Which Minimag AA Direct Drive Drop-in will give brightest, longest burning light?

Brighter and as long running, or nearly as long running as the Inretech or Reactor. I don't have unrealistic brightness expectations for a long runtime, and the wonderful creations offered by our highly gifted modders all have relatively short run times, don't they? I would be happy to pay extra for a 30%-50% brighter Inretech
"premium" model, but they have stated the impracticality of picking and choosing individual Luxeons.

Assuming that Mike and Pat can't be persuaded to reconsider, are there any modders who offer such an option.

Of course, the ideal solution would be to let all 2500 flashaholics loose in a gigantic pile of Lumileds, like tourists in apple picking farms:
"All you can pick in 5 hours for only $25.00"

But is there any way to get what I'm looking for? (I can't believe I'm the only Flashaholic who's interested in a moderately bright unregulated(but brighter than Inretech or Reactor) MAGAA dropin

Why Mag and not Brinkman?

1) Shorter and lighter
2) Much tougher than most people ever imagined (See my MAGAA (w Inretech) vs cast iron radiator extreme torture post)
3) Convenient one hand operation held in natural non-tactical walking/hiking mode with instant locator advantage over traditional body switch.(But for cold weatherwhen wearing gloves a protruding tailswitch or body switch can be more convenient)

Thanks for any response,

Brightnorm

Re: Which Minimag AA Direct Drive Drop-in will give brightest, longest burning light?

Brightnorm:

Buy a hand-picked low forward voltage lambda Safety Illuminator for $35 the next time they are made. (I'll quote my running comments from another thread.)

"Lambda's Q2H low forward voltage LS purchase appears to be the ideal combination for acceptable brightness for a long run on lithium AA's.

The probability of getting relatively high 2-cell direct drive brightness with this light is why I bought it over (a) the alternative from CMG (not to mention that I prefer the Brinkmann aesthetics)and (b) the InReTech drop-in. I've not yet seen any indication that the alternatives preselect low forward voltage LS's.
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Posts: 1026 | From: San Diego | Registered: Mar 2002 | IP: Logged |
lemlux
Flashaholic
Member # 1485

posted 10-25-2002 11:16 AM
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Hurray!

I received my Lambda Safety (direct drive) Illuminator today with selected low forward voltage luxeon. I'm pleasantly surprised at its reasonable brightness on 2 alkalines. I don't know whether Lambda put in a QH2 or a High Dome (The hot spot is pleasantly diffuse.)

The color is quite white.

I can't wait to compare how it looks with lithiums compared to my 416 mA Bad Boy Yellow in a Legend 2AA, My ARC 500 mA LSS, and either half of my Siamese twin LGI's.

I can tell you that, on alkalines, it's considerably brighter with a tighter beam than my X5. It is also considerably dimmer (but whiter)on alkalines than my dimmest LS, my BadBoy Yellow.

I can also recall that my apparently high forward voltage LGI's, which work very well with NiMH's, were relatively dim when tested with 2 lithiums and a dummy.

I more convinced than every that I wouldn't buy a 2AA direct drive LS unless the vendor selects low forward voltage Luxeons. That probably won't happen with a vendor that isn't able to use its sorted higher forward voltage Luxeons in a regulated package. Perhaps CMG's and InReTech's product lines will some day evolve to that stage.

P.S. Lambda even included a belt holster with the $35 Legend 2AA Lambda Safety Illuminator.
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Posts: 1026 | From: San Diego | Registered: Mar 2002 | IP: Logged |

lemlux
Flashaholic
Member # 1485

posted 10-25-2002 01:29 PM
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I'm still excited. Lambda just advised me that my Safety Illuminator is a QH2 and that it meters out at 220,000 mcd on 2 alkalines and > 400,000 mcd on lithiums. I definitely have a keeper!!
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Posts: 1026 | From: San Diego | Registered: Mar 2002 | IP: Logged |

lemlux
Flashaholic
Member # 1485

posted 10-25-2002 02:28 PM
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It just keeps getting better!

HooBoyHooboyHooBoya!

After I pestered Lambda he kindly advised:

(1.) that my Safety Illuminator is the brightest 2AA direct drive he has made to date, and
(2.) nobody else saw fit to order a Safety Illuminator out of his last QH2 and High Dome production run.
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Posts: 1026 | From: San Diego | Registered: Mar 2002 | IP: Logged

Re: Which Minimag AA Direct Drive Drop-in will give brightest, longest burning light?

I think I read on here somewhere that there is an exstention or an adapter for the mag AA for a third battery. Other than that a 3AA Brinkman mod directdrive is your only option I think.

Maybe lithiums and goodluck w/Inretech dropin is the only way.

Eric

Re: Which Minimag AA Direct Drive Drop-in will give brightest, longest burning light?

I wish I could decide what to do with my couple of MagAA's because IMHO, the Legend AA completely obsoletes them. After using the Legend's tailswitch, turning the head and refocusing every time you turn the flashlight on is a major inconvenience. I think the only reason I'd pick a MagAA is if I frequently use the tail end of it as a hammer...

Mark

Re: Which Minimag AA Direct Drive Drop-in will give brightest, longest burning light?

Minjin:

If you buy a Ram clickie tailcap for the Minimag ($5.95 at San Diego's local cop shop) you will have a shorter light than the Legend. The RAM button is recessed in the tailcap rather than being the entire tailcap.

Re: Which Minimag AA Direct Drive Drop-in will give brightest, longest burning light?

Originally posted by lemlux:
Brightnorm:

Buy a hand-picked low forward voltage lambda Safety Illuminator for $35 the next time they are made. (I'll quote my running comments from another thread.)...

Click to expand...

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

Many thanks for your typically concise, thoughtful and knowledgeable advice.

Brightnorm

Re: Which Minimag AA Direct Drive Drop-in will give brightest, longest burning light?

Brightnorm:

I'm rarely accused of being concise. Thanks.

I didn't state the probable trade-off that the Safety Illuminator probably (but not certainly) won't run as long on a set of Lithium AA's as the InRetech or the Reactor.

Oh -- Re your comments on "Why Mag and not Brinkmann?"

Lambda doesn't do Mags any more if I recall correctly.

Re: Which Minimag AA Direct Drive Drop-in will give brightest, longest burning light?

Originally posted by lemlux:
Brightnorm:

I'm rarely accused of being concise. Thanks.

I didn't state the probable trade-off that the Safety Illuminator probably (but not certainly) won't run as long on a set of Lithium AA's as the InRetech or the Reactor.

Oh -- Re your comments on "Why Mag and not Brinkmann?"

Lambda doesn't do Mags any more if I recall correctly.

Click to expand...

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Your first sentence was as concise as can be. What followed was helpful elaboration of that concise point.

I would expect a somewhat lowered run time. Unless Lambda has gotten his hands on more efficient Luxeons. Now that would be something!

Do you know, offhand, how much longer the Brinkmann is than the Mag?

Thanks again,
Brightnorm

Re: Which Minimag AA Direct Drive Drop-in will give brightest, longest burning light?

Brightnorm:

My sole remaining MiniMag is 5 7/8" long including Ram clickie button. (My children were unsophisticated enough to be delighted with my others loaded with NexStar bulbs.)

This MiniMag is patiently waiting with a NexStar for Dat2Zip to finish playing with his current batch of BadBoy 500 Greens.

Interesting question on more efficient Luxeons. Is a low forward voltage Luxeon more efficient than a higher forward voltage luxeon? Maybe yes if current is all that counts for brightness. 3.2 V at 350 mA is lower wattage than 3.9 V at 350 mA.

My Brinkmann Legends are 6 5/16" long.

I guess that's a 7/17" difference.

In useage, you will have a hard time feeling the difference.

Re: Which Minimag AA Direct Drive Drop-in will give brightest, longest burning light?

Originally posted by lemlux:
....My Brinkmann Legends are 6 5/16" long.

I guess that's a 7/17" difference.

In useage, you will have a hard time feeling the difference.

Click to expand...

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">OK, Thanks,
BN

Re: Which Minimag AA Direct Drive Drop-in will give brightest, longest burning light?

Seven-SEVENTEENTHS difference?

Sorry, not much else to pick on in such concise posts...

Re: Which Minimag AA Direct Drive Drop-in will give brightest, longest burning light?

New Math...... :>) TX

Re: Which Minimag AA Direct Drive Drop-in will give brightest, longest burning light?

You caught me, Charlie.

Tx: It wasn't math. I said it was a guess. (pretty close, huh?)

Re: Which Minimag AA Direct Drive Drop-in will give brightest, longest burning light?

Originally posted by lemlux:
You caught me, Charlie.

Tx: It wasn't math. I said it was a guess. (pretty close, huh?)

Click to expand...

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">And I didn't catch it !#%&@!

BN

Re: Which Minimag AA Direct Drive Drop-in will give brightest, longest burning light?

The variables we saw as relevant for developing a flashlight were the following:
A. Size of available market
B. Profitability of the light solution
C. Brightness of the light
D. Durability of the solution
E. Coolness of the solution
F. Cost of development

OK, I just made that list up. Really, I looked at the pieced together MiniMAG adapter Mike had made and said that it would sell a lot more than the D-cell adapters would because there were more MiniMAGs than D-Cell flashlights. After a while we arrived at the decision that for us the benefits of regulation were not worth persuing for a mass-market solution.

We'd love to spend more time developing intricate products, but complexity is a barrier to both production and troubleshooting.

On another thread somebody posted that we were at the Wright Flyer stage of development. I think that is a reasonably useful analogy, and within that context, InReTech is building airships. (Only without hydrogen gas...we do not expect our products to mysteriously explode. Oh, the luminosity!) Within that context, we have a very limited number of Graf Zepplin style flashlights available. The first Helios TRILIGHT is available. It is not small, buy GOLLY is it bright.

Re: Which Minimag AA Direct Drive Drop-in will give brightest, longest burning light?

This may be a fine solution for brightness vs burntime. It is dat2zips new MADMAX with, get this, an adjustable trim pot. They are now available at :

http://home.attbi.com/~theledguy/cpf_store/cpf_store.htm

Re: Which Minimag AA Direct Drive Drop-in will give brightest, longest burning light?

"Which Minimag AA Direct Drive Drop-in will give brightest, longest burning light?"

Brightnorm,

Isn't that the "HOLY GRAIL" of any light? It's kind of like asking for "good gas mileage, with lots of horsepower and torque", or "cute, and intellegent".

I've think we've come to certain trade off's in light. Brighter light with any given battery source will yield a shorter run time, than a dimmer light on the same power souce, all other things being equal.

I am ok with shorter run times and brighter lights, as long as the run time is acceptable. I can always throw more batteries in my pocket. BUT, everyone's situation is different. A lot of people here like the Infinity (not the Infinity Ultra) specifically because it gives a dimmer light for more hours.

I am anxious to try some of dat2zip's "pills", as I think (and I do not know yet), that he might have a "constant bright" light with a longer run time, so you might have that nice balance of brighter light, with longer run time. Maybe look at the 400 version of his "pill".

OK, break's over, have to go back re-building my empire that was crushed last wed night/thu morning when my Novell FileServer went to FileServer Heaven!