Streamlight Twin Task 2L vs. A2

The Streamlight Twin Task 2L seems to be a knockoff of the Surefire A2. The specs shown on Brightguy say 72 lumens for 2.5 hours, whereas the A2 is 50 lumens for 1 hour. The Streamlight is on sale for 30 bucks, the A2 for $150. Are the Streamlight stats for real? Has anyone compared the two lights head to head?

I'm a Surefire fan and have an A2 on order. I find it hard to believe, well, impossible, that Streamlight has made a brighter light that lasts longer.

If you're on a budget or don't want to spend an excessive amount, the Streamlight is for you. i have a 1L and couldn't be happier.

It replaced an E1e with KL1 head. Why have a $100 light that does incandescent or led when a $20 light does them both!!

If you don't require a pocket clip why not? With the price of Surefire's being rediculously high, the money you save could buy batteries or more lights!

I have an E2e and love it, but had there been a much more economical choice i surely would have considered it.

Candlepow,

Welcome to CPF!

We have learned to always take claims and specs with a grain (or shaker) of salt. The uniqueness of the A2 lies in two specific features. The single tailswitch that integrates all functions with a single push, and most importantly, the regulation circuit which will give you rock-steady illumination for 40+ minutes with no dimming whatsoever.

As of this date it may well be the world's first and only xenon/LED production light with these features.

The Twin Task lights, based on my very quick appraisal are perfectly competant lights that appear to be either based on or produced with Nuwai lights, which have been mentioned/reviewed on the Forums. I have no doubt that the Streamlights are excellent, but they do not have the capabilities of the A2.

The TT 2L (the name sounds like a UnderwaterKinetics knockoff) may also be larger and heavier than the A2, because even thouggh the A2 is a bit on the long side it has a relatively narrow diameter. I'm not sure of this but you can look up the specs.

Good luck on your new interest/addiction.
Brightnorm

My Streamlight 2L TT is not quite as bright as my SF P6, or Scorpion. The specs show a lesser amp draw from the TT, therefore less brightness, and longer run time. I'm happy as a clam with mine (all of them) and find absolutely NOTHING to apologise about.

Considering a cost/quality/function equation, I find the TT's superior to the A2. Simple as that.

John that is interesting to note because I don't believe the A2 runs at a higher lumen rating (50 lumens according to SF specs) due to regulation as an attempt at longer runtimes and more consistent light, could it be that the Streamlight achieves the same ends without regulation? Does the Streamlight 2L also have two stage switch activation of the LED's or is that just the larger ones?

Later,
TSG /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

The 2L has a LED/off/Xenon/off, and then repeat (as does the 1 L model) The 3C TT has a 3 LED/6LED/Xenon/off switch.. I think the 2 L simply has a lower wattage bulb. Several have conjectured about switching to a another bi-pin for more brightness.

As I said in another thread, I love my high output 6 volt SF's and SL's, but hate the almost instant battery drain. I think I'll stick with the lower wattage bulb for now.

My 6P's for example will give about 30 minutes nice stuff, then quickly yellow and dim. I don't have to tell the learned CPF members that for sure.

I sure do like the TT line.

I do appreciate the high standing that many CPF members hold ALL Surefire products, but these TT's will give them a GOOD run for the money. I know I can count from $ 30 to $ 150 quite easily. That difference pretty much covers buying ALL the rest of the TT line.

I am again astonished at the quality of the finish and machining of the TT's. I tire of cleaning cruddy threads in my CMG's, and some others I will not name fearing the wrath decending upon this helpless flashaholic.

Received my 3AA TT's today, rounding out my purchase (no 2D model). I have never had a 3 AA before and kinda like it, and the 3AA Lux. They simply slip through the belt for carry. All of them are quite attractive lights. Very pleased. (I think I have already said that).

Johnk, well said, well said indeed. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Thanks for the reviews and info. I am glad to hear they are good lights. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Maybe you could tell us more about the 3 AA lux over in the LED forum?

Later,
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The Xenergy AL-606, which appears to be a cousin to the TT-2L, is 3 led, 6 led, or a 4.8V 0.9A Xenon. The box claims 10.8 lumens with all 6 leds on and 90 lumens with the Xenon on. Sizs is 38mm x 142mm and 200g with two batteries. Runtime plots are in the Reviews forum,

I have an older SureFire 6P with a KL3, and just received a TwinTask 2L. It's strictly subjective, but the intensity of the beams are similar across a darkened room. The TwinTask 2L Xenon is whiter, the KL3 has a bluish tint. The beam of the TwinTask Xenon is similar to my SureFire E1E. The TwinTask is much more compact than the 6P/KL3. I have not compared run times, but the TwinTask strikes me as a pretty good bang for the buck IMO.
Jim

"The Streamlight Twin Task 2L seems to be a knockoff of the Surefire A2."

Except that the TT 2L was already out in another form (Nuwai AL-606) before Surefire got the A2 to market... The TT-2L is nothing more than the next cosmetic revision of the AL-606 and that's about it.

The idea of having Incandescent and LED in the same light is not a brand new idea. Streamlight and Surefire both had lights on the market that contained both some time ago. These are just evolutions of the same basic idea.

The Surefire is for top of the line, best quality, finest you can get, money is no object type people who want it for a) "cool factor" {personally I have a less gracious term for it, but I'm trying to remain objective here} -or- b) because it is a tool that has the features that fit their true professional needs.

Meanwhile the TwinTasks are for those people who would rather get the for the most part the same functionality while foregoing all the bells and whistles. Out of the gate they are demonstrating themselves to be excellent, economical alternatives.

Either way, they're both good lights. It's up to each individual to decide if it's worth it to themselves to spend the rather large cost difference between the two for the additional features of the A2.

I thought it was SureFire that have the patent for the two light sources in one reflector (9N).

Al

Patents are pretty specific and one of the first things they teach product designers is that if you alter a product slightly from the patented format you slide by the legal restrictions. Learned that from a buddy of mine who is a product designer with a group that practises what I call Guerrilla-design, they are disenchanted designers who create lots of Artistic, semi-useless or goofy products here...

elseware design group

Later,
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If so, I would expect that they would have enforced it by legal means long before now... More than likely it's unenforceable if it exists.

Do you have a US patent number, Al? I would be curious to see the patent. Understand I'm not trying to be a wise-butt, but I've heard this argument before and the weight of evidence seems against the existence of this patent.

The closest I could find with a patent search (http://patft.uspto.gov/netahtml/search-bool.html) under "Matthews; John Wallace" and "Kim; Paul Youngcho" were the following:

"A flashlight beam is cast with a first lamp and reflector assembly, an alternative second lamp and reflector assembly is substituted for that first lamp and reflector assembly and a second light beam of a different configuration is cast with that alternative second lamp and reflector assembly."

Which describes 2 separate lamp assemblies, not 2 sources in one reflector.

And this one:

"A flashlight having a flashlight head with two merged yet independent lamp/reflector systems, the head including a common reflector structure having two reflectors of differing light projecting characteristics, the two reflectors arranged side by side with a common boundary across part of the common reflector structure."

Which describes 2 lamps in 2 merged reflectors.

Besides, the 9N uses 2 incandescent bulbs (correct?), not an incandescent and LED.

My primary point was that it's hard to call the TT a knockoff of the A2 when:

1) other incandescent/LED lighting solutions were already on the market
2) The A2 has very significant additional features not found in the TT lights
3) A "knockoff" implies generally identical in form and function, which is not the case here.

For that matter, if the criteria used to consider the TT a knockoff of the A2 are applied evenly across the board, I could call all of them knockoffs of the Streamlight Trident, which also has 3 LEDs and an incandescent bulb in one reflector... So what if they have completely different features. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif

I don't consider the TT2L a knockoff of the A2. It doesn't do what the A2 does in terms of switching or regulation etc.
I don't care that a mass market quality product has been released. Good for Streamlight. Increase people's expectations of what a flashlight should do. Give the other manufacturers a reason to develop new products.

I'm interested in cool science. The A2 is a long, expensive two cell when SureFire have been pushing for the shortest, smallest flashlight and using these attributes to sell the E2e. The A2 is cool science. Perhaps it can be shrunk some more, but when I see how it first started, SureFire have worked wonders already!

The ArcLSH-P is also cool science. I don't need one because I have thirst for 5W and want to save my money for those. But it's cool science and I respect that.

The Photon3 is cool science. They have pushed forward as others have come into the market with versions of PI and PII.

Best value and price are not important to me.
I don't find the TT2L cool. It may do what it does well and a cheap price but it isn't cool science.

Other members can put the TT2L and the other SL-TT's to good use in many applications. I've not got any problems with that - I'm glad CPF can help.

------------------------------------------------------

Back on the TT2L vs. A2 topic, have any photos of the TT2L next to the A2 been posted?

Thanks

Al

[ QUOTE ]
JimM said:
I have an older SureFire 6P with a KL3, and just received a TwinTask 2L. It's strictly subjective, but the intensity of the beams are similar across a darkened room. The TwinTask 2L Xenon is whiter, the KL3 has a bluish tint. The beam of the TwinTask Xenon is similar to my SureFire E1E. The TwinTask is much more compact than the 6P/KL3. I have not compared run times, but the TwinTask strikes me as a pretty good bang for the buck IMO.
Jim

[/ QUOTE ]

Correct me if I'm wrong - but this means that the TT-2L has about 15-20 lumens. I guess BrightGuy's stat of 72 lumens is just plain wrong. So the A2 should be quite a bit brighter.

CandlePow

I have to agree with Al here, technologically speaking they are two different things. The A2 is cool for it's achievement and design. The 2L is a purpose built economic alternative and is cool in it's own right. One utilizes new expensive research and development, the other utilizes existing technology effectively and is apparently quality built also. I think both are worthy of merit by their users. I think that everyone thus far is satisfied with their purchases, except for maybe Nascar (who after three or four tries is still on the fence over the A2) and the fact that the Modder's are never satisfied with a stock light, God bless 'em!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

I think the reflector in reflector patent is for the 10X is it not? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

As far as the Xenon of the TT 2L is concerned I think someone else stated that it is slightly dimmer than their P-60 Lamped lights so it is probably more accurately around 40-50 lumens. Maybe someone else can contribute here?

Later,
TSG /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

"Back on the TT2L vs. A2 topic, have any photos of the TT2L next to the A2 been posted?"

If someone can get one of their Surefire contacts to send me an evaluation sample A2 with white LEDs to add to my site, I'll do all the beamshots/comparisons you want! (nudge, nudge) /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I'm going to quote my self in agreement with Al and others about the A2:

"The uniqueness of the A2 lies in two specific features. The single tailswitch that integrates all functions with a single push, and most importantly, the incandescent regulation circuit which will give you rock-steady illumination for 40+ minutes with no dimming whatsoever.

As of this date it may well be the world's first and only xenon/LED production light with these features."

Brightnorm

Brightnorm, if I'd been able to write what I wanted to say I could have been done for plagiarism being that I'd have quoted you pretty much verbatim.

I have to say that what I don't like about the UltraStinger and find only just slightly less annoying about the TigerLight is the switch on the body. I must be the only person who always grabs flashlights with this type of switch the wrong way! Perhaps it is because I is a left-handed freak?

Quickbeam,
If I had a spare A2 that I was allowed to send you I would. It is a shame that I do not have another normal A2 that I can send you.

Al