Replacement bulbs for Mag Solitare

Are there 1AAA bulbs out there that are better than the stock ones in the Solitare? The bulbs don't last very long. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon23.gif

The Solitaire is piece of poop. Go to the local Walmart and get a Dorcy AAA that is MUCH better, has a bulb that doesn't burn out, is brighter, and lasts 5-6 hours till 50% brightness and gives out usable brightness for much longer.

This is what it looks like (same length as a Solitaire)

I used to carry Mag Solitaires on my keychain for years, and also own a Dorcy 1-AAA LED. While the Dorcy is superior in that its "bulb" can't burn out and it puts out more light for a longer time, I don't feel that it is built nearly as well as a Solitaire, and I don't think it would last nearly as long if tossed in a pocket with keys everyday. I'd recommend a CMG Sonic or ARC AAA for everyday keychain carry as being superior (build quality) to the Solitaire and the Dorcy.

That being said, I'm not aware of any 1.5V bi-pin bulbs that are superior to the ones Mag sells. If you want to keep using the Solitaire, I'd suggest finding the cheapest supplier and buy a dozen bulbs at a time, and make sure you keep fresh batteries in it. I found the Solitaire to be best with a fresh bulb, fresh battery, and freshly cleaned contacts/connections (but even then, it still can't compare to my ARC AAA).

-Keith

I was trying to give him a suggestion that doesn't require shopping on the internet. The Dorcy is a fine light anyway. I personally don't think its any less "built" than a Mag.

id take the dorcy over the mag anyday, both in terms of use and durability. my sole solitare is a piece of crap that ive already sent back once. i keep it around to show off how craptastic mags are - i have a spare arc AAA head that i used to replace the tail cap. turn the battery and spring around to suit the head you want to use.

I've had pretty poor luck with the Mag Solitaire. The battery contacts got more and more flaky and no amount of cleaning and reshaping would really fix them. I happily gave up on it when I discovered the Photon II, which is a much better light in addition to being far smaller Though the Photon is not waterproof, needs slightly exotic batteries, also not the most reliable device in the world etc, it generally beats the Solitaire. Later, when I became a flashaholic, I got an Arc AAA, which is superior to the Solitaire in every way.

The Solitare has too many contacts that must be regularly cleaned. The tail cap alone has four places the current must get through, then there's the switch, top battery contact and the bi-pins. When all are clean, the battery fresh, and the lamp fairly new, the Solitare is, merely, ok. I gave mine away when I got an Arc AAA. When everything is perfect, the ol' Sol will outthrow the Arc by a little, but not for very long.

If I can figure out how to get the guts out so I can use mine as a spare battery pack for my ARC AAA I will give you my bulb.
Topper
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Interesting, I've never had problems with ANY of my Solitaires. They are not bright and lose battery power quickly, but other than that they've been reliable. I've even dropped my carry Solitaire on cement several times and it still works fine. Never had problems with the contacts.

For the price ($4-6), they do an okay job IMO. While I am switching over to arc as a EDC pocket light, I have no desire to get rid of the Solitaires....they've been reliable and I keep one hung in every room in case of a power outage.


When I carry, I usually have an AA Mini-mag (I just got them converted to LED with the Opalec unit) in the belt holster, plus either an Arc AA or Solitaire in my pocket.

I've never seen Solitaires for $4-6, though I've seen them at $7-8. If you want small throwaway lights for power outages, try the Countycomm coin cell lights at $1 each, or even the Dorcy 1AA incandescents at around 50 cents (but change the battery to an alkaline before deployment). A bigger light like a 99 cent 2D household light makes more sense for use at home though.

If you want a 1AAA EDC light and the Dorcy is too big and the Arc too expensive, try the CMG Sonic ($11.95 at TTS). It's not as nice as the Arc, but it certainly beats the Mag.

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paulr said:
I've never seen Solitaires for $4-6, though I've seen them at $7-8.

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IIRC, that is the Target sale price. Target often sells the AA Mini-Mags as low as $8 during sales around here....

i bought 2 AAA solitaires. i will never again. they suck ***. my photon puts out more light and is just as durable.

I know what you all are thinking, but nobody has answered my question. Are there 1aaa T1 bulbs out that are better? Nexstar Xenon? Garrity? I need either a Krypton or Xenon bulb that will last longer.
BTW, the Dorcy 1aaa is a great light. I have a silver one. It even runs on flat batteries.

None that I know of and I have looked for some myself. It's difficult to get much incandescent light out of one AAA. That's why the boost/regulation circuitry for AAA powered LEDs is a success.

sorry. as far as i know, i don't think anyone else makes bulbs for the solitaire.

Making a bulb for a solitaire would be like making a pacemaker for a hamster with cardiac problems...

I have no definitive answer, but here is a thread about using a NexStar bulb and a beam shot comparing an upgraded solitaire to several LEDs. Some T-1 bulbs listed at Don's Bulbs.

Maybe get a AAA lithium battery when it comes out!

At Academy's, I saw a replacement bulb for the 1AAA brinkmann Micromax (whatever it was called). Could this be any good?

Good links, gwbaltzell.