iTP A1 EOS - another tiny Pocket Rocket delight

[matrixshaman]

Mine seems to be cooler and whiter than either of the 2 Quark Mini 123's I've got now. iTP has now come out with an A1 in stainless steel! Just ordered one of these too for heavy duty pocket carry - I expect it will withstand even my pocket junk but I might have to find a lens cover. The new SS version has an R2 bin now rather than the Q5 bin so it should be just a little brighter. I think they are saying 203 Lumens :eek: I'm guessing the SS may not dissipate heat as well so it may not be good to run it all out on high for a long time. But that is not how I typically use these small lights and I find I'm using them more and more for short times. BTW I believe HKJ measured the PWM at 2.4 Khz which is so high that I don't believe anyone will be able to notice it.

 

[mcnair55]

Just received my ITP A1,US to the UK in 3 days,that is fast.Put a battery in and wow like it already,going up the lane in the dark for a proper play.

Have now the A1 and A3,should I buy the A2 to make it a set?:D

 

[shark_za]

Have now the A1 and A3,should I buy the A2 to make it a set?:D

Is a ducks ... watertight?

I am appreciating the A2 a lot more these days. The A1 is next to my bed on a lanyard, the A3 on my security/ID lanyard and the A2 is a general use backup torch.

Get it for sure.

 

[Dan FO]

I would get the A1 over the Quark Mini simply because the A1 can safely run RCR123's and the Mini can't.

http://www.batteryjunction.com/itp-a1-flashlight-ss.html

http://www.4sevens.com/product_info.php?cPath=297_355&products_id=2176

 

[matrixshaman]

From what I understand I think 4Sevens is being conservative on the Mini's and did say they can run on RCR123's at one point but I don't think either one of these lights should be run on high with an RCR123 for very long. I'd limit it to 30 seconds or so. OTOH if you are holding it and its still not too warm I wouldn't be afraid to run them a bit longer. They both have about the same heat sinking mass and both claim the same lumen output on high so I wouldn't use that as a deciding factor for a purchase.

 

[flashwaver]

To matrixshaman, or who have both the A1 and mini 123. How does the outer spill of both lights compare? Does the mini has larger area of spill? how about throw distance of the two?

Thx!

 

[DigMe]

Anyone know OTF lumens on the A1? I'd like to know R2 and Q5 so either one.

brad

 

[mvyrmnd]

The A1 has just been updated with a Stainless Steel model.

Much prettier and sturdier than the original, it now has an XP-E R2, for a max output of 206 Lumens!

I just bought one of these, and love it to bits!

 

[ragweed]

Thank you for the info! Got to check it out. Stainless steel is really tough to beat in an EDC light.

 

[xcnick]

I just bought one of these, and love it to bits!

Do you know how much it weighs? The only stat I have seen has it at the same weight as the regular version.

thanks

 

[brianch]

I also have both and find the value of the iTP to be great. I would't say the Quark Mini 123 is "better quality" then the iTP. They are actually very similar. I like the iTP because you can fit 16340s in them. AW's sort of fit in the Mini123 but its a tight fit. Other brands don't fit at all and the battery station rcr123as fit fine. The mini123 is floodier then the iTP. Both of them put out pretty much the same amount of light.

 

[Apollo Cree]

The A1 has just been updated with a Stainless Steel model.

Much prettier and sturdier than the original, it now has an XP-E R2, for a max output of 206 Lumens!

I just bought one of these, and love it to bits!

Grumble, grumble, right after I buy mine...

Isn't someone going to pipe in and comment that stainless is x times less thermally conductive than aluminum?

 

[mvyrmnd]

Do you know how much it weighs? The only stat I have seen has it at the same weight as the regular version.

thanks

My very inaccurate kitchen scales put it somewhere around 50g with battery installed.
EDIT:
Official specs for Original A1: Size and Weight: A1 EOS: L 59.8mm (2.35’’) x D 20.4mm (0.8’’), 22g (Excluding Battery)
Official specs for SS A1: Size and Weight: A1 EOS: L 59.8mm (2.35’’) x D 20.4mm (0.8’’), 45.9g (Excluding Battery)

Grumble, grumble, right after I buy mine...

Isn't someone going to pipe in and comment that stainless is x times less thermally conductive than aluminum?

It was right after I got mine too. Fortunately I had a friend that took one look at my original A1 and bought it from me there and then!

I couldn't give a toss about the thermal conductivity of SS :D. All I know is it's shiny, looks great, and gives this tiny little light the weight and solidness that I though the original was lacking.

The threads on the SS are much smoother, and much tighter. My original needed to be loosened an extra 1/2 turn to stop it from turning on if the head was pressed on. This one is off as soon as it's off, and no amount of pressure will turn it back on.

My only issue is that the SS has a really nasty donut hole when close up, but I'll get over it.

 

[space-time]

I just ordered one of the stainless steel A1s. Couldn't resist. :D

I use my pocket lights right on a keychain with 10 keys (scrapes the heck out of it), a pocket knife, a tape measure, metal objects in the pocket - sort of industrial day to day use.

I wanted something in stainless to take the abuse, something with a solid & centered key chain attach point (I never have need to tail-stand), something with PWM that isn't visible, and something with a low-medium-high sequence with a really low low and a really high high. I use mine as much in dark rooms (that need to stay mostly dark) as I do lighting up large malfunctioning objects at night. I needed something that can use non-rechargeable batteries in a pinch so I'm never left with dead light for any extended period if the rechargeables die, and can use lithiums to handle temperature extremes.

This little guy seems like it will cover all the bases! I'll be curious to see how it matches up when it arrives.

 

[space-time]

My iTP A1 EOS Stainless Steel arrived today and the verdict is... I love this light! :twothumbs

http://www.itplight.com/product_show.asp?id=213

For anyone consider buying one of these, the good stuff:

* Low mode at 1.9 lumens is what I was hoping for. Low enough not to to bother other people in dark/dim rooms, but bright enough to find parts I accidentally drop on the floor.

* Medium mode at 37 lumens looks visually about 3x brighter than my previous single-mode EDC, an old 1-AA Inova X1, which just wasn't bright enough at the estimated 12 lumens (Inova apparently never published the lumens on the V2, just a guess I've seen posted).

* The beam looks visually even whiter than the X1, which is already a fairly white light. I like white light. :cool:

* The high mode at 203 lumens absolutely rocks. It looks easily about 2x or more brighter than my 3-AA MAG LED (I've seen a guess of 55 lumens for those, MAG won't say). That MAG is what I've been carrying around at night. Although pretty good for my needs, the MAG still could be brighter and I wanted to get an upgrade light. Now I won't need to.

* The light is floody but still has a pretty good hotspot, which is what I was hoping for. The MAG is more of a "throw" light with the deep reflector. This one seems to throw about as far, but good spill all around for a larger over-all illumination.

* Doesn't get as hot has I was afraid it would on high, given the small size. So far have only had it on about 10 minutes on high, but just the top 1/2 inch or so of the head gets warm. For my purposes 10 minutes is about as long as I would ever need it on high anyway.

* The stainless case looks just great. The diameter is so close to that of the 1-AA Inova X1 that I barely notice the difference. Maybe a millimeter or two bigger in diameter. I was worried that a 123A light would be a lot bigger around.

* The X1 is long enough to be annoying for my pocket since I keep it on a keychain. This one is about 3/5 as long, just perfect for keychain carry and a pocket. Doesn't hang down on the key ring any further than the 3' tape measure or pocket knife I carry on the key ring. I was first considering getting a 1-AAA light to shrink down from the X1, but now I'm thinking this may have worked out better. I guess the diameter of the 1-AA X1 light wasn't bothering me as much as the length.

Only one problem of any kind so far, and even then for my purposes it won't matter:

* A dark donut hole at distances less than 5 inches. Past that no hole at all, a really nice solid hotspot with good surrounding fill. So if you light up things at distances less than 5 inches, this probably isn't the light for you.

Now all I need to do is pick up one of the new Olight SR90 2,000 lumen Luminus SST-90 lights to keep on the shelf as a backup. :laughing:

I hope this review helps someone else considering this light!

EDIT: one more bit of information to add after finally receiving some (3.7v) RCR123As (16340s). The light runs hotter in "high" mode with the RCRs than with a CR123A primary cell. The light might be a tiny amount brighter with the RCRs, but its hard to tell. Since my use is occasional I'm staying with the CR123A's.

Here it is after about a month's use on the key chain now, a half dozen keys removed at the moment, holding up very well.

 

[mvyrmnd]

I love this this in SS. Goes beautifully with my Leatherman Sekeletool :twothumbs

(Click pic for bigger one)

 

[space-time]

Hmmm.... I'm going to have to take a look at that Leatherman! I've carried a small multifunction tool in a pocket in a pouch for a long time. Just this last week I've been thinking about finding a good replacement that I could move to the key ring.

 

[Ska-T]

I received my A1 today and after playing with my MiNi123 for a few days and comparing the A1 to it, if I had to do it again, I would get 2 Mini123's rather than one MiNi and one A1.

Hi, if not loo late to ask I'd like some clarification on the differences between the iTP A1 and the MiNi123. mikeinrancho said he prefers the MiNi123, but his reasons seemed to be centered on the clip of the A1 that he doesn't like. I would remove the clip for my purposes. I'm more interested in the beam pattern and, to a lesser extent, the light tint.

I'm looking for a handheld flashlight for night time backpacking and have some criteria in mind. I like to carry as little pack weight as possible and this flashlight is intended as an emergency backup, so small size and light weight are important. My main light is a tiny headlamp for camp chores. I'm frequently off trail above treeline and will usually be able to get back to a trail also above treeline that I can follow back to the car, so I figure I need about 30 to 40 lumens of sustained light. A run time of at 8-10 hr at that output seems reasonable. I probably need a combination of flood and throw and this is where most of my unfamiliarity/indecision with the various makes & models comes in.

Compared to AAA the CR123 format is attractive because the brightness is better at a slight cost of weight. I have an iTP A3 Eos that I haven't yet tried for night hiking. So far I've only used it for night jogging on streets and sidewalks. I may find it's all I need for backpacking. That said, it puts out 18 lumens for 4hr on 1 AAA battery. Carrying a spare Li battery would bring the total weight to 25g (0.88oz) and the run time to 8hr. In comparison, the MiNi123 is 40 lumens for 8hr at 35g (1.23oz). The big differences are the higher medium brightness of the 123 as well as the brighter max for route finding.

Does anyone have a recommendation on a specific flashlight for my ultralight purpose? Thanks.

 

[cistallus]

Hi, if not loo late to ask I'd like some clarification on the differences between the iTP A1 and the MiNi123. mikeinrancho said he prefers the MiNi123, but his reasons seemed to be centered on the clip of the A1 that he doesn't like. I would remove the clip for my purposes. I'm more interested in the beam pattern and, to a lesser extent, the light tint.

My ITP A1 EOS has a whiter light than my 4Sevens Quark Mini 123, which has a somewhat greenish tint. OTOH, the Mini is a bit brighter, and in practice I don't notice the tint. The lights are very similar in general; to me their beam patterns are almost the same; if you just want to try one of this size and type, the ITP is less expensive so you might get that; however the Mini has a better warranty (and strobe etc. if you need it). Both run fine (and very bright) on a rechargeable LiIon 16340 but you can't run them too long on High (about a minute) with that cell simply because they overheat.

I'm looking for a handheld flashlight for night time backpacking and have some criteria in mind. I like to carry as little pack weight as possible and this flashlight is intended as an emergency backup, so small size and light weight are important. My main light is a tiny headlamp for camp chores. I'm frequently off trail above treeline and will usually be able to get back to a trail also above treeline that I can follow back to the car, so I figure I need about 30 to 40 lumens of sustained light. A run time of at 8-10 hr at that output seems reasonable. I probably need a combination of flood and throw and this is where most of my unfamiliarity/indecision with the various makes & models comes in.

Compared to AAA the CR123 format is attractive because the brightness is better at a slight cost of weight. I have an iTP A3 Eos that I haven't yet tried for night hiking. So far I've only used it for night jogging on streets and sidewalks. I may find it's all I need for backpacking. That said, it puts out 18 lumens for 4hr on 1 AAA battery. Carrying a spare Li battery would bring the total weight to 25g (0.88oz) and the run time to 8hr. In comparison, the MiNi123 is 40 lumens for 8hr at 35g (1.23oz). The big differences are the higher medium brightness of the 123 as well as the brighter max for route finding.

Does anyone have a recommendation on a specific flashlight for my ultralight purpose? Thanks.

For this part of your post, it might be worth it to start a new thread for your "ultra lightweight backpacking" question. My take: there are nice lights smaller and lighter than the Mini or A1 (such as the Drake) but consider that they usually cost more, they usually use less-common cells, and you are saving only maybe half an ounce, usually at the expense of brightness or runtime. I also have an ITP A3 EOS Upgrade Edition and it's pretty lightweight (without the keychain or clip, and with a lithium battery) and is pretty bright (and runs fine and much brighter on a LiIon 10440 battery - same warning about running on High).

 

[shortstack]

got my itp a1 SS great little lite nice white beam!!!