Nexstar Pin Bulbs And Other Things?

Gene

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I know this has been brought up before but a search didn't reveal much. I have a 2XAAA MM that I really like. I like these much better than the 2XAA MM's and I don't know why LED module manufacturers snub these little guys. I guess modules are hard to make this small.

I put some WriteRight on the lens and man did it clean up the beam! Nice and round and really nice hotspot now.

I'd like to get a little more light out of this little guy. Any of you 2XAAA MM owners out there tried the Nexstar bulbs in yours? At their low price and with free shipping from Brinkman, if they provide any noticeable difference in brightness, it would be worth it. I wonder if one could overdrive a 1XAAA bulb in this like I do with my 4 D cell mag driving a Carley 3 D cell Xenon?

Also, what the heck is keeping battery manufacturers from producing AAA lithiums? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif
 

Azreal911

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the nexstar bulb is a big difference on the 2aaa light. I have a penlight that runs on 2aaa and inserted a nexstar instead of the oem bulb and it is much noticeable brighter. I've been running it on nicads and nimh's cause i'm not sure if alkaline aaa's could handle the higher current drain these bulbs provide. and don't even bother with the 1aaa bulb it'll blow instantly. a 3 cell bulb on 4 d's is only a 33% increase in voltage. but a %50 increase would be waaay overlimit already.
 

Catapult

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I wonder why the Brinkmann Nexstar buld is usually mentioned with the MiniMags and not the Brinkmann Legends? Anyone tried them in the Brinkmanns?
 

PJD

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I have a MM AAA that has a Nexstar bulb in it. The AAA's drive the bulb just fine, albeit with shortened run-time. NICE improvement over the stock bulb. I also have a MM AAA with an earlier version MagmaLED from Technology Associates in it (...the newer version of the MagmaLED will not fit in a AAA MiniMag, and cannot be "trimmed" to fit as well). My MM AAA with the MagmaLED is one of my favorite single LED lights...nice, tight beam/spot with GREAT run-time. With WriteRight on the lens, it also opens up to a wider focus pretty nicely. It fits in a Mag Solitaire "Flashlight Friend" by NiteIze, and makes a great utility/reading light. FYI...

PJD
 

Azreal911

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If you are really adventerous and want super brightness on a very short runtime like 1 hr and under on alkalines. try to bore out the reflector a bit in order to incorporate a streamlight TT 1L bulb. it's like a 2.4v 1amp bulb very high drain not sure if the aaa's will handle that current nicads or nimhs will give you a good 30 mins of intense light. they're not too expensive and you get two in a pack. not bad at all. if there's a dealer in the area, try that for fun.
 

Gene

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Hi Az,
Hey, that sounds interesting! I'm running NiMH's in it now. I live in a very rural area though and have no places around that would sell them. Is there anywhere on the net I could find these? Thanks much.
 

Gene

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Battery Station or Thomas Dist. doesn't sell the Streamlight bulbs. Bright Guy only has the TL-2 not the TL-1. What's the difference and thanks.
 

Gene

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Thanks much Az but I remembered why I never shop at Bright Guy. Their shipping charges are ridiculous! $7.25 to ship a little $5.00 pack of pin bulbs to Calif.! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif No thanks! Anyone know where else these can be had with fair shipping charges? Thanks.
 

Gene

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Well, I can't find the TL1 lamp anywhere except at Bright Guy and I'm not paying $7.25 for a pack of $5.00 lamps. Also, Brinkman doesn't sell 2XAAA Nexstar bulbs! Only 1XAAA, 2XAA and 2XC.
PJD, where did you get your 2XAAA Nexstar bulbs?
Any other ideas on the TL1 lamp anyone?
 

Gene

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Well, it's the end of an era! I went to order the AA Nexstars and even Brinkman no longer offers free shipping! I guess it's the curse of the internet. I don't mind paying for REASONABLE shipping costs. When it involves paying $5.00 or more for something that doesn't even weigh an ounce, and could be put in a $.37 envelope, it's gone beyond ridiculous! Offer the product for a price that's in the middle somewhere and then offer a fair shipping cost.

I'm amazed that people here still refer "Bright Guy" to CPFer's for purchases and no one even questions their exhorborant shipping costs. Well, I do!!!
 

Azreal911

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Oh so brinkman charges shipping now too eh? i guess so cause when i ordered TWO packs of light bulbs they shipped it in a shoebox size box! the rest was filled with foam peanuts!! that's like a good 5 bucks of packaging already hahahah! but i never order from brightguy myself. cause they won't ship through a non-ups method which i get messed up big time at customs cause of this. I ordered once from them a streamlight 3N and the total cost ended up doubling the price! (tax is only 15% not 90%!!!) i won't be ordering from them again.
 

Catapult

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Brinkmann now charges for shipping? Now that's extreme. Because Brinkmann has some sort of no competition policy, if you are to buy direct, their prices are about 2 to 3 TIMES the price tag that you would find elsewhere. Add shipping to that, and you are likely paying up to 4 times the amount. Better avaoid buying from them unless the product cannot be found anywhere else.
 

LightofMine

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[ QUOTE ]
Catapult said:
Brinkmann now charges for shipping? Now that's extreme. Because Brinkmann has some sort of no competition policy, if you are to buy direct, their prices are about 2 to 3 TIMES the price tag that you would find elsewhere. Add shipping to that, and you are likely paying up to 4 times the amount. Better avaoid buying from them unless the product cannot be found anywhere else.

[/ QUOTE ]

I just went to Brinkmann's web page and compared the price of three flashlights with the price that Wal-Mart charges for those same Brinkmann lights. The price was 33% more direct from Brinkmann. Brinkmann has free shipping on orders that are over $50.00. Under $50.00 is standard UPS. You are not going to get free shipping on bulbs unless you order over $50.00 worth.

I ordered 3 bulbs for the Brinkmann LX a few weeks ago. The bulbs were $4.50 each and $5.00 shipping. They came in a padded envelop and the actually shipping on the envelop was a $1.50. I guess they have to charge something for the envelop itself and handing.

As for Brinkmann's charging 2 to 3 times as much for direct orders and 4 times as much if you add shipping, I think you are exaggerating just a little. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

As for BrightGuy charging so much for shipping, maybe he is charging you guys a different rate than he charges me. I have ordered from him 3 times and the highest shipping was $5.25.

James
 

Gene

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Hi James,
When I went to Bright Guy and ordered the 2-pack of 1L Twin Task lamps, during the checkout, they asked for my Zip Code to figure out shipping charges. After I did that the charges came up on my order. Now Glow Bug has a standard shipping charge of $5.00 or $6.00 for ANY amount of lights you order and that's reasonable but even still, $5.00 for a 1/2 oz. pack of miniature lamps is ridiculous.

Another reason I don't like buying from Bright Guy is that they will only ship by UPS. I live very rural and believe it or not, I have no street address because I DON'T LIVE ON A STREET! I live off of an old logging road on a mountainside which is not that unusual in the rural area where I live and we have no mail delivery and only have P.O. Boxes. When a company only ships UPS, I have to have the item delivered to my brother's house which is 20 miles away! I don't like UPS anyway because they have lost and damaged too many packages of mine and their shipping prices are also ridiculous. I prefer the Potal Service as their prices are cheap.

I placed an order with Brinkman about 4 or 5 months ago for just two of their black AA clips. They shipped them for free. This free shipping for orders OVER $50.00 now is a fairly new policy.

All this grumbling of mine ain't gonna get me the 1L pin bulbs anyway! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif I'll just have to live without them or pay the piper which I'm not gonna do! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif
 
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