I'm sure this is one of the most stupid questions asked in this forum but why should I consider buying a LED flashlight when I have got a maglight Solitaire? Should I combine these 2? Forget about one of them? What has one got the other hasn't? As you might have noticed I know very little about LED flashlights.<br>thanx<br>reinhardt

If you go to this web site and do a search for modifications, the solitaitre can be converted to an LED light. Pete<br><br>http://www.candlepowerforums.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi

LED are tough little bulbs (100,000+ lamp life) and they "sip" battery power rather than the "gulping" that incandescent lamps often do. <br><br>Those conversion kits for MagLites are interesting. <br><br>Pete is right. CandlePowerForums is a great place to go for ANY info on flashlights/torches.

I carry a mini mag in my camera case kit for when a bright light is needed and a night vision saving red LED similar to the Photon. I also carry a blue LED photon style light on my keyring with a Victorinox SAK.

In my experience many LED lights last much longer, are brighter, handier, and more durable than the Solitaire. <br><br>I'd look seriously at the Inova micro light. If you need AAA power, there is the ARC AAA, but it's more expensive. The CMG Infinity is similar but uses an AA battery and is thus larger, and the newer ones have a brighter LED. For travel and imposed scarcity scenarios, AA power is a must. <br><br>Once you look at larger lights, LED's advantages stand out less, but still matter in many circumstances. <br><br>Generally, LEDs last much longer than bulbs, both in the life of the element and in battery power. They also maintain their maximum brightness longer. However, overall brightness and range still go to bulbs, esp. high pressure blubs such as in Surefire lights. <br><br>Hope this helps.

I carried a Solitaire on my keyring for several years, but this light is now retired in favor of a Photon 2. LEDs rule. My most used light now is a Petzl Tikka. For heavier use (caving vs. just walking around at night) I use a a Petzl Duo with a LED in place of the original low beam bulb. My battery costs for lighting are now insignificant and I no longer need worry about spare bulbs.

I have both a mag solitaire and a photon2. I use them both depending on what I am doing. It is good to have both types. I have had the solitaire for almost 9 years and it has never failed me. I have only had the photon2 for 9 months. Only time will tell. I would say have both. They are inexpensive and you have the best of both worlds.

I also have both the Photon II and Solitare. I consider the Photon to be a revolutionary design making the older technology Solitare obsolete. The principle benefits of the Solitare are exceeded by the Photon. The photon is smaller, lighter, burns far longer on a set of batteries, provides more even illumination, works at more extreme temperatures and has a more reliable bulb. Absolute brightness might just barely go the the Solitare with a fresh battery, but the light is not nearly as even and dims quickly.

Everytime I've dropped my maglight the bulb broke. I've dropped my LED Photon dozens of times and it has not failed yet.<br><br>Bruce

I would once again encourage individuals with a Solitaire to check out converting it to an LED. It appears to be one of the easiest incandescent to LED conversion possible. One advantage to using the Solitaire over Photons or Photons look-a-likes is the ease of obtaining and replacing the batteries. I have both lights and like the construction and on/off design of the solitaire. Also if you have a Mini-Mag light, the 3 LED Opalec replacement (http://www.brightguy.com/prod_results.tpl other companies also have the LED conversion module). It works really well and is real easy to do. I bought 2 recently and bought 2 new (my older ones were not compatible for conversion) Mini-Mags at a Target store that put on clearance the silver version for around $6.00, so for less than $30.00, I have a 3 LED light, that is great. Pete