Ra Clicky 170 vs. Arc 6?

[HDS_Systems]

Nyctophiliac,

If you think you are having problems with your light, you should probably call customer support so they can help you resolve the problem. They cannot help if you don't call them.

Henry.

 

[Nyctophiliac]

Nyctophiliac,

If you think you are having problems with your light, you should probably call customer support so they can help you resolve the problem. They cannot help if you don't call them.

Henry.

With no further encouragement, that is a brilliant idea - If it turns out there is something wrong with the light instead of a design flaw, that would make me very happy indeed! I'll give it a go!

Thanks Henry.

 

[kaichu dento]

With no further encouragement, that is a brilliant idea - If it turns out there is something wrong with the light instead of a design flaw, that would make me very happy indeed! I'll give it a go!

I'll say that although it does happen from time to time, it is always an easy fix if you just send it back and Henry is very good about taking care of whatever he finds even if you didn't know about it. Not a design flaw at all.

 

[Nyctophiliac]

Having just had a lovely chat with Henry ( I am seriously not worthy!!!), I have thought of another criteria for comparison.

Customer service - Winner hands down to Ra.


I am seriously happy! And my Ra Clicky is on it's way to recovery.

 

[Dadof6]

The color of my Arc 6's kill the colors of my 170's. Arc 6 is also brighter. Yet the UI of the Ra makes me carry it more.

 

[kaichu dento]

Using KGB's list with a couple variations:

Beam - Throw>Flood - Ra GDP, Ra high CRI. Flood>Throw Arc K2, Arc P4. Overall - Arc K2
Tint - K2 Arc for perfection, Ra GDP for great high, med tint, Ra high CRI, Arc P4
UI - Don't want to remember anything = Arc. Don't mind learning UI = Ra
Quality of make - Edge goes to Ra because of sharp edges on $200+ Arc, both still excellent
Clip - Arc with it's near perfect McGizmo clip
Size - Arc
Comfort in hand - Ra by a large margin
Ability to hand to non-CPF'er - Arc
Ease of programmability - Arc
Customization options - Ra
Toughness - Ra (both very good, but Ra is more than just a bit gooder)
Sexiness - Ra with AlTiN bezel is hard to beat, but the Arc exudes it's own quiet sense of class. The Ti Ra also screams quality and the owner as someone quite picky...
Value for the dollar - Ra by a Bonneville Flats mile
Customer service - We don't even need to go there! No one beats Henry, even if they are more user friendly just recently!

As you can see there are only a few areas in which even I feel confident to rate one as superior to the other and most posts are going to reflect the writers needs/tastes more than a non-biased view. I've tried my best to let the lights speak while taking into account what I've perceived to be all possible viewpoints.

A very good way to verify for yourself which you would like better would be to buy a few of them and sell off what you don't need. Lacking ability to spend that much or product availability, learn whose views most accurately mirror your own while reading through the forums and which posters are capable of removing their own preferences from their posts.

 

[skfurr]

HDS Systems RaClicky. Period. There is no better light out there.

Henry is a saint, and he really cares about what his customers think.

I have 2 Cn140s, 1 Cn170 and 1 Ti Cn170. I can't say enough about the quality and workmanship. This isn't mass production here, it's hand crafted and individually tested. Kind of like a trick Wilson 1911... you can buy a Colt 1911 and throw a lot of money to a gunsmith to make it slick, smooth, reliable and with a crisp trigger, OR you can just buy a custom Wilson to begin with and get hand craftsmanship from someone who does nothing but 1911s. Same thing with Henry: he does nothing but Clickys and Twisties. And he does them well. :thumbsup:

And while I understand that he has a business to run, he's never seemed too busy to talk for 10-15 minutes when I called with a question.

As far as being EDC pocketable, I can't imagine a better fit. The light is the perfect size, being just heavy enough to give a solid feel. Even my Surefire E2DL and LX2 feel loose and sloppy (especially the LX2) compared to my RaClickys.

The only thing I'm a little bummed about is that I don't think Chip is still making the Ti clips for the RaClicky. Those are the way to go. The stock bezel up clip is not up to the quality of the rest of the light. It has an annoying 45 degree bend to the last 1/2 inch, which since that's outside your pocket I've been unfortunate enough to scrape too many things with that tang.

Good luck, and enjoy the hobby!

Stephen

 

[kaichu dento]

Thanks for the opinion there Steve but if there were no other choices you wouldn't have so many informed CPF'ers still choosing an Arc6.

It should be self-evident that for some users the Arc6 UI will always be the best. As an owner of both it still remains an unequivocal, it depends on the users and his needs and the fact I'm planning on staying a Clicky user, I still don't want to sell my remaining Arc6.

 

[MikeG1P315]

I had an ARC6. I pefer it's smaller size and streamlined UI.

However, at this time, I think HDS is a better investment. Arc's customer service has been lackluster, HDS responds quickly to take of their customers. HDS continues to improve their products, Arc is currently stagnant and out of stock of most models (as of last week when I checked).

I do know Arc is working on an XPG Emitter light engine, but who knows how long before, or if, that will come to fruition.

Henry (HDS) and Peter (Arc's designer) are bot great guys, but Henry IS HDS. He stands by his products and supports his customers.

 

[skfurr]

Thanks for the opinion there Steve but if there were no other choices you wouldn't have so many informed CPF'ers still choosing an Arc6.

It should be self-evident that for some users the Arc6 UI will always be the best. As an owner of both it still remains an unequivocal, it depends on the users and his needs and the fact I'm planning on staying a Clicky user, I still don't want to sell my remaining Arc6.

Fair enough. Didn't mean to say that there were NO other choices. Just trying to express my (strong) opinion on how much I value my Ras.

"You have have my Ti RaClicky when you pry it from my cold dead hands." :devil: