The A2 is making more and more sense to me

DISCLAIMER: I know there have been innumerable posts about the SF A2, so I apologize for beating a dead horse. But hey, it's late, I've been using my A2 all night, and I felt inspired to share. You have been warned...


I have to say, I was a little disappointed with my A2 when I first got it. I traded my L2 in to get one, and that was a definite downgrade in perceived level of light. The L2 had such a "WOOOOOWWWWW!!!!" factor upon first turning it on, that I didn't seem to feel when I got my A2 for the first time and turned it on. Maybe my expectations were too high after reading a few of the large posts on here while researching my purchase. Also, I had bought an E2e a few weeks before I got my A2, and had grown accustomed to it's 'initially' bright beam, and perfect beam pattern.

So, I pull out my A2, and do what most worthy CPF'ers do when they get a brand new toy: Go white wall hunting! I was not impressed with the beam pattern (I was three feet from the wall). An oval hotspot??!!? What was that about? And my spillbeam was not uniform and smooth like my E2e, rather it got bright around the outside. Baahhhh! What's more, the high beam simply lacked that Wow factor I had gotten so accustomed to with my L2. So what was this $200 mistake I just bought good for? Not much I decided, my heart was breaking for the letdown I had received, and I had soon decided that my expectations had been too high, and I should be happy with the A2 because it was functional and sturdy.

For a while, I would reach for my G2 or E2e when I needed a light, simply because it hurt too much inside to use my A2, and be reminded of my shattered hopes of a flashlight I had settled for.

Then, so slowly that it was almost unnoticed, I began to grab my A2 for tasks that were previously reserved for my other lights. Wow, I thought, the low level flood LED option is kinda nice, especially when I get up in the middle of the night and don't want to wake my wife. Before long, I find I've used the A2 for about an hour's worth of runtime, and lo and behold, it drops out of regulation instantly, leaving me with a little yellow beam. I can say, at that moment, I giggled like a twitterpated schoolgirl, at the realization that for the entire hour of runtime aforementioned, I had enjoyed blazingly white incan light, driven to it's limits as long as the batteries could possibly bear it (save the exception of a little extra juice to keep those little LED's going for a while longer). Now, I HHHAAATTTTEEE the bitter fact that incan lights dim with burntime, and I always am hesitant to use my incans, because I hate to see the beam begin to yellow ten minutes into fresh batteries. On the other hand, I can't very well afford to swap out batteries every ten minutes of use either, so I'm screwed there.

All this to say, now you can understand why I giggled. A perfectly regulated white as snow incan beam, for almost an hour. The beauty of this didn't really hit me for the first time until the old girl dropped out of regulation and I saw what I had been enjoying: 100% brightness on a nearly dead set of batteries. WOW! It is something that can't really be appreciated to its fullest until experienced firsthand as far as I'm concerned.

Then came the camping trip, when I got some extended time in the great outdoors with my lights. I came away from that trip once again in awe of my A2. That thing throws great for it's size. I began realizing that while it may not win a white wall test, this light (for what I need) KILLS in everyday use. More and more, I am finding it to be a nearly perfect blend of flood and throw, dim and bright, incan color rendition and LED stability. I think it was tonight though, that I finally noticed: I am now grabbing my A2 for every job requiring a light. It is my favorite light, hands down. I love using it, I love seeing it dropping out of regulation to once again be reminded of the white bright light that I am able to enjoy for the life of the batteries. That's weird I guess. I'm not sure why I'm writing this, if just to share my experience, or to encourage those of you riding the fence on the A2. Like I said, it's late, I'm inspired, and It's just a cool feeling to like something more, the more I use it. That's so rare. I can't think of many other things I have or have had, that appreciate their value with time. Wow, that was way more long winded than I intended, sorry. I'm sorry if there's any bad spelling or grammar, I don't feel like proofing all of this now.

Hey SCblur, glad to see you're loving your $200+ purchase!!

Now are we sure you're not just trying to convince yourself ? =P j/k.

From what i've read, the A2 is a great light, and if i had some extra dough lying around... i would get one, but M@G mods and new lights coming onto the market have priority. Maybe one day, i'll see for myself the greatness of the A2 heh.

Delvance said:

Hey SCblur, glad to see you're loving your $200+ purchase!!

Now are we sure you're not just trying to convince yourself ? =P j/k.

From what i've read, the A2 is a great light, and if i had some extra dough lying around... i would get one, but M@G mods and new lights coming onto the market have priority. Maybe one day, i'll see for myself the greatness of the A2 heh.

Click to expand...

LOL, that's always a possibility. Or, maybe I'm trying to drag others down with me so I feel justified. Dysfunctional, huh?

I think there's some sort of CPF conspiracy going on aimed at selling the A2. Or of course it could just be a great light...

The reports from people who end up loving this light the more they use it just seem to keep coming, something which obviously speaks volumes about the A2. Thanks for the very real-life review/perspective, it makes it very hard to resist this mighty little light!

And it also raises the question; why aren't there more fully regulated incans? Surely it's possible for manufacturers to set them up to warn before the battery dies, or leave some "moon mode" time in the absence of A2 style LEDs. I realise many folk like the simplicity/reliability and ample warning to change batteries that directly driven lights provide, but I reckon there are also many of us that would appreciate the regulated option.

Andrew

I couldn't agree with you more atm. I wish there were a regulated incan version of the E2e.

If you play with rotating the lamp assembly inside the bezel a little bit at a time you can find a "sweet spot" that makes the hotspot rounder. A hassle, yes, but it looks nicer.

(I love my A2!)

The A2 is one of those lights that grow on you. You're right about it not necessarily being a 'wow' light the first time you shine in on a white wall, but like you said, take it camping and you'll appreciate everything this light has to offer.

now go try using 2x R123 li-ion for guilt free lumens...

Same here. Had great expectations when I bought it but the A2 seemed to fall short. A few months later I noticed I was reaching for the A2 more and more. It looks great. I love the feel/size. The light is bright enough...don't always need a 500ft. throw or a scorching hot spot. The LED's are great and regulation caps it off. Just the other night mine fell out of regulation and I realized I've been using this light pretty frequently. It is a great little light. Two complaints: That bright spill beam ring (as mentioned above). And the belt clip. I don't generally wear belts so I clip it to the outside of my jean pocket. Well, I've dropped it twice because it slips out easily since the clip isn't quite tight enough. But then again, that's why it's a belt clip and not a pocket clip.

I really enjoyed my a2 when I had it but I just found it to be too big for edc.

boostmiser,

My motto is never trust pocketclips, but you can tighten that clip up to improve its performance.

I keep getting tempted to buy an A2. This posts and others (particularly the "Ode to A2"-type post from JS recently!) are pushing me further and further in that direction. The thing that appeals to me most is the incan regulation. The LEDs don't do it for me that much - I've got low power LED headlamps which I normally have with me whenever I need a light.

Here's what I keep thinking just before I click the "buy" button, though:

(1) My G2 might not be regulated - but it starts out a lot brighter and doesn't dim to sub-A2 brightness for OVER 30 MINUTES!!! So can I justify spending that much on an A2 just for the extra 10-15 minutes of slightly brigher light...
(2) I'm happy to drop my G2 - nitrolon cover is great. Wouldn't be happy to drop the A2 in case it gets scratched - especially considering the price!
(3) Just think of all the primary 123s you could get instead of an A2.....!

I think if I ever do get an A2, it will be as a flashlight collector - it's nice to have such a piece of award-winning innovation and quality in one's collection. Might not actually use it though, despite these posts saying how one ends up using it more and more... Hmmmm...

A few more threads like this, and I'm getting one!

I agree with the conspiracy theory. SureFire clearly run CandlepowerForums! It's the only explanation!

Way to go you your usage of the SureFire Aviator A2 'making more sense' SCblur!

—Enjoy! :wave:

Outdoor,

The truth is this:

(1) My G2 might not be regulated - but it starts out a lot brighter and doesn't dim to sub-A2 brightness for OVER 30 MINUTES!!! So can I justify spending that much on an A2 just for the extra 10-15 minutes of slightly brigher light...

Not so, the G2 starts at a little more than 60 lumens and stays there for a while. (I haven't seen the curve, but 60 is mid-point lumen production)

The A2 starts at greater than 75 lumens, (measured 79 in McGizmos integrated sphere), and stays there until dropout. (The 50 lumen Surefire number is VERY low)

(2) I'm happy to drop my G2 - nitrolon cover is great. Wouldn't be happy to drop the A2 in case it gets scratched - especially considering the price!

True, though my 2.5 year old EDC A2 shows little wear, and has been dropped a few times too.

(3) Just think of all the primary 123s you could get instead of an A2.....!

Just think how many fewer you will need to keep that bright white light in the A2!!!

Bill

BWaites:

Where does the 60 lumen figure for the G2 come from (presumably an IS measurement like you mention re the A2)? [This is not an argument here - I'm just interested, because as far I was aware, the standard P60 is claimed to be 65 lumens by SureFire, and they have a reputation for understating everything - are you asserting that they overstate the G2 and understate the A2?]

I'm basing my runtime figures from the charts at flashlightreviews. Looking at the charts, it brings home the idea that regulation vs. non-regulation is six-and-two-threes - all a matter of taste. If two bulbs of the same efficiency are supplied by the same set of batteries, but one circuit is regulated - then you have to chose: Do you want a consistent light-level with reduced runtime, or a longer runtime with a possibly higher starting level of light. For example, at 50 minutes, the A2 is giving about 20% if its initial light. The G2 is still giving over 50%.

I have the same issue with two headlamps I have - the Princeton Tech EOS and the Petzl Tikka XP. Couldn't decide whether to get regulated or not, so ended up getting both. STILL can't decide which I prefer!

Not to get too involved with this pi**ing contest, but the A2 vs. G2 comparision isn't a fair comparision at all. The only thing they have in common is the both run on 2xCR123.

Apologies to Nascar and Bwaites, and the originator of this thread:

I sense I'm out of place here. I was only explaining my own thoughts on the potential purchase of an A2. For me, that involves the closest SF product I have, which is the G2 (2 cell, similar runtime).

I certainly didn't mean to start a p**sing contest! As stated, an A2 is very much on my mind as an imminent purchase.

I'll leave this thread permanently - don't want things to turn ugly when the original post was so well made. I've read my posts and realise that they could seem "confrontational". I hope you will accept that this was not my intent - more expressing the own conflicts in my own mind about whether to get an A2 or not. I'll be more careful how I express my opinions in other threads.

OutdoorIdiot said:

Apologies to Nascar and Bwaites, and the originator of this thread:

I sense I'm out of place here. I was only explaining my own thoughts on the potential purchase of an A2. For me, that involves the closest SF product I have, which is the G2 (2 cell, similar runtime).

I certainly didn't mean to start a p**sing contest! As stated, an A2 is very much on my mind as an imminent purchase.

I'll leave this thread permanently - don't want things to turn ugly when the original post was so well made. I've read my posts and realise that they could seem "confrontational". I hope you will accept that this was not my intent - more expressing the own conflicts in my own mind about whether to get an A2 or not. I'll be more careful how I express my opinions in other threads.

Click to expand...

Slow down dude. Don't go anywhere. There's nothing wrong with expressing your opinion, asking questions and supplying input. There's a huge mass of folks that adore the G2. I personally, have never cared for the light. There are also many (I'm in this camp) that absolutely love the A2. All I'm saying is that it's not fair to either the G2 (a $25+ light) or the A2 (a $135+ light). Hang in there and don't be so quick to turn and run. I wasn't intending to insult or offend anyone and if that occurred, please accept my appologies.

I hope we can get back on with the thread? :sweat:

Al :thanks:

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Off-topic:

Nascar: You are very kind in your words, but I think your original post was right in it's flavour: Everyone using CPF needs to read their own posts carefully, and think about whether they come across as they intended. I agree with your interpretation of my posts - if somebody else had made them, I could easily see it as opening a "p**sing contest".

Regarding my own (current) thoughts on purchasing an A2, I think I've said all I want.

Regarding how I express myself on CPF, I think I've learned a good lesson in a very early post - thanks to you for pointing it out.

We all need to conduct ourselves carefully on such a valuable forum, and if we come across poorly, it's nice that someone can be strong enough to point it out. Thank you.
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