Upgrade P20A2 for bike....2 x AA preferred

[jt7747]

I've been cycling at night with my P20A2 (mk1) strapped to my handlebars with one of those velcro block things. I've been using the diffuser because the beam has quite a small centre. It's a darn sight better than most cyclists' lights.

I've heard the LD20 r4 would be good for cycling, I could even run both. I'm happy with the 2 x AA system, very easy for me, so if anyone has any advice for a bike friendly light please chip in.

As has been discussed many times, I'm still kinda disappointed with the p20a2's strobe mode which comes on too easily. I know it's been fixed in the mk2, but it kinda makes me worry about a company such as Eagletac that could even get such a design past the drawing board. I mean, didn't the designers think that having the strobe come on up to 4 secs after the first push was a bit too long? A 1 second delay, sure, but 4? We all make mistakes, and maybe it was only after feedback that they redesigned it, but I'm keen to know why it happened in the first place. When the p20a2 was first released didn't users complain about how the fine light had been crippled by its over enthusiastic blinking mode?

 

[JaguarDave-in-Oz]

I've been cycling at night with my P20A2 (mk1) strapped to my handlebars with one of those velcro block things. I've been using the diffuser because the beam has quite a small centre. It's a darn sight better than most cyclists' lights.
...
As has been discussed many times, I'm still kinda disappointed with the p20a2's strobe mode which comes on too easily. I know it's been fixed in the mk2, but it kinda makes me worry about a company such as Eagletac that could even get such a design past the drawing board. I mean, didn't the designers think that having the strobe come on up to 4 secs after the first push was a bit too long? A 1 second delay, sure, but 4? We all make mistakes, and maybe it was only after feedback that they redesigned it, but I'm keen to know why it happened in the first place. When the p20a2 was first released didn't users complain about how the fine light had been crippled by its over enthusiastic blinking mode?

The MkII versions don't have such a pointy beam as the "mkI" but they do throw out plenty of light. I admit I am well past the age where bicycle riding is an attractive pastime but from memories of my childhood and teenage years, I'd have thought the new MkII beam shape would be perfect for riding a bicycle. Strong but slightly diffused centre spot with very bright spill.

As to worrying about "a company such as Eagletac", I'd not be worrying about the company, they aren't going to be riding their bicycles alongside you, maybe just treat the torch on its own merits and worry about whether the torch itself suits your use.

I have both "mkI" and MkII torches and I found that the old version's strobe wasn't the pain in the behind I expected it to be but anyway, the new MkII allows strobe to be disabled from the tailcap sequence so the whole issue isn't really relevant to your choice process anyway.

The MkII torch is a very good one.

 

[fannin]

I've been cycling at night with my P20A2 (mk1) strapped to my handlebars with one of those velcro block things. I've been using the diffuser because the beam has quite a small centre. It's a darn sight better than most cyclists' lights.

I've heard the LD20 r4 would be good for cycling, I could even run both. I'm happy with the 2 x AA system, very easy for me, so if anyone has any advice for a bike friendly light please chip in.

As has been discussed many times, I'm still kinda disappointed with the p20a2's strobe mode which comes on too easily. I know it's been fixed in the mk2, but it kinda makes me worry about a company such as Eagletac that could even get such a design past the drawing board. I mean, didn't the designers think that having the strobe come on up to 4 secs after the first push was a bit too long? A 1 second delay, sure, but 4? We all make mistakes, and maybe it was only after feedback that they redesigned it, but I'm keen to know why it happened in the first place. When the p20a2 was first released didn't users complain about how the fine light had been crippled by its over enthusiastic blinking mode?

the ld20 is a much smaller and lighter light but will be significantly less bright than your p20a2 r2, albeit maybe more floody

the p20a2 r2 strobe is a joke but if you can get past that the light is an excellent outdoor light because of it's superior throw

if you want more flood with similar throw to your p20a2 the dereelight javelin would give you that, it's a similar size/weigth to the p20a2 but it's not as sturdy as the fenix or eagletac would be in case of a fall

 

[jt7747]

OK thanks. The P20A2 mk1 was on special which is why I bought it.

It would be nice to judge each lights on its own merits, but does it really make sense? My understanding here is that people place a lot of trust on the brand. Eg fenix is considered to be a reliable brand. Are you suggesting we ignore brand info and focus solely on each product, because I happen to believe brand reputation is quite an important factor.

That's why it worries me that eagletac were capable of putting to market a light with a feature that's been widely condemned by recreational users.

I shall consider the points about flood and throw, thank you

 

[Chevy-SS]

I have the P20A2 MkII version. On the MkII you can disable the strobe, but I don't believe that's possible on the MkI version.

Also, on my P20A2, I made sure to order the OP (textured) reflector. This gives a floodier hotspot. I believe I heard that EagleTac is gonna start making the OP reflector the default. Currently the OP reflector is an option, with the SMO (smooth) reflector as default.

So, if anyone is looking to buy the AA*2 P20A2, be sure to get the MkII version, and be sure to specify the OP reflector!

My recent purchases:

-

 

[rice rocket]

Eagletac doesn't care what you think, as long as you buy.

Do what many have done on this forum; get your P60 host of choice (which is REALLY hard to mess up), and find a P60 drop-in that suits your needs exactly. Floody or throwy, simple or advanced UI, it's all up to you.

 

[JaguarDave-in-Oz]

Are you suggesting we ignore brand info and focus solely on each product, because I happen to believe brand reputation is quite an important factor.

That's why it worries me that eagletac were capable of putting to market a light with a feature that's been widely condemned by recreational

The strobe on the original version commanded a few comments from people on this site, that's hardly evidence of widespread condemnation.

The original version's strobe on tight head worked exactly the same as Fenix and Quark and a bazillion other brand's implementations. Some people like that, some dont. Time delay on mine is approximately the same as on all my quarks.

The difference between the eagle and all those other brands was that the eagle also made strobe available on the head loose mode. That actually suited some people because the torch was bright enough in "general" mode wiht such good runtime (especially in 123 format) that many rarely ever used it on head tight. For some who rode bicycles or "ran" the ability to quickly flash from medium to a strobe warning was a desirable feature. Some liked it, some louder ones did not but that does not mean it was "widely" condemned.

Further, one did not have to wait with the light off for or for five seconds to get back to steady light mode, one simply needed to click again.

Condemnation from a few on here did not mean that eagletac's designers were the cretins you seem to make out. It's just that they chose to design for a different usage pattern in the market than that envisaged by some members here.

It is also to their credit that in the MkII version the eagletac designers came up with a novel way to make that one click strobe access completely optional for the user so that both sets of users could now be satisfied. That's a feature that fenix and quark and a bunch of others might take a worthwhile lead from.

Am I saying you should ignore "brand reputation"? Well, "brand reputation" means nothing to me. I've been led down too many garden paths following that line of thinking in the past. I'm much more interested in any one particular model light's reputation followed by the individual retailer's reputation. I buy a "model" not a brand and I buy from a retailer, not a "brand" house.

 

[fannin]

The strobe on the original version commanded a few comments from people on this site, that's hardly evidence of widespread condemnation.

The original version's strobe on tight head worked exactly the same as Fenix

the real kick in the teeth to me with my p20a2 is that is has a nice forward clicky that is rendered useless by the strobe, my fenix ld20's have the reverse clicky which i do not prefer (it is the best clicky i have ever used though) but is much more suited to this kind of strobe.

the p20a2 mk1 would be a much better light without the strobe, i just see it as a superior 2xaa thrower with high, med and low and don't even consider using the momentary on

 

[JaguarDave-in-Oz]

the p20a2 mk1 would be a much better light without the strobe, i just see it as a superior 2xaa thrower with high, med and low and don't even consider using the momentary on

Yes, that's fair comment.

I often use my "MkI" P20C2 because there are times where I want that bit better throw (and better tint) than my MkII P20C2. I do use the momentary but have trained my brain to only use it once (not so easy for me to do after a long time of having the ease of my Led Lenser P7 momentary function).

Yes, the momentary thing is a pain for some of us and many have grown used to reverse switches on this strobing type of torch. I, for one, prefer the forward switch irrespective of whether a torch is designed for repetitive momentary use or not but then I guess I'm used to it having fitted forward switches to all my Quark regualar UI torches too. I just prefer that type of switch. Hate having to wait for the click for the light to come on and don't mind clicking again to change modes, once again I guess a legacy of all that time with the LL P7.

 

[fannin]

Yes, that's fair comment.

I often use my "MkI" P20C2 because there are times where I want that bit better throw (and better tint) than my MkII P20C2. I do use the momentary but have trained my brain to only use it once (not so easy for me to do after a long time of having the ease of my Led Lenser P7 momentary function).

Yes, the momentary thing is a pain for some of us and many have grown used to reverse switches on this strobing type of torch. I, for one, prefer the forward switch irrespective of whether a torch is designed for repetitive momentary use or not but then I guess I'm used to it having fitted forward switches to all my Quark regualar UI torches too. I just prefer that type of switch. Hate having to wait for the click for the light to come on and don't mind clicking again to change modes, once again I guess a legacy of all that time with the LL P7.

i prefer a forward clicky too but it's not a deal breaker for me and if a light has this kind of strobe i prefer the ld20 reverse setup

do you find that your eagletac mk1 throws a lot further than your mk2 then? i had a derelight javelin with the xpg-r5 and it threw pretty much almost as far as my p20a2 r2 mk1 but with more flood and i always thought that the mk 2 xpg-r5 eagletacs would be similar to the javelin?

 

[JaguarDave-in-Oz]

do you find that your eagletac mk1 throws a lot further than your mk2 then? i had a derelight javelin with the xpg-r5 and it threw pretty much almost as far as my p20a2 r2 mk1 but with more flood and i always thought that the mk 2 xpg-r5 eagletacs would be similar to the javelin?

My MkII throws not that far at all from my "MkI" in normal conditions but when there's mist, fog, dust, rain or any other conditions that adversely affect visibility the more focussed beam of the "MkI" throws quite a bit further by both cutting through better and by not throwing up so much of a "wall" of lit mist/dust etc to see through (though that might be exacerbated by the cooler tint of the new model reflecting more "white" or something). The tint of the earlier model seems to allow better contrast on dewy and frosty grass too.

As for reverse switches the fact that one has to remove pressure from them to make contact is kind of the opposite of all the other switches that I deal with on machines, houses etc so reverse switches just feel un-natural to me.

 

[fannin]

My MkII throws not that far at all from my "MkI" in normal conditions but when there's mist, fog, dust, rain or any other conditions that adversely affect visibility the more focussed beam of the "MkI" throws quite a bit further by both cutting through better and by not throwing up so much of a "wall" of lit mist/dust etc to see through (though that might be exacerbated by the cooler tint of the new model reflecting more "white" or something). The tint of the earlier model seems to allow better contrast on dewy and frosty grass too.

As for reverse switches the fact that one has to remove pressure from them to make contact is kind of the opposite of all the other switches that I deal with on machines, houses etc so reverse switches just feel un-natural to me.

interesting

totally with you on the reverse clicky thing

my p20a2 is a pretty white tint, would be pretty cool to most, how are yours?

 

[JaguarDave-in-Oz]

my p20a2 is a pretty white tint, would be pretty cool to most, how are yours?

My p20c2 "MkI" is what I would call a "pretty white tint", about on a par with my Premium Q5 L1D fenix if anything. It's actually what I'd call the pefect tint for night time yard, paddock and bush use. I've had to get past the strobe issue because I do really appreciate the tint, throw and strong spill of this torch and find this older version in my pocket more than I'd care to admit.

The MkII is quite a bit cooler, about as cool as one could go without taking a real dive into blue/violet. Excellent for daytime use, maybe cooler than I'd really like for night time open country use and does flatten off the colour a bit when walking on grass so I have to look a bit harder than I like to prevent treading on brown coloured frogs (which recently have been in plague proportions on my place).

 

[jt7747]

Well, I've just ordered the Javelin for 40 pounds UK. I like the idea of upgrading it with p60 drop ins, whatever they are!

I've got two lockblock mounts, I'll keep the p20a2 with the diffused pointed low in front of the wheel, and the Javelin will be pointing further in front. Hopefully will be a killer combination for cycling!

 

[fannin]

My p20c2 "MkI" is what I would call a "pretty white tint", about on a par with my Premium Q5 L1D fenix if anything. It's actually what I'd call the pefect tint for night time yard, paddock and bush use. I've had to get past the strobe issue because I do really appreciate the tint, throw and strong spill of this torch and find this older version in my pocket more than I'd care to admit.

The MkII is quite a bit cooler, about as cool as one could go without taking a real dive into blue/violet. Excellent for daytime use, maybe cooler than I'd really like for night time open country use and does flatten off the colour a bit when walking on grass so I have to look a bit harder than I like to prevent treading on brown coloured frogs (which recently have been in plague proportions on my place).

nice, cheers dave

i would have thought the new versions would have been warmer

 

[fannin]

Well, I've just ordered the Javelin for 40 pounds UK. I like the idea of upgrading it with p60 drop ins, whatever they are!

I've got two lockblock mounts, I'll keep the p20a2 with the diffused pointed low in front of the wheel, and the Javelin will be pointing further in front. Hopefully will be a killer combination for cycling!

did you get xpg-r5 version?

 

[JaguarDave-in-Oz]

nice, cheers dave

i would have thought the new versions would have been warmer

Maybe I got one of the coolest ones, it was one of the first (and I htink my "MkI" was one of the very last). I'm just thankful it didn't come with the sickly green tint of my R5 XP-G Quark regular (that's not to say that all Quark XP-G's are green. My two Quark Turbo's both have very cool tints).

 

[jt7747]

I've just received the Javelin with XP-G R5. It's the most horrible green tint compared to the p20a2 r2. Though I realise the comparing them side by side will highlight how cool the r2 is in comparison.

I'm keen to try the javelin with a third AA if I can find an extension tube, otherwise I have to say I'm very disappointed at this stage with the greenness of the light. I will wait till dark before getting too depressed, but it doesn't strike me as any brighter than the p20a2.

 

[fannin]

I've just received the Javelin with XP-G R5. It's the most horrible green tint compared to the p20a2 r2. Though I realise the comparing them side by side will highlight how cool the r2 is in comparison.

I'm keen to try the javelin with a third AA if I can find an extension tube, otherwise I have to say I'm very disappointed at this stage with the greenness of the light. I will wait till dark before getting too depressed, but it doesn't strike me as any brighter than the p20a2.

no way man, sorry to hear that. my jav r5 was perfect tintwise (slightly warm to me, most would see it as pure white) and beamwise also. this seemed to be the norm for most people, i never heard of anyone getting a green one.

my jav r5 threw about the same as my p20a2 r2 (maybe not quite as far) but was much floodier (much much floodier) and free from the artifacts that the p20a2 exhibits (they do not bother me, i know why they are there)

if you want an extension you should be able to get one from dereelight website no problem.

did you buy the light new? i would return it if you're not happy