SF A2 incandescent mods?

[marcdilnutt]

I am just about to drop the money for a Surefire A2, but with the advent of the lumens factory bulbs i am wondering if anybody has done any bulb mods to one. Specifically i want at least 150 lumens with a similar run time. I have read that the A2 has an output of about 80 lumens, as opposed to the advertised 50. Is this true, and is it going to be impressive when i first turn it on? I know its a love it or hate it light, so what are other people opinions of it and is it modable?

 

[Grox]

I don't think anyone has or will come up with a way to make an 150 lumen incandescent bulb run on 2x 123 cells. It's physically impossible at this time, as far as I know. The cells just don't contain enough energy to support a bulb of that nature.

Perhaps as technology advances, cells will become better or bulbs will become more efficient.

 

[marcdilnutt]

But the p61 can put 120 lumens out the front. I was thinking something along the lines of the mod you can do to the E2E with the p61 bulb possibly?

 

[bridgman]

Did you mean "similar runtime to a stock A2 incandescent" or "similar runtime to other upgrade bulbs of similar brightness" ?

 

[carrot]

I'm hoping for a LumensFactory bulb for the A2. Since the A2 is regulated, it probably wouldn't increase runtime at all, but it could be brighter?

 

[marcdilnutt]

What carrot said, i want more brightness than stock, and a runtime around half an hour or more.

 

[Illum]

What carrot said, i want more brightness than stock, and a runtime around half an hour or more.

with 2xcr123As...its either or
either brightness or runtime...having both be the ideal is an impossible achievement....

 

[ACMarina]

I don't think you'd want that kind of heat around your A2's components, either..

 

[DUQ]

Im looking into a possible Streamlight Stinger bi pin bulb mod.

 

[Blindasabat]

Im looking into a possible Streamlight Stinger bi pin bulb mod.

There WAS one. Have you searched? It was a Fivemega mod I think, similar to his E2E adapter. Used a streamlight bi-pin, was about $50 for the adapter and bulb. It was only about 5 months ago.

 

[DUQ]

There WAS one. Have you searched? It was a Fivemega mod I think, similar to his E2E adapter. Used a streamlight bi-pin, was about $50 for the adapter and bulb. It was only about 5 months ago.

I looked for it but didnt find it. I'll look again :thinking:

 

[marcdilnutt]

I just found the sales thread and bumped it. Please post here if you find instructions for the mod, it cant be that difficult.

 

[bwaites]

I am running the mod in one of my A2's. It actually makes an almost perfect round beam.

It is slightly brighter and the surround light is more even than the stock lamp.

My guess is somewhere around 100-120 lumens total, but that is a guess.

The advantage is that the beam is now round and the lamps are lots cheaper.

Bill

 

[marcdilnutt]

Bill,
Any idea what has to be done to the Streamlight lamp holder in order to make it work? I am tempted to buy a couple and just try and muddle it through, but some guidance would be very useful. Are you able to compare your modified holder to the stock one?
Marc

 

[bwaites]

I am using FiveMegas holder and it works fine in my A2.

Bill

 

[Blindasabat]

I am using FiveMegas holder and it works fine in my A2.

Bill

Isn't FiveMega's holder a modified Streamlight holder? If so, then can you see what was cut or modified?

Maybe 5-Mega would be willing to make another batch?

 

[bwaites]

I have no idea, I haven't seen a Streamlight holder, so I am of no help.

Bill

 

[mahoney]

I'm not sure how the adaptors were made, but I'm pretty sure it's non-trivial. A tutorial would be helpfull. I bought a couple Streamlight bulb holders, looked closely at the pictures in the sale thread, and gave it my best shot. I couldn't turn the bulb holder small enough in diameter to fit into the A2 without cutting it in half where the inner hollow steps up in size. And then there's still the contact ring and center contact to be fabricated.