Review: Streamlight Protac 2AA

voodoo_man

Established

Description:
According to Streamlight, the 2AA features "C4 LED Technology, Impervious To Shock With A 50,000 Hour Lifetime, Multi-Function, Push-Button Tactical Tailswitch. One Handed Operation Of Momentary, Variable Intensity Or Strobe Mode, Anti-Roll Facecap, Removable Pocket Clip, Length: 5.97 In (15.16 Cm) Major Diameter: 0.90 In. (2.29 Cm) Barrel Diameter: 0.65 In. (165 Cm), IPX7 Rated Design; Waterproof To 1 Meter For 30 Minutes." I purchased both of the 2AA's featured in this review from Amazon for $39.50.

Reason for purchase:
At the time (March 2015) I was running a Protac 1AA
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(review) and wanted something with a little bit more lumens. The 1AA did its job really well and was really small but lacked the output I was looking for. I was going to change up my EDC flashlight after a while anyway so I stuck with Streamlight and went with the next size up. I also decided to stick with a flashlight which was powered by AA batteries because I had really good experience usingEnelope AA
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rechargeable batteries for photography, used both the standard and Pro version
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of the Enelope AA batteries with the 2AA. I switched to the Enelope batteries after I had a standard Energizer battery
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explode inside.

First Opinion:
The 2AA came in a plastic container with 2 AA batteries. At first I figured it was longer than I imagined but it turned out to be the perfect size. I could grip the flashlight in one hand and my pistol in another. It also fit fairly perfectly inside my rear pocket for EDC.

The clip on the light comes off but is very tight.

In the Field:
This was my EDC flashlight for daily off-duty use as well as a backup light for on-duty to supplement my dutyStreamlight DS HL Stinger
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. Some days it was used a lot, some days it was not used at all. The first major issues I had with the flashlight came after it hard impacted onto concrete from about 20 feet. The battery closest to the headlamp split open and it leaked inside the body. The light still functioned but the rubber button at the top would balloon randomly that trauma. I would unscrew the tail cap and the gas would be let out, allowing the button to return to normal size. After the second time I figured there was probably an issue and tool the 2AA apart and I found one of the batteries to have leaked.

After I got the batteries out I cleaned up the inside and put two fresh Enelope AA's in it and went on my way. I continued to use the 2AA for several more months. During that time the light started to take a beating even more. It was run over several times, throw against walls and used in various combative training classes as well as on the range as a supplement to my Glock.





As you can see from the above photos it took a really serious beating during the summer months and recently was smashed against the concrete (inadvertently) and now both batteries are stuck inside. I cannot remove them. But if I push really hard on the back of the batteries, after removing the tail cap, the flashlight will function.
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The buttons never stopped working. It never ripped or became pliable in the heat.


It looks like the tail cap is slightly different from the two 2AA's. The 2AA has a rubber gasket which protects the internals of the flashlight from water or dirt. The tailcap screws on with good positive retention.


The headlamp is a C4 LED which puts out about 155 lumens with standard batteries. I have noticed that with rechargeable batteries it is just a tad brighter, but you really have to pay attention to difference, which in my opinion is negligible.

The clip worked really well. It is removable if desired and allows for 360 degree rotation. There is a tiny hole at the bottom of the clip just in case you want to use some paracord to allow for a loop for better grip.
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Ownership and Usage:
I messed around a bit with the Ten Tap programming and ended up just leaving it to its original, factory, settings. I like having high output right away and having to double tap in order to get to the low mode of 11 lumens. The low lumen output is perfect for low/no light document/paperwork. The 155 lumen high output works really well for white walls and does not blind you if you AD the light against a wall. While carrying it EDC in my back pocket I very rarely AD'd the flashlight due to position of sitting in a vehicle or otherwise. I also found that it sticks out just enough to be able to quickly deploy it without having to find the right grip. The button setup is standard Streamlight tactical half-press for pressure on and full-press with an audible "click" for constant on. Same for the tap through to the the strobe and low lumen output, half-press quickly to cycle through modes. I found it to be very intuitive.

Final Thoughts and Recommendations:
This is in no way a duty light. It is just not bright enough to be able to fill all the niche requirements LE or MIL work requires of a flashlight. It is, however, just perfect enough for EDC. It is the right size to fit in a back pocket and allows versatile application not just in light implementation but in overall function. 2AA batteries are cheap and plentiful, I changed the batteries once every two-to-three weeks (recharged them) just to make sure it worked the way I wanted. There are other flashlights out there that may be considered a replacement for this, Fenix
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, Nitecore
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,Surefire
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and other various flashlight companies
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make 2AA flashlights, very few of them have the same specs and the same pedigree. I ended up buying another 2AA after my older one broke and unless something really new and shiny comes out I will probably end up buying another one after this one meets its end.



Read the full review here -> http://www.vdmsr.com/2016/02/streamlight-protac-2aa.html
 
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