Opalec or MadMax/ BadBoy

I am looking for a LED conversion for my AA Maglite.

Anyone tested Opalec and Datazip's sandwiches side-by-side?

Seems like Opalec is better made with longer running time, but MadMax/ BadBoy is brighter.

Any thoughts or expert opinion?

Exactly. They are really different animals. Apples vs. Oranges. Honestly, I'd get both and be very happy. The Opalec has amazing consistency and run-time. Its a pretty good emergency light, reading, getting around in the dark. The MadMax / Badboys have it all over in brightness. Depending on what model you get, you are talking 2 - 3 cell incan brightness. Dat2Zip's creations are pretty professional looking pieces.

As a "noob," on a budget, if I could only spend about $50-60, I'd get the Opalec and the MadMax (~$25+$30) and be pretty satisfied with ~80% of my lighting needs.

YMMV, and of course it all changes with how much money you can spend, incans vs leds, etc.

I mean, people who post on this board don't settle for two lights!! My EDC is an ARC LS1r2 and a Photon II. On my nightstand is a Mr. Bulk LGI and a SureFire Z2 with a P61 HOLA. My wife's EDC is a Photon II, and on her nightstand is a BadBoy 400 mod. There are PT Surges and CMG Infinity Ultras in each car for emergency lighting. A Streamlight ProPoly 3C LED for a house long run-time emergency light. Throw in an Opalec mod and Arc AAA LE on order for good measure and now you see what this board does to your wallet!

Remember, Opalec cut off voltage is higher than MM or BB's. I tried to use one battery inside the opalec (+ a dummy battery), it did not lit up. But when i try it on the MM, it lit very bright, even a lot brighter than when using 2 aa in the opalec. (ups, i think this is out of topic)

I don't have both, only a BadBoy 400 (in a 2AA MagLite). But I have the PT Attitude (very similar in brightness to the Opalec).

The BB400 is a great light! Smooth, bright really kind of faultless (although, get the Kroll tailcap switch if you really want to be satisfied). However, my BB400 mostly sits in a drawer. The Attitude has become my favorite light! Partly because it is more compact and feels better in the hand than the MagLite body.

However, for my uses, the most telling part of the experience is that the light output from the Attitude (quite similar to Opalec) is "just enough". Bright enough for almost all things I ever use a flashlight for but dim enough not to overwhelm its use as a task light (reading, etc.). In some ways, the BB400 is simply TOO bright (caution...strange comment on this forum ), and, at the same time, not bright enough to throw light in any really big way (like a Surge for example) to be worth foregoing the use for task lighting.

Like I say, I really like the BB400, its just that the light light output falls into sort of an in-between zone for me; too-bright and too-dim.

If I didn't have a bright light option (like my UK 4AA AS2 or the Surge) I'd probably use the BB400 more. There just aren't that many times I need the extra light...but the amount of light the Attitude makes...I'm using all the time.

BTW...I bought the Attitude as a less expensive alternative to the Opalec (Attitude is $16 at TTS). After I got it, I was so pleased with it I've never looked back!

ikendu, if I'm not wrong, you are using optics? If so, try the Mcflood reflector for a pleasant surprise, if I'm wrong, well... I'll just say my BB500 with a mcflood does pretty well for close up stuff.... not to bright, not too dark..

Remember, you have a finite amount of energy inside the batteries

Brightness X Operating time -> Weight

If you want long life, you will have to give up brightness, and vice-versa

I had 2 or 3 MM's laying around for years and never used them because of their lousy light output and their tendency to pop bulbs when dropped. I thought long and hard how to upgrade them and decided to do what Gun Nut suggested and got both. It really is apples/oranges here and they are both good lights. The NewBeam is a great conversion and works well but don't expect a flamethrower. It's fine in darker areas and is a great camping light. It's biggest advantage is the way it squeeze's the last bit of juice out of your AA's and seems to run forever. I also had a hard time deciding between the MadMax or BB400/BB500. I finally went for the BB400 because I just wanted an easy drop-in and it's longer runtime than the BB500. I also compared the BB400 to the BB500 and the small amount of extra light output to me wasn't worth the shorter runtime. It's a great light and like so many here agree, it's best with the McFlood. Nice and bright and a great area light to boot. As someone noted, get the Kroll clickie switch. Makes a great little light even better! One last thing. No one's service is better than Dat2zip's!

Oh yeah! Now that Mike posted, even though it wasn't on your list, you might want to check out the Inretech mod. For $20 you get an unregulated Luxeon Star that pops right into your Mini-Mag like you're replacing the bulb. It falls in between the brightness levels of the Opalec and the Dat2Zip sandwiches and you get a decent compromise of run-time too. It will get dimmer as the batteries deplete. But throughout the whole battery life, you'll always get more brightness than with the original incan bulb, and about 50% more runtime.

I too have an attitude, and also a Madmax 400 module in a M!n!m*g.

Only reason my Attitude doesn't get used as much as my Madmax, is the mini rides on my belt very nearly un-noticed (until I need it). The Madmax is also sometimes nearly too bright... but I get over it!

A nice belt holster that puts the attitude as easy to get to might change everything...

the 2AA mini-mag holster fits the attitude perfectly.