I got my Arc AAA-P DS Today!

[kelmo]

I just gave my rock climbing buddy my "spare" DS. He will appreciate it.

 

[scottaw]

Just got mine after work today, didn't expect it til monday so it was a very nice suprise. I gotta say, everything people have said about ARC is TRUE. This is definately more solid than my ultra-g, and that's supposed to be tough as nails. You can just tell when you have a quality product in your hand. And dang is it bright for an indoor light. I'm gonna go walk my dog for a bit and see how it looks outside. Thanks ARC for living up to my expectations.

 

[DarthLumen]

Just received my 2 DS's this morning! Like others have mentioned, I'm impressed with the overall feel of quality. These are my first Arc's. I feel as though I have finally arrived.

Now, on to a concern I have. I've noticed that both of my LED's seem to be off-center. Is this normal??? You can tell when you shine the light on something up close (piece of paper or the wall) or look at the emitter. The hotspot is to the far right or left. I also received a AAA UV and it seems to be centered perfectly.

It doesn't affect the the beam from a distance but I was curious to know if anyone else had the same issue.

Thanks..................

 

[kelmo]

Most of mine wobble just a little. No big deal. It does not effect the beam. If it bothers you just leave it on. Then you won't notice it. LOL

 

[Gransee]

A little bit of wobble is normal. The LEDs have slope to the package and a diameter variation from unit to unit that causes them to be a bit tricky to center. We test each unit when it is being assembled with a special custom made roll test fixture (complete will ball-bearing flashlight holder and scaled target). We also have some tools for adjusting the beam slightly before the unit is glued.

Our specification (posted on our website) is that no unit should have a deviation of the overall center hot spot by more than 1/2" when shown at a target 6 inches away and rotated 1 revolution.

peter

 

[chimo]

from the Nichia spec sheet, the new DS has a lower Vf (3.2-3.5) compared to the CS(3.6-4.0) so i'm assuming runtime should be better than the current Arc-P.

I had not seen this answered yet, so I'll comment.

If the driver was current regulated, the lower Vf could result in a longer run-time. However, the driver is not configured as a current source - it is voltage boost circuit. In this case, the drive current may be a little higher which could result in slightly shorter run-times, but at a higher brightness. You would have to run a decent sized sampling to see if the lower Vf of the DS LEDs make a significant difference (probably not a lot).

Perhaps Peter has done some tests he would like to share.

Paul

EDIT: Just compared the data sheets. The binning letters are the same for the CS and DS except the DS goes to W (31-44cd). The V (22-31cd) and U (15-22cd) bins have the same ranges. The V-I slopes have changed indicating Nichia has changed their die brew which has resulted in the lower Vfs. I wonder if they changed phosphor and if the phosphor on the DS's are as robust as the CS's.

 

[DarthLumen]

A little bit of wobble is normal. The LEDs have slope to the package and a diameter variation from unit to unit that causes them to be a bit tricky to center. We test each unit when it is being assembled with a special custom made roll test fixture (complete will ball-bearing flashlight holder and scaled target). We also have some tools for adjusting the beam slightly before the unit is glued.

Our specification (posted on our website) is that no unit should have a deviation of the overall center hot spot by more than 1/2" when shown at a target 6 inches away and rotated 1 revolution.

peter

Cool......Thanks, Peter.

I've been holding on to the light all day while at work.....like a kid with a new toy!!!!

 

[Gransee]

I had not seen this answered yet, so I'll comment.

If the driver was current regulated, the lower Vf could result in a longer run-time. However, the driver is not configured as a current source - it is voltage boost circuit. In this case, the drive current may be a little higher which could result in slightly shorter run-times, but at a higher brightness. You would have to run a decent sized sampling to see if the lower Vf of the DS LEDs make a significant difference (probably not a lot).

Perhaps Peter has done some tests he would like to share.

Paul

EDIT: Just compared the data sheets. The binning letters are the same for the CS and DS except the DS goes to W (31-44cd). The V (22-31cd) and U (15-22cd) bins have the same ranges. The V-I slopes have changed indicating Nichia has changed their die brew which has resulted in the lower Vfs. I wonder if they changed phosphor and if the phosphor on the DS's are as robust as the CS's.

The driver is actually partially current regulating not voltage regulating.

I haven't got around to setting up a series of run time tests yet. I am sorry. A proper tests involves multiple units over a period of about a week. I also have 3 types to test (uv, snow, ds). To get a quicker idea, I tested the current consumption of the average DS head and compared it to the current consumption of the average CS. The DS drew slightly less current on average (the snows and UV appear even less). This tells me that, roughly, the runtime should be similiar if not slightly better. Rather than tell you guys it is better, I am only claiming it is similiar for now.

peter

 

[chimo]

Peter, thanks for the update.

I'll agree that the driver runs into the limit of the IC wrt current, however, the circuit is configured as a voltage boost with the design limit of 5V of the IC (but the load gets in the way ). I would call it current limiting. It's nice to see Nichia continue to improve the line.

Cheers,

Paul

The driver is actually partially current regulating not voltage regulating.

I haven't got around to setting up a series of run time tests yet. I am sorry. A proper tests involves multiple units over a period of about a week. I also have 3 types to test (uv, snow, ds). To get a quicker idea, I tested the current consumption of the average DS head and compared it to the current consumption of the average CS. The DS drew slightly less current on average (the snows and UV appear even less). This tells me that, roughly, the runtime should be similiar if not slightly better. Rather than tell you guys it is better, I am only claiming it is similiar for now.

peter

 

[parnass]

My Arc AAA Snow and Arc AAA-P DS arrived today and the DS is completely dead. It draws no current.

The Arc AAA Snow works.

I sent email to Peter.

 

[craigberesh]

I got my ARC-P DS today. Cant wait till dark to play with it.

 

[Bullzeyebill]

Peter, I was wondering if this sounds right. My limited edition (marked on tail end bezel) pulls 170mA's from battery, and my new DS pulls 270mA's from battery. Light output of Limited Edition is about 1/7 of DS (bounce with lightmeter).

Bill

 

[future_prius]

Just ordered my AAA-P DS.

This will be my fourth Arc AAA

2003 Limited Edition
2003 CPF Edition
ARC-P

 

[paulr]

Peter, I was wondering if this sounds right. My limited edition (marked on tail end bezel) pulls 170mA's from battery, and my new DS pulls 270mA's from battery. Light output of Limited Edition is about 1/7 of DS (bounce with lightmeter).

Bill

Per measurements that I just did with a NiMH cell (1.289V open circuit voltage):

Arc LLC AAA-S v3.x (i.e. the old 3 lumen model): 0.17 amps
Arc AAA-Snow (current limited run model): 0.19 amps
Peak Matterhorn 3-led ultra power circa 2004(?): 0.11 amps

With a somewhat used L91 AA lithium cell (1.694 OC voltage):
AAA-S v3.x: 0.20 amps
AAA-Snow: 0.22 amps
Matterhorn 3-led: 0.37 amps(!).

270 ma draw like Bullzeyebill's light is pretty scary for a 5mm led.

 

[Oddjob]

Anyone have any issues with FedEx? I received a notification that my order was shipped on Oct 16th but I still have not received it. I have e-mailed ARC but as yet have not received any reply. They must be really busy with ARC-aaa DS orders as well as preparing for the release of the new LS. I hope to hear something soon. Just wondering if anyone else has had any problems or delays getting their lights. Thanks.

 

[Bullzeyebill]

No problem getting my order. Sent out same day I ordered and got it two days later. USPS Priority/confirmation.

Bill

 

[paulr]

Oddjob, if you got a fedex tracking number, put it into fedex.com to check its status. It may be held up in customs if you're in Canada.

 

[Oddjob]

Thanks for the replies. The FedEx number shows that it is awaiting clearance but when I called FedEx customer service they told me that they have no actual package with that tracking number. Either it is under a different tracking number or it was not picked up from Arc. I have not heard from Arc yet and even though its only been just over a week I am getting a little anxious mostly (as many here have experienced) because I am really looking forward to this light. Its also frustrating not knowing what is going on. I am very patient when I am kept informed when I am not I get a little frustrated. This is in no way a negative comment about Arc. I usually give people I deal with the benefit of the doubt because stuff happens. I know it will get straightened out eventually.

 

[270winchester]

Hi Peter:

My DS seems to be pretty off center. at the 6 inch distance I seem to have about 1.5 inches of deviation when the light is rotated.

what can I do to correct that? other than that it works great, but when I use it for illuminating a path it's a little odd to have to turn the light to the side to get it to shine straight. My other AAAs including the snow are perfectly centered, just the DS seems to have this issue.

 

[this_is_nascar]

The off-centering of the hotspot has always been my biggest issue with the Arc-AAA light. It's been present in every version, although I'll admit it's more prominent in these DS versions. I'd rather see the LED mounted crooked to produce a centered beam. I've been told it just a characteristics of the Nichia LEDS, but I do agree it's been getting more prominent.