# Old Maglite solitaire or imitation?



## dgc (Jul 20, 2006)

This is my first post on the forum: a big "hello" to everyone!

I've found this flashlight hidden into a drawer some days ago. Can you give me a hint about what manufacturer/model is it? Is it an old Maglite Solitaire or it's just a Maglite imitation?

It's a single AAA flashlight and I didn't find any inscription on it. It is 85mm long.




It suffered a battery leakage that left some powder in the tailcap.




Thanks to anyone that can help!


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## Reptilezs (Jul 20, 2006)

chinese junk


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## carbine15 (Jul 20, 2006)

i THINK it looks pretty cool.


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## greenLED (Jul 20, 2006)

Welcome to CPF, dgc!

That's definitely not a Solitaire (the Soli doesn't have a large head like that) . It's more of a copy of a 1xAA miniMaglite (which is not produced by Mag, but is made available by modders here) using AAA batts (or a combination of a minimag head and an AAA body).

A couple of weeks ago there was someone posting about these - they found them in India, Pakistan? Somewhere on that general side of the world. They even came in Maglite looking packaging.

If it works OK, mod it! :devil:


The China bashing is getting old, BTW...


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## ABTOMAT (Jul 20, 2006)

Brinkmann used to make almost direct copies of Mini-Mags. Got themsevles sued as a result. They changed the design after that. I know that Brinkmann made "post-lawsuit" models in a 1AAA configuration, but I don't know if the original clones were available in this size. It's possible.


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## Illum (Jul 20, 2006)

three things to check...
1: the bezel should read: Mag instrument - California, USA WITH the mag logo
2: check for a spare bulb in the tailcap
3: if its a mag solitaire, [as obvious as this may sound somepeople (like me) literally buy AAs to feed a solitaire] it uses AAA alkaline batteries..

I think what you have is either a poor rendition of a 2AA minimag or you have a "sawed off shotgun" essentially a "1AA minimag"


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## Ty_Bower (Jul 20, 2006)

Mag makes a genuine Mini Maglite 2xAAA light with a head like that. 
http://maglite.com/product.asp?psc=2AAACELL&pt=R

I wonder if some modder could have cut one of those down to a single AAA size? It should run fine with a Solitaire bulb, but might have slightly better throw due to the larger reflector.

edit:
Here's a stupid idea. Does the 2xAAA head fit on the Solitaire body? Can anyone try this?


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## carbine15 (Jul 20, 2006)

Just tried it. Not a chance. the Soli is slimmer than the 2xAAA minimag.


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## dgc (Jul 21, 2006)

Thanks to anyone helped me pointing out that this is not an original item.

It has no indication on the bezel and it does not have for a spare bulb in the tailcap (but there is room to place one).

Check these pic just to compare it to the size of a regular Solitaire:



On the bottom it's the original Solitaire (it was a corporate gift so maybe it has a different finiture but it is definitely an original Maglite)

I tried to put that reflector on the original Maglite Solitaire but is does not work. Not only because the Solitaire is a little smaller but they also have different thread (I'm not sure this is the right term, sorry).


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## Illum (Jul 21, 2006)

maybe it is an old solitaire!

there is a probability that Mag instruments didnt start using unified screw threads before they used a specified thread.


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## sean m (Jul 22, 2006)

Brinkmann used to make a single AAA light with a enlarged head, and it turned on by tightening the head to the body. They retailed around $5 in the local Kmart about 15 years ago. That's what it looks like to me.


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## Illum (Jul 22, 2006)

completely forgotten about brinkmann


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## Simple Man (Jul 27, 2006)

Here is the AAA Brinkman i've had forever.....I'm guessing it is the post lawsuit model.


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## carrot (Jul 27, 2006)

AFAIK, the Solitaire has always been the slim, sleek, single-diameter design we know today.


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## simonsays (Jul 27, 2006)

carrot said:


> AFAIK, the Solitaire has always been the slim, sleek, single-diameter design we know today.


 
You missed out 'dim'







simon


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## Illum (Jul 27, 2006)

simonsays said:


> You missed out 'dim'
> 
> 
> 
> ...



lol....

dunno about that, my parents use the soltaire to check pupil response in their office....anything brighter than the solitaire can be devestating...point blank...click, OW MY EYES!


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## ABTOMAT (Jul 27, 2006)

Simple Man said:


> Here is the AAA Brinkman i've had forever.....I'm guessing it is the post lawsuit model.




That's pre-lawsuit. Circumfrential lettering was one of the issues. The later ones have straight-sized bezels with no markings.


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## cHeApOmOdDeR (Jun 8, 2007)

Yeah man that cant be a solitaire cause the soli has a head and body about the same size


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## carbine15 (Jun 8, 2007)

cHeApOmOdDeR said:


> Yeah man that cant be a solitaire cause the soli has a head and body about the same size



You gotta be careful with these old posts... They are valuable antiques and not for you to poop on. Seriously, why'd you dig up this old thing?


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## cHeApOmOdDeR (Jun 8, 2007)

sorry


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## LukeA (Jun 9, 2007)

Give him a break. You were new here once.


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## carbine15 (Jun 9, 2007)

His horse was pooping on it.


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