Got my AAA LE, got a couple ??s

[johnwc723]

hey everyone, i just signed up for this forum cause i just got my AAA! i have been a flashlight fan for quite awhile, all starting with my little sapphire led light (that wasnt very bright!)

so anyways here is my questions
i noticed that when i have the light right before it turns on (with the twist) the o ring is still a little bit exposed (i would think its supposed to be covered?) does this happen with anyone else?

also, is the premium and LE the same (i ordered premium from the website the ARC website for lots of $$ and they sent me a LE!)

also really none of the inside of the light has a goldish tint /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif (is it supposed to)? and the AAA isnt supposed to have a lens on it (just an exposed led?)

and one more thing (sorry guys /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
some times when i twist the light (even as hard as i can ) to turn it on, it simply wont go on no matter how hard i twist (im not twisting to the point of breakage though) does anyone have a solution to this?

THANKS SOOOO MUCH!!!! i like my light alot, i just think it might have some problems!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[this_is_nascar]

It sounds to me like you got one of the older batches of LE's from 2 or 3 batches ago. There was a batch of LE's that were released where they all experienced this issue. To be honest with you, the best LE's ever made were 3 or 4 batches ago. The last batch (not this latest batch) were "jury-rigged" to use epoxy to fill the overdrilled whole where the LED goes. They all looked like poop, with strands of epoxy sticking out all over the place. A batch or two before that, the infamous ones that had the issue of which you describe. The o-ring was pretty damn close to be exposed when the light was turned on. You either had to melt down the solder "tit" on the head contact or do what I did which was twist that ***** hard-enough to crush the battery while in the casing. This, at least, allowed the o-ring not to be exposed while the light was on.

 

[treek13]

In no particular order (sorry about that):
The LE basically has morphed into the Premium under the new Arc naming conventions.

Normally the led is exposed; trust me it really won't be an issue. Lots and lots of CPF'ers have carried them with no reported problems. I personally have one in my pocket every day and I still haven't hurt the actually led.

The inside of the light along with the threads of the head should have that goldish tint. It is a chemkote coating that helps to protect it. The tint can vary; it isn't always the same, but it should be there on a new model.

The o-ring situation is questionable, usually it should still be covered when the light is off. Really it should be at least mostly covered or it won't keep water/whatever out.

Finally, some Arc's have had problems in the past with bad ground paths which caused them not to always turn on. This sounds like your problem. There are ways to fix it yourself but especially considering that you have other concerns with your light, I would just send them an e-mail and then send that sucker back for a replacement. I have bought bunches of Arcs and have had only one problem. I sent them an e-mail and then my Arc which they quickly replaced with a new unit.

I think you may have been sent an old/older unit by accident. Once upon a time, they didn't have the chemkote in the body just on the the threads of the head. I had one of those transitional models and it also had the problem with the exposed o-ring. But who can say why you got a dud, but it sounds like a dud nonetheless. Any company/person can make a mistake. The sign of a good business is how they fix the problems that come up. Personally, I think Arc is an excellent company so take advantage of it and get a replacement.

Good luck and let us know how it goes,
Pat

 

[Gransee]

Just to let you guys know, that I have been reading these posts. I also have been working on an ongoing basis on the Arc-AAA manufacturing issues.

We have two assembly lines. One for the Arc-AAA and one for the Arc-LS. Each line has a Lead Tech that is in charge of training and QC for that product. They are our quality delivery mechanism.

2 weeks ago, we changed our Arc-AAA lead. The new lead has a lot more experience in manufacturing and is more mature. I am hearing now from her Techs that she is excessively picky on QC. She also has made some changes to some of the procedures and provides detailed reports of their progress. A definate improvement in my opinion.

The Arc-AAA has seem some changes in the past 3 months. We changed the PCB, screens, layout and filter capacitor. The reason for the change was to improve efficiency and elimenate some of the hand assembly required (use more automation). Of course, there has been some difficulties along the way. At the same, the dimension of the LEDs from Nichia changed again. When the LED is too small for the LED hole, the LED does not center. This has caught us in the past as well. What I have done recently is to specificy multiple head sizes. When a batch of LEDs comes in, we measure them and fit them to a head that most closely matches. This requires us to keep more stock of heads, but provides for a more snug fit. This snugger fit improves centering. I also instituted changes to the way the LED is inserted so that we can make larger corrections on centering. This takes extra time (slowing our ability to fill back orders), but has increased yields. Other changes are the way we press the boards, and I also asked they increase the intermediate QC steps.

So to review, the AAA process has gone through quite a few changes in the past 3 months. Most of them having to do with how the light is manufacturered.

As you know, about 4 months ago, I did the same thing with the LS. And we are seeing the benefits of these new technqiues in the LS. I tell our people, "we are not home free yet. We must maintain constant vigilience on these products. Remember that they are complex devices."

Peter

 

[treek13]

"At the same, the dimension of the LEDs from Nichia changed again."

Man, that must be incredibly frustrating. I feel for you.

Good luck with the changes with the AAA production Peter. I think they will be worth it in the end. I know the changes to the LS definitely were worth the trouble. I love my LSH, but then again I love my AAA's too.

Pat

 

[PieThatCorner]

Peter-

I received an Arc AAA LE that I'm sure was from a newer batch, which was recently shipped to a Dealer that I normally do business with. After receiving the Arc AAA LE (last week), I was truly amazed at what a great product this is. The fit and finish from head to tail was as close to perfect as one could get. It's one of the primary reasons why I decided to look at, and ultimately purchase (a day ago) an Arc LSH-P. I figured, if this is the type of quality they put into a AAA light, then I HAVE to see what they do with a Premium Arc LS!

My point is, your quality control mechanism is definitely working! It's great to see a company examine its own endeavor in the production field and be self directed toward improvement, as opposed to resting on it own success.

Thanks for the QC! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

-Jim