DM51
Flashaholic
LOL yes, it did just freeze up briefly - for a moment I thought it had gone down again.
The SF A2 - Part 2
- Thread starter js
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LED61
Flashlight Enthusiast
I had all colors in square bodies, but sold off the blue one. The blue and green LED´s seem to be the brightest and least useful. For outdoors, the white one is best. For indoors or close up work, the Y/G is the best IMHO.
And, I don´t know if I´m nuts here or what but shining the lights against a white wall, it would seem the red one makes the white beam look brighter.
And, I don´t know if I´m nuts here or what but shining the lights against a white wall, it would seem the red one makes the white beam look brighter.
DM51
Flashaholic
Red and white are the most useful to me, and blue the least.
Red is good for keeping one's night vision, and you can do most things using just a red light.
The white is quite "angry blue", but it is workable. A good solution would be to replace one of the white LEDs with a red one, to give a better all-round color balance.
Of course, the various Aviatrix options that were discussed would have given the best choice and flexibility...
Red is good for keeping one's night vision, and you can do most things using just a red light.
The white is quite "angry blue", but it is workable. A good solution would be to replace one of the white LEDs with a red one, to give a better all-round color balance.
Of course, the various Aviatrix options that were discussed would have given the best choice and flexibility...
TJx
Newly Enlightened
I picked up a 4 flat sided red LED recently that was a display model for I'm guessing 3 plus years. As I said in another recent A2 thread, I was a little underwhelmed by the LED output. Along came the Sportsman Warehouse sale and I couldn't resist so I picked up another red one thinking I would mod one with blue LED's or something. After several days when it looked like someone else would be putting together another drop-in for the A2 I went ahead and opened the new one and I was amazed at the difference. The new one is what I thought the A2 should be. So, now to the point:
Forgive my 1st attempt at photographing beamshots but here they are for comparison. 2nd picture is the new A2 and Kroma on high red (6.3 lumens)
Is this variation normal between A2's?
Any advice?
Sand them, send it to SF, do nothing it's normal?
Start a new thread with the question?
Thanks!
Forgive my 1st attempt at photographing beamshots but here they are for comparison. 2nd picture is the new A2 and Kroma on high red (6.3 lumens)
Is this variation normal between A2's?
Any advice?
Sand them, send it to SF, do nothing it's normal?
Start a new thread with the question?
Thanks!
Sgt. LED
Flashaholic
TJx: It looks normal to me, try sanding lightly. Big help for mine.
In March koala will be making A2 replacement rings!
Luckily A2 UPgrading will become popular on CPF again with fivemega Strion kits and koala LED rings going into Sportsman Warehouse hosts.
:twothumbs
In March koala will be making A2 replacement rings!
Luckily A2 UPgrading will become popular on CPF again with fivemega Strion kits and koala LED rings going into Sportsman Warehouse hosts.
:twothumbs
Last edited:
WildChild
Flashlight Enthusiast
I got last december a round body RED A2 with ringy LED beam like your four sides one. The batteries in it expires at 05-2016 (so it was probably made in 2006). What is the expiration date on the batteries that came with your newer A2?
Beamshot of my red LEDs:
Did someone try to make SF replace the older LED ring for a newer one (for the red A2)?
Beamshot of my red LEDs:
Did someone try to make SF replace the older LED ring for a newer one (for the red A2)?
I picked up a 4 flat sided red LED recently that was a display model for I'm guessing 3 plus years. As I said in another recent A2 thread, I was a little underwhelmed by the LED output. Along came the Sportsman Warehouse sale and I couldn't resist so I picked up another red one thinking I would mod one with blue LED's or something. After several days when it looked like someone else would be putting together another drop-in for the A2 I went ahead and opened the new one and I was amazed at the difference. The new one is what I thought the A2 should be. So, now to the point:
Forgive my 1st attempt at photographing beamshots but here they are for comparison. 2nd picture is the new A2 and Kroma on high red (6.3 lumens)
Is this variation normal between A2's?
Any advice?
Sand them, send it to SF, do nothing it's normal?
Start a new thread with the question?
Thanks!
TJx
Newly Enlightened
Not sure, I replaced them with a new set of BS batteries so I could use them up 1st.
My thoughts exactly. I sold my Green (too bright IMO) and bought a red. It is ringy, but it preserves night adapted vision. I keep a 4 sided YG on my nightstand, the white in my winter coat pocket and the red in reserve.
rhpdchief
Newly Enlightened
Back in the early and mid 90's I did almost all of my flying under night vision goggles. We had dim green lip lights that we used to see inside the cockpit. They attached to the microphone boom on our helmets and you stuck out your lip to activate the switch. Goggles are focused to infinity so you had to tilt your head back and peek under them to see your instruments, maps, etc. That was a great light for that purpose. When not flying under goggles pretty much any color light was ok as long as it wasn't too bright and didn't mask anything important such as terrain features on a map.
In my opinion you want to select a light color that fits whatever your primary use of the light will be. There is no best color, just a best color for your needs.
If you want to preserve your night vision a dim light like the y/g is perfect since it won't bleach out the rhodopsin in your eyes. Remember that once your eyes are exposed to a bright light it can take up to 45 minutes to fully dark adapt again. There is also a part of each eye where there are no rod cells present which means that you see better at night if you scan or use off center vision.
If night vision is not important the brighter A2's make sense.
I don't know why Surefire calls the A2 the Aviator but I suspect its because you can use the bright incan to preflight and the dimmer leds once your flying. To that end I think the color of the leds depends on the type of flying you are doing, the amount of light in the cockpit, and what you need to see with that light.
In my opinion you want to select a light color that fits whatever your primary use of the light will be. There is no best color, just a best color for your needs.
If you want to preserve your night vision a dim light like the y/g is perfect since it won't bleach out the rhodopsin in your eyes. Remember that once your eyes are exposed to a bright light it can take up to 45 minutes to fully dark adapt again. There is also a part of each eye where there are no rod cells present which means that you see better at night if you scan or use off center vision.
If night vision is not important the brighter A2's make sense.
I don't know why Surefire calls the A2 the Aviator but I suspect its because you can use the bright incan to preflight and the dimmer leds once your flying. To that end I think the color of the leds depends on the type of flying you are doing, the amount of light in the cockpit, and what you need to see with that light.
DuckhunterInTN
Newly Enlightened
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2007
- Messages
- 142
TJx and Wildchild: Check out my thread below. Basically, I had a bright one and a dim one too, sent the dim one back to Surefire with a note and pics (that looked just like those below), they just returned my light and it appears to be no different than before I sent it. Apparently they thought it was operating within specs, but since they did not send any sort of note with it about what they found I can't really be sure.
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/posts/2341541#post2341541
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/posts/2341541#post2341541
I picked up a 4 flat sided red LED recently that was a display model for I'm guessing 3 plus years. As I said in another recent A2 thread, I was a little underwhelmed by the LED output. Along came the Sportsman Warehouse sale and I couldn't resist so I picked up another red one thinking I would mod one with blue LED's or something. After several days when it looked like someone else would be putting together another drop-in for the A2 I went ahead and opened the new one and I was amazed at the difference. The new one is what I thought the A2 should be. So, now to the point:
Forgive my 1st attempt at photographing beamshots but here they are for comparison. 2nd picture is the new A2 and Kroma on high red (6.3 lumens)
Is this variation normal between A2's?
Any advice?
Sand them, send it to SF, do nothing it's normal?
Start a new thread with the question?
Thanks!
WildChild
Flashlight Enthusiast
Is there some focus variation between MA02 in the same A2? Mine has a little hole in the middle of the hotspot, but by rotating it I can make it much less apparent at greater distance. When I achieve this, there is two vertical bright lines on top and on bottom of the hole, probably a "picture" of the filament.
type-x
Newly Enlightened
Hi there does anyone know how to remove this (see image below). It seems impossible for me to remove it without the feeling "I'm gonna break it". Thanks
js
Flashlight Enthusiast
The only way to remove that is to break it. The plunger is captive in the metal part of the LOTC.
type-x
Newly Enlightened
So will the tailcap still be usable after "breaking" the top plastic of? Thanks
Sgt. LED
Flashaholic
Yeah.
You can improvise a reattachment easy enough.
You can improvise a reattachment easy enough.
js
Flashlight Enthusiast
type-x,
Well, Sgt. LED is a lot more confident than I would be about the chances of securely re-attaching the plastic top! I suppose if you found the right glue/bonding agent, then it would be rather easy, but in my case, I just replaced the LOTC. I do that about once a year because I hate the smoothed off squishy rubber feeling of a too-well used LOTC.
In any case, keep in mind that you must reattach that plastic button, because if you don't, there would be nothing preventing the internals from falling out the front of the LOTC housing when removed from the light.
Well, Sgt. LED is a lot more confident than I would be about the chances of securely re-attaching the plastic top! I suppose if you found the right glue/bonding agent, then it would be rather easy, but in my case, I just replaced the LOTC. I do that about once a year because I hate the smoothed off squishy rubber feeling of a too-well used LOTC.
In any case, keep in mind that you must reattach that plastic button, because if you don't, there would be nothing preventing the internals from falling out the front of the LOTC housing when removed from the light.
type-x
Newly Enlightened
Thanks for your inputs Sgt.LED and js. I think Ill just use a cloth to get between the thread and internals and wipe out the old grease.
js
Flashlight Enthusiast
type-x,
I use pipe cleaners for doing this. They work great--but don't skimp. Use a lot of cleaners for one cleaning session to ensure that you are removing the maximum amount of dirt and grease, and not spreading it to other parts of the light.
I use pipe cleaners for doing this. They work great--but don't skimp. Use a lot of cleaners for one cleaning session to ensure that you are removing the maximum amount of dirt and grease, and not spreading it to other parts of the light.
Sgt. LED
Flashaholic
There was one but the guy making them disappeared with about 25 grand worth of CPF'ers money and items. May he rot.
Anyway....... Member Koala is very close to releasing his aftermarket ring solution. It's called the Onion ring and it's development thread is on the CBST marketplace.
Anyway....... Member Koala is very close to releasing his aftermarket ring solution. It's called the Onion ring and it's development thread is on the CBST marketplace.
