UK 2L - a great "winter light"

UK 2L - a great "winter light"

We went out walking this evening for about 1 1/2 hours. It was in the +20's F with a very brisk wind, and because my parka impeded easy access to my belt carried lights I moved my 2L to my right parka pocket and started to experiment with it.

I practised taking it out of the pocket, turning it on and off one-handed, returning it to the pocket, then repeating this several times. Even though I was wearing warmly lined leather gloves of medium thickness, I was able to do this easily using one hand. Then I kept the light on constantly for approximately an additional hour and twenty minutes with virtually no apparent dimming. The lithium batteries shrugged off the cold and the 3 hr + runtime of the light took the long burn in stride while providing the equivalent of an ordinary 3 D cell light. All this in a four and one quarter inch, two and one half ounce (with batteries) package; and yes, the beam was fine, if not exactly faceted reflector-perfect.

By the way, in a side by side burn test with the Tec 40 (repeated 3x with different batteries) although the Tec 40 was brighter for the first 1/2 hr or so, the 2L soon pulled ahead and remained brighter until the 3rd hour, when it gradually fell behind as the lithiums began their decline.

This is one H*LL of a light! Yes, you have to be a little fussy in selecting the lamp assemblies, but this light is like the American Express card, especially in Winter: "Don't leave home without it"!

All the best in the coming year,
Brightnorm

Re: UK 2L - a great "winter light"

I'm sold. Now where can I find these for ~$20 (US)? I'm going to start early on 2002 Christmas shopping and the included batteries will easily store 'til December.

My internet searchs (google) have turned up almost no web dealers in the US. C'mon you UK 2L owners, where'd you get yours? And which color (black or yellow) did you select?
Why?

Re: UK 2L - a great "winter light"

Try www.brightguy.com , they have good prices, good service, and are friendly to deal with. They get four Badger Stars from me.

Re: UK 2L - a great "winter light"

Sounds like a good light you've got there. I checked them out at brightguy.com and found the UK light that grabs me the most. It's the UK Mini Q40 (a dive light) which I think is similar to the UK 4aa which I think might also be similar to the UK 2L.

Is anyone familiar with the differences between the Q40/4aa and the 2L in terms of size, weight, and light output? Is the 2L better?

Re: UK 2L - a great "winter light"

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Steven:

Is anyone familiar with the differences between the Q40/4aa and the 2L in terms of size, weight, and light output? Is the 2L better?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Hi Steven,

The UK 4AA and the 2L use identical bezel/lamps and so put out the same beam. The 4AA is significantly bigger and heavier than the 2L, although it is still one of the smallest 4AA lights. Its advantages over the 2L are mainly financial (4AA batteries rather than 2 123 lithiums) plus perhaps a 10 minute longer run time.

The Q40 is one of the few 4AA lights that I don't own, but based on the descriptions that I've seen it has a very narrow beam, good for peering into underwater crevices but not so good for walking. I don't like to pass judgment on a light I haven't personally tried so I'm going to order one today.

One final note on the 2L (also applies to the 4AA): The only potential shortcoming of this light is the variation in beam quality from one integrated lamp/reflector to the next. (I referred to this in my original post as "you have to be a little fussy in selecting lamp assemblies"). Generally they are OK, but occasionally you'll get one that is mediocre. That's why I usually buy a few more than I need, and since you'll want extra lamps anyway it shoudn't be a problem.

By the way, I recently ordered extra lamp assemblies and found that they worked in the 4AA but not in the 2L, even though they're supposed to work in both. They were black with "made in Mexico" stamped in red. To avoid this problem, I suggest you discuss it with the vendor directly. BrightGuy's contact is Greg Atwell. He's very pleasant and accommodating.

Best Regards,
Brightnorm