Alright... does anyone know the BEST OPTIONS for MINI-MAG UPGRADE???

F

FliGuyRyan

Joined
Dec 2, 2005
Messages
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Alright guys... I'm hearing a lot of different things about the upgrades for the Mini-Mag. And, I have come to the conclusion that a Mini-Mag upgrade is what I would like the best, just because it's cool when you whip it out, and people are like, "What in the #$&%, THAT IS BRIGHT!"

Now... as most of you that responded to my last post of "What's the best AA?" post, I would like to narrow my search for the best Mini-Mag upgrade. And what I would REALLY, REALLY, REALLY like to do is to actually talk to one of you guys -on the telephone- or someone that knows a lot about the circuitry, and what it takes to MOD them in depth - voltage, circuits, etc...

One question real fast though as well, where can I see the best price for a Fenix L1P and L2P lights as well as the Inova X0? Thanks...

For now, I would like though, just a good debate about which upgrade is the best. Because for most of us, I think the though of a MOD is pretty cool, especially if a dinky little Mag Lite can be made to compete with so many other lights, and look twice as good doing it (sleeper mod).

My going list would probably be so far:

Nite Ize - http://www.zbattery.com/luc-07.html
TerraLUX TLE-5 - http://www.led-replacement.com/tle-5.html
Lamda Lights = SMJLED w/ IMS SO20XA Reflector - home.mchsi.com/~lambda_lights/smjled.htm
Dat2zip Badboy and Madmax - http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/bb_mm.htm

It seems to me that the TerraLUX TLE-5 is a great, no-work mod, that has great battery life.

Would you guys go for the TerraLUX TLE-5 or the Fenix L2P? Just curious... I would still like to know about the mods though...

That's it, and thanks if you actually took the time to go back and answer all my ???s,
Cleary
 
You gotta decide what you want. Do you want people to say, "What in the #$&%, THAT IS BRIGHT!" or do you want great battery life?

You might want more than one flashlight.
 
It might be best to get several more AA Mag-Lites and try all of those modifications, then you can compare them against each other, rather than having others tell you what they think. I've kept my AA Mag-Lite as it came from Mag, because I like the wide beam to spotlight choice, and, in my opinion, it's brighter and further reaching that way than with any LED mod.

GeoThorn
 
I'll probaby end up buying another Mini-Mag to mod with a TerraLUX 5.

Then, a Fenix L1P AND L2P.

And then maybe an Inova, or that German brand listed on my other thread.

Thanks guys...
Cleary

P.S. When in doubt, buy them all...
 
I finally got my Nite ize-mod to work on my mini mag.
Do I like it ? yea , it is much brighter than the standard maglite bulb and with longer battery life you cant go wrong. The tail switch is a bit cheesy but what do you expect for 10 bucks.....


I would only choose those options if I had some mags I wanted to upgrade to LED. In no way would I buy a maglite just to upgrade it. For that money you can buy a brighter LED torch , even a cheapie.
 
I'll probably go with the TerraLUX TLE5 mod, with a brand new Mini-Mag Cammo version, which I have yet to purchase. Although, I do have to say, I like the Nite Ize tail switch/button.

I will eventually get a Fenix L0P, L1P and L2P eventually to expand my assortmant.

But, I really want to start tinkering around with soldering and circuitry with like AA, AAA, and Solitaire MODS...

Thanks guys, any advice on how to go about this new hobby of circuitry and soldering? And good how-to sites? I've already checked out the MODS section of flashlightreviews.com, and they look pretty good...

Thanks again...
Cleary
 
What kind of LED light could I buy that would be in the same price range and performance (or better) as a new Maglite upgraded with the Nitize?


rebeltf said:
I finally got my Nite ize-mod to work on my mini mag.
Do I like it ? yea , it is much brighter than the standard maglite bulb and with longer battery life you cant go wrong. The tail switch is a bit cheesy but what do you expect for 10 bucks.....


I would only choose those options if I had some mags I wanted to upgrade to LED. In no way would I buy a maglite just to upgrade it. For that money you can buy a brighter LED torch , even a cheapie.
Click to expand...
 
Actually, I think you can pretty much "get it all" (battery life, bright light and red LED for night vision by performing 2 mods on the AA Mini-mag. I've done this for one that I keep in my "go bag". (This is not a bug out bag, but rather a bag containing various widgets that I commonly use or take with me involving various activities from flying cross countries with my brother-in-law, to marlin fishing in Hatteras.) Anyway, the Terra lux 5 (or the badboy) can be combined with a "flashlight tuner" from Out-tec which has both white and red low output LEDs in the tailcap. It's available at www.toolshop.de. You already know where to get the hi-output LEDs from. The "tuner" only come in natural aluminum finish, so I used a natural mini-Mag to perform the mods. It takes about 10 minutes. Here's the direct link: www.toolshop.de/e/shop/accessories_03.jsp
 
Marcangel, I looked at that direct link and I must have missed that part about a red led also. And what's the point of another white one in the butt cap? Just to use less energy? I really like the click switch that resides on my current light, and that upgrade that you mentioned in hella expensive. I could practically get a Fenix for like $10 more.

Thanks,
Cleary

P.S. Do you have that upgrade?
 
I have not messed around with a Teralux, but I have several Minimags running Badboy/Madmax sandwiches. A U-bin Madmax Wide Open sammie would probabaly cost you around $60 but I think that it would shock and awe anybody that was around you when you turned it on. Ledean on CPF will sell you a Minimag with the head bored out to run a 20mm IMS reflector. This will make the most of one of the sandwiches and improve throw and sidespill considerably. You end up with about $80-90 tied up in a Minimag that doesn't look any different to the average person, but will put out more light than a 6 D Maglight,and probably be brighter and whiter and a Surefire E2e or 6P. :cool:

http://theledguy.chainreactionweb.com/index.php?cPath=22&osCsid=8423a31c71e76a294421208a5c3d9ef7

If you want something still bright but a little cheaper, look at any of the other sandwiches with 'r' bin one watt or 't' bin three watt luxeons. I have a t bin lux III Badboy 6?? and it is about as bright as a 4 or 5 d Maglight, but with a whiter, smoother beam.

I will email you tomorrow when I know what time will be good for us to discuss this at length. If I get some time later I might try for some beamshots for a comparison.

Danny
 
Thanks Danny... your expertise is proving very valuable, and I'll probably order my TerraLUX tonight to start off with.

Look forward to talking with you...
Cleary
 
What kind of LED light could I buy that would be in the same price range and performance (or better) as a new Maglite upgraded with the Nitize?
Click to expand...

Well I'm going to be a big 'ol hypocrit here but I have bought two Chi-com made LED lights that do the job just fine , off of eBay.
Both were under 10 bucks including shipping. They are so bright that if I looked at the LED I think it would blind me , they arent Surefire's by any realm of the imagination but for low cost lights you wont fret about losing or breaking they fit the bill.
 
FliGuyRyan said:
Marcangel, I looked at that direct link and I must have missed that part about a red led also. And what's the point of another white one in the butt cap? Just to use less energy? I really like the click switch that resides on my current light, and that upgrade that you mentioned in hella expensive. I could practically get a Fenix for like $10 more.

Thanks,
Cleary

P.S. Do you have that upgrade?
Click to expand...

Yes, I did the upgrade about 2 years ago (added the Terra-Lux this year). The price was way less, when I did it. Someting like $20. So I certainly see your point. That's what happens when we intentionally de-value the dollar:grumpy: ! The point is that a red "chart light" is really very necessary in some situations, like in the right seat of a Cessna or on the bridge of a boat. The low intensity white LED is nice to have if you only need a little light or for some reason REALLY need to conserve power. Like, if you get lost in the woods!

The bottom line is that the utility of the gadget (God knows I have too many) is in the eye of the beholder. BTW, I'd ditch the Maglight for a Fenix L1P ANYDAY if all I wanted was a focused beam LED light that womps out about 38 lumens from an AA battery for $46! Unfortunately, that is not my only need. But it is an AWESOME little light.:thumbup:
 
Steven Andrews said:
I'd skip the Mini Mag modding and go straight to a Fenix L2P.
Click to expand...

I'm sure the Fenix is a fine light, but some of us don't want to throw our MiniMags away or into a junk drawer. They're quality lights but need a little tweaking AKA modding.
 
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