carmel
Newly Enlightened
Arc4+: What I Like and What I Don\'t
What I like:
All the options for brightness levels, particularly the fact that one has immediate access to four different ones, if the primary setting is not set to full power;
The tight, focused, very white hot spot, yet with great side spill;
The overall brightness of the highest levels; considerably more than LSH-P and LSHF-P. The Arc4+ combines the best features of both optics, and goes beyond them;
The tapering of the body, so that the switch end fairly easily can be used between the lips for hands-free work;
What I don't like:
The clip. I didn't like the idea of it in the first place. But when I screwed it on to try it, there was about a quarter inch gap between the business end of the clip and the body of the flashlight, so I tried to bend it a bit with pliers. It broke in half! Which is fine, because I didn't want to use it anyway. But I do sincerely miss the small ring of the LS series to attach a lanyard to, which I often use around my neck. I know it's hard to find a place for such a thing in this new design, but Peter is clever, and hopefully, it will eventually come. (I also regularly bend the clips of Surefires to make them tighter, and I've never had a problem with one breaking; perhaps Peter could rethink the metal used in the Arc4 clip).
What I need to get used to:
At this point, I actually like the kroll switch on the earlier LS lights better than the new one; a more "hands- on" feeling. But I realize they are incompatible with the need to program the Arc4. I do find frustrating the fact that, in the Brightness and Options Menus, the Arc4 often interprets my "clicks" as "presses." At first I thought it was defective, because whenever I would "click" to go to a different setting, it would choose the setting where I was and exit the menu. If I'm very careful now, I can do it, but it still doesn't work sometimes; it's simply hard for my finger to give a fast enough "click."
Anyway, a great light, certainly the most sophisticated on earth (or Mars). Thanks, Arc!
carmel
NOTE: I'm going to take a walk in the very dark woods now, and compare the Arc4+ with the LSH-P and LSHF-P. I will add my reflections to this post when I get back.
What I like:
All the options for brightness levels, particularly the fact that one has immediate access to four different ones, if the primary setting is not set to full power;
The tight, focused, very white hot spot, yet with great side spill;
The overall brightness of the highest levels; considerably more than LSH-P and LSHF-P. The Arc4+ combines the best features of both optics, and goes beyond them;
The tapering of the body, so that the switch end fairly easily can be used between the lips for hands-free work;
What I don't like:
The clip. I didn't like the idea of it in the first place. But when I screwed it on to try it, there was about a quarter inch gap between the business end of the clip and the body of the flashlight, so I tried to bend it a bit with pliers. It broke in half! Which is fine, because I didn't want to use it anyway. But I do sincerely miss the small ring of the LS series to attach a lanyard to, which I often use around my neck. I know it's hard to find a place for such a thing in this new design, but Peter is clever, and hopefully, it will eventually come. (I also regularly bend the clips of Surefires to make them tighter, and I've never had a problem with one breaking; perhaps Peter could rethink the metal used in the Arc4 clip).
What I need to get used to:
At this point, I actually like the kroll switch on the earlier LS lights better than the new one; a more "hands- on" feeling. But I realize they are incompatible with the need to program the Arc4. I do find frustrating the fact that, in the Brightness and Options Menus, the Arc4 often interprets my "clicks" as "presses." At first I thought it was defective, because whenever I would "click" to go to a different setting, it would choose the setting where I was and exit the menu. If I'm very careful now, I can do it, but it still doesn't work sometimes; it's simply hard for my finger to give a fast enough "click."
Anyway, a great light, certainly the most sophisticated on earth (or Mars). Thanks, Arc!
carmel
NOTE: I'm going to take a walk in the very dark woods now, and compare the Arc4+ with the LSH-P and LSHF-P. I will add my reflections to this post when I get back.
