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The AuroraLite Hotwire kit for the Minimag
is really a specialty item. It's intended for those
folks who want the absolute brightest light possible
in the absolute smallest package, runtime be damned!
This is a do-it-yourself kit that upgrades a normal
Minimag to a superlight that only runs for about 30
minutes but will knock your socks off. Thankfully, rechargeable
cells are used and you can get extras to carry with
you.
The kit consists only of the three pieces
shown vertically in the center of the picture below:
reflector, glass lens, and bulb holder. All the rest
you have to get separately. The charger for the batteries
is also an additional purchase.
The end result is an ultimate "sleeper"
of a flashlight. You pull out what looks like a Minimag
and proceed to light the tops of trees 100 yards away.
AuroraLite Hotwire Kit for MiniMagLite
Flashlights shown in center (reflector, bulb holder,
lens, only).
All other pieces sold separately!
So how much does the whole kit-and-kaboodle
cost from scratch?
- AuroraLite TL-3 Hotwire Kit (reflector, bulb holder,
lens): $23.99
- Streamlight TL-3 Flashlight Bulb: $8.49
- AW 14500 Protected 750 mAh Battery: $9.99 ea. (x2)
- 15mm Aluminum Charging Spacer: $1.99 ea. (x2)
- MiniMaglite: about $6.00 at retail stores
- DSD Charger for 14500 batteries (not shown): $13.99
- Total: ~$75.00
- Stupefied look on the face of everyone around you
when you fire up your "Minimag": Priceless.
The Modification: The process of installing
the kit is easy. Remove the head of your Minimag. Remove
the plate that says "do not remove" at the
top of the Minimag. Part of the switching system will
come off in your hand, the other part will drop down
inside. Remove the tail cap and drop the internal part
of the switching system out. Install the TL-3 bulb in
the ceramic bulb holder (do this before installing the
bulb holder in the light - it may take some pressure
- be careful you don't break the glass bulb and cut
yourself!). Drop the ceramic bulb holder and bulb into
the tube gently at an angle. It will slide to the top.
Set the body aside.
 
Remove the bezel ring and the reflector from the head.
Remove the lens, too. Put the new mineral glass lens
in the bezel and put the new metal reflector in the
head. Reattach the bezel ring on top of the head and
attach the head to the light, snug.
NOW you can put your batteries in the
light and attach the tailcap. Loosen the head to turn
it on, tighten for off.
Output: The result is an adjustable beam that
is, well, about 20 times as bright as a normal Minimag!
*drool*
Beam at one meter at target center, wide and narrow
setting.
Runtime Plot: Long runtime? Fugeddaboutit! Literally.
You'll only get about 30 minutes out of this little
screamer before it drops to almost nothing. This is
not a light for poking around in a wiring closet. Think
of it as an electric version of a road flare.
Runtime
completed with rechargeable 14500 batteries. More information
on runtime plots is available HERE.
Batteries: Our pocket lighthouse is powered
by two rechargeable Li-Ion cells. You'll need the charger
and spacers to charge these up, and it takes a couple
of hours to bring them back to life after a full discharge.
It's using two AW 14500 Protected 750 mAh Li-Ion cells
that run at about 3.7V each, but are the size of an
AA cell. Be careful you don't put these in a device
designed to be run with AA cells unless you enjoy purchasing
replacement devices.
Conclusions: Does exactly what
it's supposed to do - surprise the heck out of anyone
who thinks it's a normal Minimag. Unfortunately you
practically have to count your runtime in seconds, but
for some folks it's worth it.
READER UPDATE SEPTEMBER 2006 from
Milan K:
I
have just completed a project of converting a number
of Mini Magslites to take/use the "Auroralite
Hotwire Kit for Minimag". Looks like your experience
went without a hitch.
This
is what I found......
My
original 2x Mini Mags did not accept the AW 14500
cells; Internal Diameter of my old MM's is 14.36 mm,
14500 cells are 14.38 mm.....result, I bought a bunch
of new MMlites for this project. The ID of the new
lights is 14.60 mm, result....no problem fitting the
cells. I understand that the ID in these lights varies
quite a bit from batch to batch. The protected 14500's
are wider than standard AA's.
One
of the TL-3 bulbs was too wide and kept getting stuck
inside the reflector hole. When I would unscrew the
bezel, the bulb was pulled out and stayed in the reflector.
Result, I drilled all my reflectors out to the next
size drill bit (just a bit bigger than original)...no
more problems with bulbs. Manufacturer should make
the hole a bit bigger to avoid this problem even though
its rare.
The
14500 cells have flat "+" ends and don't
always contact the "-" ends of the other
cell. Have to "tap" the lights occasionally
to make them work. I will use the 0.5 mm x 6 mm magnets
on all "+" ends of my cells to make the
lights reliable.
I
intend to use clicky type switches on my lights and
lock the bezel to "spot" setting. I tried
one already and the output of this unit really shines,
its better than my S/F G2.
OK,
so its only 20 minutes of good output but I have spares
with me so this is not a problem. The stare alone
from people looking at the result is worth the effort
and cost.
The
most important thing is that people first measure
the ID of their lights before deciding on purchasing
this "kit" and committing to the exercise,
they may need to purchase new lights as well.
Perhaps
you could put some of this information into your review
as a precaution.
...And so I have. Thanks Milan!
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