SureFire A2 question

I just got a SureFire A2 and had a couple questions:
-It appears to me that when the incandescent bulb is on, the LED's are also on. Is this supposed to work that way?

-Is it possible to buy the LED assembly with different color LED's? I'd love to buy just the LED assembly and not a complete A2 if I wanted different color LED's in there. If not, any modders out there have any success stories with replacing the LED's?

It appears to my eyes that the A2 incandescent beam is about 50% as bright and also about 50% smaller than my E2e. Can anyone else confirm/deny this?

I do like my A2, especially the switch and am glad I have one but, my initial impression overall, I was more impressed with my TT lights.

Yes the LED's should also be on.
No you can't buy just the LED's there was talk of this but it has not happened.
The A2 beem should be smaller but more intense I have been picts somewhere and the A2 is brighter than the E2e.

Here it is.

hmmm...that certainly isn't what my eyeballs are telling me.

If you or anyone finds photos showing comparisons between the A2 & E2e, I'd like to take a look at them.

That's too bad we can't just buy a different colored LED assembly. Anyone mod their own?

The SL TT is nice. For the money I would hope the Surefire would be brighter all the way around. How does the brightness compare between the two?

Ken

I'll have to let you know on that one this evening when I get home...

CPFing at work /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/twakfl.gif

I own both ,and can let you know now. The TT2L wins on LED's, but just barely. Not enough to make me give up the A2. Especially since the A2 incan just blows away the TT2L. The switching is bette with the A2. You don't have to cycle through either LED or incan, depending on switch position. With the A2, light push brings led's on, rotate brings leds locked on, from there more pressure brings the incan, and led's on, and last a full tightning of the tailcap locks on both LED's, and Incan.
I didn't get rid of my TT2L, I just put it somewhere it is more likely to get lost than Surfires.

JT's beam photo appears realistic based on my observations of the E2e and A2 together.

The A2 has the significant advantage that the main beam does not gradually dim and yellow over the runtime. If you leave the A2 and E2e on side-by-side you will see that after 40 minutes or so the A2's beam is much better.

The electronics to make this possible takes space and energy which means the runtime is less and the A2 is longer.
However, I believe the A2 is better value for me because it gives the highest quality light for longer and I've put over 45 sets of batteries through mine during an intensive field-testing EDC period.

It appears your A2 main beam isn't performing as it should. Have you tried cleaning all the contact surfaces?

Al

Not yet...it's brand new so I didn't think it would need cleaning /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon23.gif

Best to check just to be sure.

When you say brand new, did it come from SureFire or a Dealer?

What's the Serial number?

Thanks

From another CPF member - it was brand new, still in shrink wrap...Serial No: A12563

did another visual inspection in a dark laundry room:
E2e is definately brighter and larger hotspot

Hi Chris:
The MN03 is rated at 60 lumens. The MA02 is rated at 50 lumens and has a frosted tip. The MA02 is in a larger reflector and that gives it better throw. There was a thread, discussing the A2's beam last year. I think it may have been started by "this_is_nascar".

The MN03 isn't the same color as the MA02. At least that is my perception. I think that I read somewhere that Surefire designed the MA02 to show truer colors of objects being inspected. The MN03 does have a larger hot spot than the MA02. The MN03 puts out 20% more lumens with fresh batteries. This changes as the MN03's batteries are drained.
oldgrandpajack

hmmm...even a quick test last night, the throw of the A2 didn't seem to me as far as the E2e.

It was outside and it was cold, so the "test" was brief.
I shone the A2 out my backyard into a field, lowered the light until the point where I could clearly see the hotspot, then pointed the E2e at the same spot. The E2e was definately brighter and was still brighter further out into the field where I couldn't see the beam on the A2.

So, how do I go about cleaning the A2?