Which light must go? The A2?

Having gotten thoroughly bit by the flashlight bug, I now have too many lights... (from a stuff and money perspective).

Looking at the choices, I'm thinking the A2 doesn't fit. I hate to let it go, but what's it's role anymore? It used to be my car/outdoors light, but some combo of Novatac plus G2/6P w/ Lumens factory lamps has replaced it...

From a dual mode perspective, it's outshined by my Novatac 85p. Yes, it's nice to punch up to the incan, but the low on LEDs is so blue... and the Novatac tint is so white. And when you look at two cells, the Novatac kicks it's butt on runtime on Max... So, for car/backpacking use, the Novatac wins.

From an incan perspective, it's outshined by any number of G2/6P + Lumens factory combos that can use rechargeables. Even the lowly HO-4 bulb with an AW's 17760 is substantially brighter with similar runtime. And there's the Incan plus Arc AAA option... And when I want an incan for distance outdoor lighting, I usually go to my G3.

So, how do I justify keeping it?

It's really more of an all purpose EDC light, meant to do the jobs of several different lights all in one. It's not going to outperform any of them in a direct comparison, but it does one thing all of them can't. If you don't mind carrying two lights, then you can probably let it go. If you really don't find yourself using it, even as an EDC, then let it go.

Sell off the A2 and get an L1 instead. Smaller, better, brighter. Then send off the L1 to milkyspit and have him mod it to get 5 lumen on low and 220 lumen on high. :twothumbs

Due to the A2 being popular, it is a good choice to sell. Resale value will still be high.

A2's purpose is 2 lights on 1. Low LEDs for low light use with long battery life. The incan for medium light with no dimming for almost an hour.

I guess the Novatac can replace it, since it can do both.

Sell it and :sleepy: easy...

Maybe you can justify it by buying an airplane!:twothumbs

You can't sell it! It's one of the only regulated incans out there! Try this (I wanted to sell mine until I did this): Find a target around 150 feet away in a nice dark setting THEN compare it's throw to some of your others. The A2 blew away my P2D Q5 Premium once you went past 50 feet.

I replaced my A2 white with a E1D recently. I found out that I really don't like the E1D because of the UI that activates high mode first. The A2 was great as my house light because of the low output leds that provided enough light to roam around the house late at night. I miss the A2!

Will have to see some reviews on the new E2L with low and high modes.

If you do sell your A2, be prepared for the possibility that you'll soon be ordering another one. I sold my first A2, thinking "ehh, it's nothing special." However, IMO, it's more than a sum of its parts. I have two A2's now, with another on the way. I agree that the LED's are pretty blue. However, they can be upgraded. Plus, how many other regulated incans do you have?

Wattnot said:

Maybe you can justify it by buying an airplane!:twothumbs...

Click to expand...

I went for the original green & use it everywhere. Maybe you should try a colored led replacement ring...

I have a bunch of different lights and I find that I usually grab my A2 80% of the time. If I am likely to get it dirty or wet or drop it, I grab my G3 (E0-9). All the others are more for kicks than actual need.

The A2 fits the bill for so many uses for me. I think you'll miss it when it's gone.

Of everyone on CPF, I probably hold the record of the most "I like the A2, I hate the A2, I sold the A2, I bought another A2" threads ever recorded. That being said, I still own (1) A2, however it's one of my least-used lights. It's always been too large to be considered an EDC for me, so if I grab for it, it has to be a conscious decision. The problem is that I'd never grab the A2 for the LED output and when I need an incandescent, I reach for either my Stinger or Surge. Once in awhile, I'll take the A2 camping, but more times than not I dont' bother.

So, if it were me, as long as you have a good LED light that you're comfortable using and a good incandescent light, the A2 is worth keeping.