Dereelight Javelin or 4Sevens Quark AA² Turbo Redux

Hi all. I've read all the old threads that I can find about the Javelin and AA Quark Turbo. Given that a couple of things have changed since most of them were written (the Javelin is now available with the R2 LED; the Quark Turbos are now on sale at a couple of places, making them essentially the same price or even a bit lower than the Dereelight w/extension tube) I'm hoping people who have had both might offer pros and cons on a few issues:

1. Does the reflector of the QT provide a better throw than the Javelin (with either the SMO or OP)?
2. Is the Javelin still pocketable with the 3-AA extension tube?
3. I know the QT has 8 modes, the problem is you can only access two at a time without reprogramming. Do people who have had both find the Javelin's 3-mode switch more useful? Is The Javelin's "low" anywhere close to the QT's "moonlight?"
4. It looks like the R2 upgrade on the Dereelight doesn't add to the light's price, but the S2 upgrade on the QT adds $7 (@survival pax). Is the S2 that much better an LED than the XP-G R5?

I assume based on earlier posts that people with recent examples would still give the 4Sevens light an edge in build quality and QC? True?

Thanks!

EDIT: The QT LED upgrade is to an XP-G S2.

In my book you're comparing two fairly dissimilar lights (at least within the 2xAA universe). The Javelin is a P60 host and, as such, will work with any P60 drop-in whose voltage rating matches the cells being used. You can buy the body without a drop-in (directly from Dereelight or I bought mine from flashlightconnection.com) and run it with any P60 drop-in; and thus any emitter, levels, modes, or features; you like (I'm currently running mine with a Solarforce low-voltage XP-G R5 SMO reflector and it throws pretty well). I'm not aware of any drop-in that has a low level as low as the Quark's moonlight mode so if that's important go with the Quark. I think it's way too big to be considered pocketable with the extension tube installed and I rarely use it. The build quality is at least as good, if not better than, the Quarks: it has beefy double O-rings on the head, for example. The Quark O-rings are thin, and flimsy, IMO.

I have three Quark AA2s: an S2 regular, an R5 tactical, and the newer X regular model. I like the X model the best (currently on sale cheap at goinggear.com). Only the tactical model requires reprogramming (I personally like this feature), the others have all modes available all the time. I you don't want to reprogram, then buy the regular model which also has a flat tailcap and can tailstand.

A similar 2xAA light that I find myself grabbing all the time is the ShiningBeam Caveman. The T5 model, in particular, is a great value and only slightly less bright than the T6 (you won't notice the difference in real life).

I have a Dereelight Javelin with two 14500 batteries. Bright thrower. I'm using the P60 dropin that came with the light. There are no markings on the assembly to tell who made it. Single mode. I'll bet that there is a brighter dropin available from Dereelight now! I don't have a Quark AA2 so I can't comment. I have a Shining Beam Caveman. It is a wonderful light. Two levels of light, both brighter that the Surefire AA Outdoorsman. The Caveman has a solid feel, an easy to use forward clicky, and flawless anodizing. The clicky on the Dereelight Javeline has two metal surrounds that help it tailstand, but restrict the tactical properties if you want to switch it on. (The thumb slots must be in the right place.) I prefer the Caveman for general use.

Thanks for the input, guys. With the Quark AA X XM-L on sale (both reg. head and tactical) it may move to the top of my list.

Quark AA² Turbo with XP-G gets around 6,000 to 7,000 lux.

Javelin with XP-E R4 and stock smooth reflector gets around 10,000 lux.

By customizing the drop-in with correct combination of emitter and reflector, Javelin can do around 14,000 lux.

Here is an article that I posted about the customized Javelin. It should be interesting enough to read if you are looking for a compact thrower.

Thanks for the feedback. My new Quark X AA2 arrived a couple of days ago (thanks for the tip, WoodMan!). Great beam, maybe not as sexy as a long thrower but the flood will be useful and it's bright. I think the UI will be more useful than the programmable "tactical" UI of the turbos. I really like the size of this light, too. It's fairly small and thin. The only problem is that now I'd like to add a long thrower (TK41? the new LD50? Dereelight Javelin as spec'd by enomosiki?), since the Quark is putting my old Romisen thrower to shame. Since this would't have to be EDC-size, I could go for a bigger light.

dusty99 said:

Thanks for the feedback. My new Quark X AA2 arrived a couple of days ago (thanks for the tip, WoodMan!). Great beam, maybe not as sexy as a long thrower but the flood will be useful and it's bright. I think the UI will be more useful than the programmable "tactical" UI of the turbos. I really like the size of this light, too. It's fairly small and thin. The only problem is that now I'd like to add a long thrower (TK41? the new LD50? Dereelight Javelin as spec'd by enomosiki?), since the Quark is putting my old Romisen thrower to shame. Since this would't have to be EDC-size, I could go for a bigger light.

Click to expand...

You should find the Quark "X" AA² a really good all rounder and it is very bright for a 2AA light. I recently posted a review of it here:

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?334099-FOURSEVENS-quot-X-quot-AA%B2-Review

The TK41 is awesome and takes AA powered output to another level (although needs 8 of them so is quite heavy). The LD50 is 650lm compared to the TK41's 800lm, but being 6AA will be slightly more compact. The TK41, although a thrower also has good spill. The LD50 looks like it may have optics, so it will be interesting to see what its beam is like.

Thanks subwoofer! Impatience got the best of me, and a TK41 will arrive in three days, courtesy of Amazon.