I Dremelled of a bit of my reflector to get the flashlight back to its original size... :-)

-M

I must say that it's a massive improvement over the stock bulb. I can't measure lumens, so that full review won't be happening...

The bulb doesn't change out quite like the standard bulbs. It has a small metal plate that, once installed, makes the MagLite head stick out a couple of millimetres. It also serves as a switch, as opposed to the stock unit relying on the turning head... poor explainantion I know.

Slightly annoying to have the torch longer in length than I'm used to, but the benefits are worth the $30.

...it's like getting approved when you buy a slab of beer on your credit card - the warm, fuzzy sense of achievement is overwhelming as all and sundry acknowledge that your signature matches the back of the card.

I was driving through Katoomba today Dan, but clearly am not yet packing MagLite Solitaire heat. I will conduct a full review of said LED and report back in short order.

OrgAdam out.

Oh yes, one reason to prefer the Mag mod might be that SMJLED-based upgrade kits are available. SMJLEDs use a multi-die design that allows them to be driven at a hundred milliamps or so, making them rather brighter than single-5mm-LED lights (or much more efficient if driven at lower currents, as happens in the Solitaire).
The SMJLED plugin is also rather cheaper than many less performing alternatives (especially if you use a CPF coupon code), even including international shipping.

As I said, Mag is not necessarily better than the `internet options'... (but luckily not worse either).

Is the Arc-AAA turned on by loosening or by tightening the head? One thing I always liked about the Solitaire is that it is turned OFF by tightening it. Since the ground state of the light for me is off, I like the fact I can screw both ends on as tight as possible to avoid it falling apart while in my pocket.

(One reason the Petzl E-lite" was a disappointment. First time I really needed it, the battery door fell apart when I pulled it out of the container, leaving me to hold the lamp body while I heard the two small lithium cells roll away in the pitch dark room...)

I'm beginning to sound a lot like a Maglite fanboy here, which is not my intention. They're good devices, but ridiculously expensive here in Europe. I bought both of mine (4D and Solitaire, 4D already has had the LED treatment) before I found out about Ebay and other offerings.
Mags are certainly not worse than what you can get online, but much less value for money. But since I have them, they work perfectly and they last forever, I might as well use them.

@Dan: Glad to hear it. If only because, at the very least, that'll mean there will finally be a proper image of this drop-in actually mounted in a Solitaire (with the front cap still removed). I've unleashed a lot of Googling on the matter, but I can't find any picture like that online, even though the drop-in is obviously a bit bigger than the standard bulb.