New banner....something BETTER than the Arc4?

LEDBE
Status
Not open for further replies.
I

IlluminatingBikr

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Feb 26, 2003
Messages
2,320
Please read this before going any furhter.

I see that a new banner has just been added. Check out one of their products here. It is called the EDC ultimate. Hmmm...sounds like what Arc was going for. 60 lumens on brightest setting it says...so I instinctively think 2x123A...right? But I only see mention of ONE battery. Hmmmm. It gets better! 22 brightness levels! Now, get this......

[ QUOTE ]
Improvements Over the Arc4 Flashlight
We have made the following improvements over the Arc4 flashlight:
Increased calibrated light output from 30 lumens to 60 lumens
Increased power supply output and efficiency for the brighter settings and added additional dimmer settings
Latchable maximum brightness in addition to primary and secondary settings
Improved switch ruggedness, reduced button profile and added a button guard
Ultra clear coated glass lens for maximum light output and improved scratch resistance
New and improved optional features including emergency strobe signal, automatic turn-off, automatic switch lock (prevent accidental turn-on during transport or storage) and remote trigger switch

[/ QUOTE ]

Pre-orders are to start August 2004. What do you think! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thinking.gif

I know nothing of the company, and it seems all of their stuff is non-existent, just pre-orders. But other than that, looks VERY nice!

EDIT: I see they have a less expensive ($180) light that is similar, but can only produce 40 lumens.

They seem to know about Arc4's pretty darn well, and their lights seem to be very similar, but better. They are based in Arizona. Could this be who I think it is? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/popcorn.gif

EDIT2: I have just seen Sasha's post in the announcements. Admins, please let me know if this is out of order. I am only trying to start a discussion about HDS and see what they are all about and how their lights will perform.
 
The LED industry is in full bloom. You have to enjoy all of the new torches coming to market /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif
 
Interesting. Wonder what it would end up looking like? Might have to pick one of these bad boys up. At 60 lumens on high, this ends up out gunning the Arc4X. I guess time will tell what truely happens. Hopefully it is not all hot air.
 
Not yet idleprocess. I have a feeling that in the next month or so we will find out a lot about HDS and their lights, that will be released in August.

Interesting that HDS has lots of listed specs on their site, but no pictures. Maybe they have finalized the inside, but haven't done the exterior yet? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon3.gif

The water is probably parting as we speak. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif
 
IlluminatingBikr

[ QUOTE ]
They seem to know about Arc4's pretty darn well, and their lights seem to be very similar, but better. They are based in Arizona. Could this be who I think it is?


[/ QUOTE ]

I might well be.

I have been busily working on upgrading the old Arc4 design. Many aspects of the design are now over a year old and technology has changed. My major thrust has been to eliminate the existing problems with the power supply. The current implementation was never designed to go over 2.5 watts, which is why the light is so inefficient at the high end. The new design will easily handle 5 watts with great efficiency.

And of course the higher power and efficiency required new algorithms and updated software. While I was working on the code, I figured I would add and update a few features.

As the designer, prototyper and (ex) production engineer for the Arc4, I am probably the one person who is qualified to get the job done and deliver a working product. And besides, I am the only one who understands how the whole thing works and I am the only one who has the source code.

The long lead times are required to get these products into production without excessively rushing things.

That said, I would like to direct further discussion towards what you folks would like to see in future lights. The three announced products are fairly fixed in stone at this point due to the fact that they will be entering production shortly. However, what follows is up for negotiation.

Or I can answer a few questions about the new lights.

Henry.
 
HDS:

As a manufacturer, do you have any insights on the new high-power LEDs being brought to the market? Lumileds has owned the market for far too long, and with names like Nichia and Cree sampling products for broad release within the next few months, perhaps the pace of development will quicken and prices will come down.

Also, I haven't seen any major manufacturers experiment with the new multi-die "commodity" (8mm and 10mm thru-hole) LEDs.

Thanks!
 
Welcome to CPF Henry. You seem to have the "in" with technology and state of the art equipment....you should find yourself very welcomed here.

When do you think we might be able to see the design of the light? The specs you have posted on your website are very detailed and thorough, but I have yet to get a grasp on the design of the light. I think you find that this is very important for CPFers. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Welcome to CPF again!
 
idleprocess,

From a flashlight manufacturing and production point of view, until the new LED products can be manufactured in sufficient volume and quality that you have a reliable supply, you cannot base a volume product on them. This is one of the reasons why HDS Systems delayed so long in designing a light around the Luxeon emitter - you could not get a reliable supply two years ago. Each device must be considered for its own merit and how well it will solve the designer's problem.

You have to remember that the marketing literature is often optimistic and what sounds good when you talk to the sales person may not be a good solution to your problem. Over the years I have acquired and tested a lot of components with high hopes - only to find that they were not going to work in my situation for one reason or another. There are lots of trade-offs in engineering on the way to a practical solution.

Henry.
 
IlluminatingBikr,

I'll try to get some photos posted in the next couple of weeks. I'll post them on our web site and post a link here.

The EDC Extreme and the EDC Ultimate will both be the same size, as is documented in the user's manual - about 1 inch in diameter and 3.2 inches long - about the same size as the existing Arc4. However, the exterior shape will be slightly different due a different electronics cavity and a new tail cap design.

The pocket clip design is similar but changes to accommodate the different body shape.

Another interesting point is that the new switch was tested by applying a 2 pound sledge to the back of a battery. The switch was still functioning after several light swings, although the battery was a bit shorter. After disassembly, the switch showed slight damage but would continue to operate reliably. The switch is rated at over 1 million operations. Combined with a plastic lens, the new light should survive drops off a cliff.

Henry.
 
Henry,
Welcome to CPF!
For future lights how about a N cell Luxeon for a key ring light?
Would it be practical for you to make a 1x123 5 watt Luxeon for EDC? Are you planning to make a 5 watt EDC light?

Will your lights be easy to mod.? Meaning will it be easy to change emitters, lens, etc. Will your lights be able to use Pila batteries? Are your lights going to use reflectors or optics?

I'm really looking forward to a "best" quality headlamp using Luxeons and AA & CR123A battery packs.
 
Henry:

I was actually just wondering if you'd been able to evaluate any of the newer high-power LEDs - but it sounds like you'd rather wait until they're readily on the market before going that far.

Working for a small manufacturer myself, I've seen us get into trouble a few times designing in really nice components that have availability issues.

The multi-die 8/10mm thru-hole LEDs are an incremental step in conventional LED manufacturing - although I confess that I don't know how many companies are making them. They do seem to be fill a gap between high-power LEDs and arrays of 3/5mm LEDs.
 
For those that have never seen HDS before. They are a legit company. The HDS action light is a pretty well known light I am told. Craig even reviewed one on his web site.
 
Wait a second is HDS the same company that made that multi LED caving light a few years ago with the lithium D cell? That was one solid looking light!

GregR
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

1
Am I the only one that likes cool tint better than high CRI?
2
Replies
35
Views
1K
yearnslow
yearnslow
batman
Convince me YL/GN is better than Red for secondary color in the Surefire Aviator
Replies
1
Views
511
F89
F89
B
Something is wrong with my new Noctigon K1 thrower
2
Replies
28
Views
2K
jon_slider
J
K
New finds
Replies
1
Views
218
Roger Sully
Roger Sully
C
Questions about the (new) Wuben X2 Pro (you need to have it to answer)
Replies
4
Views
1K
cdm-dude
C

Latest posts

Back
Top