Cool Flashlights and Bulbs

Wow - my wife's really going to kill me now. More knives AND flashlights? :0

Any recomendations for a replacement bulb for a mini mag light? I was reading the above and got a case of information overload.

BTW I operate on two AA alkaline batteries. (And a minimum four cups of Coffee....)

thanks much

-j-
 
Dirtsqueezer,
Regarding your AA Mag that you use alkalines with, you have any idea how long the bulb lasts until it blows?

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ET

 
dirtsqueezer, ET,

For the AA Mini-Maglite I use the xenon bulb from www.thebrinkmanncorp.com The bulb from their NexStar 2AA fits the Mini-Mag and is xenon filled. It lasts a little longer, I estimate 1.5X longer. And is brighter not only when first used but up until it dies. The color is also a cool white instead of the dingy yellowish white. They are about $4.95 for a pack of two. If you decide to buy some be sure to order their xenon versions (NexStar) and not the vacuum versions.

www.jademountain.com has a white LED Bulb specifically for the Mini-Mag. But at $20 could not be worth it. I don't have one so I can't comment on how bright it is.

ET,

What you're describing on the OEM mini-mag bulbs depositing a residue is common in all vacuum bulbs. When they are used the tungsten evaporates from the filament and sticks to the bulb itself. Bulbs filled with an inert gas slow down this process. IIRC the "halogen cycle" in halogen bulbs reverses this process. For a good faq on this goto: http://www.vistalite.com/exp4i.htm

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"A knifeless man is a lifeless man"
-Nordic proverb

[This message has been edited by David Williams (edited 08 November 1999).]
 
On Maglites:

1 AAA - 20 hr bulb life, 0.2 amps, estimated 5 hr battery life.

2 AAA - 8 hr bulb life, 0.1 amps, estimated 10 hr battery life.

2 AA - 5 hr bulb life, 0.3 amps, estimated 6 hr battery life.

I use to carry a 2AA Maglite but switched to a Solitaire on the keychain and a 2AAA in the pouch, with spare batteries for each in the pouch. I also converted a 1 AA light to 2 N cells for use with a Radio Shack jumbo yellow LED, which on paper is good for about 36 hrs continuous use, and in reality is good for leading a group of people on trails in the Redwoods on a moonless night. There is a huge difference lighting ability when tested in a small room with white walls versus a forest that reflects very little.

The 2 D cell Maglite bulbs are rated for something like 8 to 10 hrs, compared to 30 to 45 hrs for a PR6 and 45 hrs for a PR9. I don't recall what the load is but 0.7amps is common for 2 cell halogens, which assuming a 10 amp/hr rating for D cell alkalines results in an estimated 14 hr maximum battery life. Actual life is a fair amount shorter as D cell alkalines aren't really rated for that type of load, something that you can look up in a handy little book on batteries available at Radio Shack.
 
Thanks for the info on the bulbs for the mini-mags.

ET - I don't think I've lost my original bulbs yet in either mini mags - 10 years for one and 6 for the other. Obviously, they don't get much use.

I generally use a Petzl head lamp as my primary lamp, but keep the minimags in the first aid kit and my briefcase.

Wonderful Forum, Every day I get more impressed with (most) of the postings...

Thanks guys.

-j-

[This message has been edited by dirtsqueezer (edited 08 November 1999).]
 
For Ralf. He share the same fascination with LED's I do:

http://www.ledlite.com/

http://www.hartaviation.com/flashlights.htm

http://www.ledlights.com/index.htm

http://www.stpaulmercantile.com/deltalit.htm

http://www.techass.com/el/el1.htm

http://www.hollysolar.com/ledflash.htm

http://www.americaworks.net/lighting/LED-flashlights.html Check out the *Flame* by Eternalight

http://www.msenightvision.com/speclight.html


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"A knifeless man is a lifeless man"
-Nordic proverb



[This message has been edited by David Williams (edited 08 November 1999).]
 
David,
That halogen site was pretty good. It didn't get into too much technical depth but still got the point through. And that Brinkmann bulb sounds like a good idea too. You know if they sell them at retail locations at all? In specific, Canadian retail locations? As for the LED from jademountain, it's a bit pricey at $20 which translates to something like $40 CDN after taxes, shipping, currency conversion and whatever other surcharges exist. I'll look around for the Brinkmann bulb I guess.

JohnO,
Thanx for the stats. Regarding your Solitaire Mag, have you considered a Photon 2? I used to have the Solitaire but was really disappointed by it. After carrying it for a while with my keys, all the paint came off leaving this crappy looking silver/black finish. The lens cover was scratched beyond belief. The contacts between the base and the battery would never connect properly and would always result in a light that didn't work. It would also have the tendency to switch itself on in the pocket. Ever since Photons were mentioned here, I've been totally happy with the switchover.

Dirtsqueezer,
10 years!!! Wow, I guess you don't use the Mags too much.
smile.gif


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ET

 
Walt & David,

I appreciate the details. The info is quite helpful. David, you talked about the streamlight series that has a momentary button in the butt and constant on twist cap. The 4AA might just be what I need. It sounds like the Underwater Kenetics model with a momentary switch added. I assume that it has a xenon bulb? Do you know of a source for the light and replacement bulbs?

The UwK light that I mentioned w/4AA batts. and xenon bulb/lens combo is $10 retail at my local dive shop. I don't know the model number because it isn't in front of me. I'll try to remember to check back here with it. I'm looking for a different source.

The Surefire series lights seem like awesome lights, but I decided against buying one because of the price comparison between those and the plastic models w/xenon. AND because I don't like lithium batteries: a)Don't need long shelf life b) They are very expensive compared to my rechargables c) I want to use it ALL of the time rather than keep it in the drawer for emergencies. Good for many, but not me.

I didn't realize that the double barrel was out for two years. I just first saw it at Wal Mart for $10 I think it costs. Does anyone know if I can replace that 2 prong (T2-2)bulb w/another to make it even brighter?

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"But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip; and he that hath no sword let him sell his garment and buy one." --Jesus Christ (Luke 22:36) See John 3:15- 18




[This message has been edited by EQUALIZER (edited 08 November 1999).]
 
EQUALIZER,

Flashlight manufacturer's homepages:

www.uwkinetics.com

www.streamlight.com

www.ptsportlights.com

www.surefire.com


If you still want the Double Barrel try the bulb that comes with it first. If it is not bright enough for you then look for T2 bulbs with higher amp ratings. Check www.carleylamps.com as they have several types besides the Star Lamp series.

A more versatile choice would be the Princeton Tec Tec-40. It uses 4AA batteries but more importantly it uses the PR-Base or Flange-Base bulbs. There are many AA battery types to choose from also: Alkaline, Lithium, Nicad and NiMH. Don't bother with the rechargeable alkalines. The Tec-40 comes with a spot reflector and you can get a wide beam reflector. I bright combination would be the 4 Cell Krypton Star Rechargeable with NiMH batteries. Some AA NiMH batteries have a 1300-1500mAh capacity Like GP, MAHA, Quest and Nexcell. That approaches some C cell rechargeables capacity.

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"A knifeless man is a lifeless man"
-Nordic proverb
 
dano; I fear you have strayed from the path of righteousness and truth.

You are using my old favs, the 4.5Ah hi cap NiCds from Radio Shack, with a halogen light designed for 2 alkaline cells, if I understand your post right.

This is a sure recipe for premature lamp failure. Frankly, I am surprised that the lamp didn't blow out when you hooked it up. You are not only running the lamp at above design voltage (3x1.2= 3.6V), but remember that the NiCd's maintain their voltage until nearly discharged, thus keeping the lamp at a higher average voltage longer than the alks, which decrease their voltage linearly with time.

If you want to try the correct lamp, I've got lots of KSR3 1.7A Carley lamps. Just send me your snail mail addy, and I will send you one. I will even toss in a 3 cell Xenon lamp. Light that sucker up with three alk cells, and you will cry bitter tears over all those hi-cap NiCds you bought at Radio Shack (I have 15 or 20 of the suckers; had to take salt tablets, I was crying so much after discovering Xenons).
wink.gif


Walt
 
Dr. Welch,

Have you ever mixed up your flashlights and accidentally burned out someone's retina during an exam?
smile.gif
"Open your mouth and stick out your tongue. Say Aaaaaaa. Now lets check your eyes.....Pupils seem to react fine. OOOppps! Didn't mean to burn a 5" hole clean through your head. Must have picked up my Darth Vader Xenon Light Saber by accident." Ha ha ha!

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"But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip; and he that hath no sword let him sell his garment and buy one." --Jesus Christ (Luke 22:36) See John 3:15- 18


 
LOL! Good one Equalizer. hehehe
smile.gif


But seriously Doc, how'd you get so into lights?

hehehe. Darth Vader Xenon Light Saber.
smile.gif




------------------
ET

 
On photon vs solitaire ..... paint ? Mine is black anodized and has worked fine for a number of years now, even though the anodizing is wearing thin in spots. The Photon lights that get mentioned seem kind of expensive, $15 to $20 seems to be a common asking price, the smaller LEDs don't seem to be as bright as the Radio Shack 5cd jumbos that I've been using for I guess about 10 years now, and they seem to have the goofy hot spots. I might try out a yellow Photon as they seem to be a bit less expensive and the battery life is ok, and people do seem happy with them. How much are those button lithium cells ? I prefer more of a flood than a spot light as it's easier on the eyes, especially when trying to preserve dark adaptation, and most commercial LED lights seem to produce a spot. My red light for astronomy uses three diffused red jumbo LEDs, with a pot, and a singlet from a junk camera lens that helps to produce a very evenly illuminated flood with perhaps a 90 degree coverage. For a simple flood on other lights that I've made I just lightly sand the LEDs and then repolish for the effect that I want.
 
How did I get so into lights? Well, I have always been interested in optics; one of my major role models was my optometrist. I find the entire concept of sight, and how it works, fascinating. BTW, there was an entire issue of Scientific American about 6 months ago that was devoted entirely to sight and imaging. You know the old problem about the resolution of any imaging system being limited by the wavelength of the illumination being used? They have managed to bypass this by several clever ways. Big changes. You know ultrasound, the thing they use to image fetuses? Gives pretty poor resolution, sometimes they still mistake the gender of the fetus. Well, now with computer augmentation, they are able to take ultrasound images of human chromosomes!! Incredible!!!

As a matter of fact, I used to use the typical throw away incandescent lamp pen light for pupillary exams. One night I couldn't find mine, so pulled out my AA Mag-Light and used it. It was very much brighter, the patient told me later, when he could see again!

Walt
 
Walt,

I see you finally made Senior Member status. Man the new 1,000,000 post requirement is a killer isn't it
wink.gif


It's a good thing you didn't have a Sure Fire 9P with a P91 instead of the Mini-Mag
biggrin.gif


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"A knifeless man is a lifeless man"
-Nordic proverb
 
What a great thread! I love it here!

Re: the UK 4AA (sometimes called the Mini-Q): Has anyone compared the older model (the one that is more rectangular and has a clear head) with the newer models as far as brightness? I prefer the older ones but not for any real logical reason. I'm a creature of habit I suppose...

Thanks, guys for all the great links.

Where can someone get a P91 bulb for a SureFire?

Thanks again,

Clay

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Clay Fleischer
clay_fleischer@yahoo.com
AKTI Member A000847
Indianapolis, IN (but still a true-blooded Tennesseean!)

"Be the change you want to see in the world."
Mahatma Gandhi
 
Clay,

I don't know about the Q40. I've seen them at websites that sell diving supplies. The differences I see is the pressure valve is not there on the old version and the lense of the current version has a black rubber cover on it. I don't know if the lamps are the same or not. They are interchangeable but there is a possibility they had different Volt/Amp ratings.

Check www.brightguy.com www.ndsproducts.com www.botach.com www.lagger-pro.com www.10-8.com www.uws.com http://versales.com www.designeq.com www.spy-tech.com www.streetpro.com http://shooterspawn.com for the P61 (Sure-Fire 6P) and P91 (Sure-Fire 9P).

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"A knifeless man is a lifeless man"
-Nordic proverb

[This message has been edited by David Williams (edited 11 November 1999).]
 
Clay; try Tim Flanagan, whose e-mail is:
noreastknives@bigfoot.com. He has all sorts of goodies for Sure-Fire lights. Walt
 
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