Options for upgrading 2AA Maglite?

Hello,

I've heard mention of using the 2AA maglite with an LED lamp assembly, and I would like to get some more information on upgrading- where to find parts, estimated performance increase, etc. Any helpful URL's would be appreciated too. Thanks in advance!

JK

The Opalec Newbeam is a drop in 3 LED module that works well and gives you about a 10 hour runtime.

Craig's review:
http://ledmuseum.home.att.net/newbeam.htm

Pics:
http://www.navitsky.org/lights/newbeam/

There are several others (as well as DIY projects), but I don't have direct experience, so I'll let someone else comment.

-john

Jedi Knife,

I will be offering full drop in Luxeon modules in about a week or so.

I have two different modules (they look the same) that will run off a 2AA setup.

The first one Madmax will run down to less than 0.8V and many people like this to fully drain a set of batteries sqeezing out maximum light.

The other module is called Badboy and regulates constant current to the Luxeon. Its main dominant feature is constant current regulation. Every time you turn on this one, you will get the same brightness time and time again.

Here is a picture of what the finished product will look like.
Drop in Sandwich module.

You can find more information (somewhat outdated) on my web site at:
dat2zip's web site.

WayneY

The InReTech AA adapter works in MiniMAG lights and has a single Luxeon Star LED that is brighter than the original incandescant bulb. The expected life of the adapter is more than five years of continuous use.
www.inretech.com
http://ledmuseum.home.att.net/in2aa.htm
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=3;t=003147
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=3;t=003183

We consider this light to be a very good utility/emergency/inspection light. We do not think it is the best light for the extreme needs of a tactical light. This is a really great light for the car, backpack, or emergency kit of people you care about. The primary performance increase will be in the confidence you have when reaching for the light. The InReTech adapter provides good light for a long time at a very nice price.
http://www.inretech.com/pictures/lightmeter.jpg

shipinretech,

Can you provide more detail about the type of regulation you provide on your luxeon based minimag mod.

I see on Craigs review his eval unit measured in at 196CD. Is this a direct drive off the batteries and underdriving the LED?

InReTech uses the latest solder based regulating process. After extensive testing, we discovered that the best thing to do was get out of the way and let the Luxeon LED do it's job of turning power into light. The product is designed to be simple and rugged and not waste a single milliwatt on regulation. Since the adapter will produce significant light while sipping milliwatts, losing any to a regulator didn't make sense. This design decision was made after we looked at a light that had been running for three weeks on a single set of standard alkaline batteries.

The reason I stopped carring a MiniMAG on my belt when I was in the Navy on a destroyer is that you bang into so much stuff just walking around that eventually the light got turned on. You always carry a light on your belt behind you so you can sit down or lean over without jabbing yourself. What would happen is that you would be wandering around the ship with the back of your shirt illuminated and when you reached for the light, the batteries would be dead or the bulb would have burned out. The InReTech adapter eliminates both those problems.

I have to say that looking at dat2zip's adapter, it looks like a very elegant design. I'm sure a lot of people on CPF will appreciate the effort he put into building this design. We really looked hard at trying something like this. I do not think we could have done any better and I am planning on getting one to learn how he did it.

I wish him all the best. For people who are interested in a regulated solution for the MiniMAG, it looks like dat2zip has a winner.

Originally posted by shipinretech:
The reason I stopped carring a MiniMAG on my belt when I was in the Navy on a destroyer is that you bang into so much stuff just walking around that eventually the light got turned on. You always carry a light on your belt behind you so you can sit down or lean over without jabbing yourself. What would happen is that you would be wandering around the ship with the back of your shirt illuminated and when you reached for the light, the batteries would be dead or the bulb would have burned out. The InReTech adapter eliminates both those problems.

Click to expand...

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">I know your adapter is a direct drive luxeon that replace the stock bulb in the Minimag. I didn't realize that it incorporates special switch mechanism/technology that prevent Minimag from accidental switching on. Although I've never experienced accidental on on my minimag, I'd be grateful if you could elaborate a bit on this.

Alan

Wayne,

Would you start taking order now? Is the badboy BB500?

Alan

I have the Madmax and Badboy. I like them both. The Badboy is my favorite. It has consistent brightness. The Madmax will let you get everything out of a battery so it runs longer. Lots of choices...I like that.

Alan,

Our light just doesn't run out of power as like incandescant lights do. The likelihood that you will go three weeks without noticing your light is on is substantially smaller than the likelihood that you will inadvertently drain the last three hours of battery life from an incandescent flashlight. I've been through more than thirty incidents where my ship lost power. That special moment of discovery when you find yourself in an airlock, completely without power with a flashlight that cannot produce light is something that has stuck with me for years now. I accept that not everybody has the same compulsion for lasting light that I do, but I can assure you from personal experience that some light is much better than no light at all.

Patrick, I see what you meant now. Thanks for your info.

Alan

Patrick,
Are you talking about the doors I saw when I visited the DDG-63 that are marked "MANKILLER"?
There were enough warning signs on that door to keep you busy for 5 minutes just reading them! I would not want to be on one of those ships when the lights went out...no windows anywhere. My son said that he might as well been in a sub.

Shipinretech, do you have to specially select your LED's for low Vf's or do you just take them as they come? Also do you have plans for high dome minimag conversions? Despite my love for my badboy, I will buy a couple of your lights before Christmas as well. Different lights for different purposes.

Every so often, part of my job was to go into an airlock to our sonar dome, a pressurized chamber. Every year, we would have to go into the airlock, adjust pressure to match the dome, then open the door to the dome and remove and replace the seal to the inner door. There were stories of people who fogot to take a replacement seal in with them and had to take off their clothes to use as a replacement seal because otherwise they could never equalize pressure sufficiently to open the door. I ALWAYS brought plenty of extra seal materials and rags and silicone grease with me, just in case. There were always unpowered backups for the really critical stuff. One of those things I would really like to do eventually is replace most of the lighting on destroyers with LEDs. Flourescents wear out, break under stress, have too many parts, and are a pain to dispose of. The emergency lights are incandescent battery hogs that burn out and break too often.

Staring at tons of Mil-Spec requirements is not a happy thing, but it will be worth it.

I just got back from a camping trip. I took several of my flashlights along - intending to see which one I liked the most. The Opalec won. I love this light for cramping because if the batts get real low you still have some light for a long time. It also has a very constant light output for the first 15 hours (according to the mfg).

I think the MadMax will be similar since it drains batts. I have the BadBoy and it is excellant for looking thru the smoke glass of my oven whilst baking bread = it has a very bright and even light. I will order the MadMax as soon as they are orderable.

Oh, I wanted to add that the Opalec directions say that you will need a new MiniMag. That is NOT true. I used one of my old ones and it went together fine.
--Ðøug

I love this light for cramping

Click to expand...

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">I recently obtained an Opalec but I have not had any cramps lately so I can't verify how well the light works during great abdominal stress. However, for most other purposes the regulation in this thing is great!

Cool! Thanks everyone- the Inretech conversion sounds good.

JK

Originally posted by Doug Meister:
I just got back from a camping trip. I took several of my flashlights along - intending to see which one I liked the most. The Opalec won. I love this light for cramping because if the batts get real low you still have some light for a long time. It also has a very constant light output for the first 15 hours (according to the mfg).

Click to expand...

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Doug,

I have both the Opalec Newbeam and the Inretech 2AA drop in, and, for camping, I would have to go with the Inretech.

Now, the Opalec Newbeam is one of my favorite lights, I like it's design, and I use it every night, when making 2 AM trips to the kitchen or whereever. I also have a Inretech with about 12 hours of constant use, and the Inrech is slightly brighter than the Opalec. With new batteries, the Inretech is much brighter than the Opalec.

Now the Inretech is not my brightest LS light, I have a Mr. Bulk 3AA, a Elektroluems 3AA, a Lambda Illuminator, and a ARC LS Second, that are all brighter.

That's your choice, but If I had to have one in the woods, with no spare batteries or anything, I would take the Inretech over the Opalec.

Now, for looking around inside a 2 man tent, maybe the Opalec is nice, but not for wilderness use.

Just my opinion, and remember I really do like the Opalec newbeam.

Honestly, I wouldn't take the Inretech with me either, except for a backup. I'd want something really bright, and extra batteries.

The Inretech really is a great replacement for the standard incandecent bulb that comes with the mini-mag. purer light, longer lasting light, no rings or shadows and stays white even when the battery is dim . they defined their market.

You want really really bright? Go with a Mr. Bulk, or Lambda, or Elektroluems or dat2zip.

Mr. Bulk's lights last for a long time, because there is one more battery in there! dat2zip and lambda put regluation to keep constant output on their lights.

It's clear that the Inretech 2AA MAG Drop-in is a superior unit which many Flashaholics have enthusiastically endorsed. That's one reason why I was a bit disappointed with mine when I found it to be less bright than I had expected.

I just tested it again with fresh Energizer lithiums, and compared it to the CMG Reactor and the ARC SLS 2AA. I also included the Inova X5 just out of curiosity, realizing that one shouldn't really compare a 6v light to a 3v light. The comparisons were non-instrumented but the results were unambiguous. I list the battery voltages below.

INRETECH 1.77 + 1.77
CMG Reactor 1.50 + 1.63
ARC SLS 1.14 + .94
INOVA X5 2.81 + 2.83

The Reactor, ARC and even the Inova were all clearly brighter than the Inretrech,, though the Inova was a closer match. When I removed the Arc's batteries and fed them to the Inretech, they produced a barely visible faint glow.

It's certainly possible that my other lights were brighter than average and my Inretech duller than average, and we all know the wide variation among "identical" LEDs. I'm curious to know if any other Flashaholics had similar observations.

Brightnorm