dim LED on Vic Midnite Minichamp

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ferramentum2013

Joined
Jan 22, 2011
Messages
8
Hi all,
I just opened a new Victorinox Midnite Minichamp- one of the models with the red LED. I wasn't expecting the LED light to be super bright, but it is incredibly dim- so dim, I'm not sure I could use it to find a keyhole in complete darkness. Does anyone else have experience with the red LEDs on the midnite minichamps? Could I perhaps have gotten a unit with a battery that is nearly dead, or perhaps I should return it for one of the newer minichamps with the white LED....although I was a bit drawn to the idea of having a source of usable red light on my EDC keychain.


Thanks!
 
I had a Midnight Manager with red LED light, which I assume has the same LED as the Minichamp. It is rather dim, but in total darkness (like cinema aisle) it's not completely useless. If the parking lot is really dark it's certainly bright enough to find a keyhole.
 
Could be the battery is old and they are cheap so replace it and see. The red leds on mine are of average brightness but do not compare to the new white leds.
 
I think the red LED on the knife is severely limited in use. I like the idea of the white led. I did not know they came out, so thanks! :D
 
Red light is going to be dimmer than white from an equivalent light source. Just the way our eyes see things.
 
I'm betting the white light will be marginally brighter, but hey. Every little bit counts... or does it?

There are many times and circumstances when you don't want to mess up your night vision. Red light actually has a function in that it doesn't blitz out that adaptation, which could take a while to regain. The light supplied on the mini Vics isn't supposed to light your woodland path but is more like something to read an opera program :) without disturbing your neighbors, or finding a lost tootsie roll that went under the car seat in the dark (isn't it vexing when that happens?).

Vic, like many European manufacturers, seems to design based on what they think is the right way. The American market, though, often has other ideas, in this case thinking a light's a light, gimme the white because it's brighter. That, I think, is why they are now delivering Midnight Minichamp/Manager lights in white, probably thinking to themselves "Well, if these bozos want to ruin their night vision, we won't argue."

Sometimes less is more, and more is too much.
 
Somebody stole my Midnight Manager with the red LED, so I'm speaking from memory. I think the white LED uses newer technology, and the battery is slightly larger. It's not simply a color change, they actually made it markedly brighter. The old battery door has two arms around the battery that slides out, while the new one pivots out on a hinge. The hinged door eliminates the need for the arms, allowing for a larger diameter battery. The door is also taller to fit a thicker battery.

Good and bad is relative. While the old red LED has limited use, the new white LED is bright enough for most urban tasks. Let me put it this way: I rarely ever need to use my Fenix L0D anymore, even though it's still part of my EDC.
 
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