iTP A2, seems like a nice small EDC.

march.brown · Feb 26, 2010

Well, I have looked at many reasonably priced single AA torches and wanted one smaller than the Trustfire F20 and came down to the iTP A2 Eos (Cree XP-E Q5) ... It has three modes with none of the annoying S-O-S and other flashes ... It seems to be well made and just within my limit at £17-04 including postage from Hong Kong.

It is only 75.5mm long and 17.6mm in diameter ... My single AA F20 (5 mode) is 96mm X 20mm ... So the iTP is much smaller and has three nicely chosen lumen levels ... I did toy with the idea of getting the smaller iTP A3 as it is only 66.5mm X 14mm, but the AA version has much more battery capacity than the AAA.

I love the Trustfire F20 because of its memory, but am really looking forward to carrying the much smaller iTP A2.

I just hope that I have made the right decision ... Can someone please put my mind at rest (either good or bad).
.

LeifUK · Feb 26, 2010

All of the reviews I have seen are good, and it is priced just a bit higher than a budget light, without any of the nasty aspects of budget lights such as poor quality control, and a UI that may differ from that advertised. Sounds like a good choice to me.

My only concern with this light is that it depends on lockout when the bezel is loosened, and the lockout is created by anodising on the threads. So what happens when the anodising wears off? I presume that it will cease to operate correctly. So the question then is how long will that take. I hope I am wrong. Maybe someone more informed can comment.

PerttiK · Feb 26, 2010

Seems like the circuit board "-" is isolated from the head, otherways the ss and ti models would never turn off.

mcnair55 · Feb 26, 2010

I have the A3 and added the A1 but going through a bit of a problem on the A1,it has way of jumping modes and although I have tried to cure it just given up now but must admit they are both good and probably one of the nicest pair I have bought so far this year,I will probably add the A2 to my collection to make up a trio set.

Today I added the Led Lenser P3 to my collection and that is a nice little light for the money,brighter than my Fenix EO1 and good fun with that blue halo focus system to play with.

jk037 · Feb 26, 2010

PerttiK said:
Seems like the circuit board "-" is isolated from the head, otherways the ss and ti models would never turn off.

This is certainly the case on the A3; the head itself has no electrical connection to the pill. Screwing the head down simply brings the outer contact ring on the PCB into contact with the top of the battery tube.

(The battery +ve is kept in constant contact with the inner PCB contact by the battery spring, whether the light is "on" or "off".)

Hope this makes sense!

oronocova · Feb 26, 2010

I think they are both great lights. I prefer the MLH mode sequence of the A3 over the LMH of the A2. Unless you are going always use the light in complete darkness Low is pretty useless. Medium is more usefull for most tasks with some ambient light (IMO.) Low is great when it's really dark, but on my A2 it just gets skipped over most of the time.

RoBeacon · Feb 26, 2010

I just ordered an A3 I'm pretty excited to get it. If its small enough it will replace my LED modded Solitaire and the wife will be getting one for her purse.

Black Rose · Feb 27, 2010

March, you made a good decision.

I have an A2 EOS and it's currently my main pocket carry light.

For me, the thing I like about it best is that it always comes on in low mode. Great for middle of the night bathroom runs.

It's only about $26 US shipping included.

There are also 3 iTP A3 EOS lights in the house as well

, but the A2 gets more use at the moment.

Zendude · Feb 27, 2010

I gifted some A3s and 1 A2 for Xmas. Very nice lights! My buddy (upon seeing the A2) gave the A3 I gave him to his wife and bought an A2 for himself(welcome to the dark.....I mean...light side!). I bought another mini AA.

Both lights are about the same size. You can swap heads/bodies between the two and they appear to have the same PCB(you can also skip modes on both too). The A2 is cheaper and has a clip but I still prefer the mini AA. Just my .02. :broke:

That's all I got!

jackthedog · Feb 27, 2010

I own all three A1, A2, and A3 and I personally find the size of the A2 the best. In my mind, great value for the money. Fit and finish isn't quite up there with my MiNi AA, but it's $14 cheaper, so that doesn't bother me.

joe1512 · Feb 27, 2010

How come you like the A2 moreso than the A1?

It would seem to me that...

A1 is 203 Lumens (or more with a 3.7V- 4.2V RCR123/16340)
A2 is 85 lumens max.

A1 is about half an inch shorter than the A2, but only marginally more thickness.

Price is the same. So can you explain your reasons please?

mcnair55 · Feb 27, 2010

joe1512 said:
How come you like the A2 moreso than the A1?

It would seem to me that...

A1 is 203 Lumens (or more with a 3.7V- 4.2V RCR123/16340)
A2 is 85 lumens max.

A1 is about half an inch shorter than the A2, but only marginally more thickness.

Price is the same. So can you explain your reasons please?

I will buy the A2 because the A1 is just to small to feel comfy with,the larger format AA cell fits better in the hand for an old fella like me and if I need a large amount of lumens would take something else out with me,that is my .10 cents worth

but cannot wait to here what the other poster has to say.

march.brown · Feb 27, 2010

joe1512 said:
How come you like the A2 moreso than the A1?

It would seem to me that...

A1 is 203 Lumens (or more with a 3.7V- 4.2V RCR123/16340)
A2 is 85 lumens max.

A1 is about half an inch shorter than the A2, but only marginally more thickness.

Price is the same. So can you explain your reasons please?

.
I don't do 123 cells ... I just can't see the point in them (personally).

It is either AAA, AA or 18650 cells ... My Solarforce L2 (18650) without the tactical bezel is only about 133mm long and it lasts long enough for me if I want 200 lumens ... 90 minutes on high and there is still 40% left (almost another hour) ... I find that the L2 is still pocketable, particularly without the tactical bezel ... I have three Solarforces in the gorgeous sand colour.

When I take the L2 for a walk, I always have my Trustfire F20 (Akoray clone) clipped in my pocket ... I am going for the iTP A2 as it is 20mm shorter and a couple of mm thinner, plus I have quite a few AA low self-discharge cells ... I also have a lot of LSD AAA cells so I can see in the future that I might be forced to get the A3 as well ... Consequently, I would prefer the A3 (AAA) to the A1 (123) ... It is all down to personal choice and the type of cells that I already have.

So, I am happy with just these three types of cells and really don't want to go to a different type, particularly as I can't really see the point in the 123s ... I have read on CPP about them and they still don't turn me on ... The form factor seems wrong to me ... It's like comparing a dumpy woman with a tall, slinky, curvy lady ... They both function the same, but I know which I would rather have ... The single 123 is the dumpy one by the way !

No offence was implied or intended in the writing of this post.
.

Farnsrocket · Feb 27, 2010

I love my A2! :twothumbs

cistallus · Feb 28, 2010

march.brown said:
joe1512 said:

How come you like the A2 moreso than the A1?

It would seem to me that...

A1 is 203 Lumens (or more with a 3.7V- 4.2V RCR123/16340)
A2 is 85 lumens max.

A1 is about half an inch shorter than the A2, but only marginally more thickness.

Price is the same. So can you explain your reasons please?

Click to expand...

.
I don't do 123 cells ... I just can't see the point in them (personally).

It is either AAA, AA or 18650 cells ... My Solarforce L2 (18650) without the tactical bezel is only about 133mm long and it lasts long enough for me if I want 200 lumens ... 90 minutes on high and there is still 40% left (almost another hour) ... I find that the L2 is still pocketable, particularly without the tactical bezel ... I have three Solarforces in the gorgeous sand colour.

When I take the L2 for a walk, I always have my Trustfire F20 (Akoray clone) clipped in my pocket ... I am going for the iTP A2 as it is 20mm shorter and a couple of mm thinner, plus I have quite a few AA low self-discharge cells ... I also have a lot of LSD AAA cells so I can see in the future that I might be forced to get the A3 as well ... Consequently, I would prefer the A3 (AAA) to the A1 (123) ... It is all down to personal choice and the type of cells that I already have.

So, I am happy with just these three types of cells and really don't want to go to a different type, particularly as I can't really see the point in the 123s ... I have read on CPP about them and they still don't turn me on ... The form factor seems wrong to me ... It's like comparing a dumpy woman with a tall, slinky, curvy lady ... They both function the same, but I know which I would rather have ... The single 123 is the dumpy one by the way !

No offence was implied or intended in the writing of this post.
.

You can get the higher lumens benefit (like the A1) in the A2 by using an AA-size lithium-ion rechargeable cell (14500). This way you have a lithium battery without the "ugly" CR123 size

, it's rechargeable, and your flashlight is bright and weighs even less than with a NiMh cell. I have an ITP A2 EOS and I think you will be quite happy with it, and it works fine (and brightly) with a 14500. Although at the moment it's my main car glovebox flashlight so I have a primary lithium in it instead for longevity and wide temperature range.

march.brown · Feb 28, 2010

cistallus said:
You can get the higher lumens benefit (like the A1) in the A2 by using an AA-size lithium-ion rechargeable cell (14500). This way you have a lithium battery without the "ugly" CR123 size , it's rechargeable, and your flashlight is bright and weighs even less than with a NiMh cell. I have an ITP A2 EOS and I think you will be quite happy with it, and it works fine (and brightly) with a 14500. Although at the moment it's my main car glovebox flashlight so I have a primary lithium in it instead for longevity and wide temperature range.

.
Is the 14500 within the voltage limits for the A2 ? ... What would be the run times with the 14500 compared to an AA Eneloop ? ... How hot does the head get ? ... I don't want to damage the A2 LED unit by exceeding the recommended voltage ... In the event of damage, are these units available to buy at a sensible price ?
.

Black Rose · Feb 28, 2010

march.brown said:
.
Is the 14500 within the voltage limits for the A2 ? ... What would be the run times with the 14500 compared to an AA Eneloop ? ... How hot does the head get ? ... I don't want to damage the A2 LED unit by exceeding the recommended voltage ... In the event of damage, are these units available to buy at a sensible price ?
.

The specs for the A2 only mention Alkaline and NiMh.

I personally wouldn't try a 14500 in it unless the spec actually mentioned Li-Ion.

cistallus · Feb 28, 2010

Small lights like the ITP A1, A2, and A3, and the Quark Mini AA and 123, are just too small to fully dissipate the heat from a Li-Ion when run on their High setting. That's why the manufacturer often doesn't mention it.

When the driver will handle 4.2V (as these 5 will), this doesn't mean you can't use Li-Ion, you just need to be aware of the heat issue and limit continuous run time on High - usually a time of a minute is mentioned - or heat-sink them some way (such as holding them tightly so your blood carries away some of the heat).

I have run all three of the ITP, and my Mini 123, on Li-Ion. They work fine, and they still work fine with other batteries. With my Mini 123, after using it for maybe 5 minutes intermittently on high (so the battery was past peak capacity), I even tried holding it tightly and running it continuously - worked fine (about 25 minutes); though if it had been any warmer I wouldn't have been able to continue holding it.

FYI, the ITP are in the $20 range, the Minis $40.

northslope · Feb 28, 2010

After reading a bunch of comments here, I also opted for the iTP A2. Just arrived yesterday. Seems to work great. I wouldn't want a light any smaller unless it was a key chain light. Haven't used it outside yet.

march.brown · Mar 1, 2010

cistallus said:
Small lights like the ITP A1, A2, and A3, and the Quark Mini AA and 123, are just too small to fully dissipate the heat from a Li-Ion when run on their High setting. That's why the manufacturer often doesn't mention it.

When the driver will handle 4.2V (as these 5 will), this doesn't mean you can't use Li-Ion, you just need to be aware of the heat issue and limit continuous run time on High - usually a time of a minute is mentioned - or heat-sink them some way (such as holding them tightly so your blood carries away some of the heat).

I have run all three of the ITP, and my Mini 123, on Li-Ion. They work fine, and they still work fine with other batteries. With my Mini 123, after using it for maybe 5 minutes intermittently on high (so the battery was past peak capacity), I even tried holding it tightly and running it continuously - worked fine (about 25 minutes); though if it had been any warmer I wouldn't have been able to continue holding it.

FYI, the ITP are in the $20 range, the Minis $40.

How do the run times of the A2 compare (AA against 14500) and what are the low, medium and high lumens readings on both types of cells.

I am just wondering whether it is worth getting a couple of 14500s to use in the A2 (and my Trustfire F20) ... With AAs in the A2, I would be able to use all three light levels, but with the 14500 , I would be limited to two levels plus an occasional quick burst of high ... Is it going to seriously compromise the runtime by using the 14500s ?
.

iTP A2, seems like a nice small EDC.

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