# Mini Mag LED Conversion



## ElektroLumens (Apr 17, 2002)

For a nice LED light to carry around, and hang on my belt, I sometimes use a Mini Mag Lite, with a single Nichia LED in it. It works, and is inexpensive. Anybody else done this mod?

Here's a link to my web site on this mod:

Mini Mag LED Flashlight


Out of curiosity I put this one up on eBay. just to see what would happen.

Mini Mag LED Flashlight on eBay

Wayne www.elektrolumens.com


----------



## Luff (Apr 17, 2002)

Yep. Someone else here - don't remember who - suggested using two "N" and one AAA battery. Works great and you get a wee bit more run time.

Depending on the AAA, I sometimes have to lightly tap the positive terminal to shorten it by a hair for a better (not too tight) fit.

I much prefer using the blue-green Nichia in this mod for the extra brightness, but carry a white in the tail cap for when color accuracy is important.


----------



## JollyRoger (Apr 17, 2002)

Nice mod, Wayne! I think I'll do this one tonight with my minimag.


----------



## lambda (Apr 17, 2002)

Yep, that's my use at night to not wake everyone light. Makes for a very nice mod.


----------



## ElektroLumens (Apr 17, 2002)

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by lambda:
*Yep, that's my use at night to not wake everyone light. Makes for a very nice mod.*<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

That's pretty much what I made this one for. I need something that isn't too bright during the middle of the night. When I click on the 8 'AA' Luxeon Star, or one of my other Luxeon Star flahslights in the middle of the night, I always hear a complaint 'groan' from my wife.

With all these bright flashlights we have, and the Luxeon Star, sometimes we forget that the single Nichia is plenty bright for this kind of use.

Wayne


----------



## ElektroLumens (Apr 17, 2002)

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by JollyRoger:
*Nice mod, Wayne! I think I'll do this one tonight with my minimag.



*<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Hey JollyR,

I used to use a spacer made of wood, but in this one, I installed a long skinny spring to take up the slack. I neglected to get a photo of that part. I am thinking of using 1 ohm resistance, although I usually just drive it direct.

Wayne


----------



## ElektroLumens (Apr 17, 2002)

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by BeamRider:
*Yep. Someone else here - don't remember who - suggested using two "N" and one AAA battery. Works great and you get a wee bit more run time.

Depending on the AAA, I sometimes have to lightly tap the positive terminal to shorten it by a hair for a better (not too tight) fit.

I much prefer using the blue-green Nichia in this mod for the extra brightness, but carry a white in the tail cap for when color accuracy is important.*<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Three 'N' cells work nicely. Last a super long time.

Is the AAA compatable with the 'N' cell, to combine like this?

Wayne


----------



## hotfoot (Apr 17, 2002)

Nyuk nyuk nyuk.... this really is a nice quick little mod. Just tried it out myself, took only five minutes and I'm grinning ear-to-ear already. It ain't no Arc-LS, but it'll sure outlast it runtime-wise! Thanks, Elektrolumens!


----------



## aso (Apr 17, 2002)

I used the Sears Craftsman version of the minimag to do this mod. No drilling involved,3 N cells and the spring borrowed from the FlashLED


----------



## Luff (Apr 17, 2002)

N and AAA compatible? Good question! All I really know is I've been using that combination for more than a year in two different MiniMags and have had no problems at all. Cost savings isn't much, but no need to put in a special spring/spacer & the batteries don't rattle.

I can't imagine a reason they woudldn't be compatible ... they're both alkalines and not drastically different in capacity, but maybe someone here can educate us?


----------



## Xenon (Apr 18, 2002)

Interesting. Is the light still focusable with the LED in it or shall I remove the reflector?


----------



## ElektroLumens (Apr 18, 2002)

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by hotfoot:
*Nyuk nyuk nyuk.... this really is a nice quick little mod. Just tried it out myself, took only five minutes and I'm grinning ear-to-ear already. It ain't no Arc-LS, but it'll sure outlast it runtime-wise! Thanks, Elektrolumens!









*<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

This was probably the very first flashlight conversion I tried. I don't remember where I first heard of it. Somebody else did it and I read about it, and decided to try it myself.

I also have a Brinkmann 3 AA flashlight I'm sure it would work fine in too, but I've got a Luxeon mod slated for that one, if I ever get to it.

Wayne www.elektrolumens.com


----------



## hotfoot (Apr 18, 2002)

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Xenon:
*Interesting. Is the light still focusable with the LED in it or shall I remove the reflector?*<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

In the mod that I tried, yup! Not that much effect, but it certainly does "focus". I had to enlarge the reflector's bulbhole to accomodate a 5mm, but nothing other than that



Its like having a very big and focusable Arc-AAA!


----------



## Bushman (Apr 18, 2002)

If any body is interested i have a "kit" for modding a solitare like the one on quickbeams site... i sell for 12.00 postage paid includes 5600mcd white led, 12v batt., spacer spring, and new reflector esp for the led.takes about 15min to do and is completely reversable back to the regular incadesant state (if ever wanted to but cant imagine why)


----------



## Klaus (Apr 18, 2002)

Another similar mod is using 2 Lithium AAs.

No resistor for the 3N`s ? Whats the current ?

Klaus


----------



## ElektroLumens (Apr 18, 2002)

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Quickbeam:
*http://www.whitelightled.com/


5600 is the mcd output. They are 5mm in diameter (standard LED). This is a reputable dealer. He's the one everyone used to go to for small quantities of white LEDs on CPF. He took a hiatus for a while, but is back now.*<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

He's got the best price on these white LEd's I've seen anywhere. Next time I need some, I'm getting them from him!

Wayne www.elektrolumens.com


----------



## Klaus (Apr 18, 2002)

Wayne,

I´m talking about the "standard" L91 Energizer Lithiums with 1.5V - but having 1.7V - 1.8V no-load voltage - just perfect to run one Nichia - this also has been posted befor and I liked it better than 3Ns - you can also use it in pretty much every 2AA light whereas the 3N mod is only usable where the 2AAs are inline. Don´t want to bash the 3N thing though - the L91-mod is also quite good runtime-wise. Didn´t run one down till the very end but others posted about approx 100h + runtime (obviously dimming towards the end) which would go well with the L91 spec of 122h at 20ma load.

I have even better results after selecting Nichias with a lower voltage for this mod - the ones with higher voltage should do better using 3N´s though.

BTW: The N´s have 800ma the L-AA´s 2800ma

Klaus


----------



## ElektroLumens (Apr 18, 2002)

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Klaus:
*Wayne,

I´m talking about the "standard" L91 Energizer Lithiums with 1.5V - but having 1.7V - 1.8V no-load voltage - just perfect to run one Nichia - this also has been posted befor and I liked it better than 3Ns - you can also use it in pretty much every 2AA light whereas the 3N mod is only usable where the 2AAs are inline. Don´t want to bash the 3N thing though - the L91-mod is also quite good runtime-wise. Didn´t run one down till the very end but others posted about approx 100h + runtime (obviously dimming towards the end) which would go well with the L91 spec of 122h at 20ma load.

I have even better results after selecting Nichias with a lower voltage for this mod - the ones with higher voltage should do better using 3N´s though.

BTW: The N´s have 800ma the L-AA´s 2800ma

Klaus*<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


Of course you can always go to different colors, which have lower voltage requirements. I have a few colors, like a 6000mcd ultra blue, with voltage requirements of 2.5 - 3.0 volts. Also an aqua LED, 7000mcd, which is rated at 3.2v. I also have a 10,000mcd green rated at 3.2 volts.

I think these would work too, if you like colors, especially the blue, which seems to be popular these days. I got all these at Hosfelt.

Perhaps I'll do a mod of a Mini Mag with one of these colors. 

Wayne


----------



## Klaus (Apr 18, 2002)

Wayne,

sorry I wasn´t exact - I talked about Nichia whites but selected after the voltage they draw at lets say 10ma or 20ma - I saw differences like between 3.07V to 3.4V at low currents like 10ma - the ones with the lower voltage work nicer / brighter with the 2 Lithiums but might get too much overdriven with the 3N´s - for the 3N´s maybe the higher end of the spectrum is better.

Klaus


----------



## lambda (Apr 18, 2002)

If you want to focus the beam spot, file the LED flat and polish clear. About like a Dorcy when at tightest focus.


----------



## JoeyL (Apr 18, 2002)

Wait a minute guys,
The web page for the conversion uses a AA mini-mag, but some of you are talking about an AAA. Which one is it?
Will it work with the AAA? I think the N cells are wider than AAA'a and might not fit.

Thanks,


----------



## Luff (Apr 18, 2002)

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>but some of you are talking about an AAA. Which one is it? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

JoeyL - I suppose your confusion is my fault for not being more clear when I brought up the AAA option in the first place. Sorry.

I think most people put 3 N batteries in the AA MiniMag when doing this mod and then add an electrically conductive spacer or longer spring to hold the batteries in place and maintain a good electrical contact.

I like to use two N cell batteries and one AAA battery in my AA MiniMag mod. No spring or spacer is needed, it costs slightly less and gives me a little more battery capacity than 3 N cells.

Both options kick out 4.5 volts and overdrive a standard Nichia 5mm white LED some (which I like).

Klaus's suggestion to use AA lithiums will give you much more battery capacity and it doesn't overdrive the LED much at all.

N cell batteries do not fit into a AAA MiniMag light.

It's a nice, lower-light-level, easy mod, no matter which power option you choose .


----------



## JoeyL (Apr 18, 2002)

Thanks for the clarification!
I tried it that way and it works well!
This is a neat trick. And you can put it back the other way without a problem.
My son is going camping and I won't feel too bad if he takes it and trashes it or loses it (compared to losing an eternalight or Arc)
Too bad they don't fit an AAA maglite. That would be even better (it's even smaller.

How long will it run with the 2Ns and AAA?

Thanks


----------



## ElektroLumens (Apr 19, 2002)

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Xenon:
*Interesting. Is the light still focusable with the LED in it or shall I remove the reflector?*<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Only slightly focussable. You cannot remove the reflector, as it is the part that presses down on the bulb holder and gives the on/off effect. Unless you get the after market tail cap with a switch in it.

You have to drill or file out the hole in the reflector to allow the larger diameter LED (5mm) to fit through.

Wayne


----------



## ElektroLumens (Apr 19, 2002)

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Klaus:
*Another similar mod is using 2 Lithium AAs.

No resistor for the 3N`s ? Whats the current ?

Klaus*<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I think the current is about 40mA - 50mA. Obviously overdriven. I think there might be some internal resistance in the batteries to help here.

Now 2 Lithium AA's sounds like a good idea, but would be more costly. The 3 'N' cells were about 2.59 at Radio Shack. I'm sure they can be purchased cheaper. How much can a person buy two Lithium AA's? Would that be 6 volts, (2 X 3v), or 3 volts (2 X 1.5v)? There would definately be the need of resistance at 6 volts.

Wayne www.elektrolumens.com


----------



## Mr. Blue (Apr 19, 2002)

don't laugh...where do I get a Nichia 5600 led? I think even I can do this mod. Is the 5600 the same as a 5mm, or can I just plug in the 5600? What are the advantages/ disadvantages of the 5mm and where can I get one of those?


----------



## Quickbeam (Apr 19, 2002)

http://www.whitelightled.com/


5600 is the mcd output. They are 5mm in diameter (standard LED). This is a reputable dealer. He's the one everyone used to go to for small quantities of white LEDs on CPF. He took a hiatus for a while, but is back now.


----------



## Luff (Apr 19, 2002)

I don't remember ever seeing a run-time test on this mod posted here. It lasts a long, long time. With intermittent use, I'd guess somewhere around a hundred hours.

My son's MiniMag mod lasted just over a year on a set of batteries. He used it each month on Scout campouts and many, many nights at home reading. We just changed the batteries because the light was about half as bright as when new.

Once upon a time I read about a AAA MiniMag mod here ... I think someone used 2 or three of those small 12-volt A23 batteries and a resistor? A search through CPF would probably turn it up.


----------



## Mr. Blue (Apr 19, 2002)

is any thing other than swapping in the led required for this mod?


----------



## Luff (Apr 19, 2002)

ElektroLumens AA MiniMag Mod page


----------



## Klaus (Apr 20, 2002)

For the AAA MiniMag you can use 3 2/3 AAA NiNhs (I´m using one MiniMag with those too) and a resistor or also overdrive a bit ...

For the AAA MiniMag I eagerly wait for those AAA Lithium talked about lately to be available soon hopfully - same mod then.

Runtime-wise I personbally would doubt the 3Ns to last 100 hours as they only have 800ma - but using the Lithiums at more than three times the capacity it could well be.

Klaus


----------



## BugLightGeek (Jun 17, 2002)

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by lambda:
*If you want to focus the beam spot, file the LED flat and polish clear. About like a Dorcy when at tightest focus.*<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Just read this post and was wondering what I would file the LED flat WITH and what I'd polish it WITH?

I'm thinking about buying my first Nichia LED bulb for my very first mod


----------



## Ted T (Jun 17, 2002)

I used a two sided sharpening stone. Cut away the dome with the coarse side, then smooth it out with the smooth side. I didn't get a high polish, still worked well. Makes the LED focusable to some extent, worth doing.


----------



## WayneM (Jun 17, 2002)

Hey man. I think we get the general idea!


----------



## InTheDark (Jun 17, 2002)

Actually, I think you could probably sand off the top of the dome with some sandpaper, then finish it off with toothpaste. I think someone mentioned this before, or maybe I read it somewhere else. Anyway, use toothPASTE, not gel. And I heard the whitening ones are better for polishing. Haven't tried this on an LED, but used it for other things. You could probably chuck the LED in a drill or something to speed up the process


----------



## vcal (Jun 17, 2002)




----------



## Slick (Jun 18, 2002)

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Geoff in Philly:
*is any thing other than swapping in the led required for this mod?*<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

You will need to grind the stop tabs off of the LED then trim to length. I use a Dremel tool with an oxide wheel normally intended for high speed metal cutting. I have also purchased LED's that didn't really have stop tabs, but most do.

You will also need to drill out the bulb hole in the reflector. Be sure to make it a little bigger than the LED or it could hang up causing the leads to twist from turning it on and off - ask me how I know this..

This is a really fun little mod for a "first-timer". I use the 2-N + 1-AAA on my white and green. I did a red that likes the 2 AA's best.


----------

