Quark AA2 Tactical or Jetbeam BA20

Reasons for Jetbeam

-More lumens for the money 270 lumens on 2AA! 1.45 hours
-Good color tone
-Switchable clip (you can remove the clip and put it closer to the head vise versa)
Reasons for Quark

-Less lumens still uses XP-G R5 same type as Jetbeam
-205 Lumens 1.3 hours
-A lot of light settings compared to Jetbeam which has only 2 mods 30 lumens and 270
-Better brand

Please take in to account that I don't care about SOS, Strobe so that doesn't count toward getting the Quark or any other tactical feature like sharp heads.
Please help me choose the reason I want to get the Quark is the variety of Lumen setting Jetbeam only has two but the 270 lumens and the cheaper price makes up for it. Thank You for helping.

P.S. LOL I found a forum that uses the same Forum software as CandlePowerForums the interface is exacly the same. Check it out http://www.bikeforums.net/forum.php

I like the programmable UI of the quark Tactical. the 30 lumen low of the jetbeam is nice, but many times i would want something in the range of about 5 lumens for my low.

lego ability of quark is the best reason. and the ease of obtainable parts.

but if you dont ever plan on using it as a single AA or cr123, and the low 30 lumens is good for you, i dont see any reason to not go with the BA20. its cheaper, machining is probably better, and driver efficiency seems newer and better.

cplusplus said:

Reasons for Jetbeam

-More lumens for the money 270 lumens on 2AA! 1.45 hours
-Good color tone

Reasons for Quark

-Less lumens still uses XP-G R5 same type as Jetbeam
-205 Lumens 1.3 hours
-A lot of light settings compared to Jetbeam which has only 2 mods 30 lumens and 270
-Better brand

Please take in to account that I don't care about SOS, Strobe so that doesn't count toward getting the Quark or any other tactical feature like sharp heads.
Please help me choose the reason I want to get the Quark is the variety of Lumen setting Jetbeam only has two but the 270 lumens and the cheaper price makes up for it. Thank You for helping.

P.S. LOL I found a forum that uses the same Forum software as CandlePowerForums the interface is exacly the same. Check it out http://www.bikeforums.net/forum.php

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Well I will say I had a Q AA2 Tactical and I returned it because it would randomly not turn on (even after I made all the adjustments Customer Service suggested), and at one point left me stranded in an attic. That being said, I do have 2 other Q's that work flawlessly (including a 2AA mini). After having multiple lights with different UI's I definitely prefer LESS modes, so that's one point to Jetbeam. (Although moon mode in the Q is pretty cool).

Tough choice. I wonder if Jetbeam is only cheaper because of the simpler UI. If that's the case I would pick the Jetbeam. (However, my pick may be influenced by the fact that I have 2 Q's already and 0 Jetbeams.)

Edit: I forgot to mention that the Q is programmable so you can stay away from the Strobe if you choose. Also, two of my three Q's (including the one returned) had gritty threads that needed to be cleaned. (I have two fenix light's and both screwed and unscrewed like butter out of the box).

Personally, I love the regular Quark AA2 - the moonlight mode of 0.2 lumens is surprisingly useful late at night, as you can use it to navigate in dark areas with night-adapted eyes without dazzling yourself with reflected light. Having the ability to run a light for several hundred hours that can ALSO put out 200 lumens when needed plus well-stepped levels in between seals the deal for me. You can get your 22 lumens to (nearly) match the Jetbeam BA20, but you can also get the more useful lower levels for when you're working at closer distances or in situations where getting blasted by your light's reflection is a distinct possibility.

Personally I am not really a fan of Thrunite but I thought that the Thrunite Neutron 1A or 1C fits exactly the criteria that you need. Multiple mode just like the Quark and uses an XM-L that produces the output that the Jetbeam has, especially when running them off Li-Ion. My only gripe is the poorly spaced output levels.

Having used a flashlight while camping(fenix l2d) I can say having a moon light mode can be useful. It's nice to be able to leave your light on for extended periods of time without worrying about it dying. Now I think having a moonlight mode is less important since I haven't used my light in this fashion for years. Unless you are.very concerned with weight, you can always bring a bunch of extra batteries making extended run time less important. If you plan on using your light in a camping or hiking situation I will strongly recommend some sort of diffuser. The fenix on proved itself very useful on my camping trip. I do not know if diffusers are available for the ba20 but I would look into that before making a purchase.

teamle said:

The fenix on proved itself very useful on my camping trip. I do not know if diffusers are available for the ba20 but I would look into that before making a purchase.

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i own all sorts of Fenix LD20 (i.e. 21.5mm bezel) diffuser tips, diffuser caps, diffuser lenses, etc. -- And i made them fit on my Quark and Xeno E03. And i make good use of those diffusers, very often.

i am looking into the BA20 twin, the Klarus P2A, .. but its bezel diameter is too wide to fit my collection of diffusers.

I'd recommend the BA20.

The quark driver is less efficient as it is buck/boost instead of just boost. This means it can be run on a single AA head with 14500 but takes away from it's efficiency in it's primary format. If you like the two modes of the BA20 then go for it. On the other hand, the Quark has a 10 year warranty, which is a bonus if you will be rough on the light. But I think the Jetbeam is just as good quality as a brand and individual model.

The low mode efficiency of the BA20 is incredible too by the way, it does 20-30 lumens OTF at below 0.05A draw from 1.2v ni-mh cells. With eneloops that equates to around 40 hours plus runtime.

Efficiency is even better on energizer lithium cells, 3 hours on high at the same 250 lumen OTF level, and low mode becomes around 40-60 lumens OTF for 15 hours.

The BA20 is also surprisingly well regulated on alkaline cells if you need it as a travel light and will have to use whatever you can get your hands on.