Mini Mag LED mod

O

Old Salt

Joined
Oct 29, 2002
Messages
17
I recently purchased an LED upgrade for a mini mag light through Smoky Mnt. Knife works. I am not real pleased with it and am wondering if others have tried this and what their experience has been. I purchased a new Mini Mag in Red to use. Soon after installing the LED upgrade I noticed that it dims after has been on for a while. I am using new batteries and have tightened all connections. If I shake or tap the light it will brighten up but then will dim again later. Some times it flickers. Acts like a bad connection. Has anyone else experienced this. I am wondering if this is a design flaw that occurs in all of these upgrades or if I just have a bad one. Anyone else use this and what has been your experience?
Old Salt
 
Mine works okay. I wasn't that impressed with the amount of extra light output. I haven't had any of the dimming problems you speak of though. I noticed the tail cap/switch assembly won't screw completely flush to the body of the flashlight on mine. It goes on far enough to make the o-ring seal but I guess from a functional perspective that's fine. What can we expect for 8-10 bucks? Overall a little disappointed.
 
I have on of the Nite Ize conversion kits. I like the LED, it is about the same output, but with a nice smooth white beam. The clicky switch is a little shoddy, and mine doesnt work to great, but my dad's works fine. I guess QC isnt so great. Over all, I'm pretty happy.
 
I have a TerraLux MinistarII. I had the NiteIz one and it broke. No abuse, one of the wire connectors just broke.
Having used both, I find the Ministar II head and shoulder above the NiteIz product. It cost a bit more, but you get a much better product for your investment.
Bob
 
It benefits from the longer battery life more than anything.

I do admit that the clicky tailcap seems cheap, but it works for me.
 
I was just browsing for water treatment discussions when I came across this thread.

If you're looking for long runtime out of a little mini-mag, skip the NiteIze and track down an Opalec Newbeam module. They're almost as bright but offer rock-steady output for up to 8 hours (more if you're using lithium batteries). A very high quality module compared to the NiteIze (which is basically a cheap imitation). You can read more about it here.

I've had a NewBeam for years and have been very happy with it.

If you want bright light from the mini-mag and don't care about runtime, there are plenty of options out there. :)

Jon
(equal parts Knife Knut and Flashaholic)
 
Strangely enough I had the problems you describe before installing the conversion kit to my minimag, the conversion kit seemed to fix it and it works fine now. I put it down to the sprung connection plate on the mag lite itself rather than the conversion kit, the extra pressure may have stopped it

one thing I have seen with the conversion kits is depending on how the LED module is made, it can stick to the base of the reflector / collimator so when you unscrew the head to turn it on the module stays stuck to the reflector and pulls itself out of the connectors on the body making the connection intermittent
 
About a month ago I upgraded my mini-mag with the LED conversion and couldn't be happier. I went without the tail switch and for under $5 it made the mini-mag useful again. Good run time and steady light. The first thing I did was run a comparision between two lights with and without the LED's. Now I wouldn't go back.
 
For the heck of it, I actually bought one of these kits for a Maglite that I had lying around the house. I like it enough that I'm thinking of getting a couple of new AA Mags (along with LED kits) to upgrade for BOBs for the family - for under $20USD you get a decent LED with the robustness of a Maglite (and also uses commonly available batteries).

Cool: I just noticed that even after the upgrade you can still make use of the "lantern" feature that this light comes with :D
 
I woud love and LED upgrade for my mini mag. It eats batteries like a monster with the Krypton bulbs its currently running, and they tend to burn out at the most inopportune moments: like when I'm trekking about in the dead of night. Then my true skills as a ninja are tested as I struggle to change bulbs in the dark... Are these upgrades available in normal convenience stores or would I have to try a specialty or outdoor sporting goods place?
 
Sporting goods store most likely - try a Bass Pro Shop if you have one near you.

If not, BrightGuy.com has the NiteIze and the even better Opalec modules. The Opalec is more expensive but has better regulation and a low battery indicator (excellent if you use rechargeable batteries). There is a review of the module here.

(I'm not in affiliated with Opalec in any manner, I just really like their product.)

Jon
 
TheMaskedMarauder said:
I woud love and LED upgrade for my mini mag. It eats batteries like a monster with the Krypton bulbs its currently running, and they tend to burn out at the most inopportune moments: like when I'm trekking about in the dead of night. Then my true skills as a ninja are tested as I struggle to change bulbs in the dark... Are these upgrades available in normal convenience stores or would I have to try a specialty or outdoor sporting goods place?
Click to expand...
Walmart has the NiteIze LED conversion for under $5. Look by the flashnights near the sporting goods section. That should be a pretty widespread source :)
 
I can vouch for the Opalec drop-in. It produces more light than the stock Mini Mag, allows for significantly longer battery life and is very, very sturdy.
 
Another vote for the Opalec Newbeam. Add a Kroll tailcap, mineral glass lens and some Lithium batteries, and you have great task light.
 
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