Which A2 Aviator LED color?

Which A2 Aviator LED color has the brightest LEDs? I am thinking about purchasing one sometime around the next pay period. I figure I should just opt for the brightest LEDs and not worry about color because if I need to distinguish color I can switch to the incan beam. Does that make sense?

Thanks,
Matt

I would not go for the brightest LED .... I would pick Red to maintain night vision... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I prefer white LED's, for the nicer LED beam. Colored LED's have a ringy beam (red isn't as bad as the others), and you have three of them in the A2. Looks something like the Olympic symbol, with colored LED's.

I understand the idea behind red, to preserve night vision, but on the A2, it's too easy to accidentally activate the 50 Lumen incandescent lamp, and there goes your night vision. I prefer a dedicated red flashlight, to preserve night vision. The original Surefire L1-HA-RD (hex bezel with a red LED) is great, if used properly. Need the F04 Beam Shaper, with the latest L1-HA-RD.

By the way, using the F05 (red filter) with white LED's, doesn't work very well, unless your goal is an extremely dim red light. Colored filters don't work well with LED's.

I have both red and yellow-green, and like the YG best.

The Red A2 was intended to be a bright general purpose light that was also suitable for reading where dark-adapted vision preservation is important. It is also very handy for investigating bumps in the night (the animal kind). It is harder to see someone using a red light than other colors, and the bright incan is there for when you want to check something at a distance.

The YG A2 just seemed cool to me, so I got that next. It turns out that it is great for navigating outside where there are green plants, since red doesn't show there. YG is also easier on the eyes for reading, and is decent at preserving dark-adapted vision. A bonus is that its spectrum is faily broad, giving surprizing color rendition. Yellows wash out, but very few things have yellow on some other light color.

I have neither a blue nor a green A2, but my other blue and green lights tend to make some things flouresce. I find that annoying unless I want that particular effect.

If I were looking for a 2-level white light, I would spend a few more dollars and get a McGizmo McluxIII-PD. So I did. It throws farther, lasts longer even on rechargeables, and can use Surefire filters.

So My favorite and most useful A2 is the YG, although the red is somehow more fun.

Scott

I've got red, white and a spare set of blue LED's, all of which I've used. Depends on what your use will be. The red is ringy, as is the blue, but it has plenty of light for around the house in the dark. If outside and some ambient light, the whites are better. I've got the white in my car, the red by my bed. The blues are brighter than the reds, but offer no real advantage over the white. I find the red LEDs are perfectly adequate for most use, and whites occasionally too bright. I'd love to get a YG ring, but can't see buying another light to try them out.

The A2 with green LEDs will be the brightest, but as others have said, it has a ringy beam. One of my A2s is green, and while the color is fun, my A2 with white LEDs is way more useful. (try reading a map with green LEDs!)

The Yellow-green are fun too, but a bit too dim for my uses.

Though white LEDs may seem boring, they do end up being the most useful. If you really want the brightest LEDs, some folks here have modded theirs with the newer Nichia LEDs. I'm planning to do that as well one of these days..... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

davidra,
where did you get a spare LED ring???
I have blue LED's in my light, and I would rather have white. I have contacted Surefire about replacements, and they said they don't sell replacement LED ring assemblies for the A2. Is this a mod you have had done, if so, by who, I am really interrested.

Chuck

Matt,

A couple of months ago I was comparing A2's with the crew of a Sherpa cargo plane. They got whatever A2's they wanted issued. One had a red, one had a blue, and mine is white. The white seemed the brightest, followed by the blue then the red. My A2's white LED's have a slight purple tint.

The A2 seems to be a specialized tool, even the white leds pretty dim and the incan pretty bright. I have used mine with the white LED's for reading maps, and other reflective items at night without losing my night vision. I personally like it the way it is without modifications.

But for really dark adapted eyes (Just awakened) I use an original L1 with a F06 blue filter on low.

I think if you are looking for medium and high output beams, a diffrent light may be easier.