A2 Incan

[Benchiew]

Can A2 Incan be powered with a 3.2v LiFePo rechargeable battery?

[cland72]

I've heard of people running 3.7v RCRs, so the 3.2v lifepo's shouldn't be a problem.

[archimedes]

Can A2 Incan be powered with a 3.2v LiFePo rechargeable battery?

If you are using the stock ring (and depending on the specific color & Vf of your particular emitters), you may be overdriving your secondary LEDs somewhat ....

[Benchiew]

I thought that the Incan lamp was the one that can not take the higher voltage.
It now appears that the led cant take it, no?

[archimedes]

The incandescent lamp is regulated, IIRC, the LEDs are not.

[novice]

Benchiew,
Some people have said that the stock leds get pushed pretty hard by rechargeable li-ions. I use the Tenergy blue-label '3 volt' rechargeable cells in mine. However, if you get one of the custom led rings by either Calipsoii, or Koala ('onion rings', and possibly discontinued?), the circuitry of these led rings is supposed to handle li-ions. One of the Calipsoii sales threads I was just looking at says that it will handle up to 16v(!). The next problem can be getting the cells to fit in your A2. I have to remove the outer shrink-wrap on my Tenergy cells, and it's still not what you would call a loose fit.

[ampdude]

I used to power my A2 with AW's rechargeable IMR cells. Worked very well, give the LED's a little more voltage though so they are driven a little harder. The incan lamp is not driven harder in the A2 because the voltage that goes to the incan lamp is regulated. I'm not sure how regulated the voltage is that goes to the LED ring, but apparently not as well as to the incan lamp.

I had no problems running this configuration and did it for quite awhile. I don't recommend the protected RCR cells for the A2 because they probably won't fit. The IMR's are pretty much the same diameter as primary cells though and fit just the same.

[Benchiew]

Seemingly, there are people among us that have used rechargeable without problems.
Calipsoli solution does not make economic sense unless you are in for the mods. No point in spending $20-30 for a used $60 light.
What is the voltage of these IMRs?

[novice]

The voltage of the AW red-label IMR 16340 cells are 3.7 volts each. The Tenergy '3 volt' protected cells that I use will fit, once you take the outer label off (be careful not to take the clear inner shrinkwrap off, or you will short the cell putting it in). You will need a dedicated Tenergy charger for it.

The $60 you got your A2 for was a very good deal. Some of the reasons for getting a Calipsoii led ring are for the voltage protection it now gives the leds if you end up using a 3.7 volt rechargeable cell, and the fact that you can get a (very/slightly) different led tint. If you prefer a warmer white led than the bluish-white led you might now have, I believe a warmer-white option is available from Calipsoii. You can also safely remove and put aside your stock SF led ring for warranty purposes should problems later arise, and lightly buff the aftermarket leds with something like a thin grey 3M Scotchbrite (fine) sanding sponge, and get a MUCH smoother led beam quality (less 'cloverleaf'). I love my 'plug-and-play' led rings from Koala. I can swap out any color of 5mm led in it that I can find online, including red, blue, green, amber, warm white, etc., or even UV, although I now have a modified-stock SF led ring with UV leds that I got on the marketplace.

[Benchiew]

Interesting novice, I should look at it in better depth to this topic. Thanks.
Calipsoli right?

[novice]

Here is Calipsoii's sales thread:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/...-Run%29-*OPEN*

I do not know for a fact if Koala is still making these. The last post on this sales thread is from August of last year.
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/...2-LED-rings%29

They are two entirely different approaches, and they are both equally innovative. The only reason I don't have a ring from Calipsoii is because I took care of my A2 needs with Koala before Calipsoii released his product.

One more extra cost to consider, if you can find one, is Fivemega's (Streamlight) strion bi-pin bulb holder, to replace the SF stock bulb. The strion bulb is even brighter than the original SF lamp assembly (no longer being manufactured), and you can sometimes find strion bulbs online for around $7-$8? Since FM no longer makes them, you may wish to consider a WTB posting in the marketplace.

[jellydonut]

One more extra cost to consider, if you can find one, is Fivemega's (Streamlight) strion bi-pin bulb holder, to replace the SF stock bulb. The strion bulb is even brighter than the original SF lamp assembly (no longer being manufactured), and you can sometimes find strion bulbs online for around $7-$8? Since FM no longer makes them, you may wish to consider a WTB posting in the marketplace.

Another option is to buy the HO-A2 lamp assembly from Lumensfactory. An excellent lamp which is a definite improvement over the stock bulb. I have several myself.

[Benchiew]

Great advise guys.
My problem is wanting to run rechargeables. And the problem is not with the Incan as it is regulated. The problem is the led.
While replacing with koala and calipsoli solves the problem. How does changing the strion or lumens factory address the led issue?

[jellydonut]

Great advise guys.
My problem is wanting to run rechargeables. And the problem is not with the Incan as it is regulated. The problem is the led.
While replacing with koala and calipsoli solves the problem. How does changing the strion or lumens factory address the led issue?

Oh, no. It doesn't. It's just a general A2 improvement. The problem with us A2 owners is that when you mention the light we want to talk about everything to do with it.

Personally, I run rechargeable IMRs in my A2s without any special sort of LED ring. I do anticipate replacing the stock one eventually, but in the mean time I am not worried. I consider the A2 primarily a regulated incandescent rather than an LED/incan hybrid, though, and barely ever use the LEDs.. So if they burn out, I can live with that until I can get a regulated LED ring.

I've been on koala's list since last year and nothing's been heard from him since last year, so I'd recommend going for calipsoii's solution.

[Benchiew]

This is another option. Just use till it blows. Then get a calipsoli.

Is the driver found in the 4 flats body the same as in the rounded ones?

[archimedes]

Fresh rechargeables will be near 4.2v when "full" (at 100% SOC), not the nominal "3.7v" often listed ... thus, two of these cells in series may be as high as 8.4 volts - for LEDs expecting to see 6v max (typical Vf of white/blue maybe 4-5v, but red Vf maybe 2-3v?).

I don't know the resistor value of the stock rings, but running this on rechargeables is likely rather heavily overdriving these LEDs.

Lots of modders around here may only make products for a limited time, and collectibility may be affected by the ability to re-convert back to stock - just some issues to perhaps consider before just "running it until something breaks" ...

[Benchiew]

Good point. How about the LiFePo at 3.2v. Fully charged is 3.6v?
Under load, it may drop even further.

[fivemega]

Can A2 Incan be powered with a 3.2v LiFePo rechargeable battery?

Incan bulb of A2 is regulated at about 4 volts and will never be overdriven using pair of 3.2 volt cells or even 3.7 volt cells but LEDs will be overdriven.
I am using pair of IMR 16340 in my A2 with white LEDs for several years without any problem.

[jellydonut]

If you're really worried and just want to use the light as a regulated incandescent, this is another option:

[Benchiew]

Thanks five mega. That is another option.

[Benchiew]

If you're really worried and just want to use the light as a regulated incandescent, this is another option:

What is that? An after market Incan bulb?

[jellydonut]

What is that? An after market Incan bulb?

Well, the photo was supposed to demonstrate that you can take out the LED ring entirely and still run the light as a pure regulated incandescent light. But yeah, the bulb is the LumensFactory HO-A2 lamp assembly. It is rounded and unfrosted, for slightly more throw than the regular bulb. More output as well. I really like it, I've got plenty of them spare to make sure I don't run out!

[mat_the_cat]

Awww, the poor thing! Look at its empty eye sockets I wonder whether there would be any noticeable improvement if you had a reflector without the holes?

+1 for the LF HO-A2 as well.

[Benchiew]

Has anyone managed to bore the 4 flats or round body A2 Incan to take the 17670 battery?

Also, the heads found on the Incan 4 flats and the later round body, are they the same and inter changeable?

[archimedes]

Has anyone managed to bore the 4 flats or round body A2 Incan to take the 17670 battery?
....

Why would you want to ?

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/...a-single-17670

[fivemega]

Has anyone managed to bore the 4 flats or round body A2 Incan to take the 17670 battery?

A2 will not work with single 17670 for more than few seconds.
Regulator needs slightly more than 4 volts to keep the incan output to 4 volts.

[Benchiew]

Thanks for that. Didn't know it needed more than 4v.

[Stilt]

So will overdriving an LED simply cut down on it's estimated lifetime of 50,000 hours or so? Or will it make it go

[fivemega]

So will overdriving an LED simply cut down on it's estimated lifetime of 50,000 hours or so? Or will it make it go

Assuming life of overdriven LEDs drop to 10,000 hours, not many people have this kind of usage in few years and before this time passed, flashlight will be lost, stolen, damaged or end up in drawer.
I never heared they poof by 2 IMR 16340

[Benchiew]

So does this mean that it is ok to drive the Incan a2 with rechargeable 2x RCR123 3.7v? The led would not go poof but just reduced lifespan?