Longest throw 2AA...

I've seen quite a few posts concerning the longest throw 4AA lights, but I don't recall ever seeing anything concerning how well some of the 2AA lights throw. In my "humble but growing" flashlight collection (...I'm up to 55 lights; that's starting at 11 lights when I became a member in Mar '02...) I only have 8 2AA lights, and 2 of 'em aren't even worth mentioning. Of the 6 I'll mention, I'll list them from best to worst in terms of throw, and then in terms of beam quality...all lights tested with fresh alkaline batteries of the same type:

Throw

Mag 2AA w/ Nexstar
Rayovac Prodigy w/halogen bulb
Brinkmann Nexstar 2AA
S&W 14mm Ballistic
Bison 2AA
Garrity (Ozark Trail) 2AA

Beam Quality (overall smoothness)

S&W 14mm Ballistic Lite
Bison 2AA
Rayovac Prodigy w/halogen bulb
Brinkmann Nexstar 2AA
Mag 2AA w/Nexstar
Garrity (Ozark Trail) 2AA

My comparisons were based solely on my own observations shining the lights on their tightest focus (as it applies...) at the side of a garage about 250 feet away. Only measureing equipment was my original issue eyeballs (...boy, talk about a layman's comparison ...). Anyway, there you have it. I'm sure others would come up with varying results for the same lights, but under my "normal use" scenario, that's how mine fared. Just thought I'd share these very unscientific comparisons with my fellow CPFers.

PJD

...there is nothing in the world more frustrating than a lousy beam...

Originally posted by lemlux:
PJD:

My longest throw 2AA is my Streamlight ProPoly 2AA. It is considerably longer throw with alkalines than a Mag 2AA with Nexstar bulbs and lithiums. Lithium AA's blow the ProPoly bulb very quickly. I don't have any of your other 2AA combinations.

The Streamlight is about the same brightness my aluminum RadioShack 2AA PR based flashlight with a modded bulb and lithium AA's. I use the 2.8 0.55 A DB4AA / DB4AAA Xenon bulb plugged into a Carley 912 PR based bi-pin Socket. This is the only way I'm willing to use my OEM DB4AAA and DB4AA bulbs.

Click to expand...

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">I've been looking for a reason to buy a 2aa streamlight. How even is the beam?

PJD:

My longest throw 2AA is my Streamlight ProPoly 2AA. It is considerably longer throw with alkalines than a Mag 2AA with Nexstar bulbs and lithiums. Lithium AA's blow the ProPoly bulb very quickly. I don't have any of your other 2AA combinations.

The Streamlight is about the same brightness my aluminum RadioShack 2AA PR based flashlight with a modded bulb and lithium AA's. I use the 2.8 0.55 A DB4AA / DB4AAA Xenon bulb plugged into a Carley 912 PR based bi-pin Socket. This is the only way I'm willing to use my OEM DB4AAA and DB4AA bulbs.

Albany Tom:

Hot spot is smooth and rather narrow and corona is rather dim. I don't use mine much because of the dim corona. It sits in a kitchen drawer most of the time. It's more pleasureable than a Minimag, though. I've toyed with the idea of using Writewrite to diffuse more light into the corona.