think I found my 2xAA light, Klarus ST20 questions?

DIΩDΣ · Aug 28, 2011

I'm jumping into the modern world and getting some 'real' flashlights finally!

I've decided to get a ZL headlamp (1xAA) which will be my backpacking/EDC light. Now I am looking for a handheld 2xAA to compliment it / be a backup. Wish ZL made one.

-I want to stick to AA format. Have lots of NiMh (eneloops, others) and Lacross 9009. Going hiking and such they are more readily available too. I have no Li-ions.
-I want my second light to be 2xAA, to get perhaps a little more power and a little longer runtime, but still light enough to be able to take anywhere easily.
-I want maximum efficiency. Dont want to have to pack too many sets of batteries for a week long hiking trip for example.
-trying to stay in the $50-60 range
-would like easy access to low, and high too but not as important.

I picked several lights after doing days of research here (literally). The finalists so far (in no order)
Thrunite Neutron 2A
4Sevens Quark AA2
Klarus ST20
Fenix LD20

Neutron: Not sure I would like the 'narrow flood' I think I'd rather have the flood in the headlamp and a little bit of throw in the flashlight (but still good spill). I was excited about it having the newer XM-L but it seems very inefficient. 120L/2.1hrs vs Klarus 125L/5 hours??? Thats CRAP if its correct. The UI doesnt seem too bad but I would like to be able to go into a low mode from start, and since the Neutron has memory it will always go into whatever it was last in correct? I like the memory feature but not being able to start in low...hmmm. I also dont care for the plain looks but thats minor. A big plus though is its the only one on my list in a neutral version I can find. And is the most lumens of all I have considered. Reverse clicky is a negative.

Quark: Ok this ones a big one here at CPF. The tactical - I dont like being limited to just two modes without going through a big deal to get to the others. Regular - I think no memory would be a pain having to always click through all the modes. Efficiency is ok but still behind the Klarus it seems. Looks are rather plain too. But all in all a good light and features moonlight. Can't seem to find any in neutral though.

Fenix LD20: The least powerful on the list. Seems decent overall though. No moonlight mode. Like the look. Dont like reverse clicky.

Klarus ST20: Nearly as powerful as the Neutron, but like double the run times. Highest efficiency of any I have looked at (according to manufacturers ratings). Memory on the main mode and ultra low in a separate mode so great access to low / or memorized output. Not available in neutral though. And spacing seem far apart 2/13/125/240. Seems like a big jump from 13/125, where for alot of stuff 13 would be too low and 125 too high, any comments on that one?

So for right now I think Klarus is my 1st choice. Does anyone have any beam shots or comparisons? :thinking: There are no proper reviews here on CPF yet, and I would love to see how the beam profile compares side by side to the others on my list. Selfbuilt? :poke:

It seems like a great light to have so little talk here - perhaps its just too new. One negative it doesnt have moonlight. For me, I'll have a ZL for that so no biggie. 2L should be low enough for most stuff.

I am still open to other models as well if they seem to fit what I am wanting in a light. I have read lots of AA comparisons, and done lots of research already, but unfortunately most of those did not include the Klarus. Any other comparables in nuetral?

Tiggercat · Aug 28, 2011

There is a video review on GoingGear.

beerwax · Aug 28, 2011

they are all good.
wish zl made a 2aa.
you havent mentioned eagletac or spark and i believe they are up there with thrunite in max lumen country.
mode memory isnt always the bees knees. clicking thru modes sucks.
I reckon they are all pretty efficient. if you look at sir selfbuilts graphs the ones that have more lumens generally have correspondingly lower runtimes, and as you have multiple modes to choose from , the main limiting factor is max lumens.

cheers

Scubie67 · Aug 28, 2011

This site is pretty good for beamshots.Did not see Klaurus listed though

http://fonarik.com/test/?model=219&scene=1&mode=0

gator17 · Aug 28, 2011

If you liked the UI on the st20 take a look at the itp sa2 xp-g r5. It has the same 2 button ui of the st20, but also has infinitely variable ramping. It is just as bright as the st20, and the smooth reflector will give it more through than flood. Judging by the high the sa2 is pretty efficient (230lm at 2 hrs). It has mode memory like you wanted, and a non-removable clip.

Chidwack · Aug 28, 2011

I have a Quark AA2 Tactical and I love it. It's far brighter and has better throw than I expected. I bought this light because of this review from Nutinfancy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czUxszAf-JU

The UI isn't as bad as you might think. I keep my primary on Max and my secondary on Medium. To switch from one to the other, just turn the head a little. Very easy. If I want strobe or moonlight which are about the only other modes that I would be likely to use, it's simple but it takes about 15 seconds only because when you select the mode you want, you have to wait for 10 seconds for the light to blink which locks in the mode.

There are two other lights that you didn't mention that I would add to the list. Both are made by Jetbeam. The BA20 which only has two modes but they are spaced about right in my opinion and they have 270 lumens with good throw. They are also a steal at $40. The modes work the same as the primary and secondary mode on my Quark AA2 Tactical except you don't get any other choices. The secondary mode is 30 lumens which is about right for me and will give plenty of light for most of my needs and give a lot of run time. I have a friend who has 2 of these on the way and I will give them a test when they get here. http://www.batteryjunction.com/jetbeam-ba20.html

The other is JETBEAM JET-1 PRO EX 3.0 which has more modes and is $72. http://www.batteryjunction.com/jetbeam-jet1-pro-ex.html
I don't know much about this one but I have read up on the B20 and It gets great reviews. Most of the reviews give it high marks in both throw and spill. Another advantage is both of these lights will tailstand. I like that feature.

Samy · Aug 28, 2011

I have had the ST 20 and also the 2xAA Quark Tactical for about 6 months. The Klarus is my daily EDC light. I use it at work, around the house at home and it's my night-stand light too. I have found it to be faultless; the build quality is excellent, the battery life is awesome, the UI is easy to the initiated, the lumen output phenomenal. I have dropped it and dunked it under water and it comes back for more. I prefer the UI of the Klarus, plus it's a mean looking light in person. After 6 months of serious daily use the only drawbacks are that the head's thread needs plenty of lube otherwise it grinds, the rear clicky is a bit squeaky, the pocket clip spins on the body and scratches off the black a bit and the clip has popped off once or twice. The clip is required otherwise the light rolls off my night-stand. Mine's a little bit beat up from being dopped onto concrete at work but the front glass is flawless.

I gave my Quark Tactical to my dad and he uses it for work, home etc every day and he loves it. I bought my wife a 1xAA Quark tactical for her handbag. The quarks have a super sturdy pocket clip and the UI is great for people who don't like/understand/remember multi-modes, like my wife and dad. I love the quarks but i prefer the multi modes with memory.

I have just ordered a Zebralight 1xAA (SC51 i think?) for daily use because it appears to have a sturdy clip, very small and is super bright. The main reason is that I thought i lost my Klarus ST-20's pocket clip at the markets last week because the light became loose in my pocket but when i got home the clip managed to end up in a shopping bag... i must have gotten the bag caught against my pants and luckily it popped into the shopping bag! I was relieved because i rely on that clip to prevent the light from rolling off the night-stand and to prevent the light from being a loose annoyance in my pants pocket - with it clipped in i don't notice it there which is good considering it's slightly larger size for pocket EDC'ing.

I will definately keep the klarus in my work bag, car or somewhere i can gain quick access to it and i can see that it will still get daily use. It's not the kind of light you can just hand over to someone for 5 minutes because they think the side switch operates the light and you have to give them a tutorial on how to use it... and they get all defensive because 'they know how to use a flashlight' but you and i know that there are flashlights... and then there are programmable UI flashlights which the laymen struggles with ...

The Klarus is a great light, you won't regret it!

cheers

DIΩDΣ · Aug 28, 2011

beerwax said:
they are all good.
wish zl made a 2aa.
you havent mentioned eagletac or spark and i believe they are up there with thrunite in max lumen country.
mode memory isnt always the bees knees. clicking thru modes sucks.
I reckon they are all pretty efficient. if you look at sir selfbuilts graphs the ones that have more lumens generally have correspondingly lower runtimes, and as you have multiple modes to choose from , the main limiting factor is max lumens.

cheers

Yeah they are all good, I could probably do a 'throw a dart' and whatever one it landed on and it would be fine. The eagletec I looked at briefly, but the UI seemed difficult and the runtime graphs from the Nuetron review looks like it sucks compared to the Nuetron, and from manufacturers data the Nuetron sucks compared to the Klarus too. Here is the graph I was referring too: http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff97/selfbuilt/2011/Neutron2A-HiL91.gif and http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff97/selfbuilt/2011/Neutron2A-HiEne.gif from selfbuilts review. As for Spark, I didnt know they made a 2xAA so I'll have to look them up.

Scubie67 said:
This site is pretty good for beamshots.Did not see Klaurus listed though

http://fonarik.com/test/?model=219&scene=1&mode=0

Thats the big problem, the Klarus just doesnt show up in a lot of reviews yet. Atleast the ones that put other models side by side shoot out style.

gator17 said:
If you liked the UI on the st20 take a look at the itp sa2 xp-g r5. It has the same 2 button ui of the st20, but also has infinitely variable ramping. It is just as bright as the st20, and the smooth reflector will give it more through than flood. Judging by the high the sa2 is pretty efficient (230lm at 2 hrs). It has mode memory like you wanted, and a non-removable clip.

I hadnt looked at that one, upon quick glance it does look good. My only complaints I can come up with quick is that it has memory on both modes so unless I always leave one at minimum it wont reliably start on minimum. And its a bit heavier than the rest, 34% heavier than the Klarus which is significant for backpacking - if it wasnt for hiking where every once mattered I probably wouldnt mind.

Chidwack said:
I have a Quark AA2 Tactical and I love it. It's far brighter and has better throw than I expected. I bought this light because of this review from Nutinfancy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czUxszAf-JU

The UI isn't as bad as you might think. I keep my primary on Max and my secondary on Medium. To switch from one to the other, just turn the head a little. Very easy. If I want strobe or moonlight which are about the only other modes that I would be likely to use, it's simple but it takes about 15 seconds only because when you select the mode you want, you have to wait for 10 seconds for the light to blink which locks in the mode.

There are two other lights that you didn't mention that I would add to the list. Both are made by Jetbeam. The BA20 which only has two modes but they are spaced about right in my opinion and they have 270 lumens with good throw. They are also a steal at $40. The modes work the same as the primary and secondary mode on my Quark AA2 Tactical except you don't get any other choices. The secondary mode is 30 lumens which is about right for me and will give plenty of light for most of my needs and give a lot of run time. I have a friend who has 2 of these on the way and I will give them a test when they get here. http://www.batteryjunction.com/jetbeam-ba20.html

The other is JETBEAM JET-1 PRO EX 3.0 which has more modes and is $72. http://www.batteryjunction.com/jetbeam-jet1-pro-ex.html
I don't know much about this one but I have read up on the B20 and It gets great reviews. Most of the reviews give it high marks in both throw and spill. Another advantage is both of these lights will tailstand. I like that feature.

I'm sure the BA20 and Jet-1 Pro are great but for now I am not included 2-mode (only) lights, I just want more flexibility, at the very least an ultra low for night vision, a low/med for around camp, and max for the few times you need lots of light. But dont worry I am actually planning on getting one of these 2-mode lights(others also considered) for the wife. Same with the quark tactical, sounds like a great light, just not a good match for what I want at the current time.

Samy said:
I have had the ST 20 and also the 2xAA Quark Tactical for about 6 months. The Klarus is my daily EDC light. I use it at work, around the house at home and it's my night-stand light too. I have found it to be faultless; the build quality is excellent, the battery life is awesome, the UI is easy to the initiated, the lumen output phenomenal. I have dropped it and dunked it under water and it comes back for more. I prefer the UI of the Klarus, plus it's a mean looking light in person. After 6 months of serious daily use the only drawbacks are that the head's thread needs plenty of lube otherwise it grinds, the rear clicky is a bit squeaky, the pocket clip spins on the body and scratches off the black a bit and the clip has popped off once or twice. The clip is required otherwise the light rolls off my night-stand. Mine's a little bit beat up from being dopped onto concrete at work but the front glass is flawless.

I gave my Quark Tactical to my dad and he uses it for work, home etc every day and he loves it. I bought my wife a 1xAA Quark tactical for her handbag. The quarks have a super sturdy pocket clip and the UI is great for people who don't like/understand/remember multi-modes, like my wife and dad. I love the quarks but i prefer the multi modes with memory.

I have just ordered a Zebralight 1xAA (SC51 i think?) for daily use because it appears to have a sturdy clip, very small and is super bright. The main reason is that I thought i lost my Klarus ST-20's pocket clip at the markets last week because the light became loose in my pocket but when i got home the clip managed to end up in a shopping bag... i must have gotten the bag caught against my pants and luckily it popped into the shopping bag! I was relieved because i rely on that clip to prevent the light from rolling off the night-stand and to prevent the light from being a loose annoyance in my pants pocket - with it clipped in i don't notice it there which is good considering it's slightly larger size for pocket EDC'ing.

I will definitely keep the Klarus in my work bag, car or somewhere i can gain quick access to it and i can see that it will still get daily use. It's not the kind of light you can just hand over to someone for 5 minutes because they think the side switch operates the light and you have to give them a tutorial on how to use it... and they get all defensive because 'they know how to use a flashlight' but you and i know that there are flashlights... and then there are programmable UI flashlights which the laymen struggles with ...

The Klarus is a great light, you won't regret it!

cheers

Sounds like you and I are thinking very alike. I dont have it yet but the ZL sounds like the best EDC and the Klarus would be the extra, for the pack or the truck or when you need both the headlamp and handheld. Sounds like it has worked well for you other than the minor issues. To prevent the clip from rotating I wonder if you could put a drop of clear silicon on the inside of the clip and spread it around smooth and let it dry? Might make a slightly rubberized-like finish that would prevent it from moving?

How is the tint on your ST20? And how does the beam profile compared to the Quark?

Samy · Aug 29, 2011

Yes i think silicon or even super glue would be fine. I'm actually going to try a small black cable tie as i don't want to apply glue to the light. If you plan to use the supplied holster or lanyard then this is a non issue.

I have found the tint to be slightly purple whereas the quark is more blue/cool. With the light turned off, peering into the reflector reveals that the quark's orange peel looks more... cheap? The Klarus's orange peel looks really good. As far as beam profiles go, the Quark has slightly more spill but it's not very bright and quite useless, you won't notice without the lights side by side. The quark has clear artifacts within it's beam but the Klarus's beam is very flawless with no artifacts... very very smooth. The spot beam on the klarus is a little bit narrower than the wider spot on the quark, but you need to have them side by side to notice. The Klarus gets further into the bush than the quark by a small margin. The trees at the back of this kangaroo filled paddock next to my house is approximately 150-200 feet from where i took the photo and the klarus lights up the paddock and even the trees no problem, the quark does ok and the TK-41 even better (of course). The klarus does exceptionally well in the bush.

The quark has the solid and secure clip, easy UI, solid construction going for it. The Klarus has a better/smoother beam, throws further etc. and i have found it to be bulletproof.

cheers

beerwax · Aug 29, 2011

hi diode.
the eagletac in those selfbuilt graphs is an r5. there is all new eagltacs now with xml and 3.5 minute turbo mode. visit the eagletac website. they are still real ugly but i think there talking over 300 lumens. spark eagletac thrunite zeno are all around 300 lumens now with xml t6 emmitters. whereas the klarus and the quark are back in xpg r5 land. not that thats bad.

i think the tac with its turbo mode is the current 2 aa champ. and the zeno (e15) comes in nuetral tint. and the spark has both tail and side switch..

id really like to buy them all but i dont think id be allowed .
cheers .

Deal4 · Aug 29, 2011

Hi Diode,
Sounds like you have been doing your research! Way to go!
Here is my favorite site for comparing light though I haven't used it much lately.
http://www.light-reviews.com/klarus_st20/
You can compare up to 3 lights at the same time, so it is quite useful.
I have the ST20 and I really love it! It by far my most used light other than my ZL SC51 which I EDC. I have a number of other brands too, but I stick with AA personally.
The ST20 is so easy to use and seems that I never have to change the batteries! My only complaint is what you already stated that the jump from low to med is too big. Would be nice to have a med of 50 lumens or so. Even with that it still has great run times. Build quality is top notch!
My clip doesn't have any problems, but I can see how it could get loose. Pretty easy fix though IMHO.
I had the iTP SA1 which is just the single AA. It is a nice light and I can't really fault it other than the clip is not removeable and leaves alot sticking out of your pocket. I also didn't like that the lens was sticking out of my pocket and could not be reversed. Still a very solid light. I ended giving it to a friend of mine who really liked it.
I really like the feel of the the ST20 over the iTP. Much easier to switch modes and the ST20 has a much lower low.
To me the beam profile is perfect for a multipurpose light. It doesn't throw as much as my Dereelight Javelin with the XP-E, but has a much more usable beam. It really lights up the area and you can still see out a good ways.
Concerning a green tint, I only see a pure white beam. My SC51 is more of a creamy white, but I don't even see a hint of green.
All that to say that I don't think you can go wrong with the Klarus ST20.
Good luck hunting!
Shad

DIΩDΣ · Aug 31, 2011

beerwax said:
hi diode.
the eagletac in those selfbuilt graphs is an r5. there is all new eagltacs now with xml and 3.5 minute turbo mode. visit the eagletac website. they are still real ugly but i think there talking over 300 lumens. spark eagletac thrunite zeno are all around 300 lumens now with xml t6 emmitters. whereas the klarus and the quark are back in xpg r5 land. not that thats bad.

i think the tac with its turbo mode is the current 2 aa champ. and the zeno (e15) comes in nuetral tint. and the spark has both tail and side switch..

id really like to buy them all but i dont think id be allowed .
cheers .

Yeah I am sure I'd like em all too... and I hate having to 'split hairs' with my decision but its the only way I am going to limit it down to 1. I couldnt find much info on the eagletacs website for the XML one for some reason, but on goinggears site it lists it at 272. Impressive but rather limited at 3.5min max then down to 215. Its also on the heavy side for backpacking, about 50% heavier than the Klarus. The Zeno hasnt popped up in my research - I'll look more into that one.

Deal4 said:
Hi Diode,
Sounds like you have been doing your research! Way to go!
Here is my favorite site for comparing light though I haven't used it much lately.
http://www.light-reviews.com/klarus_st20/
You can compare up to 3 lights at the same time, so it is quite useful.
I have the ST20 and I really love it! It by far my most used light other than my ZL SC51 which I EDC. I have a number of other brands too, but I stick with AA personally.
The ST20 is so easy to use and seems that I never have to change the batteries! My only complaint is what you already stated that the jump from low to med is too big. Would be nice to have a med of 50 lumens or so. Even with that it still has great run times. Build quality is top notch!
My clip doesn't have any problems, but I can see how it could get loose. Pretty easy fix though IMHO.
I had the iTP SA1 which is just the single AA. It is a nice light and I can't really fault it other than the clip is not removeable and leaves alot sticking out of your pocket. I also didn't like that the lens was sticking out of my pocket and could not be reversed. Still a very solid light. I ended giving it to a friend of mine who really liked it.
I really like the feel of the the ST20 over the iTP. Much easier to switch modes and the ST20 has a much lower low.
To me the beam profile is perfect for a multipurpose light. It doesn't throw as much as my Dereelight Javelin with the XP-E, but has a much more usable beam. It really lights up the area and you can still see out a good ways.
Concerning a green tint, I only see a pure white beam. My SC51 is more of a creamy white, but I don't even see a hint of green.
All that to say that I don't think you can go wrong with the Klarus ST20.
Good luck hunting!
Shad

Deal4, thanks for the info! Sounds like you and Sammy both have similar thoughts with the ZL the EDC then the Klarus as the next go to light, I'm still leaning this way myself although most of the lights I have considered would probably all do well. I had been to light-reviews.com but never did the side by side comparison, thanks for keying me into that one. I hear you about the throw, and I'm not looking for a super thrower (I'll save that for 4xAA or Li-ion) but something with some more throw than the ZL but still maintaining a very usable all around beam.

Tiggercat · Aug 31, 2011

I just bought a Klarus ST20 last night, after comparing it in person to a bunch of other lights. Extremely impressive. I'll go into it in another post, but in side-by-side comparisons, the Klarus was easily my favorite. Almost bought the Klarus XT10 as well, but couldn't get past the fact that it doesn't have memory (it always starts on medium).

tony22 · Aug 31, 2011

Tiggercat, I'd be interested in your thoughts, and whether when you compared you were able to try it against a Quark AA2. Thanks.

Tiggercat · Aug 31, 2011

tony22 said:
Tiggercat, I'd be interested in your thoughts, and whether when you compared you were able to try it against a Quark AA2. Thanks.

I actually own a Quark MiNi AA2 R5 and a Quark AA2 Turbo R5; what would you like to know?

Deal4 · Aug 31, 2011

Tiggercat said:
I just bought a Klarus ST20 last night, after comparing it in person to a bunch of other lights. Extremely impressive. I'll go into it in another post, but in side-by-side comparisons, the Klarus was easily my favorite.

Glad you like it!
When you post your comparisons could you put a link to it here so we can check it out too? Thanks!

Tiggercat · Aug 31, 2011

Deal4 said:
Glad you like it!
When you post your comparisons could you put a link to it here so we can check it out too? Thanks!

Sure - it's right here: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...Visiting-4Sevens-today.&p=3733292#post3733292

tony22 · Aug 31, 2011

Tiggercat said:
I actually own a Quark MiNi AA2 R5 and a Quark AA2 Turbo R5; what would you like to know?

I guess comparisons of build quality, your impressions of the strengths and weaknesses of the UIs (in this case I guess the AA2 Turbo), impressions of the throw and spill. Thanks.

Tiggercat · Aug 31, 2011

No problem. I actually have the Turbo and the ST20 on my desk right now. Give me a few minutes to write something up.

Tiggercat · Aug 31, 2011

Klarus ST20 vs. 4Sevens Quark AA2 Turbo R5

Size: Almost exactly the same length, but the Quark has a larger diameter on both the body and the head. The Quark size fills the hand better, but the grooves on the ST20 make up for the lack of girth. Weight seems comparable.

Build: Better (grippier) knurling on the ST20, better rings for heat transfer on the Quark. Name is printed on the ST20, while it is etched and then printed on the Quark. I expect the ST20 printing will rub off. Rear threads are anodized on the ST20. No other anodized threads on either light. Threads are well-cut.

Tailcap: ST20 can tailstand, though not the most stable. Quark cannot tailstand. The Quarks tail button seems a little stiffer, but both are very good.

Accessories: Sheaths are comparable, ditto with lanyards, except my Quark didn't have the piece to attach between the tailcap and the lanyard. Clips are comparable, with a very slight edge going to the Quark - it just feels a touch more solid.

Beam: ST20 is floody and smooth like butter. Quark has a noticeable hot spot, but should have more throw. (I can only test inside at the moment.) Low is much lower on the Quark. You can only access two modes with the Quark, but it's the one to pick if you need instant access to max.

Summary: I think both are great lights. For me, I can see myself using the ST20 more often, but that's a purely personal thing based on how you use your lights. I don't regret buying either. The Klarus is more packable, but I would bet the Quark is a lot easier to use with gloves on.

Hope that helps. Let me know if there are any more questions.

think I found my 2xAA light, Klarus ST20 questions?

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