Is the original incandesent A2 Aviator going extinct?

I just watched the Surefire 2009 shot show on youtube. The spokesperson, while showing of the new LED A2 Aviator mentioned that it will replace the old one. Does this mean that the original A2 Aviator will no longer be in production within a couple of months- ie. go extinct? If so, now may be the time to grab one. The only reason I have been interested in the Aviator is its unique hybrid incan/LED setup, and I just don't think that an all LED version (even though there will be separate emitters for flood and throw) would be able to compare. Does anybody here have any knowledge of SF's phase out policies? Do they continue to make old models for a little while, or do they just cease production immediately? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
JonM (first post)

I would have to guess that Surefire wouldnt run two assembly lines for the same light (newer and older of course) They will probably cease production of the hybrids when they get the all LED model going. But no worries this wont be any time soon. Lets just say they have a track record for showing off stuff that may not be availiable for years (if ever) :shakehead
Size15's or Stuart should be able to clearify and give you a definant answer though but I havent seen much from either of them lately? :thinking:

:welcome:

I hope they don't stop making the old aviator I was wanting one of those.

Judging by the plethora of "discountinued" items that SF still has stock for, I highly doubt the original A2 is going anywhere, any time soon.

The A2 is a great light. The fact that something new comes along does not change that. There are plenty of them available, either from dealers or even right here in the MarketPlace.

If you want one, buy it. Don't worry about when or if SF will discontinue them. Their schedule has been known to be rather vague.

Mark

Thank you for all of your responses, guys. I just bought a used aviator from the marketplace- can't wait till it gets here!

JonM said:

Thank you for all of your responses, guys. I just bought a used aviator from the marketplace- can't wait till it gets here!

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Congrats on getting your first Aviator--you'll love it :thumbsup:. Out of curiosity, what color LEDs did you get? My A2-YG is actually still my favorite light of my entire collection. If they ever become discontinued, I'm stocking up on a few more A2s and a bunch of lamps

-Robert

RobertM said:

Congrats on getting your first Aviator--you'll love it :thumbsup:. Out of curiosity, what color LEDs did you get? My A2-YG is actually still my favorite light of my entire collection. If they ever become discontinued, I'm stocking up on a few more A2s and a bunch of lamps

-Robert

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That was my choice for A2. ...and you'll have to get in line, 'cuz I'm stalking the CPFM for deals on A2 lamps. :nana:

We can always get lumens factory to make a couple thousand lamp assemblies...

greenLED said:

That was my choice for A2. ...and you'll have to get in line, 'cuz I'm stalking the CPFM for deals on A2 lamps. :nana:

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Thanks for the heads up greenLED, I'll have to increase my watch on CPFM now that I know there is competition :laughing:

RobertM said:

Congrats on getting your first Aviator--you'll love it :thumbsup:. Out of curiosity, what color LEDs did you get? My A2-YG is actually still my favorite light of my entire collection. If they ever become discontinued, I'm stocking up on a few more A2s and a bunch of lamps

-Robert

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I went for the standard white LED's- I'm not much of a tactical guy so I figured I would get one suited for general usage. Maybe if I like it enough I'll get another in a different color! BTW, the purpose of a Yellow Green LED is for increased night vision retention, is that correct? Is it well suited/useful to regular camper/hiker types (me) or is it more for special ops army recon guys?

Oh yea, I was also wondering if anyone recommends the HO-A2 lamp from LF, there was a review for it on lighthound that said it is not visibly brighter than the stock one. I have heard about the strion bulb, but I don't think that they are available anymore short of camping the marketplace. Is the stock bulb adequately bright for your guy's uses?

Thanks for the responses, hanging around the forum has been a lot of fun, although a little bit habit-forming. :naughty:
-JonM

I like the red LEDs. Red is great for moving around when people are asleep. Don't forget about the soft start feature. It is good for lamp life. Surefire does not mention this feature anymore. It heats up the filament slowly and this according to Surefire prevents filament breakage due to thermal stress upon activation (or something like that).

BTW welcome to CPF!

JonM said:

Oh yea, I was also wondering if anyone recommends the HO-A2 lamp from LF, there was a review for it on lighthound that said it is not visibly brighter than the stock one. I have heard about the strion bulb, but I don't think that they are available anymore short of camping the marketplace. Is the stock bulb adequately bright for your guy's uses?-JonM

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I recommend the HO-A2. Contrary to that reviewer on Lighthound, I do see improved output compared to stock. I currently run both frosted and unfrosted versions.

FM's Strion-kit is an excellent upgrade, although to me it doesn't appear as bright as the HO-A2.

The HO-A2 may have a tactical advantage over the Strion since it's potted, should you ever drop the A2 and the bezel hits the ground.

Thanks for the info on the bulb! When using the HO-A2, do you see a significant drop in runtime in comparison to the stock bulb? I am inches away from pulling the trigger on one...:huh:

JonM said:

Thanks for the info on the bulb! When using the HO-A2, do you see a significant drop in runtime in comparison to the stock bulb? I am inches away from pulling the trigger on one...:huh:

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In true cpf fashion...


pull the trigger. Think of the free penlight, the nice packaging and registered cheap international shipping.

Wouldn't the regulator keep a constant wattage flowing to the bulb via PWM?

JonM said:

I went for the standard white LED's- I'm not much of a tactical guy so I figured I would get one suited for general usage. Maybe if I like it enough I'll get another in a different color! BTW, the purpose of a Yellow Green LED is for increased night vision retention, is that correct? Is it well suited/useful to regular camper/hiker types (me) or is it more for special ops army recon guys?

Oh yea, I was also wondering if anyone recommends the HO-A2 lamp from LF, there was a review for it on lighthound that said it is not visibly brighter than the stock one. I have heard about the strion bulb, but I don't think that they are available anymore short of camping the marketplace. Is the stock bulb adequately bright for your guy's uses?

Thanks for the responses, hanging around the forum has been a lot of fun, although a little bit habit-forming. :naughty:
-JonM

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I currently own both red and yellow-green Aviators. The red is suppose to be the best at preserving night adapter vision. Red tends to also be a good "stealth" light since human eyes aren't real receptive to it (IIRC). On the other hand, the yellow-green (555nm) is the dimmest of all the A2 LED's but the human eye is suppose to be the most receptive to this wavelength (555nm). I believe I read a while back that yellow-green is also suppose to minimize eye fatigue when reading under low light conditions.

I prefer the YG over red because the YG actually provides some color rendering whereas the red (and blue) A2's render the worst. To me, the YG is just more useful.

You should give this thread a look:
SF A2: greenLED's comparison of LED colors (with pics)

I've found that using the red to view a map is not a good idea--red roads disappear. On the flipside, map reading with YG seems fine. Here are my YG and RD A2's side-by-side.


-Robert

the A2 probably will never be replaced completely. theres still room for incandescents, and the aviator is the premium for that.

find me a 2xcr123A flashlight that can maintain 3300K color temperature for more than 40 minutes AND can be able to use different color filters without a dramatic reduction in output [as with using a red filter on a white LED], and that'll be an ideal replacement for the A2...until then, thats that.

For what it's worth, I have two A2s also and compared the LF lamp to the stock MA02 and could not tell a difference at all. The Strion kit by Fivemega provides a noticeable boost in output.

Jon, I second Robert's explanation of why he chose the Y/G (and thanks Robert for bumping that thread).

Further musings of mine re. A2 LED colors are all in that linked thread.