Mini Maglite

I want to make a couple of lights for my bike and am wondering if I can fit a 22mm optic and cree into the head of a Mini Maglite (the 2 AA type). It's years since I saw one so may be way off here. Thanks for any help.

After machining a McR20 reflector will fit.

Deal extreme have an "secondary 22mm optic" which looks like a aspheric which might be of use? I dont know if anyone else has seen or tried it.

Rob

Ok, I didn't put my question very well, so thanks for your help, and I will search for the components you mention (this place is huge!) But what I really wanted to know is... What's the internal diameter of a Mini Mag head?

I want to make a couple of lights for my bike and am wondering if I can fit a 22mm optic and cree into the head of a Mini Maglite (the 2 AA type).

Click to expand...

Firstly welcome to CPF, good to see another local on here!
:welcome:
Forgetting about the optic for a minute, you need to think about a few other things.

You will need to machine a heat sink for the Cree LED to fit inside the Minimag. Oh and then you will have to find room to fit a driver for the Cree LED to be powered by......

Don't get me wrong, I don't wish to kill your fun, it's just not as easy as you my at first think.

If your after a pair of lights for your bike you can buy some 2AA LED lights and mounts for very little money, maybe less than building custom minimags?

If you want to build something really bright and fun for a bike have a look around the bike section of this forum, there's some great DIY stuff in there.

I hope to make some good lights for my MTB sometime, and then scare the deers in Epping forest!

Don't forget to let us know how you get on.

Hi Essexman. Thanks for the welcome, and for the warning of the problems I will come across. But I'm used to making electronics so hope to get around them. Just to make it clear, I wasn't thinking of using the whole Mini Mag, just the head, heatsink sticking out the back, and driver(s) mounted in 1 inch square ally tubing with two heads mounted on it, one at each end. Brainstorming at the moment.

Maybe this should be in the Bike section but it involved modding a Mag so I put it here. Maybe I was wrong?

OK, now I see where you are going with this, sounds good.

Back to your original question then, I have no idea about optics to fit a minimag head!

But if you are going to use a Cree XRE LED one popular reflector is a Fraen 19mm reflector, should drop striaght in the minimag head. The only problem has been getting hold of them as no one in the UK sells them. You could buy them though Warren/Litemania who has a a sales thread here. He also has a sales thread here for a bike light that uses the Fraen 19mm reflector, inclues some beam pics to give you an idea of what to expect.

Good luck.

Machine the head a little and you can fit a 20mm IMS reflector. Then use a Seoul LED in a sandwich like a Badboy. It's the cheapest brightest mod I can think of. Machining a reflector can be tricky and it's easy to ruin it if you're not very careful.

Hi Reflective, I have been thinking about doing the same thing ever since my home made halogen light was put to shame by a couple of my mates using AyUp lights a month ago. I was a concerned that I couldn't find anyone else who had done it before - I don't usually have too many totally original ideas... I also haven't been able to find anyone to loan me a mini mag to measure up so have only been able to establish that the AA mini mag has a 25.4mm OD (the AAA mini mag has a 19 mm OD I think). Jaycar in Australia sell a 7 deg reflector for the Cree which may fit
http://www.jaycar.com.au/productVie...rd2=&pageNumber=&priceMin=&priceMax=&SUBCATID=
Cutter Electronics do an 8 deg lens but I think the lens holder is likely to be too wide - thinking may be able to cut it down and use it to correctly orientate the lens and the led if the maglite end cap and lens hold it in place...?

I'd be interested to hear what plans you have for heatsinking the led?

Warren/Litemania almost makes it pointless to go to the trouble of building one's own light - pity the Scolo isn't compatable with my 10.8V battery pack.

Good luck and let us know how you solve the problems.

Jaycar in Australia sell a 7 deg reflector for the Cree which may fit
http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView...eMax=&SUBCATID=

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That's the Fraen 19mm reflector, should drop striaght in the minimag head.