ARC6 & AA or 14500's

[REDLINEVUE]

In the instructions I received with my ARC6 it say "There are other battery compartment designs planned." in the Accessories and other features section... I searched here on CPF as well Google but came up with notta..... Will this ever happen, you think?

thanks,

 

[Nyctophiliac]

Yes, I noticed that as well and it's a very good point.

Couple of things occur, nothing new has happened on the ARC 6 for quite a while, other than the price reducing every so often - currently at $200.

The line in the website may be a throwback to the LS lights info and not really intended for the ARC 6 - or it could be that they exist in prototype but have never gone into production - or that they're still on the drawing board and R&D.

You could argue that there is no news about any changes to the current model at all in the pipeline - new emitter, different colours, reflectors etc. The fabled computer interface for full user control of the lights software must exist as the port for access is in every ARC 6, but has never materialized.

I'm not being down on ARC, because I am particularly fond of these lights, the AAA models and in fact the whole history of ARC lights. I just think that they are really missing the boat for people like you and I and others on this august forum.

I'm sure they know their intended market and we are just a small group of hobbyists and enthusiasts. But I would love to see this light with a 14500 or RCR2A pack and an option to buy with UV or Red or Cyan emitter - or even some of the newer more efficient emitters out there since this light went on sale.

Still watching.

 

[fyrstormer]

Well yes, the "fabled computer interface" does exist, because that's what Arc uses to adjust the voltage and current control on each setting of each light to compensate for differences in tint and flux from one emitter to the next.

That's one of the neatest things about the Arc6, from my perspective -- you'll never get one that has a funny tint, or inferior brightness, because the drivers are all adjusted to compensate for that.

 

[Nyctophiliac]

Interesting - I meant at the user end, although with my luck I'd make it dim and blue!

 

[fyrstormer]

It would definitely be nice if a few people outside of Arc's employees were given the opportunity to buy the USB interface. Aftermarket programs and adjustment services would enhance the value of the Arc6 considerably.

But until that happens, you can still send it back for service. After I swapped the emitter on mine, I sent it back to have the current bumped up to the max and to have the tints on each setting tweaked. It came back looking like a tiny sun.

 

[Cman219]

I wish the product line got updated already =\.