This is the new WowTac A4 , sent to me for review and no other compensation other than keeping the light.
You can find the A4 at the main WowTac site……….
http://wowtac.com/wowtac-a4-2000-lumen-searchlight-battery-excluded/
or at Amazon………. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FMQMLLG (Links are NON affiliated)
As many know , we havent heard from WowTac with any new products for awhile , but they are back and I personally think they have a winner with the new A4.
The A4 came in a bubble wrap package , with the Wowtac box inside that. Everything was in good condition and well packed and padded inside the box when the light arrived.
The light comes with 2 spare O-rings , an extra switch boot for the side switch and the instruction manual.
I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised when I took this one from the packaging. I was not expecting the light to be as compact as it is using 2 x 18650 cells and claiming 800 plus yards of throw.
Pictured below with the Convoy L6 (Left) A4 center and Thorfire C8 (Right)
The knurling is well done on this light as are all the threads.
The XHP 35 HI emitter sits perfectly centered in an almost flawless reflector behind an AR coated lens that was almost invisible when I took this light from the box.
The heat seems to be handled pretty well with the few fins the A4 has. The shelf for the emitter is solid and the MCPCB is screwed down.
The head is actually made very much like the ThruNite Catapult V6 head , for those who have or are familiar with that light.
Here are the A4 and Catapult V6 side by side…….
The side switch is a metallic one and is lighted Blue in the center when the power is on, This same indicator doubles as a low voltage warning , turning Red when the cells are at 20% power remaining and the Red light starts blinking constantly when the cells get down to 10% power remaining. The Branding (etching) on the light is also well done.
The A4 has a pretty simple UI. A long press turns the light on in Firefly mode , a press and hold (about 1/2 to 3/4 of a second) advances to the next higher mode of Low. From there you can cycle through Low , Medium and high modes holding the switch button down and just release it when desired mode is reached. The Turbo is a double click from any mode , including off and the strobe is a double click from there. To turn the light on or off a simple quick click of the switch is all that is needed. There is mode memory for Low , Medium and High modes , so when the light is turned off in one of those modes it will come back on in that mode next time the power is turned on.
The beam from the A4 is a very well defined hotspot with very little to no corona around it and enough spill to be a useable spill for walking and such.
Shown below at 22 Feet from White garage door on Firefly / Low / Medium / High and Turbo………
At longer distances the beam is still pretty well defined with most of the light going on target.
Here at 50 , 75 and 100 yards from the Gate on high and Turbo……
And at 155 yards from the barn on High and Turbo……
I have been limited on time lately with multiple reviews and my 85 year old aunt breaking her hip and a very good friend having heart pump replaced and major hernia surgery at the same time. I have not done any run time testing on the A4 , but with good quality 2 x 3400mAH 18650 , I am guessing the run time should be pretty decent.
I have done Lumens and tail amperage testing however , as listed in the charts below……….
Wowtac does specify to use PROTECTED cells only and this is due to the length of the tube , as even the button top unprotected will work to power the light , but they will not maintain good contact with any jarring or bumping of the light.
The only negative I can come up with on the A4 is that I would like to see them possibly use springs at both ends to allow use of cells other than the protected only , even if the driver is regulated and the output would remain pretty much the same , because I know some people may not have the protected cells on hand.
Overall I think this is an excellent little thrower , with exceptional build quality , great output and throw , especially for the price being in the $50 range.
EDIT: *It looks like Wowtac has actually lowered the price for the A4 on their Amazon store site already , making this light a pretty good deal IMO………… *https://www.amazon.com/Ultra-Thrower-Flashlight-Hunting-Fishing-Included/dp/B07FMQMLLG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1534678467&sr=8-1&keywords=wowtac+a4&dpID=41evcr6PQcL&preST=*SY300_QL70*&dpSrc=srch
If there is any particular photo you would like a better look at , here is the link to all the still photos of the light and the GIF images.
https://postimg.cc/gallery/23mec4xa2/
For those who may not want to watch the whole video , the live outdoor footage comparing the Thrunite Catapult V6 and the Emisar D1S with the A4 starts at 12:58 of the video timeline.
Video followed by the listed specs……….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAjeadKSyQE
FEATURES
•WOWTAC A4 adopts one Cree XHP 35 HI LED to make max output up to 2000 lumens and max beam distance of 750 meters.
•Ultra-long beam distance of 820 yards with such compact size, which makes the light be a good choice for searching, hunting, fishing, camping, military, security and outdoors usages.
•Reverse polarity protection design to protect from improper battery installation.
•Aircraft-grade aluminum body.
•Toughened ultra-clear glass lens with anti-reflective coating.
•Operation: Single click the switch to turn the light on and off. With the light turns on, keep pressing the switch to cycle through Low, Middle and High. Double click to turn to Turbo from any mode. Another double click to get Strobe.
•Low power indication: When the battery power is less than 20, the indicating light on the switch turns from blue to red. When the battery power is less than 10, the red light on the switch will flash constantly, which means you need to replace or charge the batteries immediately.
•Dimension: 201mm*58mm*26.5mm.
•Weight: 240g (excluding battery).
•IPX-8 waterproof and 1.5m impact resistance.
•30 days worry-free money back; 2 years limited warranty for flashlight.
ACCESSORIES
•Spare O-ring x 2
•Side-switch cap x 1
•Instruction Manual x 1
