A2 Aviator odd behavior during battery test?

ShineOnYouCrazyDiamond · Dec 10, 2009

I just got two A2s. In red and yellow-green. I decided to try some of the Titanium and Powerizer free CR123s from BatteryJunction so I set up each light with a fan to cool them and ran with the light on full.

After about 30-35 minutes the Powerizer CR123 powered A2 went started flashing from a bright white to about a 50% yellow. A few minutes later is stayed on the lower 50% setting.

About 5 minutes later the Titanium cell powered A2 started doing the same thing but for a slightly longer period of time and then also went to the lower level 50% yellowish color.

I thought that the A2 was supposed to be regulated until the batteries were done and then only the LEDs would work.

I'm confused - and a little let down with the purchase now. :sigh:

DimeRazorback · Dec 10, 2009

They aren't the greatest batteries, and that sort of behaviour will occur with them.

Try some good Duracell, or Surefire cells and redo the test :thumbsup:

ShineOnYouCrazyDiamond · Dec 10, 2009

Yeah - i kinda had a feeling that they weren't so good but I didn't want to toast the Surefires that came with them right off the bat for a runtime test.

I also figure running a light like this full time on high is less than likely - so a pull like that on cheap batteries would lower the Vin pretty fast. After being off for a bit the Powerizers didn't recover at all but the Titaniums did recover a little bit.

computernut · Dec 11, 2009

I don't think I've ever ran down my A2's in one sitting but definitely in 2 outings. 25-30minutes straight sometimes with no weirdness but usually have them in my hand which helps dissipate heat. I've used Surefire or BatteryStation cells.

ShineOnYouCrazyDiamond · Dec 11, 2009

Well heat was definitely not a factor here. It was 68 in my living room and I had a fan blowing directly on the two lights. They never even reached warm to the touch on the outside. The cells were a bit warm when the runs were done though.

PinarelloOnly · Dec 18, 2009

The best performance from my A2 is when I'm using the US made Panasonics
CR123's from Battery Junction. Those Titaniums are crap, some talk highly of
them only because they are cheap. I wouldn't use Titanium's in any incan.:thumbsdow

ShineOnYouCrazyDiamond · Dec 18, 2009

Interesting update is that I purchased both SureFire and Duracell CR123 cells and ran the same tests and with a constant run from brand new cells I wasn't able to get more than the same 35-40 minutes.

Got a set of AW LiFePO4 cells and got 21 min straight runtime. Put in the HO-A2 LA and got 18 minutes.

Considering straight runs are much harder on batteries that mixed usage I am sure the additional 10 minutes comes with multiple cycling of the light.

DimeRazorback · Dec 18, 2009

May be to do with temperatures also.

Still a very interesting test you have done :thumbsup:

nzgunnie · Dec 18, 2009

This test is consistent with the way my both my A2s have behaved, after about 45 minutes the light will only light up to a dull yellow.

ShineOnYouCrazyDiamond · Dec 18, 2009

Even on the dull yellow - I was still pretty impressed. I thought the light would turn off to LEDs only when the regulation kicked out. It's nice to see that you'll at least get some incan fill on direct drive (or whatever you want to call it) before the batteries die - so there is a little more navigation power than just LEDs.

Regardless I went for a walk with my 5 month old in a carriage down the hill near my house to get her to fall asleep and the A2 was/still is the perfect light. LED was enough for most of the trip with only a small amount of bursts to full power to make sure I wasn't going to bail on ice.

This is by far my most favorite light to date - and I imagine will be the Go To light for me for a long time to come.

knightrider · Dec 18, 2009

Interesting results you got. I knew that the light needed better batteries - everyone says that it doesn't like cheap ones much - but your runtimes on good batteries seem low. When I had an A2 I never did a full on run though...

mwaldron · Dec 19, 2009

ShineOnYouCrazyDiamond said:
Even on the dull yellow - I was still pretty impressed. I thought the light would turn off to LEDs only when the regulation kicked out. It's nice to see that you'll at least get some incan fill on direct drive (or whatever you want to call it) before the batteries die - so there is a little more navigation power than just LEDs...

That's a "bug" in the A2 regulator design, it's not supposed to happen. It's been my experience it happens mostly with the older "4-flats" designs and seems rather rare on the newer round ones.

With the regulator you would expect the A2 to suck those 123's dry but it does not. There is still quite a bit of juice left in them when you get to the "yellow" main beam. Some cursory thought about it and I realized that the A2 bulb is ~4V, and the regulator is a buck. This means it must have a minimum input voltage of 4V+a little overhead. CR123's under load can sag pretty quickly, and it doesn't take much to drop below that minimum input voltage.

It's been my intention for a long time to run a test to see if the newer rounder A2s drain the batteries further than the older 4-flats version. I've just been pretty lazy about doing it...

ShineOnYouCrazyDiamond · Dec 19, 2009

The heavy draw on the batteries does explain thought the smaller than expected runtime difference between primaries and the LiFePO4 batteries. I am sure the LiIon cells are experiencing much less of a voltage drop when pushing ~1.5-2.0 Amps than the primaries.

If the LiIon runtime on 500mAh spec'ed cells is roughly 20 minutes and just about 40 minutes on the primaries (good and shady brands rated 1400-1500mAh) than there really probably is a good 30% left in the cells.

I don't want to kill the rechargeable cells but I think next time I will continue to test to see how long the incan runs on dull yellow (that can't hurt the bulb, can it? Just under-drive it right?)

JNewell · Dec 19, 2009

I'm not sure that's really a disadvantage? It is convenient, at least for emergency purposes, to have some reserve left to drive the LEDs so you're not literally left in the dark.

mwaldron said:
That's a "bug" in the A2 regulator design, it's not supposed to happen. It's been my experience it happens mostly with the older "4-flats" designs and seems rather rare on the newer round ones.

With the regulator you would expect the A2 to suck those 123's dry but it does not. There is still quite a bit of juice left in them when you get to the "yellow" main beam. Some cursory thought about it and I realized that the A2 bulb is ~4V, and the regulator is a buck. This means it must have a minimum input voltage of 4V+a little overhead. CR123's under load can sag pretty quickly, and it doesn't take much to drop below that minimum input voltage.

It's been my intention for a long time to run a test to see if the newer rounder A2s drain the batteries further than the older 4-flats version. I've just been pretty lazy about doing it...

Illum · Dec 19, 2009

Titaniums never worked well with A2s, but will work with just about everything else in Surefires line. I've exhausted my supply of titanium before I acquired by round A2 so I cannot speak for the round ones

Earlier Titanium cells will not power on the xenon at all, there are multiple users here [myself included] that knows of this:shrug:

A2 Aviator odd behavior during battery test?

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