what to do with a broken AA minimag lite? suggestions?

Original bulb burned out and was looking for a replacement that would be cool running and long lasting with better spill than spot (about 100 lumens). After all My TK-11 is for the spot/ outdoor activities!

So would you get a replacement led bulb for the minimag or save up for another led light. This would strictly be used around the house- say when I'm working on the car or on something in front of me and I need extra light?.

well, the easiest solution would be to direct drive a 3mm or 5mm LED.

Just cut the leads down abit, and bend them so they fit in the Bi-pin socket. Just trial an error for polarity. IF you use 3mm, you can use the stock reflector, 5mm, just take out the reflector.

Crenshaw

I'd save up for another light since you can get a decent budget light for the price of most of the drop-ins.

But if you do want to upgrade, Check this thread.

Crenshaw said:

well, the easiest solution would be to direct drive a 3mm or 5mm LED.

Just cut the leads down abit, and bend them so they fit in the Bi-pin socket. Just trial an error for polarity. IF you use 3mm, you can use the stock reflector, 5mm, just take out the reflector.

Crenshaw

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Pop off the Do Not Remove piece and you can very easily tell what the polarity is.

A Terralux Cree module would be much brighter, and more expensive.

IMHO for the same $25 ball-park, you could get a new light that could run 3-4 hours (alkaline 2xAA) and spit out around 100 Lumens. Unless theres something you specifically like about the mm form-factor that would put it in the front running. Romisen RC-N3 or one of the new Colemans come to mind right away for AA-Cree goodness.

kramer5150 said:

IMHO for the same $25 ball-park, you could get a new light that could run 3-4 hours (alkaline 2xAA) and spit out around 100 Lumens. Unless theres something you specifically like about the mm form-factor that would put it in the front running. Romisen RC-N3 or one of the new Colemans come to mind right away for AA-Cree goodness.

Click to expand...

....and the Coleman is the one you can buy simply by going to a Walmart store, if you have one near you.

Since you can get an equivalent light for the same price, the question is whether you like mini-mags. I like my second-generation (Cree) Terralux dropin, but it's my loaner light - I have Surefires I prefer, and everyone knows how to use a mini-mag, and it's got the blessing of the light fairy unlike any other mini-mag anyone (else) has ever seen. Defocused beam is a bit ugly, but it'll do it, and if you *really* want all spill, you can take off the head for candle mode.

Chrontius said:

Since you can get an equivalent light for the same price, the question is whether you like mini-mags.

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By the time I started accumulating these new LED lights that are SO capable, I had three mini-mags (standard; not even LED).

I couldn't bring myself to throw them away, but I sure wasn't ever going to use them again as they were, so I upgraded them with the Terralux drop-in's and I turned a $5 useless light into a "so-so" but useful $30 light.
Compared to what they used to be, they were great!... BUT, they still didn't hold a candle to other lights I had at the time such as my L2D.

So I still have those Terralux/Mini-mags, but they just sit in a drawer because they're larger and less capable than ANY of the other lights I now have.

I'm hoping for an occasion when someone asks to borrow one of my lights, because when they do, I know exactly which one I'll be borrowing them. And I'll probably say; "Hey, keep it. I've got more". :naughty: