# EagleTac T20C2 MKII (and friends) TRIPLE REVIEW !!!



## Wattnot (Feb 24, 2010)

NOTE: The beamshots you will see are temporary. It's close to single digits here as soon as it gets dark enough for beamshots, not to mention the 6 inches of snow still on the ground! 








The EagleTac XPGs are here and WOW! Mike of PTS-flashlights.com and EagleTac-usa.com sent me THREE new releases, all with the XPG emitter. The T20C2 Mark II, the P20C2 Mark II, and the P20A2 Mark II. They’re compact, tough and bright as the sun (well, almost!). Join me on a tour of these “technology envelope pushing” lights built by EagleTac. I’m going to review them all together to save time and space for all. I heard from a little birdy that there will be other reviews of these same lights so you’re going to get it from all angles. In my reviews I like to emphasize comparison, real world beamshots and the layman’s perspective. I look forward to the reviews of my fellow CPF reviewers who no doubt will delve deeper into the “science.”









*Manufacturer’s features and specifications* (from the EagleTac USA store site):

*Model **T20C2 MKII* 






Housing Material - Aircraft Grade Aluminum 

Output Power -380 Lumen (300 OTF) 

Continuous Runtime - 300 Lumen - 1.7hrs / 60 Lumen - 13hrs / 5 Lumen - 100+hrs 

Operation/Functions 
Flashlight operation: Forward click switch, soft press for momentary or click for constant on. Change from high to general mode by twisting head. The tail switch activated strobe now comes disabled until the operator enables it with 15 continuous presses within 10 seconds. To deactivate strobe repeat the activation method. With the strobe enabled every other press goes to strobe. When left off for more than one second the circuit resets and starts on high again. 

Lamp assembly - Cree XP-G R5 LED 

Reflector - Smooth or OP (textured) 

Digital special features 
4 Hidden Modes which includes Low (5 lumen), Strobe, Beacon and SOS. The hidden modes are easily accessed by a double twist of the head when the light is on in either high or general mode. 

Battery type 
Two Lithium CR123A batteries (also compatible with one or two Li-ion rechargeables) 

Body diameter 1.0" 

Bezel diameter 1.4" 

Length 5.9" 

Weight 4.25oz 

Finish - Black Hard Anodize/HA III 

Water Proof - IPX-8 Rated to 10 Feet 

Anti Roll - Yes 

Beam Characteristics - Moderate throw with good balance of flood


*Model **P20C2 MKII*







Housing Material - Aircraft Grade Aluminum

Output Power - 380 Lumen (300 OTF) 

Continuous Runtime 300 Lumen - 1.7hrs / 60 Lumen - 13hrs / 5 Lumen - 100+hrs 

Operation/Functions Flashlight operation: Forward click switch, soft press for momentary or click for constant on. Change from high to general mode by twisting head. The tail switch activated strobe now comes disabled until the operator enables it with 15 continuous presses within 10 seconds. To deactivate strobe repeat the activation method. With the strobe enabled every other press goes to strobe. When left off for more than one second the circuit resets and starts on high again. 

Lamp assembly - Cree XP-G R5 LED 

Reflector Smooth or OP (textured)

Digital special features - 5 Hidden Modes which includes Low (5 lumen), Strobe, Beacon and SOS. The hidden modes are easily accessed by a double twist of the head when the light is on in either high or general mode. Battery type Two Lithium CR123A batteries (also compatible with one or two Li-ion rechargeables) 

Body diameter - 0.8" 

Bezel diameter - 1.0" 

Length - 5.1" 

Weight - 2.5oz 

Finish - Black Hard Anodize/HA III 

Water Proof - IPX-8 Rated to 10 Feet 

Anti Roll - Yes 

Beam Characteristics 
Good throw with a nice balance of flood 



*Model **P20A2 MKII* 






Housing Material - Aircraft Grade Aluminum 

Output Power - 300 Lumen (230 OTF) 

Continuous Runtime - 230 Lumen - 1.5hrs / 60 Lumen - 8hrs / 15 Lumen - 30hrs 

Operation/Functions 
Flashlight operation: Forward click switch, soft press for momentary or click for constant on. Change from high to general mode by twisting head. The tail switch activated strobe now comes disabled until the operator enables it with 15 continuous presses within 10 seconds. To deactivate strobe repeat the activation method. With the strobe enabled every other press goes to strobe. When left off for more than one second the circuit resets and starts on high again. 

Lamp assembly - Cree XP-G R5 LED 

Reflector - Smooth or OP (textured) 

Digital special features 
4 Hidden Modes which includes Low (5 lumen), Strobe, Beacon and SOS. The hidden modes are easily accessed by a double twist of the head when the light is on in either high or general mode. 

Battery type 
2 - 1.5V AA battery (not included), inexpensive and widely available 

Body diameter 0.8" 

Bezel diameter 1.0" 

Length 6.4” 

Weight 3.3 oz 

Finish - Black Hard Anodize/HA III 

Water Proof - IPX-8 Rated to 10 Feet 

Anti Roll - Yes 

Beam Characteristics 
Moderate throw with good balance of flood 












*Initial Impressions:*

It’s been a few months since I’ve broken the seal on any new flashlights. Boy, have things changed, at least in this case. As you can see in the photos, ET has improved their packaging a great deal. Not only that but all three lights came very well equipped. In fact, there were more “toys” included with these than I’ve ever seen before (I’ll talk more about those later in the review). All three lights have a great, balanced feel (the T20C2 fit my hand the best of these three). They all sport a “semi-gloss” black finish with nicely done white lettering. They came with the easily removable clip already installed. All three seem like quality pieces; Nice lines, sturdy yet lightweight and good looking too. My initial impression of the output was WOW. I was excited to get into these fine looking specimens and learn more.








*UI:*

The user interface on these lights can be simple, or complicated. If you hand it to a “normal” person (c’mon, we’re not still pretending to be “normal” now, are we?) they will push the button and get light. After that, it can get a little weird but nothing a flashaholic can’t handle after a few minutes of playing. None of the functions of this light are programmable except that you can disable “quick” access to the strobe. Contrary to some early rumors I read, you cannot completely disable the strobe/beacon/SOS functions. You can tuck them away somewhat, but if you’re a strobe hater, read the rest of this paragraph carefully to decide if these lights are for you. I feel strobe haters will be okay, but read for yourself and decide. 

Make sure you’re twisting the knurled ring below the head and not unscrewing the head. That happened to me once during all of my frantic twisting!

These lights have a tailcap mounted forward clicky with a momentary activation on a half press. With the strobe function option activated, pressing once and holding without clicking, or by pressing all the way and clicking, you get full output. A second half or full press (or quick on/off click cycle) gets you a very rapid strobe at full output. Half press again and you’re back to full. In all cases, turn it off for 2 seconds and you start over. Okay, now stay with me because it’s going to get a little crazy from here. First, there are two states you can initially turn the light on in and that’s whether the strobe function is “disabled” or not. Those two ways are on high with the head twisted tight, or medium with it loose (it’s about an 1/8 of a turn and it’s not “loose” but for simplicity’s sake I will call it “tight” and “loose”). Second, after it’s on, twisting changes the modes. So we’ll start with everything I’m covering now as having the optional strobe function ENABLED. I will let you know when it’ DISABLED. A quick note on twisting: Twisting one way to loose and staying loose, or very rapidly twisting loose and back to tight has the SAME EFFECT. It puts you in the secondary mode, whatever that might be at the time. Twisting slower instead causes the TIGHT setting to go back to HIGH. Here we go: So it’s on and you twist it loose. It goes into medium. You twist tight and loose and now it’s in low (that’s about 5 to 15 lumens, depending on model). From low, if you twist tight/loose again, you get the strobe. Twist tight/loose again and you get the beacon. This isn’t the like beacon you’ve ignored in the past, this beacon is a constant flash, more like a very slow strobe. Finally, twist tight/loose again and you get SOS. Continue to twist and you start the cycle over again: medium-low-strobe-beacon-SOS. ALL of these modes I just described are with the head loose, or it could be tight too, IF you twist very fast twist back to tight. Tightening always returns you to HIGH unless you do it very fast. Clear as mud yet? Okay, now we’ll do the procedure to DISABLE the strobe: From on, half pressing 15 times within 10 seconds toggles the strobe being accessible from the tailcap. You will get a quick confirmation flash. So now the strobe is disabled, right? Well, not exactly. It IS definitely disabled from the rear tailcap with the head tight. Momentary tailcap presses with the head tight simply turn HIGH on and off. You can do your own momentary signaling or just press for high. No matter what you do with the tailcap, you are working with HIGH or OFF only, or if it’s twisted loose, you get medium and off only. However, when you start twisting, there is NO CHANGE from what I described above in the “strobe enabled” section. You will STILL have to cycle through medium-low-strobe-beacon-SOS in the secondary mode. To never see strobe, you will have to do the disable procedure and not twist again when it’s on low. If you twist while it’s on to get down to low, you can only avoid strobe by shutting it off for 2 seconds. Again, from low, twisting the head tight then right away loose, even with the strobe mode “disabled” will put you into the full output strobe mode. However, if you twist with more than 2 second pauses, you will never see the strobe/beacon/SOS. These pauses can be from either a loose or tight head. Have I completely lost you yet? Like I said at the beginning of this section, it can get pretty complicated when you start twisting. I had to stop as I was typing this to keep my head straight and as I proof read what I wrote above, I still do some head scratching!


*White Wall Hunting:*

Below are underexposed wall shots. I found an excellent light to compare to the T20C2 and that's my Dereelight CL1H with the 1.2A, 4.2V single mode module. That's the same current draw of the T20C2. The other shot are the three lights in this review to each other. 





T20C2 left - Dereelight CL1H w/1.2 module right 





T20C2 - P20C2 - P20A2


*Logistics:*

All three lights have well polished and deep reflectors with a light orange peel. The beams were a nice white (they made the TK40 and Surefire E2DL and L1 look yellow by comparison). The hotspots smoothly and quickly transitioned to corona and spill and I didn’t notice any ringy-ness. White wall hunters will be pleased. The emitters were well centered. There isn’t much conventional knurling along the bodies but the bodies are definitely busy and diverse with a mix of checkering, cuts, grooves, and other grip surfaces that I’ll let you try and name! The only problem I had was one instance where I was unscrewing the head instead of twisting where I was supposed to. It was my fault as there IS knurling in place below the head for just that purpose. Button top cells are required. My flat top Wolf Eyes brand 18650 and 17670 did not make contact without help. No discernible pwm detected on any of them on any intensity. A 15 minute test on high with the T20C2 laying on the counter made me think I was losing it . . . the light was barely even warm!! The P20C2 was as expected, comfortably warm but not hot. The threads were very well lubed and became fairly smooth after working them for a minute. There are 3 O-rings, one at each thread point. The whole head comes off, or you can unscrew the head in the center to get to the reflector/emitter module. The modules were well beyond hand tight on all three lights and I saw no reason to remove any as they’re only removable for the purpose of replacement in the unlikely event of LED failure. There was minor battery rattle in all 3. The T20C2 was tested with an AW 18650 and it rattled a little bit. They do include a sleeve for use with CR123s. The protruding tailcap switches prevent tailstanding on any of the models but they do include a tail stand ring in the goodies bag. I mentioned a bunch of “toys.” They all come with a clip. This is the same clip design as on earlier EagleTacs. It’s not a full “ring” around the body but an open “C.” You can pull it straight off. It takes a little force but it will pull right off. If you wear this on the outside of a belt, it is feasible that it could unintentionally pop off on you, causing you to loose the light. I would treat this more as a pocket clip for that reason, or just be aware this could happen if you sit with it. I prefer wearing them outside, clipped to my belt and this did NOT happen to me, but I can envision it happening if you wear it too far behind you and sit in a car or a mushy couch. Don’t like the clip? No problem. You also get a nylon holster (complete with a small D-ring) AND a lanyard. There's a glow-in-the-dark clicky cover and several replacement O-rings and the tail-stand ring. And that’s not all! There’s also what they call a tactical ring (rubber) and a DIFFUSER! To use the diffuser you have to unscrew the stainless bezel and screw in the diffuser. It works well except it’s a little slower into action than a slip on one (like the Surefire F04). It would have been nice to see a place made for the diffuser on the holster. Maybe next time!










*



*


*Current draw:*

The current draw figures were as expected. I tried different battery configurations and chemistries on a couple of them but only measured on high this time. Where the voltage was lower, the current draw was higher and vice-versa. I did Ohm’s Law and the wattages were the same (when comparing the same light with the different battery types) so the regulation circuitry is doing it’s job nicely. With an 18650 the T20C2 drew 1.2A and 800ma on 2 CR123s. The P20C2 drew 1.2A from a 17670 and 800ma from it’s 2 CR123s. The P20A2 drew 1.2A from the Energizer lithium primaries and 1.5A from Eneloops (nimh). Just for fun, I dropped a couple of alkalines in the P20A2 and measured a 1.4A draw. These lights appear to have only buck regulation. I tested them with nearly depleted batteries and they all ran with dimmed output. Be sure to use protected cells. I’m not sure when the low voltage protection of either the battery or the light (if it has it) is supposed to kick in but I stopped the single cell test at 3.1 volts with the light still going. However, I’m impressed with the regulation . . . or it could be the lower VF of the XPG emitter. Either way, the single cell performance matched or beat the 2 CR123 performance on both the T20C2 and P20C2. In some of my other lights that can take both, you can notice a small improvement with 2 CR123s over a single 18650 or 17670.



*In the hands of “babes:”*

This is the part of the review where I take the light over to my neighbor Joe and get his “I don’t care about flashlights the way you care about flashlights” opinion. He is a highly skilled mechanic and has an impressive array of tools but to him a flashlight is a good old stock Mag. I’ve been slowing converting him but there’s no “passion” there, so this makes him the perfect subject. I handed him the lights and the first thing he commented on was how light they all were, yet they still had a solid feel. He found the twist quickly (he saw the labeling) but I had to help him find the concealed mode. Of course he was thoroughly impressed with the output (he better be . . . I'M thoroughly impressed with the output) of all three. Joe was disappointed they wouldn't tailstand but when I told him they all came with a tailstand adapter, he was impressed. He was further impressed when I described all of the other accessories. He really liked the diffuser. However, he felt the accessories would quickly get lost. He thought the package would be perfect if the included holster had a little pocket for the tailstand adapter and the diffuser. He gravitated toward the T20C2 for the same reason I chose it as my favorite of the three, but as soon as he learned about the battery choice, he lost interest. "Oh, another one of those," he said. As I always say, non flashaholics are better off with mainstream batteries. So after hearing that the P20A2 took AAs, that one became his favorite, despite having a little less in the output department. His overall comments were that he liked the lights but thought they were overly complicated, even with the strobe mode "disabled." He found them lightweight yet solid, very nicely finished and a good value for what you got. 



*Beamshots:*

Now we'll move on to what you've all been reading for . . . the BEAMSHOTS! However, as I explained above, the weather is preventing my usual spectacular (well at least I HOPE so) outdoor beamshots. The best I could do for now was 40 feet in my messy basement. NOBODY is allowed to comment on the mess!


Captions will now be BELOW each photo.





T20C2 left - CL1H right





T20C2 left - P20C2 right





P20C2 left - P20A2 right (lotta flooding going on!)





The 4 way shot should give you a good idea of how these compete. The exposure settings were identical and 2 stops underexposed. 

I hope those shots give you enough of an idea for now. The lights all performed as expected. I'm looking forward to taking some 100 foot outdoor shots but from shivering on the deck I can tell you the T20C2 beats out the CL1H in both hotspot size and intensity. Since they both draw the same current, you will see how much more efficient the XPG emitter is over the older Q5 in my CL1H. 


*Conclusions:*

EagleTac has 3 winners here. Just pick your battery type! I personally like the T20C2 best because of it’s feel in the hand and performance on 18650s, which was the same or ever so slightly better than on CR123s. The much smaller P20C2 has an enormous rated output for it’s size, but can’t keep up with it’s big brother, no doubt because of the smaller reflector. These XPGs have a nice low VF so single cell performance should match or even beat CR123 performance. As for output, the T and C 20C2 are rated the same. However, the T20C2’s larger reflector puts more lux on the target and increases throw. The P20A2 is a great light too. It’s even thinner than the P20C2 in the body and can use a much cheaper and widely available power source. The cost is that it’s longer than both of the CR123 models and the output isn’t as high. The P20A2 would be an excellent choice for someone who doesn’t want to mess with expensive CR123s or 18650s and dedicated chargers you might not otherwise need. I always recommend 2xAA lights for non-flashaholics for that reason. NIMH batteries and chargers are everywhere (even near the cash registers at supermarkets). Thanks to digital cameras, lots of people are now familiar with them and this light “shines” on nimhs. Of course there’s also the AA alkaline (gasp!) option for when nothing else is available and the light had no trouble sucking 1.4 amps from my lowly little Energizer alkalines The bunny would be pleased. After the outdoor beamshots are done, I’ll know more and may modify these conclusions.


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## Wattnot (Feb 24, 2010)

*Re: EagleTac MKII (XPG) TRIPLE REVIEW !!!*

I received some positive comments about the basement shots so I'll just leave those and put the outdoor shots here.

The shots of each light by itself were taken at the same exposure for each distance for true comparision. At the 150 foot range, the shutter was open so long that they appear brighter than they really are. Captions will appear BELOW the pictures.






T20C2 left - CL1H right 50 feet





T20C2 left - P20C2 center - P20A2 right 50 feet





P20C2 left - P20A2 right 50 feet





T20C2 50 feet





P20C2 50 feet





P20A2 50 feet





T20C2 left - CL1H right 100 feet





P20C2 left - P20A2 right 100 feet





T20C2 100 feet





P20C2 100 feet





P20A2 100 feet





T20C2 left - CL1H right 150 feet





P20C2 left - P20A2 right 150 feet





T20C2 150 feet





P20C2 150 feet





P20A2 150 feet


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## jhc37013 (Feb 24, 2010)

*Re: EagleTac MKII (XPG) TRIPLE REVIEW !!!*

Nice job on the review I'm sure that took a lot of time and effort. I like the basement shots it may even help some members more easily then outdoor shots. I have let a couple friends handle my P20 who are familiar with lights maybe not as much as many of us here but still experienced with them and the first thing they say is "hey I like that rubber switch boot". They say that even before or considering how well it performs as a tail stander. 

Their is just something very comfortable about the way it feels over the tailcap, it's seems sometimes small things make a big difference. Ok then they turn it on and are blown away and usually say something like wow! or actually in both cases a small bit of excited profanity.


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## [email protected] (Feb 24, 2010)

*Re: EagleTac MKII (XPG) TRIPLE REVIEW !!!*

Hey Wattnot,
Thanks for all your hard work! I like these multiple reviews! 

Check your P20C2 specs.


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## jhc37013 (Feb 25, 2010)

*Re: EagleTac MKII (XPG) TRIPLE REVIEW !!!*

I think maybe he put 5.9 inches instead of 5.1in length is because that is what the catalog had in it IIRC.


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## strinq (Feb 25, 2010)

*Re: EagleTac MKII (XPG) TRIPLE REVIEW !!!*

nice one. :thumbsup:


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## copperfox (Feb 25, 2010)

*Re: EagleTac MKII (XPG) TRIPLE REVIEW !!!*

Can you turn it on immediately in low mode, or does it revert to "general" mode when the head is loosened, turned off, and left for a couple seconds?

What is the width of the reflector on the T20C2?


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## Midnight Oil (Feb 25, 2010)

*Re: EagleTac MKII (XPG) TRIPLE REVIEW !!!*

Thanks for the great review, Wattnot.

I wax expecting at least fuzzy hotspots for all three lights, but I can't see any in the photos with the normal exposure, just lots of flood. Do the beams actually look like that?

I'm think about purchasing the P20A2 MKII, but I'm bit disppointed having read light-reviews.com's review. The drop in throw, as indicated by the reported spot lux reading, is a whole lot more that what I expected.

If the P20A2's beam is indeed that diffused at 40 feet, there won't be any throw left at greater distances, right?

I'm really looking forward to your outdoor beamshots and they prove otherwise. Thank you in advance for braving the cold to get them.


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## Midnight Oil (Feb 25, 2010)

*Re: EagleTac MKII (XPG) TRIPLE REVIEW !!!*

Oh BTW, there seems to be a typo in the product description for the P20A2. One of the 4 hidden modes is noted as 5 lumens, instead of 15. That is a typo, right? If there actually is a 5 lumen mode, then SWEET! One more reason to get it.


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## jhc37013 (Feb 25, 2010)

*Re: EagleTac MKII (XPG) TRIPLE REVIEW !!!*

I hope the OP doesn't mind if I answer a couple questions posted here I don't wanna go stepping on toes after such a great review.

I have a room 50 feet across and the hotspot is a lot more defined then seen in the pics, maybe it was camera exposure but my P20C2 has a nice bright hot spot for a XP-G.

If you turn the light off while in the hidden low mode the light will come back on in either general of high mode depending if the head is tight or not.

*Midnight O**il* don't let that review on spot lux deter you this is the brightest and best throwing XP-G I have, the throw covers a very wide area typical of other XP-G emitters but this one throws better then a Quark cr123x2 R5 or even my PD30+ R2. Maybe that will give you a better idea of actual throw. I seen that product description that says 5 lumen low and I think its just a typo forgetting to add the 1 for 15, every spec I have seen says 15 lumen low or the specs on the Q4 models are listed as the same as thr R5 models. 

Edit: looking closer at his P20 NW package it does say 5 lumen I think I confused myself


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## harddrive (Feb 25, 2010)

*Re: EagleTac MKII (XPG) TRIPLE REVIEW !!!*

jhc37013,

You have the SMO reflector in your P20C2 MKII don't you? The one reviewed here and the one on Light-reviews both have OP reflector. I think that might be why yours has a brighter hot spot.


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## jhc37013 (Feb 25, 2010)

*Re: EagleTac MKII (XPG) TRIPLE REVIEW !!!*



harddrive said:


> jhc37013,
> 
> You have the SMO reflector in your P20C2 MKII don't you? The one reviewed here and the one on Light-reviews both have OP reflector. I think that might be why yours has a brighter hot spot.



Yes I have SMO reflector so maybe your right.


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## Painful Chafe (Feb 25, 2010)

*Re: EagleTac MKII (XPG) TRIPLE REVIEW !!!*

I thought the P20C2 is also rated at 380 lumens with 300 OTF? Maybe this is a typo in the review?


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## bigchelis (Feb 25, 2010)

*Re: EagleTac MKII (XPG) TRIPLE REVIEW !!!*

Opps, thought it was the XP-G R5 review.


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## jhc37013 (Feb 25, 2010)

*Re: EagleTac MKII (XPG) TRIPLE REVIEW !!!*



Painful Chafe said:


> I thought the P20C2 is also rated at 380 lumens with 300 OTF? Maybe this is a typo in the review?



He reviewed the Q4 model/


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## Conan (Feb 25, 2010)

*Re: EagleTac MKII (XPG) TRIPLE REVIEW !!!*

Nice work Wattnot! :thumbsup: Would it be possible to enlarge the font size of the text by a little bit?


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## jhc37013 (Feb 25, 2010)

*Re: EagleTac MKII (XPG) TRIPLE REVIEW !!!*



bigchelis said:


> Opps, thought it was the XP-G R5 review.



Oh ok I see now he did review the XP-G models just the specs for the P20C2 MKII is for the Q4 model.


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## Wattnot (Feb 25, 2010)

*Re: EagleTac MKII (XPG) TRIPLE REVIEW !!!*



[email protected] said:


> Hey Wattnot,
> Thanks for all your hard work! I like these multiple reviews!
> 
> Check your P20C2 specs.


 
Thanks to all for the compliments. It makes this all worth the work. Fixed the specs on the P20C2




copperfox said:


> Can you turn it on immediately in low mode, or does it revert to "general" mode when the head is loosened, turned off, and left for a couple seconds?


 
Another member may have already answered but no, your initial or after reset turn on options are medium or high, depending on your "twist."




Midnight Oil said:


> Thanks for the great review, Wattnot.
> 
> I wax expecting at least fuzzy hotspots for all three lights, but I can't see any in the photos with the normal exposure, just lots of flood. Do the beams actually look like that?


 
The P20C2 and P20A2 both start to flood as shown in the full brightness shots (the A2 more than the C2). Yes, they look like that. The underexposed 4 way served to filter out some/most of the spill. My hope was to better show what the hotspot was doing without the exposure getting too washed out, as well as reflection off of my junk.



Conan said:


> Nice work Wattnot! :thumbsup: Would it be possible to enlarge the font size of the text by a little bit?


 
Are you talking about ALL of the text or just the specs?

Thanks again, keep the comments and questions coming. I'm hoping to have the outdoor shots in the next week or two. I don't imagine I'll go beyond 100 feet with all 3, or 150 feet with the T20C2 vs. the CL1H.


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## ky70 (Feb 25, 2010)

*Re: EagleTac MKII (XPG) TRIPLE REVIEW !!!*

Thank you for your reviews. Is the listed length on the P20C2 correct? It's still listed as 5.9"...same as T20C2.



Wattnot said:


> Thanks to all for the compliments. It makes this all worth the work. Fixed the specs on the P20C2


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## Wattnot (Feb 25, 2010)

*Re: EagleTac MKII (XPG) TRIPLE REVIEW !!!*



ky70 said:


> Thank you for your reviews. Is the listed length on the P20C2 correct? It's still listed as 5.9"...same as T20C2.


 

I took those specs directly (cut and paste) from the PTS site so . . . 

Mike . . .  the whistle guy is back to YOU! 

I'll measure it and edit when I get home. Look at the picture on the deck rail for an idea of the difference. I'm going to guess . . . 5.1 inches long?


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## Paapaa (Feb 25, 2010)

*Re: EagleTac MKII (XPG) TRIPLE REVIEW !!!*

1. Does these light come with OP reflector by default?
2. Does the T20C2 feel worse than P20C2 when handled "normally" (normal full grip)? I'm talking about the tactical "ring".
3. Is it possible to remove the tactical ring?
EDIT 4. Does T20C2 MKII and P20C2 MKII have identical UI? Ie. strobe can be disabled in both?

I'm interested in T20C2 because it seems to have better throw.


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## wingnut86 (Feb 25, 2010)

*Re: EagleTac MKII (XPG) TRIPLE REVIEW !!!*

Great review!

I have the P20C2 MKII, and it is an excellent light. I run it bare bones. Clip removed, and I installed a spare o-ring from my Fenix TK20 into the groove for the clip, it fits flush with the tail-cap and looks great! And the output is HUGE for such a small light...I simply love it!


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## wingnut86 (Feb 25, 2010)

*Re: EagleTac MKII (XPG) TRIPLE REVIEW !!!*



Wattnot said:


> Okay, now we’ll do the procedure to DISABLE the strobe: From on, *twisting* 15 times within 10 seconds toggles.



I think you meant to say half pressing instead of twisting...


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## jhc37013 (Feb 25, 2010)

*Re: EagleTac MKII (XPG) TRIPLE REVIEW !!!*



ky70 said:


> Thank you for your reviews. Is the listed length on the P20C2 correct? It's still listed as 5.9"...same as T20C2.



The P20C2 is 5.1" long the 5.9" listed in the catalog was a misprint or miss something but it's 5.1". The T20C2 is 5.9".


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## Wattnot (Feb 25, 2010)

*Re: EagleTac MKII (XPG) TRIPLE REVIEW !!!*



Paapaa said:


> 1. Does these light come with OP reflector by default?
> 2. Does the T20C2 feel worse than P20C2 when handled "normally" (normal full grip)? I'm talking about the tactical "ring".
> 3. Is it possible to remove the tactical ring?
> EDIT 4. Does T20C2 MKII and P20C2 MKII have identical UI? Ie. strobe can be disabled in both?


 
I believe it comes with the OP reflector by default because it's not mentioned on the box. I also believe you can order it with a smooth but you would have to confirm with PTS or other dealer.

The tactical ring came installed on my T20 but just in the options bags on the others. It is easily removable but it didn't bother me leaving it on. I like the feel of the T20 in the hand best but the P20 would make an awesome EDC.

All THREE have the same UI. Yes, tailcap accessable strobe can be disabled in all 3 but read my UI section in post 1. Disabling the strobe just disables it from tailcap, pushbutton access. You can still get to it by twisting. 



Midnight Oil said:


> Oh BTW, there seems to be a typo in the product description for the P20A2. One of the 4 hidden modes is noted as 5 lumens, instead of 15. That is a typo, right? If there actually is a 5 lumen mode, then SWEET! One more reason to get it.


 
Not a typo. I just tested all three and it's the P20C2 that has the 5 lumens. 



wingnut86 said:


> I think you meant to say half pressing instead of twisting...


 
Oops, I'll edit. Yes it's half pressing (or frantic clicking if you go too far!).


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## BentHeadTX (Feb 25, 2010)

*Re: EagleTac MKII (XPG) TRIPLE REVIEW !!!*

Great review Wattnot!,

My P20A2 has the smooth reflector so the hot spot appears a little "hotter" but not as smooth as the light OP reflector. For me, the smooth reflector is fine since my light is for out door use and the more throw, the better. 

The best way I can describe the beam width of the P20A2 is a Fenix L2D Q5 without the rings and much, much brighter. IMHO, EagleTac got the XP-G beam shape about right with decent throw but not a pencil beam. 

Thanks for the beam shots and enjoy the new ETs!


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## [email protected] (Feb 26, 2010)

*Re: EagleTac MKII (XPG) TRIPLE REVIEW !!!*



Wattnot said:


> I took those specs directly (cut and paste) from the PTS site so . . .
> 
> Mike . . .  the whistle guy is back to YOU!
> 
> I'll measure it and edit when I get home. Look at the picture on the deck rail for an idea of the difference. I'm going to guess . . . 5.1 inches long?


Yep we had it listed the same length as the P20A2. We made the change on both sites 
If anyone see's any more mistakes please PM me so we can get it changed.


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## Painful Chafe (Feb 26, 2010)

*Re: EagleTac MKII (XPG) TRIPLE REVIEW !!!*

Are the beams really that blue or is that just a camera issue??!!

Man, I'm not even sure if I should call it blue. They are purple.


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## Wattnot (Feb 26, 2010)

*Re: EagleTac MKII (XPG) TRIPLE REVIEW !!!*



Painful Chafe said:


> Are the beams really that blue or is that just a camera issue??!!
> 
> Man, I'm not even sure if I should call it blue. They are purple.


 
As I mentioned somewhere in post 1, the beams are a nice white. I can't detect any purple or blue or green tint at all. They just seem as white as white can be. I wanted the DIFFERENCES to show between the EagleTacs and the CL1H beam color so I set the white balance to 4000k for ALL shots. That is where the purple is coming from. There might have been a better choice but these shots are temporary. I'll try and find a more accurate AWB setting for the next round of beamshots, which will be outdoors at greater distances.


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## sfca (Feb 26, 2010)

*Re: EagleTac MKII (XPG) TRIPLE REVIEW !!!*

Excuse me as I ask around for answers!

I'm curious about the opinions on lux between the R2 and XPG model. 
Hotspot is 2X bigger, but quoted lux measurements (for OP reflector) fall from 15,000 to 8,000 lux @ 1m. 

Does this correlate with what you see with your eyes (for Smooth reflector)?

_P.S. Hotspot size & Lux comparo with E2DL.. those that have the "200 lumen" model?_


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## jhc37013 (Mar 11, 2010)

*Re: EagleTac MKII (XPG) TRIPLE REVIEW !!!*

I have a question I can't seem to find any pics or descriptions of how the lanyard is attached. In *Wattnot's* pic of the T20C2 and accessories I see an additional black ring, is this where the lanyard is attached?

If so do I have to remove the cigar grip ring to use a lanyard? I'm really considering getting the T20 after being really impressed with the P20 MKll but I have to have my lanyard attached but don't want to be without the cigar grip either. Any info Thanks.


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## Wattnot (Mar 12, 2010)

*Re: EagleTac MKII (XPG) TRIPLE REVIEW !!!*

OUTDOOR BEAMSHOTS ARE UP AND IN POST TWO.

I also updated post one for the "in the hands of babes" section.





jhc37013 said:


> I have a question I can't seem to find any pics or descriptions of how the lanyard is attached. In *Wattnot's* pic of the T20C2 and accessories I see an additional black ring, is this where the lanyard is attached?
> 
> If so do I have to remove the cigar grip ring to use a lanyard? I'm really considering getting the T20 after being really impressed with the P20 MKll but I have to have my lanyard attached but don't want to be without the cigar grip either. Any info Thanks.


 
The instructions seem to imply that you can attach the lanyard to the end of the tailcap but I do not see what they mean. I tried the lanyard ring on the P20C2 but it fits loosely. I'm going to have to talk to Nicole to see how the lanyard is supposed to work.


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## jhc37013 (Mar 12, 2010)

*Re: EagleTac MKII (XPG) TRIPLE REVIEW !!!*



Wattnot said:


> OUTDOOR BEAMSHOTS ARE UP AND IN POST TWO.
> 
> I also updated post one for the "in the hands of babes" section.
> 
> ...



Ok thanks and a something I do to get the ring on the P20 from spinning freely is take one of the spare o-rings and place it under the lanyard ring and then screw down the tailcap nice and tight. This way the lanyard ring won't move even a little.


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## somename (Mar 25, 2010)

*Re: EagleTac MKII (XPG) TRIPLE REVIEW !!!*



jhc37013 said:


> I have a question I can't seem to find any pics or descriptions of how the lanyard is attached. In *Wattnot's* pic of the T20C2 and accessories I see an additional black ring, is this where the lanyard is attached?
> 
> If so do I have to remove the cigar grip ring to use a lanyard? I'm really considering getting the T20 after being really impressed with the P20 MKll but I have to have my lanyard attached but don't want to be without the cigar grip either. Any info Thanks.


 

I am also curious how they want the lanyard attached on the T20C2 MKII. Anyone find out where it is designed to attach?


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## jhc37013 (Mar 26, 2010)

*Re: EagleTac MKII (XPG) TRIPLE REVIEW !!!*

Well I got mine and best thing I can figure is it is meant to attach on the pocket clip, unless I am missing something. This is not very good for me because on a light this size I take the clip off.


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## recDNA (Apr 1, 2010)

*Re: EagleTac MKII (XPG) TRIPLE REVIEW !!!*

I just got mine. If it's anything like my old R2 T20C2 it should last a long time. That light has been through heck and is as good as new. Best thrower I own. 

I can't get over how small the P20C2 is. 330 Lumens OTF?(BigC) Amazing. Just trying to decide if I want to buy a 17670 or stick with primaries. I have plenty of CR123A but if it's brighter with the Li Ion I'll get one.

I took off the clip and I'm running it as bare bones as could be. I think I will put the GITD clicky cover on it though. I don't see well at all in the dark or even dim light so the lighter color boot may be easier for me to spot. IME none of them really "glow" for very long and never in the pitch dark but white is easier to see than black. Too bad there isn't a lanyard hole to install a trit tube. 

Maybe I'll try a GITD o-ring in the groove left after removing the clip. It looks very classy in all black and gleaming bezel but I need help to see it in dim light.

Eagletac hasn't disappointed me once...but I'm still waiting for a SST-50 model! Maybe a nice SST-50 drop in for the T20C2 and an SST-90 M2X!


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## sfca (Apr 2, 2010)

*Re: EagleTac MKII (XPG) TRIPLE REVIEW !!!*



recDNA said:


> I just got mine. If it's anything like my old R2 T20C2 it should last a long time. That light has been through heck and is as good as new. Best thrower I own.



What would you say the difference in throw/lux would be between the R2 and R5?


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## recDNA (Apr 2, 2010)

*Re: EagleTac MKII (XPG) TRIPLE REVIEW !!!*

I have the P20C2 in XP-G and the T20C2 in R2 so it isn't a fair comparison. The T20C2 blows it away but it has a bigger reflector as well as the R2 led.


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## Grayblue (Apr 4, 2010)

Thank you for the detailed review.

I don't hate strobe.

It's the "double tap" UI that would activate the strobe mode without me intending to enter the strobe mode that I hated. And, that's what kept me away from it.

But, now that the feature(kind of brainless of them to make it that way for what they claim as "tactical" models) can be deactivated, I'm buying them.


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## Federal LG (Apr 4, 2010)

They´re all beautiful!

Thanks for the review...

I´m thinking to get one P20C2 Mk. II for me...

What about single battery lights ? 
Does EagleTac intend to improve some of their earlier single battery models?


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## jhc37013 (Apr 5, 2010)

Federal LG said:


> What about single battery lights ?
> Does EagleTac intend to improve some of their earlier single battery models?



The PC20C is a 1xcr123 XP-G light that is suppose to be released sometime soon and it's one I have been keeping a look out for.


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## JaguarDave-in-Oz (Apr 5, 2010)

jhc37013 said:


> The PC20C is a 1xcr123 XP-G light that is suppose to be released sometime soon and it's one I have been keeping a look out for.


you are not alone there.........

Hope it comes soon.


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## Federal LG (Apr 5, 2010)

Wow... I love single CR123 lights!

Gonna keep my eye on it too... I hope they release it soon.


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## recDNA (Apr 18, 2010)

*Re: EagleTac MKII (XPG) TRIPLE REVIEW !!!*

I wish there were a way to permanantly program the light. I prefer low and High as the default modes instead of medium and high. Think about it. If you need low light the need to go through high and medium to GET to low kind of defeats the purpose.

I must say though...despite my complaint about the UI...for the money this is one dynamite little pocket rocket for indoor or close to medium range outdoor use.


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## JaguarDave-in-Oz (Apr 18, 2010)

*Re: EagleTac MKII (XPG) TRIPLE REVIEW !!!*



recDNA said:


> I wish there were a way to permanantly program the light. I prefer low and High as the default modes instead of medium and high. Think about it. If you need low light the need to go through high and medium to GET to low kind of defeats the purpose.


Whether it makes sense when you think about it I guess really depends on the "purpose" for which you buy the torch.

For my particular purposes I don't place any regard in this "destroying night vision" stuff that I read people here complaining of, it's possibly valid for some but certainly not for me because I don't use my torches in the house or in bed where using the electric light or bedside lamp is just so much more convenient for me. I never go from totally dark to putting on my torch so there' snever any "night vision" to interfere with. I'm usually moving from one well lit spot into a dark area and quite often in daytime. 

The only reason I've ever needed the low setting is to either look at something very close up, often usually junk in my or someone else's eye from grass cutting, grinding, crawling under dirty cars etc or to inspect a cut, splinter etc. In years of owning multi level torches I've never had a case where having the torch turn on first in a brighter mode has defeated the purpose for which I then selected low.

My point is that for some what you say may be true but for others it isn't, so it's really not a case of making more sense to do it one way or the other BUT given the size and style of this particular torch it's focus is always going fall towards getting the big light out first and worry about the real low later and that means that in this case both head modes (tight and loose) need to have a useable amount of light when first switched on. I guess the makers assume that buyers for this "tactical" style torch will be those that sway on the side of brightness and accept the lowest mode being an extra step away and only for "special occasions". 

I do like the eagletac UI over an above so many others becuase it has three distinct and different actions for reaching those brightness levels rather than having to step through each level using repeats of the same action (say a half press) thus you always know what you're goign to get. 

With eagletac you need only turn the ligth on and twist-untwist to get low so it's pretty quick anyway.


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## jhc37013 (Apr 18, 2010)

*Re: EagleTac MKII (XPG) TRIPLE REVIEW !!!*

I carry the P20 MKII in a holster and now a ZL SC50 in my pocket when I need a low-low I pull out the SC50 it has two different levels of low and I use the P20C2 MKII for when I need 300 lumen.

This is my preferred carry light's, atleast for the time being.


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## Balog (Apr 21, 2010)

Ok, so just to make sure I understand, the P20C2 and the T20C2 both take two CR123A (or equivalent rechargeables) and have the same lumens/run time etc, but the P model is slightly shorter and has a smaller head? Any other differences between the two models?

Also, does anyone have a Jetbeam RRT-0 they could compare this to, beam wise?


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## Wattnot (Apr 23, 2010)

Balog said:


> Ok, so just to make sure I understand, the P20C2 and the T20C2 both take two CR123A (or equivalent rechargeables) and have the same lumens/run time etc, but the P model is slightly shorter and has a smaller head? Any other differences between the two models?


 
Essentially, yes but the larger reflector makes a difference in throw. Once you introduce a little distance, the T20 is much brighter.


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## Geode (Apr 23, 2010)

Wattnot,

Thanks for the effort put into the review and the cool pics. 


A general thank you to everyone who posts review on this forum also - this is a fantastic resource!


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## ps56k (Jun 30, 2010)

A friend just let me know he has the T20, so had to come looking for info and reviews.

As far as the naming scheme, I can see the C2 and A2 refer to the battery, 
but was about the T20 and P20 names ?


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## Roger Sully (Jun 30, 2010)

I believe the T refers to the Tactical series and the P refers to the Personal series.


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## ps56k (Jun 30, 2010)

HSG said:


> I believe the T refers to the Tactical series and the P refers to the Personal series.



yeah, got the T vs P - but couldn't figure out the "20" ?


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## stickman (Jun 30, 2010)

omfg!


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## black4thgen (Jun 30, 2010)

These lights look really good. I'm new here but how would one of these compare to something like a magcharger? I'm looking for an upgrade. Thanks.


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## leon2245 (Jul 2, 2010)

> Operation/Functions
> Flashlight operation: Forward click switch, soft press for momentary or click for constant on. Change from high to general mode by twisting head. The tail switch activated *strobe now comes disabled until the operator enables it with 15 continuous presses within 10 seconds.* To deactivate strobe repeat the activation method. With the strobe enabled every other press goes to strobe. When left off for more than one second the circuit resets and starts on high again.
> 
> Lamp assembly - Cree XP-G R5 LED
> ...






so as it comes from the factory, if you never press 15 times in 10 seconds, you will never see anything other than off/on, twist head for low/high? it would be hard to accidentally press 15 times in 10 sec., but i'm not so sure about a double head twist. or is the double head twist only available after you press 15/10.

that 2xaa looks great.


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## jesphoto (Jul 3, 2010)

Recently purchased MKii version. Using a rechargeable 18650, the light worked great at first but after recharge, I haven't been able to get to turbo mode. It only appears to have general and low. All the hidden modes work fine, but when I first turn on the light, I can't get any variation in output by rotating the bezel (output only appears to be general). Any thoughts on what might be causing this? thanks


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## 07gttom (Jul 4, 2010)

strobe mode by default is off. if you go into the hidden modes, you can access the strobe mode. if you do the whole 15 times, then strobe will be accessed by a simple double tap of the button. i left mine off.


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## leon2245 (Sep 3, 2010)

leon2245 said:


> so as it comes from the factory, if you never press 15 times in 10 seconds, you will never see anything other than off/on, twist head for low/high? it would be hard to accidentally press 15 times in 10 sec., but i'm not so sure about a double head twist. *or is the double head twist only available after you press 15/10.*
> 
> that 2xaa looks great.


 
The double head twist also activates strobe only if you've completed 15 in 10, or any time?


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## Chicago_Ted (Oct 30, 2010)

I have a question.

I would like to get either the P20A2 MKII or the P20C2 MKII from a dealer I have dealt with before and who are good. However although they are advertised on the site as MKII it says they are XR-E R2 LEDs. Has Eagletac given R2 emitters to the MKII models now? :thinking: Maybe it is a typo? I won't say the dealer in case I am not supposed to.

I would be really grateful if someone could answer this.


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## belfastbiker (Apr 1, 2011)

*Re: EagleTac MKII (XPG) TRIPLE REVIEW !!!*

My god, at 100ft you'd think a damned car was shining at the house, not a handheld single battery torch.


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## berrybank (Apr 21, 2011)

I need a flashlight with a good throw to see objects at a distance, is this the best flashlight for my needs?


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## Moonshadow (Apr 21, 2011)

> The double head twist also activates strobe only if you've completed 15 in 10, or any time?


Hi Leon; The 15-click thing enables strobe activation from a double-click of the tailcap switch. 

Twisting the head is a separate mechanism, available anytime. From either General or High mode (i.e. head loose or tight) a quick tighten-loosen of the head switches to Low. If you tighten-loosen again you'll go through strobe and then SOS. Everything is reset as soon as you switch off - then you'll be back to either General or High depending on head position.

Strobe and SOS are available through this mechanism whether you've done the 15-click thingy or not. It's a good system actually - the blinky modes are there if you want them but well-enough hidden that you are unlikely to activate strobe by accident. And if you don't do the 15 clicks, you will _never_ get strobe by switching on and off from the tailcap.


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