Can 1 A2 be brighter than another????

I have had a red LED A2 for about a year now and recently purchased a white one. The first thing I noticed was that the white LED A2 appeared to be brighter/whiter. I am referring to the incandescent lamp obviously. After reading different threads and cleaning all of the contacts I tried a side by side comparison and found the white LED A2 consistantly brighter/whiter. I tried new cells in both, switching lamps and tailcaps all with the same result. This has led me to conclude it is as a result of one of the following.

1)Newer A2s have been tweaked to be slightly brighter/whiter?

2)The red LEDs give the incadescent lamp a slightly warmer tint?

3)There is something inherently wrong with my red A2?

Any A2 gurus advice and comments would be greatly appreciated.


Paul

:candle:

By the way the difference is subtle and not something I can't live with. I just want to make sure there isn't something wrong with my red A2.

i think thats just the incandescent filament deteriorating. but im not sure. i think that a haze builds up on the interior of the bulb tho and would probably detract form the lights overall output.

Thanks for your reply mossyoak, but I thought of that and switched lamps getting the same results. The white LED A2 still seemed to be whiter/brighter with either incandescent lamp module.

Paul

1: not sure, [I have the old squared model]
2: not necessarily warmer, but tint shift is observable in close distances, whether that may have contributed to your question depends on how far your observing the beam from
3: probably not, new batteries is one thing, but dirty contacts can also decrease the output. try cleaning the contact points with rubbing alcohol then try again.

Hope this helps

mossyoak: he said he switched lamps too though...

You could measure current draw going to the bulb to see if the circuits are delivering the same amount of power to each bulb to see if they changed the circuit maybe?

Could be new design on the reflector that maximizes the output, or the White LED's or Red LED's surface is more reflective, I'm surprised you would notice a difference but, you could try cleaning every contact. Seems to be a rather reacurring problem.

Greetings!

I'm guessing that the LED's are adding to the brightness on the White A2. I just tested two of my A2's, a Red LED and a White LED - indoors and outdoors. Indoors, on a wall, the White LED A2 seems about 25% brighter than the Red LED A2, exactly like you've described. However... I went out in my back yard, and shone both of them on a tree about 30' away... and they both appeared to be equally bright. This tells me that it is the LED's causing the brightness difference - not the incandescent bulb.

Best wishes,
Bawko

Doh! Atomic_Chicken saw the obvious!! Of course the white leds will help add to the light! Doh!! That's gotta be it. I feel silly now.

Atomic_Chicken said:

This tells me that it is the LED's causing the brightness difference - not the incandescent bulb.

Click to expand...

That was also my experience while doing the A2 LED shootout.

Of my three A2's, I have one that has a much tighter beam than the other two. It doesn't matter if I switch the lamps or LED rings or bodies or tailcaps around. I think there are some minor variations in the machining and coatings of the reflectors that can make one A2 seem brighter or throw further than another.

Quick question about the A2: If the bulb is blown do the LEDs still work ?

Thanks!
Luigi

i have a new white a2 (about 6months old) then i recently got another A2 this one white. i think the white A2 is brighter, i dont know why but i really think it is. i sold that A2 to my freind, and we are always comparing them side by side and mine apears white where hiw seams more brown or yellow. it is very hard to tell and you have to look closly to notice it but i do think my white A2 is brighter.

luigi said:

Quick question about the A2: If the bulb is blown do the LEDs still work ?

Thanks!
Luigi

Click to expand...

Yes, that's why the LEDs remain on when the incandscent main beam is on.

Thanks that was why I was asking, yet another nice detail of the A2 !

Size15's said:

Yes, that's why the LEDs remain on when the incandscent main beam is on.

Click to expand...

benchie, lamps do "brown" with use. You wouldn't notice unless you were comparing side by side like you did.

Oh, and I finally got around to asking SF about the LED's: no, they haven't changed them so the brightness should be the same across lights with the same LED color.

greenLED said:

benchie, lamps do "brown" with use. You wouldn't notice unless you were comparing side by side like you did.

Oh, and I finally got around to asking SF about the LED's: no, they haven't changed them so the brightness should be the same across lights with the same LED color.

Click to expand...

the only problem Green is that my A2 is older and has more use than his A2. my A2 has gone through about 6ix sets of batts and his is still on the first. the onlt time you really notice it is when you are white wall hunting, other than that in "real" use you dont notice it. i even switched out lamps thinking that he may have had a bad one, and that did not work. of corse his beam was more round and not as oval as mine, but mine is brighter.

Atomic_Chicken said:

Greetings!

I'm guessing that the LED's are adding to the brightness on the White A2. I just tested two of my A2's, a Red LED and a White LED - indoors and outdoors. Indoors, on a wall, the White LED A2 seems about 25% brighter than the Red LED A2, exactly like you've described. However... I went out in my back yard, and shone both of them on a tree about 30' away... and they both appeared to be equally bright. This tells me that it is the LED's causing the brightness difference - not the incandescent bulb.

Best wishes,
Bawko

Click to expand...

this is where having more than one A2s helps....