new a2 owner here *Problem* see post #11

[fireboltr]

Well I trully hope that the surefire a2 is as good as you all say it is....
I just ordered one and it should be here in a couple of days (white leds)

a question i have would be what are the current offerings as far as mods go for it currently available....I searched but i would say from what I have seen most all the mods are old and currently unavaiable....

This will prolly be a milky question but are the super mj leds (from the shoppe) a direct drop in from the stock ones?????/ just want a little more "white" of a white


thanks

 

[alantch]

Re: new a2 owner here

You can get a lot of info on the A2 here.

 

[socom1970]

Re: new a2 owner here

Congratulations on buying one of the best overall user lights!!! I love all three of mine! (Blue, Green, and Milky-Modded BRIGHT-WHITE) I love what Milky did to my A2. If you want your A2 LED's as close to perfect as possible, contact Milky for an excellent Milky-Upgrade. His work is top-notch and he does as good a job on other manufacturer's lights as he does on his own. (I LOVE my GOTHAM!!! #068 :devil

 

[Chrontius]

Re: new a2 owner here

Welcome to the club, Firebolt. For LED upgrades, you'll either have to get a modder to swap them for you, or pick up an 'onion ring' upgrade - this has three little sockets where you can stick any 5mm LED of your choice, plus a regulation circuit which automatically makes it more awesome than the stock ring. (Add Nichia GS, Snow, or SMJleds to taste)

The A2 is a solid light, without any excess (unless you consider the 80ish lumens it's actually putting out the front excessive) or gimmicks (beyond the regulated incandescent lamp, or the LED/incan hybrid or the two stage tailswitch...). You have to work hard to not like it, but it's not very impressive until you've actually used it... there are better lights for white-wall hunting, there are brighter high beams, and dimmer low-beams, but the Aviator is just such a good generalist light that it's hard to beat.

 

[fireboltr]

Re: new a2 owner here

Yeah I am hoping I will love it but I wont know till it gets here.....

*paces floor slandering mail lady*

I am sure for the niche it fills I will like it as I am tired of blinding myself close up, al my current leds that can go low have too tight of a beam to be usefull at less than 3 feet. So the fact that this is a up-close flood and medium throw light in one should be fun.......

 

[socom1970]

Re: new a2 owner here

I am sure for the niche it fills I will like it as I am tired of blinding myself close up, all my current leds that can go low have too tight of a beam to be usefull at less than 3 feet. So the fact that this is a up-close flood and medium throw light in one should be fun.......

You are absolutely correct. This is one of the best things about the A2. It combines not just two levels of brightness, (or two colors in the case of colored led's) but two different types of beams: a low and VERY floody beam with artifacts, but no real hotspot (depending on what led's you have) for non-blinding close-up work, and the piercing bright spot of the REGULATED incan that stays bright white and long-throwing. Much of the time, I don't use the incan very often, as the led's are plenty of light without being blinding at all, especially when camping or navigating on foot anywhere in the dark. That is exactly what the A2 is designed for: a led light for primary use and regulated incan for secondary use. As others have already mentioned, it is definitely a light meant to be used, not meant for whitewall hunting.

 

[fireboltr]

Re: new a2 owner here

Well the A2 showed up yesterday and.....
My initial impressions are hrmmmmmmmm.....
It is a great light for what it purpose was and all but I think that maybe I should have gone with an L4 or L5 to beter suit my general purposes......

I do think that this is one of the best thought out, machined, and ergronomicly designed lights I have seen. Ohhhh well we will consider this one a learning experiance I guess.... I hope it will grow on me....the fit finish and feel are perfect though but I guess I need to get over the beams....
Maybe Ill sell it or just hang on to it....
I dont know
:shrug:

 

[riceboy72]

Re: new a2 owner here

Give the A2 a chance. Honestly, when I got it, it wasn't falling over with giddiness thinking this was the best light I'd ever seen. However, now that I've had it for eight months, it has become one of my favorites to use and carry.

I, too, will agree that the LEDs are just strong enough to help with tasks at night without ruining your night eyes or unnecessarily lighting up an area you don't mean to. And once you understand that the incan is one of the nicest out there, it leads to a whole new appreciation of the light.

I do admit this light can't perform like the ones I have with Malkoff drop ins, but it does exactly what it's supposed to and fills that niche between the high output-light-up-the-whole-house light and the too weak-to-see-anything-over-a-foot-in-front-of-you light. It's kind of the best of both worlds and I hope it grows on you.

 

[Size15's]

Re: new a2 owner here

I urge you to put a few sets of SF123A's through it - take it for some long walks. The regulated incandescent beam really shines once you compare it to a normal unregulated incandescent. I took ran my A2 with an E2e side-by-side and the difference was so obvious once the white-light high of the fresh SF123A's in the E2e had finished.

Al

 

[Carpenter]

Re: new a2 owner here

<snip>I guess I need to get over the beams....

The A2 is not the best light for a thrower. It is not the brightest, or able to light up an entire city block. The A2 works best at distances up to 75 ft IMO while the white LED's are all you need around the house in the dark. In fact my stock LED's will light up my back door neighbors house 100' away without any issue. It's not a spot light but I was amazed when playing with the light how strong those stock LED's are. As many people have stated on this forum (I believe I'm quoting "JS"), the A2 is not the best light at anything, however it is a very good light for many different things.

As Size15 stated, don't give up on the light until you have run at least 2-3 sets of batteries through it. Take the light for a walk. You will be amazed how bright and far the light will throw. The regulated (around 80lumen) incan is a wonderful thing. Use the LED's when walking around the house without lights on. While the stock white LED's are blueish, they work for most purposes you would use them for at that level. If you have to have a more white low beam, then one of our modders will be able to assist you in switching out the LED's (be warned, changing out the LED's will void the lifetime warranty with SureFire).

I have at least 1 A2's of each LED color and have come to the conclusion that these would probably be the last lights I sell if I would ever get to that point just because they are the best utility light I would ever need.

Take a look at the thread that alantch posted above. When you finish reading all that information, you will be amazed that so much technology is built into such a small light.

 

[fireboltr]

Re: new a2 owner here

Well I think I know now why my first impressions were not good at all with the A2.
On the bottom of the LA (MA02 positive contact) fell off the first time I opened the head to try and rotate it to help improve the beam....
The freakin positive wire comming out of the potting wasnt even welded/soldered to the dang thing....It was just bouncing around making contact when it saw fit, causing the beam to look extremely dull and yellow.... I bent the wire so it rests between the tabs and the plate under pressure from the head, wich made the output much beter.....
I called surefire and talked to them about this and they wanted me to send the whole light back to them....UMMMMM.....NO
I told them what was wrong 3 times before they finally understood that it was the LA and only the LA that was bad...sheesh

So long story short after a 20min phone call there is a new LA on the way (supposedly)
I hope the new LA doesnt show this as well....I have looked around and could not find anything like this going on.....Maybe this is why the lumens factory bulb is brighter???? It has a beter current path?????

Anyways I am surprised to see surefire didnt solder/weld the lamp leads to the dang plates in my A2......

Not what I expected from such an expensive La

 

[tsl]

Re: new a2 owner here

On the bottom of the LA (MA02 positive contact) fell off the first time I opened the head to try and rotate it to help improve the beam....
The freakin positive wire comming out of the potting wasnt even welded/soldered to the dang thing....It was just bouncing around making contact when it saw fit, causing the beam to look extremely dull and yellow.... I bent the wire so it rests between the tabs and the plate under pressure from the head, wich made the output much beter.....

So long story short after a 20min phone call there is a new LA on the way (supposedly)...

Anyways I am surprised to see surefire didnt solder/weld the lamp leads to the dang plates in my A2......

Not what I expected from such an expensive La

Not sure why SF doesn't weld the leads, but it's the same situation in my A2s. Typically, it's not a problem. Just make sure that when you rotate the lamp to orient it in the direction you want, do NOT rotate the lamp by the little metal "hat." I assume that you did just that, but I may be wrong and hey, you wouldn't have known.

I rotate the lamp by the large metal disc.

Oh, and there really should not be any "supposedly" to SF sending you a new lamp. I had a P60 lamp that had been crammed into a C2 and the spring was badly bent. Called SF and I had a new lamp in about a week.

So, expect to see a replacement lamp. Now you'll have two.

Hope this experience has not turned you off to the A2. It truly is a great light. Now, only if they made it smaller!

 

[fireboltr]

It hasnt really turned me off to the A2 I just think i will be putting a lumens factory bulb in it very soon.
I really dont trust current paths that just hang out......
Maybe i should just solder it on?????
I mean cmon I open the head for the first time and it falls off???? This is a joke in my opinion. Well at least on a 200$ light.
It just sits on the tabs and isnt held on by anything. Unscrew the head and the "hat" falls off.

 

[Sgt. LED]

Yes you should get the LF bulb for the A2 right away, then fish about for the 5mega strion kit. It will take some time but if you ask around you can eventually find one.

 

[DM51]

I agree with you completely about the fragility of the SF stock MA02 bulbs. When they are in and working, they are fine and last a long time. But just try to get them out... that little "hat" is very flimsy and easily broken off, as happened to you. I broke one, the same as you - fortunately it had had a lot of use and was turning smoky, so it was no loss. I replaced it with a LF one, which is a much better and more robust design - brighter, too.

As the Sgt. says above, The best replacement for the MA02 (IMO) is the Fivemega Strion conversion socket, but they are very highly sought after and I think you might have trouble finding one. The LF bulb is a very good alternative.

 

[koala]

Hmmm, I have been using the stock A2 bulb for testing my custom rings. I took them out and put it in quite a number of times, pretty sure more than anyone of you . The o-rings are actually wearing out.

I check my bulb last night, the leads are actually spot welded like how battery tabs are welded. You can see burned marks on the other side of the metal where the wire is. Maybe someone at SF forgot to weld fireboltr's bulb...

 

[DM51]

I defer to koala's greater experience in this, as I am sure he has taken out his MA02 bulb many more times than I have (although I think I may have more A2s than he has :nana: lol)

It happened to me once only. As I said in my post above, the bulb was an old one, and had obviously never been taken out. It was stuck quite tight. I am well-known for having 10 thumbs when it dexterity is called for, and I just broke the "hat" off by mistake. It really isn't very strong, so members should be careful.

When the eagerly-awaited time comes when koala releases his A2 LED Onion Rings, that would be a good time for advice to be issued to members to be careful when taking out their MA02 bulbs.

 

[zipplet]

Hmm, thanks for the warning about the bulb contact. I have an A2 on the way to me (my first ever A2 and it will be my first time seeing one in person) and I'd hate to bust it!

I too have read that others have been initially disappointed by the A2 because they expect miracles due to the high price tag. I know what to expect and I bought the light based on those expectations (low floody LED beam, nice solid incan with reasonable but not huge throw) and I'm sure it will live up to those for me! Maybe it'll become a favourite?

I'll post my experience here when I get it.

 

[Carpenter]

For what it's worth:

To take the MA02 out... use a needle nose pliers, gently grip the bigger ring and pull gently until the bulb comes out of the bezel. Don't touch the bulb with your fingers. Place the bulb in the middle of your worktable or inside something as they like to roll away and/or play hide and go seek under something from time to time.


Now look at the LED ring and imaging using a #0 phillips screwdriver to remove the 3 screws holding the ring. Now also imagine removing that ring and replacing it with the onion ring you just got from Koala. Putting the screws back in, reinstalling the bulb, screwing the bezel back on the body and turning the light back on. Wow, I need to take a couple of minutes and recompose myself.

 

[fireboltr]

I knew exactly what I was getting from the get go after researching it for a week before pulling the trigger.
My MA02 had a bad connection from the word go so the beam was sicly dull and yellow. I have since bent the wire to under the hat inbetween the clip and the underside of the hat so while the head is screwed down tight it is making good pressure contact.
After figuring this out I am pleased with the light as it is what I expected....Just the lamp problem....Unfortunatly I wont be carrying it until the new LA shows up because I dont trust it at the moment...