A2 Redeux

I've always had a love hate relationship with my red A2. I got it cheap at a Sportsman's Warehouse inventory reduction sale. It was half price and I really have trouble passing up a deal. Half the time I marveled at the perfect blend of night vision saving red light and the regulated incan main beam. I field tested it with a night hike in Pinnacles National Monument. The other half of the time I wondered why I even bothered to buy the thing. Other than the regulated incan beam, which does not last an hour in regulation, it does nothing to make it unique IMHO. Sure it is one of the original hybrids but there are brighter lights, smaller lights, longer running lights... You get the picture.

It took my 5 year old nephew to show me the "light." Pun intended. My wife, our two daughters, my nephew, and his little sister were at our neighborhood park and left at sunset. Being a flashaholic I really was looking forward to a leisurely walk home in the dark. I had my red A2 with me and strapped it to my nephew's wrist for him to lead the way home. I turned on the LEDs and the darndest thing happened. He only used the hi-beam when he wanted to illuminate something in the distance and was perfectly happy with using the low-beam. Epiphany time!!! I was not impressed by the individual merits of the A2's features and it poisoned my opinion on the over all package and its intended use.

I found and purchased a white A2 on the Marketplace and couldn't be more happier with it. It by no means is a self queen, it has been used but not abused (read dropped). It will be my utility light into the near future.

Man I love this place. Thanks for sharing.

I too have an on/off relationship with my A2's but I keep coming back to them.
At one point I had 4 A2's but traded one for an L4 and gave another to my brother for Christmas. I use my Yellow/Green as a nightstand light for finding clothes in the morning without waking my fiancee. If I can't identify the colour of the shirt or pants under the greenish light I use the high-beam for a second. I find the WHT A2 a bit more general purpose and use it for walking the dog and sometimes EDC it but I find it's just at my limit of what I like on my belt all day.

Y/G A2's :rock:

greenLED said:

Y/G A2's :rock:

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+1

Y/G rocks!

+2

I loves them

I picked one up last month,with green leds at a good price around $90.But the jury is still out if I am going to keep it or return it.

If only Surefire offered replacement rings like the Aviatrix. My A2 has "white" LEDs that are just too blue to stand.

Koala has his Onion Rings under development, it won't have the selectable LED control of the Aviatrix but it will allow you to easily swap between 5mm LEDs and also let you use 3.7v cells without damaging the LEDs.
Onion Rings

I think the LED colors have a lot to do with your love or hate of the A2. I have a red, a green and an Aviatrix with white LED's. I love the white! I like the green and I have little or no use for the red. I understand the logic of the red beam, but it has never worked for me. I have tried red filters for night fishing and hated them too. I use my white A2 for camping. I love having the low beam to see for walking around and instant access to the high beam if I need to reach out and touch something.

computernut said:

I too have an on/off relationship with my A2's but I keep coming back to them.

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I have an on/off relationship with all my flashlights.

Seriously though, it's cool that your nephew figured out the best use for the light. Kids' minds are wonderfully unspoiled by conventions, which makes it so much easier for them to figure out the best way to do things, when an adult has the generosity to provide them with the resources.

Sounds to me like your nephew just earned the right to keep that red A2, now that you have a white one you like better.

He gets to use pretty much everything I have that is age appropriate. When he can afford to feed a good light, that is when I will give him one!

I've been modding my A2's with warm 5mm LEDs and it helps me appreciate my A2's even more.

greenLED said:

Y/G A2's :rock:

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:thumbsup::twothumbs

I'd like the Y/G beam to be smoother and brighter so I'm hoping to do some playing once I get an Onion Ring.

computernut said:

Koala has his Onion Rings under development, it won't have the selectable LED control of the Aviatrix but it will allow you to easily swap between 5mm LEDs and also let you use 3.7v cells without damaging the LEDs.
Onion Rings

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These Onion Rings will make my A2 White 4 sided light my go to light. At the moment with the standard white (blue) emitters, it is just a lousy low level blue beam light:green:.

computernut said:

I'd like the Y/G beam to be smoother and brighter so I'm hoping to do some playing once I get an Onion Ring.

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I'm planning on polishing my YG A2 with Brasso to reduce the rings; it worked great on my formerly ringy red A2.

+1 on waiting on Onion Rings!

i recently got the A2 with the white LEDs, it was the only surefire that i could use rechargeable CR123s in, i had wondered what all the fuss about Surefires were as up till now i had only handled a G2 and nothing else.

I was very impressed when the light arrived, it shrieked of quality and workmanship and i really like the A2, i replaced the stock bulb with an LF HO-A2 and it rides in my daily work bag now alongside a few others. I find that the LEDs are good enough for a lot of close up work and the incand for when a lot more light is needed. This is a real utility light.

Every once in a while the orbit of an A2 comes very close to mine, but none have impacted just yet. Funny thing is I've bought two or three off the marketplace for friends and played around with them, but haven't made the jump to get one for myself. I have a feeling Koala's Onion rings will be a heavy deciding factor. Warm white low leds would rule in this light.

Warm white Nichia DS wide angle with fixed resistors, AW RCR,s labels removed and HO-A2 in mine:twothumbs
great light

Juha