Help me salvage my Mini Mag AA

Gentlemen, This site has ruined me and it is all your fault. There I was, minding my own business. I was perfectly happy with 20 year old technology from Mag Lite. Now, to make a long sad story short, I am the proud owner of 4 new flashlights (ARC LS, G2, Pak Lite, CMG Infinity Ultra) and I "need" more. I have a list.
My problem and question for the board is what to do with my 2 Mini Mag AAs. Throw them away, give them away OR mod them in some way. I am thinking about a Kroll tail switch, lithium batteries, glass lens and a better reflector. I like the throw but the rings in the beam are terrible. I dont want to convert them to LED. Does anybody make a better reflector. Thanks for any answers and thanks for this board. I am no longer flashlight illiterate or lost in the 80s.

There's volumes of information out there. I'd recommend starting with reading this thread.

Be careful, as you're starting down a slippery slope. But the ride is fun! Just watch your checkbook (or at least hide the receipts from your wife! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

Good luck,

Dave

I know you posted that you didn't want to conver to LED, but when you have some AA bateries that are "dead" in some flashlights, a MiniMag with an Opalec? drop in mod (the one with 3 LEDs) will use those "dead" batteries till they truely cannot be used any more.

ugray,
Go to dat2zip's site and buy the polished aluminum reflector called the McFlood, it gives a nice flood beam. I use mine with a LED so I have no idea what it will do with the bulb..couldn't make it worse.
I would take the two Mags, throw lithiums and Inretech luxeon drop-ins in them and throw them in the glovebox of the car for an emergency.

You said you don't want to go LED.

BAH!

Once you go LED, you'll NEVER go back! (At least as it pertains to the MiniM*g!!!)

I have both Opalec and Madmax sandwiches. I would not under the threat of DEATH change either one back to stock!

I don't have anything from Inretec, but have heard GOOD stuff about it!

Go to dat2zip's site and get a Madmax or Badboy sandwich. You won't believe how feeble a stock minimag is in comparison. Don't bother with trying the McFlood reflector with a bulb. Just tried it and it won't focus.

The only thing you can do with a bulb is to get a Radio Shack Krypton and use lithium batteries. The result still has a bad beam, but has the brightness and throw of a Surefire E1. The Brinkmann Xenon bulb is also good, though I don't know is it will burn out on lithiums. The RS bulb doesn't. I've also wondered if a Streamlight 1L Xenon bulb would work, but never bothered to try because my Badboy works so well.

Ugrey, if you don't want to go LED because you're thinking of typical 5mm keychain LED lights, be aware a Luxeon is nothing like that. The 1 watt Luxeon conversions beats the stock Minimag away in brightness and beam quality. A 5 watt conversion blows the Minimag away, but you can't really run one in a Minimag body.

If you have a bronze, a gold or a lime green, and really want to be rid of them,I'd be happy to buy them from you. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Many thanks for the answers. I am still learning. "Knowledge is good." I already have an ARC LS and an Infinity Ultra for EDC carry so I am familiar with LEDs. I just wanted to cheaply improve my Mini Mags. I was mainly looking for a better, textured reflector. Many thanks for all the suggestions.
Sorry Jeritall, I have a red one and a blue one.

ugrey...Buy some Brinkmann Nexstar 2AA bulbs, load the MM with lithium AA's (the Nexstar bulbs will handle the lithium AA's quite well), and put some WriteRight on the lens. The result will blow away the stock MM bulb, and the WriteRight will give you a nice, smooth beam. Make sure you get the WriteRight that's designed for monochrome (B&W) PDA's. That's the stuff that's textured. The WriteRight for color PDA's is not textured, and will not improve your beam quality.

PJD

Welcome to CPF and most important of all, watch your wallet. I started 3 months ago with 3 lights and now have 27, which I dont think are enough and plan to get 10 or 12 more.
All things aside though, go for any of the led drop in mods for the maglites, you are bound to love them.