Hi everybody. Apologize for my bad English.
ITP is mainly known among CPFers as manufacturer of small and cheap EDC flashlights, as A1, A2 and A3.
But they also produces a big light, the A6 polestar.
A6 works with 6AA, alkalin or NiMh. Batteries have to be inserted in a plastic holder. The plastic holder looks cheap, but seems fairly well made for the price (featuring golden contacts). My A6’s holder comes from the 2nd run, since ITP has retired the 1st gen for contact problems. My sample works flawless, even if it rattles in the light.
I think that non CPFers people could have doubts about the direction of inserting. ITP provided arrows on the holder, but they are not too evident. However, with practice, they’ll understand that the jutting pole side goes first 
I feed my A6 with low discharge NiMh duracell.
Considering the thickness of aluminum, and the weight of 6AA, light is balanced on the back.
Anodizing is flawless on my A6, but I heared other italian CPFers complaining about low scratch resistance.
IMHO this is a light built fo not CPFers: the 3 pieces construction (tailcap, body and led module), the thickness, small o-rings, UI and the swith on the body make this light enough cheap and enough easy to use even for your grandfather.
Evident tailstanding, the lanyard hole and side switch are the main feature that shares with well known maglite and maglite clones.
Light has memory mode. You can cycle through levels (low medium high strobe) by keeping pushed the switch.
Levels are well spaced: low (12lumens for 50 hrs) – med (160 lumen for 8hrs) – high (700 lumen for 1,5 hrs)
Current consumption: off – 1,8uA; low – 0,034A; medium – 0,2A; high – 1,25A.
I’d like to see another level between medium and high instead of strobe.
Both alkaline and NiMh performs well at low-med levels, but only NiMh will perform regulated on high.
A6 uses a Cree MC-E LED, with an uncommon reflector: not too much deep, and in section it looks more trapezoidal than parabolic (it has the bottom plane)
The circular area around the emitter is plane 
As in Nitecore SR3, the reflector is kept in place by the pressure of the glass: if you unscrew the head, it will fall off.
Beam is composed by a wide spill enough clear, and a big bright spill surrounded by a small dark area. Donut hole not too evident on my sample. I think that in medium and short range this light can be used with satisfaction.
700 lumens? To me and a friend of mine, in ceiling bounce test, performs almost as well as Thrunite catapult V1 (2×18650 configuration).
A6 comes with a decent sheath, with snap hook and belt loop.
Cons:
- Cheap battery holder and construction
- not so scratch resistant anodizing
- Big and heavy…
Pros:
- … but good output and performances due to many AA
- performs really well considering the price
- AA NiMh cells are worldly available, and in emergency you can run 6 alkaline without problems
- UI, construction, side switch and alimentation make this light a good gift for non CPFers.
Conclusions: I like the A6, I’ll use mine in my car’s bob.
I think It will perform really well as close-med range (as you garden or your garage) and it’s easy to use for everybody.
Maybe this light deserves a upgrade with a better construction and a well designed reflector. But this will add cost to a light that it isn’t made for competing with Fenix TK40. As far as I know, it’s the cheapest light of this size-output.
