

Make no mistake, however, it is a precision machined, precision engineered, made in the US light and there is a cost associated with that. But you'll get a very efficient circuit board, lots of flexibility and options, a tank like light that will last you a long time and stand up to hard use. And even the in the extra long runtime mode will produce a whole lot more light than your current mag, or the mag with an SMJLED. Plus they have discounted luxeon models (Lux III emitters) so I think you can get it for $39 instead of $49. Although for $10 I'd go ahead and get the P4 light.

Also, you could keep your eye open on the marketplace - Pacifics come up for sale every so often as they don't have multi levels or a lot of the bells and whistles so many of the other lights have.
 

parnass

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I have the reflector version 2AAA Victorinox
LED flashlight
made by Inova. I don't have a 2AAA Mini Maglite so I can't compare the brightness of the 2 lights. The 2AAA Vic is a little brighter and considerably whiter than my 1AAA Arc AAA-P.

The Vic's physical construction is excellent but the barrel might be a little thicker than your 2AAA Mini Maglite. The Vic's barrel measures about 9/16 inch diameter and the entire flashlight is 4-3/4 inches long.

victorinox-2aaa.jpg
 
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