Minimag 2AA With LED Or ?

What advantage if any would it be to purchase the led assembly for the minimag, as opposed to purchasing a store brand 2AA that already incorporates an led? I already own an Inova X1 & looking for something that does not have a "spot beam" affect.

Well, I've probably built about 40 Minimags and Quest clones with LED dropins (drilling the reflector to 5mm and usually sputtering the reflector) but I can no longer personally recommend that since the River Rock is ready to go for about the same price as the unmodified Mag and it shorter, slimmer, has better throw and very decent runtime.

Having said that, a lot of folks just seem to love the form factor of the Minimag.

cratz2 wrote: "I can no longer personally recommend that since the River Rock is ready to go for about the same price as the unmodified Mag and it shorter, slimmer, has better throw and very decent runtime."

Is that a 2x AA River Rock?
or the 0.5watt 2x AAA?

I like the Nite-Ize LED Drop-in for MiniMag 2AA - this mod is very simple with no "surgery" - the drop-in mod gives a large hotspot (or "flood") with strange side-spill - but at under $5 from WalMart it's a bargain.

I like the MJLED drop-in for MiniMag 2AA better because of the ability to focus - having said that I hardly ever change the focus! However this does require a bit of "skilled" work to install - ie: drilling out the reflector and cutting the LED legs....

These are both great in the MiniMag 2AA -
but if you can get them try the Quest aluminum flashlights mentioned by cratz2 - from ****'s Sporting Goods at $7.49 for a pack of 3 including batteries (see post #11 in the thread ****'s Sporting Goods 3-Pack of Lights - Cheap) - they have (reverse) clicky tail-switches. My local ****'s has been out of them for a while now due to the demand post-hurricane disaster

Put one of the sandwiches from The Sandwich Shoppe in your AA MiniMag and you can really "WOW" your friends with an extreamly bright MM!!

I have been suggesting the River Rock 2xAAA lights rather than the Minimags myself.

Don't get me wrong... Looking up at my shelf, I have 13 modded Minimags and/or clones... And if ****'s had more of the Quests, I'd buy two more packages as I have some LEDs waiting for nice hosts.

The really nice thing about putting regular 5mm LEDs in the Minimag (or clone) hosts, is you can get HELLA runtime on either the 26k or 35k LEDs or absolutely ridiculous runtime on some of these 6k red LEDs I have... I'd guess in the neighborhood of 80-100 hours and they are brighter than the original Infinity non-Ultras.

I agree with Cratz2. The RR 2AAA isn't perfect but it has more output and much longer run time than a Minimag. Throw isn't as good but the RR still has decent throw. It's smaller than the Minimag yet has a quality feel.

That said, nothing wrong with the $5 Nite-Ize drop in Minimag upgrade. It doesn't give more output but you gain lots of run time.

Personally I'd suggest paying $29 for a Nuwai Q3 or Fenix L1 over any of the above. They're worth the additional money.

I just spent $23.95 for this upgrade kit from LED-Replacements- it was my understanding that it was highly recommended.......

The TerraLux TLE-5 Drop-in is bright and focusable.
http://www.terralux.biz/products/index.htm
hmmm..........I see they come in red and green now too.
I EDC'ed mine at work everyday until my Fenix love affair.

I done the same bought two TerraLUX TLE-5 MiniStar2's for my MM's, with glass lenses and a kroll each they are pritty good, but for me its really more about simple mods than anything else because theres a lot on offer for the same or less money. next on the list is mini-MM and a lithium ion AA, probably a cheaper option would be to get a fenix but I would rather play arround with doing simple mods on M-Mags, just for the fun of it. but having said I EDC a HDS or a L1 not a M-Mag

Mark

Oh... I have no issue with the TLE-5 type mods, I was speaking more of the lesser mods like the Nite Ize and such.

The minimag is like a poor man's Aleph system. There are so many aftermarket suppliers for the minimag that you can have dozens of components to combine in different ways. There's various LEDs, reflectors, optics, battery tubes, tailswitches, lens, holsters, etc.

I personally have two Lux III sandwiches, the Opalec NewBeam, and two MJLEDs along with two types of reflectors, the Fraen optic and 2AA and 1 AA battery tubes. I have different configurations for brightness, flood, throw, long runtime, compactness, etc. And if something breaks, I can swap out the faulty component without throwing the whole light away.

Wow, I checked this thread out just in time. My TLE5 just came today, I've had it less than an hour. I tryed it in my blacked-out bathroom, and the TLE5 was alteast twice as bright as the Nite-Ize, when focused. A very white hotspot on it when focased all the way tight. It also throws farther than the Nite-Ize. But for closeup(2 or 3 feet), or with the TLE5 unfocased to flood, the Nite-Ize is just about the same brightness, and $15+ cheaper.
I have 2 mini-mags with the Nite-Ize, and my every day carry is now equiped with the TLE5. The advantage is it's focusable and brighter, but if you really don't need one, you could probably just go with the NI.
The last advantage for me is the mini-mag construction. You can beat it, drop it, toss it around and not worry about babying it, because it's a Mag.
I also really like the River Rock 2AAA light, it's so slim and light, but I wouldn't want to drop it or smack anything with it. For $10, you should get one on principal!

When I started all this a few weeks back, the first thing I did was get the NI drop in. If you want something more powerful later, you can always start researching and buy another light after.

For me it's a couple of things:
- I love the form factor
- I like to tinker with lights
- I don't want to tinker with $210 light systems
- It's fun to glare at your friends and say: "I think your minimag needs new batteries..." :laughing:

Okay, I know what the Nite-Ize mod looks like and for the $5 it is what it is. But what about the more expensive $23.95 mod from LED-Replacements?

sizzlechest said:

Okay, I know what the Nite-Ize mod looks like and for the $5 it is what it is. But what about the more expensive $23.95 mod from LED-Replacements?

Click to expand...

You're talking about the TLE5, right? You said you just bought one?
That's the same mod I posted about above. I just did the same test in my bedroom now, with a Nite-Ize and the TLE5 pointed at the ceiling, and the TLE5 has a wider spill, and when focused tight, has a really white spot.
I like it, but admit it was an indulgance buy. I could have done without it, but I wanted atleast one of my mini-mags to have (one of)the best upgrades for under $30, in my opinion, so I could EDC it. Still love the NI for battery life and $5 tag.

" - I love the form factor
- It's fun to glare at your friends and say: "I think your minimag needs new batteries..."
greenLED, you got it. Can't wait for camping next year!

>t also throws farther than the Nite-Ize. But for closeup(2 or 3 feet), or with the TLE5 unfocased to flood, the Nite-Ize is just about the same brightness, and $15+ cheaper.

The TLE-5 and the Nite-Ize are not even in the same camp and I wouldn't
expect them to be. The TLE-5 is a Luxeon Star LED. The Nite-Ize is 3X5 mm
LEDs. My Nite-Ize don't come remotely close in output in any configuration
to my TLE-5 high dome. If your TLE-5 don't blow away your Nite-Ize
you must have a faulty one. The Nite-Ize is a nice little 5 dollar drop in
as long as you don't expect much......... which I don't for 5 bucks. :huh2:

Thanks, tmf2, I was about to point out the same obvious difference about the two. Depending on what you want the light for, you can choose bright (TL-5) or lower output.

Hi, Spin.

Ture it is that we probably could get a variety of all sorts of 2AA led lights vs getting a drop in for the Minimags. Yet, I would choose to get one cause of the following reasons:

1) Twisty swtich on-off, this aged old on-off is proven to be one of the most reliable.

2) Easy to change shell and highly personalized. There are so many different colors and shapes of Minimag(minimini and miniminiminimag...) to choose from and if your shell ever goes wrong, it is not too expensive to get a new one for replacement.

3) Moddability. It is probably one of the most acceroized and easy to mod 'lighting system' there is. Ranging from 1 to multiple 5 mm led mods to aftermarket drop-ins to any homemade/mod ones, dozen+ optical wares, switches, lens...just truck load of fun to play with. Also, please feel free to check out those options and comparisons at my humble thread for the Dummy Reference Guide to Minimag Modding

"The TLE-5 and the Nite-Ize are not even in the same camp and I wouldn't
expect them to be. The TLE-5 is a Luxeon Star LED. The Nite-Ize is 3X5 mm
LEDs. My Nite-Ize don't come remotely close in output in any configuration
to my TLE-5 high dome. If your TLE-5 don't blow away your Nite-Ize
you must have a faulty one. "

Maybe it's time to try them outside with package fresh batteries. I'll get a better look at them this weekend. I sure don't think I got a faulty one, but I wasn't shocked and amazed by the difference. Not yet, anyway.