Surefire A2 Aviator- no longer bright enough ?

Greetings Gentlemen,
As this is my very first post let me say how cool it is to have found CPF. I discovered you by accident, doing some on line research for a potentially new purchase, that being the Fenix TK10.
Up to now I've been using a SureFire A2 Aviator w/ blue LED for 1.5 years, but lately have begun to feel my A2 Aviator isn't throwing enough light here in the dark and remote north San Fernando Hills area of So CA.
Is anyone using the Surefire A2 as their primary light ? I am considering buying the Fenix TK10 and have already begun pouring through all the posts here on the Fenix .
Thanks in advance guys !

My opinion is that if or was bright enough then it is still bright enough now and if it is insufficient now your needs have either changed or you are trying to justify the purchase of a new light. Admittedly the only reason I abandoned the A2 myself is for a smaller light that offers much more runtime in a smaller package but is still just about as bright. I often miss the low flood of the A2 but I have another light that is flood only and it is very pleasing to me. If you are looking to justify the purchase of a new light hen yes by all means the A2 is totally obsolete but I myself find myself to be picking up and using mine with fair frequency.

Electric Factory said:

Is anyone using the Surefire A2 as their primary light?
Thanks in advance guys !

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More than half the time, my modded A2 is the only light I'm carrying (not counting the E0 attached to my keychain). I love using the floody and smooth SMJLEDs in it.

I still love it! With my Strion kit anyway.

My A2 (with red/white Aviatrix ring) has been my EDC since the day I got it, and I don't expect that to change anytime soon, it does exactly what I need it to do, and the combination of floody low and throwy high can't be beat, it's a pure utility light

I do pair it with my Novatac 120P, but most of the time I reach for the A2

the A2 aviator was never bright enough, LED or xenon...even since its first emergence, but thats not why we A2-nuts gets drawn to them. Brightness isn't everything...especially when it comes down to certain criterias

carrot said:

My opinion is that if or was bright enough then it is still bright enough now and if it is insufficient now your needs have either changed or you are trying to justify the purchase of a new light. .

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Curses, exposed within my very first post- possibly a new record ?
Seriously though I think you're onto something in as much as I am looking for a new light, hence my mention of the TK10.

As to the Strion Kit someone else mentioned previously- what exactly does it do for the A2 and where should I get one ?

Illum_the_nation said:

the A2 aviator was never bright enough, LED or xenon...even since its first emergence, but thats not why we A2-nuts gets drawn to them. Brightness isn't everything...especially when it comes down to certain criterias

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Hmm... please illuminate [ sorry, couldn't resist]...

The Strion Kit is made by CPF member FiveMega and sold on the CBST.

It uses the Streamlight Strion bulb to give the A2 a whiter, brighter output at the cost of only around 8 minutes less incan runtime. It is THE upgrade for the A2 and the bulbs are only 7 bucks a pop from that point on.
:thumbsup:

:welcome: https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/210254

Electric Factory said:

Hmm... please illuminate [ sorry, couldn't resist]...

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I don't speak for anyone else, but I think those "criteria" refer to the A2 being a very versatile light. Not the best in any one category (brightness, throw, etc), but great at a lot of things.

Now that it is winter jacket weather, I find myself with a WH A2 in my pocket most of the time. It is a little too big, but the combination of the LED and incan does 95% of what I need.

Just buy another light if you want, call it a present to yourself :devil:.

Welcome to CPF, Electric_Factory.

To see what the FM Strion conversion kit does for the A2, see this thread.

I still use mine frequently. Sure there are brighter lights out now than when the A2 was introduced, but as Carrot so eloquently brought out, the dark hasn't gotten any darker, and the A2 still displaces the same amount of light it always has. Love the user interface and pretty much everything about the light.

Great light even better with the Strion mod. Plenty of juice for anything but super long throw situations and of course color rendition is superior with the incan. Somewhat of a battery muncher when compared to some of my other lights.

Actually, the Strion mod may be a good answer to Electric Factory's ... increasing demands.

In that size class, I would go for an 18650 Li-Ion cell powered light and keep the A2
... check the Jetbeam Jet III models

biggest pro (except for the cell itself): the totally individual brightness settings (called I.B.S. behind the names)



PS: the A2s main bulb is regulated, yes? Will this still be available with that kit? Or is the driver situated directly in the original bulb holder assembly ?

Electric Factory said:

Hmm... please illuminate [ sorry, couldn't resist]...

Click to expand...

well, I can't say for others, but me personally I'm just drawn to the design, and the color temperature at which the A2 outputs, 5500K...white and hot ...not yellow and warm, that and once your eyes are partially adjusted to the darkness, 50 lumens [or rather...more like 80 lumens] is just right for the high beams: bright enough to locate and navigate in the dark, and not wash out any objects at close distances. The color rendition is by far the best out of stock lights I've owned and appear to remain as such despite the recent gains of new LED lights.

While indoors, yeah the A2 by nature is quite dim, the LEDs on mine couldn't surpass the gerber trio and the incandescent compared to my garage tasklight [mag85] well...suddenly it feels like a E1e with alot of added weight.

Carrot started me and a couple on this A2 route, personally I've found the light to nailed me into my chair with fascination, made me shout for joy when I compared it against other lights or tagged it along for a trip, and occiasionally.... scared the hell out of me when it fails to function correctly

Electric Factory - You might want to keep track on the new Inova Inforce Color model. It's main white LED is multilevel and brighter at max(although without the incan color temp) and the color model has Rebel colored LED's around the bezels if you use/need that featue on your A2.

yellow said:

In that size class, I would go for an 18650 Li-Ion cell powered light and keep the A2
... check the Jetbeam Jet III models

biggest pro (except for the cell itself): the totally individual brightness settings (called I.B.S. behind the names)



PS: the A2s main bulb is regulated, yes? Will this still be available with that kit? Or is the driver situated directly in the original bulb holder assembly ?

Click to expand...

The electronics are within the body of the flashlight and swapping out the bulb will not affect the regulation.

Electric Factory: If you want to get a new light, then get one, but IMHO the A2 is a fantastic light and is bright enough for most purposes. Get the Fivemega Strion upgrade and you'll be happy. Then buy another light just because.

Based on the glowing reports I'm at this point sold on trying the Strion kit, though after reading several pages of user posts it appears several have had significant difficulty installing it.
That said, I'm wondering if the maker will do installs for [paying] clients who send their A2's for the kit modification ? I admit with embarrassed regret that I am somewhat mechanically challenged, I'd HATE to break either bulb, kit part or anything else out of being fumble-fingered:huh:.
Also, thanks sincerely for the warm welcome, I've already picked up tons of useful info from Carrot, Sgt LED, Illum_the_nation and others.
Currently I'm using the aforementioned Surefire A2 Aviator and a Surefire E2DL-BK Defender.