Editor’s Note: This is a repost of a popular article I wrote in the middle of last year. Since our site has grown drastically, many of you may not have seen it when it was originally published.
TerraLUX TLE-ST/XT MiniStar ST/XT for the Streamlight Stinger or XT
I recently stumbled across an advertisement for an LED upgrade for my Streamlight Stinger flashlight. I had quit carrying my Stinger after purchasing a new Streamlight Stinger DS LED and I had no plans for using it again because it could not compare to the bright LED light output from my new LED Stinger. Working deep nights, I decided that an extra LED flashlight would be handy, so I ordered the TerraLUX upgrade kit (TLE-ST/XT MiniStar ST/XT ) for $39.99 to try and salvage some use from my old Stinger. The product description on the TerraLUX website claims that their LED bulb produces 220 lumens and extends run time to 2 hours. I am a cop, so “lumens” means nothing to me. I care about how well I can see in the dark and how long the light will run, so the jury would have to remain out until I had the upgraded flashlight in my hand.
My order was shipped right away and I received it on time. The installation of the conversion kit took less than two minutes and was very simple. I used it on patrol that night and compared it to my Streamlight SL-20X and my Stinger DS LED. The TerraLUX LED bulb was noticeably brighter than my SL-20X, which surprised me. The TerraLUX LED bulb was just as bright, if not brighter, than my Stinger DS LED and produced a better defined light pattern. The TerraLUX LED bulb held a much tighter pattern at long distance and completely blew away the traditional SL-20X and the traditional Stinger. This conversion kit is well worth the money and I highly recommend it if you have a Stinger flashlight. With this upgrade from TerraLUX, there is no reason to buy a Stinger LED flashlight.
StreamStar20X LED upgrade for the Streamlight SL-20X
I was so impressed by the TerraLUX LED conversion on my Stinger that I decided to contact TerraLUX about their LED upgrade for the Streamlight SL-20X. This product is called the “StreamStar20X” and I saw it advertised for $32.95 on several websites. The product description on the TerraLUX website states that their LED bulb produces 200 lumens of light and increases battery runtime to 6 hours. I visited the TerraLUX website and sent a message to them offering to do a product review and they immediately responded by sending me a conversion kit for my SL-20X.
The installation was just as quick and simple as the Stinger conversion. I used the light on patrol and passed it around to a few other officers to test during their shifts. The LED bulb produces a very bright white light that makes it much easier to see details at night. The TerraLUX conversion disperses light in a larger pattern than the regular SL-20X, which helps light up the interior of vehicles and makes searching buildings easier. We only noted two weaknesses of the LED conversion. First, the light is so bright that it is hard to read your notepad if you hold the light close to the paper. This is easily remedied by not shining the light directly onto the paper or surface you are trying to read. Second, the beam pattern is dispersed more than the standard bulb in your SL-20X which reduces the long range effectiveness of the light slightly. However, when comparing a regular SL-20X to the SL-20X equipped with the TerraLUX LED conversion, we all agreed that the LED was far superior to the original bulb.
LED bulbs offer several other general benefits. You will probably never have to replace the bulb, the light is white instead of a dingy yellow, battery runtime usually increases and the light normally does not dim as the battery drains. After using LED lights on-duty, I will not go back to a conventional bulb.
TerraLUX has created an excellent product that will truly enhance your Streamlight flashlight. The conversion kits are relatively inexpensive and will save you money over the long run because you will not have to keep buying new bulbs and battery life usually increases. From a department standpoint, it would probably be a fiscally sound investment to convert department flashlights to LED bulbs.
TerraLUX also offers LED upgrades for Maglites and even has a universal upgrade kit for other flashlights.
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