EagleTac P20C2 Neutral
Available at EagleTac-USA.com
Specifications
- LED: Cree XR-E R2 WD / CREE XR-E Q4 5A
- Size: 130mm x 26mm (head) / 21mm (body)
- Weight: 79 grams
- Battery: 2xCR123A / 2x16340
- Body material: aerospace aluminum
- Stainless steel bezel
- Lens: hardened UCL with AR coating
- Anodizing: type III
- Smooth aluminum reflector
- Gold plated contacts
- Forward clicky with choice of protruding or tailstanding tailcap
- Tailstanding version comes with Mil-Spec Paracord Lanyard w/ quick attachment clip
- GITD silicon tail boot
- Diffuser: glass with Syntax and AR coatings
- MSRP: $75 base, $85 with RGB kit
Minimum body thickness: 0.9mm
Reviewed model has a smooth reflector, CREE Q4 5A LED, a RGB kit, and a protruding switch, although a lanyard and clip were included.
Design
The head, touted as a unique design, does have an interesting shape, although it is not far off from the norm. Accenting the head is a stainless steel bezel.
The bezel is not used to retain the lens, making the bezel removable and the lens more secure. In place of the bezel one can screw in a diffuser or filter. This system is unobtrusive and effective, but it does take more time than a simple cap.
The bezel down clip is easily bent, and sticks out more than most flashlights, making it less comfortable to hold the flashlight at some angles. The attachment method is convenient - a semi-circle ring built into the clip can be pulled on or off, and is kept from rotating with a nub that fits into a hole in the body. The downside to this is that it can be difficult to attach or detach the clip without scratching the underlying anodizing.
The head and tailcap both have a band of fairly aggressive knurling which make turning them easier. The body is adorned by arrayed 0.8mm by 7.5mm slats, which produce an unusual aesthetic but do not improve grip. However, due to the shape of the body, grip is not an issue.
While EagleTac kept the forward clicky switch and tight head -> high output, loose head -> medium output interface from previous models, low and strobe modes have been added. Low is somewhat out of the way, accessed by switching the head position twice within 3 seconds. Strobe however is very easy to access both intentionally or unintentionally; just turn the flashlight on within 5 seconds of turning it off from high or medium. There is a delay of approximately 1/3 second between the user pressing the switch and the flashlight turning on in any mode, an issue not present in previous models in the line, but present in EagleTac's larger M series.
The P20C2's lack of support for 18650s lends it a better fit with CR123As and 16340s.
Build quality
The P20C2's materials include a few premium accents, like a stainless steel bezel and gold plated contacts.
The machining is of high quality. The body, threads, and visible insides have no flaws. The type III anodizing and the clip's coating likewise have no chips.
The main parts of the flashlight fit together smoothly, but the diffuser and filters had some trouble screwing in at first. The threads are well lubricated. The LED is a hair off center, but this does not affect the beam. Additionally, the tailcap spring is not perfectly straight, but this is a common and inconsequential flaw.
Lettering is bright, but the larger text could be sharper.
Output
The neutral LED gives the P20C2 the slightly rosy tan tint typical of CREE's 5A "warm white" emitters. Defects in the beam can only be seen on a white wall.
Lux at 1m: 6870
Lumens, throw distance, beam profile, level spacing, and possibly a runtime graphs coming soon.
Peripherals
The P20C2 comes in a cardboard box with a plastic insert. While the packaging is standard, the accessories are a step above. Included with the flashlight are a nylon holster, a diffuser, a lanyard with a lobster claw clip and swivel, two spare o-rings, a GITD tailcap, a small container of silicon grease, a warranty card, and an instruction manual. The diffuser almost completely eliminates the hotspot, transforming a the tight beam into a diffuse one suitable for close up work.
The RGB kit adds red, green, and blue filter, which are attached in the same way as the diffuser.
Verdict
The P20C2 continue's EagleTac's trend of well built, bright, and efficient flashlights, but there have been a few important changes. The new user interface gives the casual user the advantage of a few more modes, but inhibits tactical use. The new set of included and optional accessories add functionality and versatility to the light. Unfortunately, the final note must be that with the 20 series EagleTac's XR-E flashlights have entered a pricier class of flashlights.