Arc Light?

Old Farmer

Newly Enlightened
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Sep 26, 2007
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51
I was looking for a AAA or AA small light to carry in my pocket. Would the Arc light, be a good one? Are they some better. I would like to keep the price $50 and under.
 
Arc's are great. However, what will you use the light for? If you need lots of light and short runtime, arc may not fit the bill. They're geared for long runtime--5+hours. They're plenty bright for most uses (for me) but I don't know what you're going to do with it.

Also, they're very rugged and reliable. Highly recommended. Fantastic light. If it meets your needs, you'll be happy you got the arc.
 
For the Arc: www.arcflashlight.com

I am a big fan of Arcs.

Consider also the Fenix E0, which is about $20 from fenix-store.com, or one of the other more spendy Fenix AAA or AA lights. The E0 is not very bright, but is makes plenty enough light to find your keys in total darkness or some such. And it has something like a 10 hour runtime on an AAA.

The AA lights are bigger and brighter, if that is what you are after.
 
hi there,

the Arc AAA is one of the smallest/rugged AAA lights you can get.

note that they just released one with the new Nichia DS LED which is brighter than the original version.

i would also look at the Fenix LOD-CE which is a little bigger AAA light but much much brighter with multiple levels but imo should be used with NiMH rechargeables or lithium primaries since the regular AAA alkalines don't really make use of it's great brightness.
 
I have an Arc AAA tucked inside my wallet, for real emergency use (with a lithium Energizer AAA, that lasts for years). Another clipped to my belt wherever I go.

Other lights do different things. The Arc does what I need without my having to ever think beyond 'Light, NOW!' -- utterly reliable.
 
I just got a AAA-DS and it really is all it cracked up to be. It's one of those products that you know was well thought out and just feels high quality. And the DS is plenty of light for indoor use, dog walking, etc.
 
Still my favorite keychain light. That said, my wife wanted a brighter light for her keychain. I replaced her ArcAAA with a Fenix L0D. She's much happier with the increased brightness.
 
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Arcs are very reliable but not the brightest.

If you need bright, look at Fenix, Liteflux and some other companies.

The Fenix E0 is also a great little light, think of it as the cheaper and lower quality(but still tough enough for all uses except overly abusive ones) Arc AAA.
 
As stated - a lot depends on your needs. The Arc and the similar Peak LED Solutions Matterhorn both feature a very reliable single stage twisty design and rugged construction. You can't go wrong with either.

If you think you need more oomph - I'd recommend taking a look at the Liteflux LF2. Plenty bright with mutiple programmable levels. A well conceived user interface and well constructed for $45 shipped.
 
As stated - a lot depends on your needs. The Arc and the similar Peak LED Solutions Matterhorn both feature a very reliable single stage twisty design and rugged construction. You can't go wrong with either.

If you think you need more oomph - I'd recommend taking a look at the Liteflux LF2. Plenty bright with mutiple programmable levels. A well conceived user interface and well constructed for $45 shipped.
I'll second the Liteflux (several models, http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?t=157886)
It's $55, the extra $5 is well worth it.

I carry an ARC on my keyring; I don't think it's particularly good worklight, but it's my, um, last
ditch
light, if I need light and all else fails, it's there.

I carry Fenix P2D as everyday useful light, four-levels, decent tint, etc. Very practical. It's a lot
bigger than the LF2, yet still "small" and convenient to stuff in my pants pocket. If size became an
issue (if even the P2D became too bulky, say with dress slacks rather than jeans), the LF2 would
take its place. The CR123 battery pretty much whomps on any AAA-class battery, but it is a lot
bigger.

-RDH
 
The new Arc AAA DS has more than enough light for close up tasks. It finally deserves as place as a backup EDC. Also very good at night walking. More than enough light.

Bill
 
I just so happen to have received what's basically a much cheaper version of the Arc AAA. If you want extreme toughness and as much brightness as you can possibly get from a 5mm LED then you still want an Arc AAA, but if a compromise is ok then it might save you a few bucks.
Lookie here.

On the other hand, if you don't need very long battery life and would rather have a lot more light, there are a large number of AA-powered flashlights with Cree emitters that will blow even an Arc AAA-P into the weeds. Do a search for "cree aa" on dealextreme.

There are Cree AAAs as well, but those tend to be dimmer and beat the batteries to death too quickly.
 
To me a keychain light is ideally as reliable as they come because it's usually the last thing you go to, so I bought an Arc AAA Camo for my keychain. I now have another, an Arc-AAA DS, because I was so impressed with the fit and finish, and it sees quite a bit of use when I don't need "massive" amounts of light.
 
I grabbed a Fenix E0 which is same size as ARC for $20, has longer runtime and has less output though(compared to the AAA-P)
 
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