AA Minimag Maglite Review (with several optional upgrades)
Available from www.coldspark.co.uk price £10.29 Including Alkaline Batteries
The AA Minimag Maglite is a small hand torch produced by Mag Instruments, California. They are incredibly popular the world over as low cost portable flashlights and have been copied by countless other manufacturers. They are also very popular with cavers and mine-explorers, not generally as a main light but usually as a backup. Often cavers will attach them to the sides of their helmets with cable-ties, ready to switch on in case of the failure of their main headlamp.
Mag Instruments produce many different sizes of their Maglite from the tiny Maglite Solitaire through to the huge 6D. This review is specifically for the AA model.
The Build
The AA Minimag Maglite is constructed out of aluminium and the machining is very good quality. It comes in a range of finishes, pictured above is the gloss-black version. It is waterproof, though not suitable for diving. The lens is rotated which serves to not only switch the light on, but also to focus the beam to the desired angle. The body of the AA Minimag Maglite is just large enough to take in two AA batteries via a screw cap in the base, which also contains a spare bulb.
The Electronics
Inside the AA Minimag Maglite's plastic reflector is a tiny bi-pin Krypton filament bulb. This bulb does not state an output power though it would seem to be about 1.5 watts. This is driven by the two AA batteries in an unregulated manner which means that as the battery charge drops, so does the light output, gradually dimming until the glow extinguishes entirely.
The light pattern is a little blotchy but the focusing is very good. It is possible to tighten the beam into a long-distance spot or widen it to provide a localised glow. The AA Minimag Maglite also features a 'Candle Mode', by removing the reflector entirely to expose the bulb. The reflector then becomes a base, and with the tiny bulb now shining in all directions the Minimag does somewhat resemble a candle. This mode of operation is of no use to the underground explorer and would only serve to fill the unit with grit.
The Light Output
The AA Minimag Maglite's tiny bulb has an impressive output for its size but it is only really bright enough for navigating around a mine with fresh Alkaline (or even Lithium) batteries. Once the batteries become middle aged the output dims to a level suitable for finding one's way around a tent at night (probably more the application it was designed for) but little beyond that. Either keep fresh batteries in it ready for use or consider one of the upgrades below to enhance the output. The light output with the factory standard bulb serves the purpose but it won't be cooking any chickens.
Conclusion
The AA Minimag Maglite's application in mine-exploration and caving as said before is one of backup and for that purpose it will do well. For just over a tenner from www.coldspark.co.uk including a set of Duracells and a gift box, one can't complain at the price for what is a very well made little piece of kit. Even the lightest trip won't suffer from taking such a small torch especially if it's mounted to the side of a helmet. If you want something with more kick look elsewhere, or consider beefing it up with one of the many aftermarket upgrades available.
Tektite LT-1 LED Upgrade for AA Minimag Maglites
Available from www.coldspark.co.uk for £19.99
The LT-1 is an LED upgrade produced by Tektite specifically for the AA Minimag Maglite to beef up it's light output and bring it into the new world of high power LED lighting. Put very simply it is a straight replacement for the Maglites standard Krypton bulb and uses the same reflector.
Most obvious from the unit is the big black disc which is actually a heat sink to prevent the high power LED from overheating. This heat sink uses the available space in the head of the Maglite so no modification at all is required to make room for it. The LED itself disappointingly looks just like a normal cheap 3mm unit of no special note, but on closer inspection it is obvious this is not the case. Just under the lens is special forward-firing driver which throws out a lot more light than a regular 3mm LED does. The pins appear to be gold plated for better conductivity.
When inserted the Maglite throws out a clear, white light which is far more evenly spread that what the old Krypton bulb can produce. It is definitely brighter and claims to use less than half the power to do so. Like the factory-standard bulb, It has no regulator which means that as the battery drains, so does the light output. Inserting a set of rechargeable batteries will reduce the output somewhat due to the lower voltage the Tektite LT-1 receives: 2.4v instead of 3v when used with Alkaline or Lithium batteries.
TerraLUX Ministar2 LED Upgrade for AA Minimag Maglites
Available from www.coldspark.co.uk for £22.95
Much like the offering from Tektite, the Ministar2 from TerraLUX is an LED upgrade for the AA Minimag Maglite. Apart from being a little more expensive, it differs from the former product in several respects. Firstly, the package is much thicker. In fact, it is too thick to fit in the case of the Maglite so the unit ships with a replacement smaller reflector.
Secondly, the LED unit itself is based on one of the infamous Luxeon LED emitters, which are rapidly becoming the benchmark in high power LED lighting systems. This particular Luxeon is the 1 watt version. Luxeons do also come in 3 watt and 5 watt varieties but it is unlikely that manufacturers will ever find a way to reliably run them from an AA Minimag Maglite due to their high heat output. Fear not though, for the 1 watt Luxeon is no slouch.
The third and perhaps most important feature is the miniature regulation circuit built into the base (hence its larger dimensions). The regulation circuit adapts the voltage coming from the batteries into the voltage required by the Luxeon emitter, thereby maintaining full light output over the whole life of the batteries. This means that even half dead batteries will provide a powerful beam as if the batteries were fresh. This also means that you can use rechargeable batteries with no (or hardly any) loss of light output - unlike the standard bulb or Tektite LT-1 which throw out a lot less beam if you don't use Alkaline or Lithium batteries. The pins are Gold Plated much like the Tektite LT-1.
When inserted into the Maglite and switched on, the torch emits a powerful surge of clear white light clearly much brighter than the factory standard bulb. And so it should really - this upgrade costs over twice what the whole torch costs complete with two bulbs and Alkaline batteries.
A Comparison of the LED Upgrades
The proof is always in the pudding so I took the AA Minimag Maglite into a local mine and set up my camera on a tripod looking down a random length of tunnel. I also clipped the Maglite to the tripod so that it would not change position between shots. I set my camera to ISO400, F2.6, 8 Seconds Exposure with Manual (daylight) White Balance. These parameters were used for all three shots to give a fair comparison of the light they produced. I deliberately used middle-aged alkaline batteries rather than fresh to try and give a more average-use result. The three shots are below:
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Factory Standard Krypton Bulb An uneven yellow/orange light output consistent with most filament based bulbs. Just about bright enough to see with in a mine and adequate for emergency use. |
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Tektite LT-1 LED Upgrade A much clearer whiter light with a more even beam. It is also considerably brighter - and given that it is claimed to produce this light with half the power it can certainly be said to be energy efficient. |
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TerraLUX Ministar2 LED Upgrade A hugely powerful and very clear light providing much greater visibility. The improvement over the factory standard bulb is obvious. |
Important Note About This Test: I deliberately chose a middle-aged set of batteries to simulate a more average use. With a fresh set of batteries the standard bulb and the Tektite LT-1 would certainly have been brighter, whereas the TerraLUX Ministar2 hardly any brighter. However, with an almost depleted set of batteries the standard bulb and the Tektite LT-1 would have been dimmer than the above shots show, with the TerraLUX Ministar2 still at practically the same brightness. This is due to the regulation circuit employed by the Ministar2.
Conclusion on the LED Upgrades
If you have an AA Minimag Maglite and want to upgrade the light output, the two LED products described here will do just that. The Ministar2 from TerraLUX is the clear winner between the offerings, and given the little difference in price between them it's obvious which of the two I'd recommend.
An AA Minimag Maglite with the Ministar2 installed is a very powerful light for it's size, and a great bit of kit to keep in your pocket.
TerraLUX TCS-1 Tailcap Switch
Available from www.coldspark.co.uk for £5.95
Another
upgrade on offer from TerraLUX is their Tailcap switch. This is a
replacement to the normal screw-cap on the rear of the AA Minimag
Maglite, and is much the same except for a large tactile red
push-button. The idea is you leave the reflector twisted into the ON
position, then use the TCS-1's big red button to switch the torch on
and off.
Now this might sound a bit gimmicky and a quick way to throw six
pounds away on something unnecessary but having tried one I actually
quite like it. Firstly, it's much easier to switch on and off with
heavy gloves on. Secondly, you don't need to worry about working
grit up into the twisting reflector anymore when your hands are
covered in mud and silt. You can leave the reflector set at your
favourite angle and leave it there. If you become good friends with
you AA Maglite underground and explore a lot of messy mines/caves,
the TCS-1 Tailcap Switch is a benefit to have fitted. The build
quality is very good and the colour matches the Minimag perfectly.
Many thanks indeed to
www.coldspark.co.uk for supplying the review products! Check out
their range of specialist torches and upgrades.