Need Miller Mod Arc-AAA advice

I'm new to flashlights and don't understand much of the technical aspects of lights. I have an A2 and 2 Arc-AAAs, one Premium 4th generation and one P 5th generation. I'd like to get my Arc's modded by Miller, but don't understand the power output levels.

Here's what (I think) I would like:

P 5th gen--this is a move-about-the-house, find the bathroom in a strange house/hotel, and reading light. I would like it to have a nice, smooth, flood beam with realistic color. I need only one power level on this light. I don't think runtime is all that important a factor, since it is a house light and I'll have powerful rechargeable batteries close at hand. What is the best power for reading/moving around the house?

Premium 4th gen--I understand the head on this is deeper and makes for a better spotlight reflector mod. This is my keychain light, and I'd like enough power to find my way through a dark parking lot and clearly see all the potholes and black ice. I want a second setting to use for close up work and reading when necessary, but reading won't be the primary function. I don't know how to gauge the difference between .75, 1 or 1.5 watts. How bright are they and which power is best for parking-lot type duty? I don't think runtime on the low stage is a serious concern since the bright stage will be so short. I'd like appropriate brightness, not runtime to be the deciding factor. Realistic color will be a help with winter ice.

Finally, what about batteries? I saw the NiMH 90 (is it milli-watts?) was recommended when Miller first posted about the mod. I've since seen 100s? One any better than the other? Recommendations on brands or vendors? Rechargers? Would regular alkalines work on the low powered beam, say in an emergency/blackout situation, or would I be married to NiMH?

Sorry for all the questions. Like I said, I'm new to this and trying to come up to speed. Thanks for any help you could offer.

I think the Arc mod choices are in ma...1500 ma being the most power/short run time and the low choices are in the tens of ma...50 ma for example. My advise (and take this with a grain of salt) would be...if you go with the 1500ma top you need a high ma bottom (low power). The reason I say this is you would be using the high as a blimper...very short bursts...or the batt would fail quick...total run time if left in high would be...20~30 minutes. So by picking a high, low power choice, this would be your primary running position...you don`t want it to be to dimm.

The other choice would be to pick a low, high power setting as your primary and a low, low choice...only good for in the home or close tasks....but runs a long time.

Reguarding batts, most AAA rechargables run 700ma~1000ma...higher the number longer they run...so look for 1000ma.

I hope this makes some sense...cause it almost doesn`t to me

Ken

I got his mod at 25ma (the lowest avail.) for the low stage, and 1.5w for the high stage. I'd recommend this to anyone, as (a) I haven't had any problems running this off just an alkaline (Energizer), and (b) the 25ma is perfect for dark adapted eyes as well as reading a book, whereas 1.5w is some serious power and great for walking around at night, being able to see the entire half of a room, etc.

I haven't run into any runtime issues and I've been using the light on and off for the past 3 or 4 days, on the original alkaline battery. After getting used to years of charging my cell phone every night, I now charge it every 3 or 4 days (Treo 650), so in line w/ that, the fact that the light has lasted this long is more than fine by me. And I didn't use it intentionally sparingly either, I used it quite a bit.

Go for the mod, I highly recommend it!! My modded v4 Arc is shaping up to be my favorite one.

mcmc said:

I got his mod at 25ma (the lowest avail.) for the low stage, and 1.5w for the high stage.

Click to expand...

Thanks to both of you for the information. It's really helping my understanding.

How does the 25ma compare to the stock Arc (either v4 or v5 since I can compare). Is it about the same brightness/throw/flood? You said it's about right for reading, I assume the 50ma might be overkill?

Thanks for the reply and all the information.

I don't think the 50ma is overkill for reading. The center spot is still much less then the Arc but just a much wider beam.

Hello.

FYI- I have a 30ma and 1 watt mod. I have also had a chance to play with a .75 watt high end LED version (wrong light was sent to me, he he). The .75 watt (with high end LED) creamed my 1 watt (with "regular" LED) version. I was surprised. What I meaned by creamed is, I thought the .75 watt prem LED was a 1.5 version and the one I got was incorrectly set at .75 watts. When he explained that it was the .75 watt version with prem and mine was set at 1, I said crap, I wish I upgraded the LED. Live and learn.


To answer one of your questions the 25ma would be less bright than the rev 4 and 5 lights. It is around the brightness of a rev 3 arc AAA. I prefer the brightness of my 30ma setting (I assume that the eye could not tell a difference between 25ma and 30ma) over my rev 4 AAA in the dark because I found the rev 4 AAA to be brighter than I need and it would cause me to squint if I looked at a reflective surface while walking around the house in the dark.


Hope this helps,

rob

RobbW said:

Thanks to both of you for the information. It's really helping my understanding.

How does the 25ma compare to the stock Arc (either v4 or v5 since I can compare). Is it about the same brightness/throw/flood? You said it's about right for reading, I assume the 50ma might be overkill?

Thanks for the reply and all the information.

Click to expand...

by the way, aren't your rev 4 and 5 the same brightness? If not then we are using seperate rev numbers. When I say rev 3, I mean the version before the new nichias came out that where brighter (from first Arc company). And when I say revision 4 I mean post new brighter nichias (re-established Arc company, aka second Arc Company).

rob

RobbW said:

...I would like it to have a nice, smooth, flood beam with realistic color. I need only one power level on this light...

Click to expand...

I have two MillerMods modified ARC AAA's done with the latest
body (the outside end of the head is tapered in). Both are
polished only and not parabolic cut. They do have a floody beam and I use it for around the house and reading. The first one is 60ma low with a Lux-I RV1H led. The second is 50ma low with a Lux-III TW0H led.

What I have noticed is that the Lux-I RV1H shows colors much closer to how they appear in daylight than the TW0H. Also, the hotspot of the beam of the RV1H is wider than the TW0H. I find that I prefer the RV1H for reading since with the wider hotspot the difference between the hotspot and the spill is less than with the TW0H. I note that there is less contrast between the type and the page since the tint of the RV1H gives the the white paper a yellow-brown color.

I find that 60ma is not too much light for reading with the RV1H.

With the polish only this results in the light being output over a wider area and thus to obtain an equivalent amount of illumination more power is necessary. I reccommend you go with a 50ma setting.

RobbW said:

...I'd like enough power to find my way through a dark parking lot and clearly see all the potholes and black ice. I want a second setting to use for close up work and reading when necessary, but reading won't be the primary function. I don't know how to gauge the difference between .75, 1 or 1.5 watts. How bright are they and which power is best for parking-lot type duty? I don't think runtime on the low stage is a serious concern since the bright stage will be so short. I'd like appropriate brightness, not runtime to be the deciding factor. Realistic color will be a help with winter ice.

Click to expand...

Eric in his sales thread states:

"Hi/Low- There are 3 different options for low: ~25mA drive,
~50mA drive and ~75mA drive.

The total amount of light produced is about the same as a
overdriven 5mm when it's set to 25mA but the beam
characteristics are completely different. The Lux will produce more corona than the 5mm but the 5mm has more of it's produced
light in one spot. So at close range you're hard pressed to
tell much of a difference and at further distances, the Lux
will light up more area with less intensity when set on low. I
would say the 75mA setting on low is more comparable in terms
of hotspot comparison but the amount of overall light will be
twice as much with the Lux."

For high he has the .75, 1 and 1.5 and now (stated in his older sales thread post #160) a 1.25 watt high. Eric says "...By reducing the power by 1/4 watt compared to the 1.5 watt configuration, it increases the runtime by almost 2 times. Approximately 35-40 minutes per charge and down by only ~25% in brightness at the end of the runtime estimate I stated."

For the high I would suggest something higher than the .75 watt. Once again, for realistic color I would recommend a V bin led.

RobbW said:

Finally, what about batteries? I saw the NiMH 90 (is it milli-watts?) was recommended when Miller first posted about the mod. I've since seen 100s? One any better than the other? Recommendations on brands or vendors? Rechargers? Would regular alkalines work on the low powered beam, say in an emergency/blackout situation, or would I be married to NiMH?

Click to expand...

From Eric's sales thread:
" 3/4 watt model are good with any 1.5V AAA cell you put into it, except for carbon-zinc batteries. (Best model w/ Alkalines)

1 watt model will be best with Lithium 1.5V cells and NIMH cells

1.5 watt model can be used with Lithium 1.5V cells, but NIMH cells are recommended due to very high current draw"

The highest mah rating AAA batteries I know of are the Duracell 1000mah and Powerex 1000mah. I just bought some Duracell's last night so I don't have any use info yet.

Brian

I have Miller's standard LED in the 30/750 mw version and a "flood polished" reflector and find the 30 about the same brightness as my original (pre-Nichia). It is fine for reading although if I was using it for that regularly I would probably prefer a bit more light. High is great for outside and lights up the front porch well (about 45 feet by 7).
Greg

geepondy said:

I don't think the 50ma is overkill for reading. The center spot is still much less then the Arc but just a much wider beam.

Click to expand...

Thanks, a 50ma reading with a flood polish on the reflector would give me decent light and runtime--good for around the house/hotel, and good for reading. Thanks for the comparison.

fleegs said:

Hello.

When he explained that it was the .75 watt version with prem and mine was set at 1, I said crap, I wish I upgraded the LED. Live and learn.

Click to expand...

Thanks, this kind of feedback really helps. I'll look for the premium LED.

To answer one of your questions the 25ma would be less bright than the rev 4 and 5 lights. It is around the brightness of a rev 3 arc AAA. I prefer the brightness of my 30ma setting (I assume that the eye could not tell a difference between 25ma and 30ma) over my rev 4 AAA in the dark because I found the rev 4 AAA to be brighter than I need and it would cause me to squint if I looked at a reflective surface while walking around the house in the dark.

Click to expand...

OK, this kind of comparison really helps. My eyes are not bad, but not as strong as they once were. I'm leaning towards the 50ma for reading so I can really see clearly. I tend to bounce my rev 5 light off the ceiling and not the floor while I walk about at night, so the 50 being too strong shouldn't be a problem.

Thanks.

fleegs said:

by the way, aren't your rev 4 and 5 the same brightness? If not then we are using seperate rev numbers. When I say rev 3, I mean the version before the new nichias came out that where brighter (from first Arc company). And when I say revision 4 I mean post new brighter nichias (re-established Arc company, aka second Arc Company).

rob

Click to expand...

Hmmm, maybe I have a rev 3. I wasn't really into lights when I bought it so I'm not sure about the rev. number. I purchased it about 1 to 1.5 years ago. All I know is that it has the bigger, straight-walled head. Maybe I'll put fresh batteries in both tonight and do a side by side comparison. Would the rev. be indicated anywhere on the light?

bwm said:

I have two MillerMods modified ARC AAA's done with the latest
body (the outside end of the head is tapered in). Both are
polished only and not parabolic cut. They do have a floody beam and I use it for around the house and reading. The first one is 60ma low with a Lux-I RV1H led. The second is 50ma low with a Lux-III TW0H led.

Click to expand...

OK, this post is gold. Thanks for the time you spent, and for the head-to-head Lux comparison.

What I have noticed is that the Lux-I RV1H shows colors much closer to how they appear in daylight than the TW0H. Also, the hotspot of the beam of the RV1H is wider than the TW0H. I find that I prefer the RV1H for reading since with the wider hotspot the difference between the hotspot and the spill is less than with the TW0H. I note that there is less contrast between the type and the page since the tint of the RV1H gives the the white paper a yellow-brown color.

I find that 60ma is not too much light for reading with the RV1H.

With the polish only this results in the light being output over a wider area and thus to obtain an equivalent amount of illumination more power is necessary. I reccommend you go with a 50ma setting.

Click to expand...

RV1H for reading then, set at 50ma. Good color rendition and floody beam. I'll also ask if the reflector can be cut for even better flood.

Eric in his sales thread states:

"Hi/Low- There are 3 different options for low: ~25mA drive,
~50mA drive and ~75mA drive.

The total amount of light produced is about the same as a
overdriven 5mm when it's set to 25mA but the beam
characteristics are completely different. The Lux will produce more corona than the 5mm but the 5mm has more of it's produced
light in one spot. So at close range you're hard pressed to
tell much of a difference and at further distances, the Lux
will light up more area with less intensity when set on low. I
would say the 75mA setting on low is more comparable in terms
of hotspot comparison but the amount of overall light will be
twice as much with the Lux."

For high he has the .75, 1 and 1.5 and now (stated in his older sales thread post #160) a 1.25 watt high. Eric says "...By reducing the power by 1/4 watt compared to the 1.5 watt configuration, it increases the runtime by almost 2 times. Approximately 35-40 minutes per charge and down by only ~25% in brightness at the end of the runtime estimate I stated."

For the high I would suggest something higher than the .75 watt. Once again, for realistic color I would recommend a V bin led.

Click to expand...

Thanks for helping me understand that. I read the MM post, but didn't really get it. For the high beam I'll look at a V bin for realistic color rendition. The 1.25ma LED looks to have a good balance of output/throw and runtime. That's what I'll get.

From Eric's sales thread:
" 3/4 watt model are good with any 1.5V AAA cell you put into it, except for carbon-zinc batteries. (Best model w/ Alkalines)

1 watt model will be best with Lithium 1.5V cells and NIMH cells

1.5 watt model can be used with Lithium 1.5V cells, but NIMH cells are recommended due to very high current draw"

The highest mah rating AAA batteries I know of are the Duracell 1000mah and Powerex 1000mah. I just bought some Duracell's last night so I don't have any use info yet.

Brian

Click to expand...

I'm just going to take the plunge at get 1000mah batteries and a recharger. I'll get better MM Arc performance, and I can probably find other uses for them as well. Again, thanks for the terrific reply. I think I'm really starting to understand this stuff.

GregWormald said:

I have Miller's standard LED in the 30/750 mw version and a "flood polished" reflector and find the 30 about the same brightness as my original (pre-Nichia). It is fine for reading although if I was using it for that regularly I would probably prefer a bit more light. High is great for outside and lights up the front porch well (about 45 feet by 7).
Greg

Click to expand...

Good, most seem to be agreeing that 50ma is good for reading on the single-stage flood. If that's too much for walking around and preserving nightvision, I'll just tip the light up at the ceiling to cut down on illumination.

Thanks for the reply.

Thanks for all the help. I took the advice here, and my 2 Arc AAAs are scheduled to arrive at Eric's tomorrow. WooHoo!! Can't wait to receive the finished products.

Robb: Just took the MM Arc out to the Sierra Nevadas yesterday, and it was really great. Perfect for indoors w/ no other lights, on low - and outdoors on a moonless night w/ clear stars, the low was more than adequate for walking around and general tasks. However, when it got spooky, the high blasted a huge, circular, even blast of light at least to about 30~40 feet away, and even more wide, about 50 feet (it's really floody, just how i like it). The hotspot was distinct enough to get some extra reach when pointing it at treetops and such.

I *love* this light. But, I do recommend grabbing some extra NiMH cells due to the short runtime if you are at 1.5w for high. For me though, it's worth it, as I can always bring more cells, but the high setting is fixed and cannot be changed.