SF A2: greenLED's comparison of LED colors (with pics)

[greenLED]

Re: A2: greenLED's 4-way comparison

lasercrazy, that'd be really cool! Dragoman is sending his Y/G, I have a stock, you'd be sending your SMJLED...

If somebody else would be willing to let me borrow their A2's, it'd be great! What other LED colors are out there? Red, green, "snow" LED (mod), ...? We'd have to time it just right so that I have all lights at the same time. (and so I can be scared beyond measure to have one of these MIA in the mail...) :duck:

My old camera sucked at taking beamshots, but we have a new toy that I can set things to manual and take some beamshots and stuff.

 

[lasercrazy]

Re: A2: greenLED's 4-way comparison

I'm pretty sure they have one with blue leds also.

 

[greenLED]

Re: A2: greenLED's 4-way comparison

Man, that'd be a lot of A2's lining up on my table.

 

[Bullzeyebill]

Re: A2: greenLED's 4-way comparison

Do you have an A2 with red leds? If not I will send you mine. Just know that my A2 has somewhat deminished light output (incan) that it had when I first got it, and lightmeter bounce tests show something like 15% reduction in overall light output. Not much. PM me.

Bill

 

[greenLED]

Re: A2: greenLED's 4-way comparison

Bullzeyebill :twothumbs and :thanks: (I still owe you a little something, don't think I've forgotten - haven't had much time for "real" modding these days)

Yup, I just checked, and the SF has the following LED colors (with the name of the owner who'd be willing to let me keep it for a few days to do a comparison):

red - Bullzeyebill
yellow/green - dragoman
white - greenLED
white w/SMJLED - lasercrazy
white w/snowLED - bwaites (+ another A2 LED mod)
green - rscanady
blue - SF (thanks Stuart!)

 

[greenLED]

Re: A2: greenLED's 4-way comparison

anybody have an A2 with blue LEDs that be willing to let me borrow for a comparison?

 

[SilverFox]

Re: A2: greenLED's 4-way comparison

Hello GreenLED,

I was able to remove the artifacts from my Y/G A2 by putting a white plastic grocery bag over it. Nice smooth Y/G beam.

I have used my A2 in a variety of situations from camping and hiking to kayaking and think it very useful. The Y/G takes a moment or two to adjust to while reading, but it seems that I adjust to it rather quickly.

I must admit that I prefer the Y/G over the blue/white, even though it is quite a bit dimmer...

Tom

 

[greenLED]

Re: A2: greenLED's 4-way comparison

...artifacts... at what distance are you guys assessing these? Either I've become less picky about beams, or my A2 has a nicer beam (indeed it does, there's a single blue hotspot from the Nichias...). Anyway, if I shine my A2 across a room, the beam is no better (or worse) than the flood of an Inova X5.


Still looking for somebody who is willing to let me borrow their blue-LED A2!

 

[greenLED]

Re: A2: greenLED's 4-way comparison

Many thanks to Stuart@surefire and the kind folks at SF, it sounds like I'll have a blue LED A2 to test as well.

I think I've sent everyone my addy (twice?). I'm going here, sorry.

Thank you for making this possible. This comparison may even be an excuse for a get-together!

 

[lasercrazy]

Re: A2: greenLED's 4-way comparison

I sent out my A2 a few days ago so you should get it soon.

 

[greenLED]

Re: A2: greenLED's 4-way comparison

Many :thanks: lasercrazy!
The Y/G should be in the mail as well.
:twothumbs

 

[lasercrazy]

Re: A2: greenLED's 4-way comparison

Did you ever receive the blue a2 from surefire?

 

[greenLED]

Re: A2: greenLED's 4-way comparison

Did you ever receive the blue a2 from surefire?

Nope. Still waiting on it, though. I'm still waiting on bwaites white LED mods as well.

Sorry, guys, I've been working 'till 11pm lately and haven't had much time to take pics or write a review (or see my kids for that matter).

I have, however, slowly given the lights "the beauty treatment" as dragoman put it: cleaned all contacts and DeOxit/ProGolded contacts I could easily access (I did not do this with the tailcaps, as I don't want to take those apart), and put clean silicone lube on the o-rings and threads.

If I had to choose one for the "dirtiest A2" award, it'd be dragoman's - the tailcap had some really weird gray caked stuff on the contacts, and dry and gunked up lube on the threads.

 

[dragoman]

Re: A2: greenLED's 4-way comparison

award? do I get a prize

I use my A2 for work, and that means its seen some pretty bad places (power plants, it may surprise you, are not the cleanest places )

Anxiously awaiting the comparison so I can get my A2 back

dragoman

 

[greenLED]

Re: A2: greenLED's 4-way comparison

award? do I get a prize

If that trit of yours shows up...
You said yours was pretty banged up, but there isn't much HA missing.

I'll work on the photos and make notes this week and return the lights by next Monday, whether I have all of them at the same time or not. Kinda defeats the purpose of a multi-way comparison, but I don't want to keep these lights any longer than necessary. Sorry it's taken too long.

 

[dragoman]

Re: A2: greenLED's 4-way comparison

Hasn't been too long......at least not yet

Keep it as long as you need it, I'm curious about the blue one myself...

dragoman

 

[greenLED]

Re: A2: greenLED's 4-way comparison

bwaites is sending a milkyspit-modded LED unit, with THC3 LED!!
I think he's also sending his snow LED A2, so this is getting more interesting.

 

[cue003]

Re: A2: greenLED's 4-way comparison

I am very interested to see more on the THC3 LED.

Curtis

 

[greenLED]

Re: A2: greenLED's 4-way comparison

The Google CPF search yielded a couple of interesting threads, but not a lot. If I got things straight: they're designed to be driven at 100ma, and are *bright*.

No word on the blue LED A2 from SF.

 

[marxs]

Re: A2: greenLED's 4-way comparison

i second that, id love to see shots of the THC3. by any chance would you know the color of the led he's sending?