mini Mag lite diffuser lens? Does it exist?

Since I upgraded my Mini Mag to the 1 Watt LED and with the IQ switch, both from Nite-IZE, I've fallen in love with it all over again. It had been collecting dust for quite some time and now I'm carrying it everywhere.

Since it's such a popular flashlight and since it's been around for so long, there are a few other accessories I'm looking for but one in particular I just can't find anywhere...maybe you folks could help.

A diffuser. You'd think it would be easy to find but I'm not sure they even exist.

Either something that pops on over top of the business end or a replacement lens. The LED can't really be focused the way the old bulb could and the LED beam has a pretty hefty hot spot in the center. Ideally, I'd like to find a replacement lens in the Fresnel style (looks sorta like a honeycomb).

Also, if you guys know of any good sources for Mag lite accessories, that would be awesome.

The ones for fenix flashlights look like they will fit on a mag lite.

I tried one of the Nite-ize conversions to a mini-mag and didn't like it at all. I ended up buying one of the Mini-mag led lights and am very happy with it. Bright, no dark spot in the middle, on accidental on-off, and only $20. But as for a diffuser lense, haven't seen one. I supposed you could take a diffuser from a USGI flashlight and cut it down to fit, but I haven't tried it...

OBG, I have taken 1 of the red lens from a US mil flashlight & have cut it down for my mini-mag lite. It works great!!!

Over on candlepowerforums, some of the things people used to do was to use the Palm Pilot screen protectors, or tape Scotch tape (I believe they had a favorite for the effect - that would call for a search on CPF) over lenses. You could perhaps get a Minimag accessory kit, with the colored and clear extra lenses and the rubber bezel cover. Then, you could put diffuser material of your choice on the spare clear lens, and keep it on with the bezel cover, then remove it when you want an undiffused beam.

Good luck

Dave
(my kids demanded I add a smiley for each of them)

+1 for these cheap, workable solutions. The PDA screen protectors are more durable and can be easily removed, unlike tape, but both work. Regarding the tape, although I haven't tried many kinds, there was a "satin" type, meant for gift wrapping, I think, that seemed the smoothest on an old Mini Mag I tried a long time ago.

Try google search : Terralux L.E.D. for AA Maglite. I have one in mine. Very powerful, focusable. Not cheap (quality never is)but seems to generate light levels comparable to Surefire. Has something like a 20hr runtime/10,000 hr service lifetime. That's against 2.5hrs for Both batteries and bulb for halogen.

Yup, PDA screen protectors work great, have them on all my flashlights, eliminates the "patterns" many bulbs give and smooths out the LED patterns too. And protects the lens. Problem is, the monochrome screen protectors are the ones you really want, work far better than the ones for color screens. Haven't seen monochrome screen protectors for years when most places cleared them out. But the ones shaped to fit some discontinued color PDA should be cheap and worth a try, might need two layers, one rotated 90 degrees.

That's the most frugal tip I've heard in a while. It's not permanent, and I have tons of them around.

The screen protectors work surprisingly well. Not what I'd call ideal but amazing results for the low low cost of free!

Thanks guys.

How about the center of a cheap plastic fresnel lens? Carefully cut it to the size of the existing lens, and then slip it into the Mag's head behind the regular lens. I'm thinking fresnel lens as in something you'd see in a bookstore on the bookmark rack. I bought one of those a while back for less than dollar. I have idea how well this would work as a diffuser, if it would at all. If I could find my spares, I'd shine my Mag through one to check the results. I have one tightly sealed away in my hiking PSK, but I don't really want to open that up to dig it out.

I like mine a lot too.

I just found out - yesterday, as a matter of fact - what happens when the batteries die. The light just goes out, no warning. I though my switch had gone bad. I was cleaning the contacts, making sure everything was tight, disassembling and reassembling. You'd turn it on, it would be bright for a second or two, then off it goes. You turn it on again and it wouldn't work. Then again, and it would work for a second or two.

Then I remembered - hey, these things are highly regulated! I put in new batteries and all was good again. You really get NO WARNING when the batteries are about to die. Full brightness one second, then total darkness the next. If you're in a situation where you really need a flashlight, carry a small backup light (I always do, luckily).

There is a difference between a Fresnel magnifying lens and a Fresnel diffusing lens. I'm not sure you can interchange them as one would focus the beam and the other scatters it.

I fly electric powered model helicopters. I talked to the maker of the speed regulator I use, and asked him why nobody makes a constant-RPM regulator for electric helicopters, like they do for gas ones. He said it was the same problem- you get NO warning when the battery is low. Which is bad on a helicopter! You need to be ready to land when the battery runs out.

The basic difference being the prismatic angle of deflection. On a magnifier, the prismatic angle is facing towards the center of the lens, on a diffuser, it is facing away from the center, IIRC.

Yeah, you guys got me. I didn't consider the different types when I mentioned fresnel lens. The ones in bookmarks would be of the magnifying variety and wouldn't work. Whereas the ones you see stuck on the back of RV rear windows would be the diffuser variety, and MIGHT work. But buying a large RV model just so you could cut a 3/4" diameter circle out of the center of it might not the most cost-effective thing you could do!

"...But buying a large RV model just so you could cut a 3/4" diameter circle out of the center of it might not the most cost-effective thing you could do!..."

You could cut a jillion little discs out and sell them online, you could be rich!!!

Have you looked into that stuff they sell at the hardware stores that is used to frost household windows? I’ve seen both thin plastic film coatings that are applied like the LCD screen protectors and thicker plastic rigid sheets.

Addendum: Another thing that might be readily available at your local hardware store are the plastic diffusers for light fixtures (i.e., fluorescent light lenses, etc.). There are many styles of these, of course, and some may work better then others for flashlight diffuser function.

P.S.: I have always found the hardware store a great place to wander when looking for improvisation material for a project.

I know this is a lengthy process solution.......but not all that long ago on candel power forums........I came across a link to a company that sold actual glass/crystal lenses for the mini mags........which would be a really pro way to upgrade a mini mag........i could have swear that had a "frosted glass" equiv crystal lens...........


-I'll see what i can find

Found one link......

http://www.flashlightlens.com/

The Surefire F04 beam diffuser fits the Mini-Maglight.

-john