Thread for info on colored Arc-LS

[Charles Bradshaw]

I think royal blue (cyan??) emits UV to some extent. If so, there are forensic applications, as well as getting minerals to flouresce. It is brighter than white, according to the ARC website.

Is this the $160 unit??

 

[B@rt]

Cyan is not royal blue, but a bright greenish color...

I'm sure Craig or somebody else can explain why blue has some fluorescent properties.
Hope this helps.

 

[dark star]

Nope,cyan is not blue, the $160 unit for sale on the arc website is cyan and at least for my two cyan LS1's that means green(very bright) with a touch of blue. But I love them. ( and I really would like a 5W version )

 

[Charles Bradshaw]

Thanks!

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

UV? Cool!
Darkstar: Wayne at Elektrolumens has a 5W Cyan Mod for Sale post on the B/S/T.

Any other interesting facts? Anyone have an amber?

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

I've got an Arc LS first royal blue coming, and was curious about the limited history of the colored Arc LSs. I know there were blue, royal blue, and amber, but what else?, and what are their uses if any (besides wow factor)? Were they offered in firsts and seconds? High-domes and low-domes? Brightest versus dimmest?
Beam shots will definitely be helpful and appreciated, as well as comments on personal applications and satisfaction. In other words, any recommendations? Thanks!

 

[Carpe Diem]

Virgo...

I probably don`t have the complete list, but Arc did make the following colored LS`s:

1) Cyan

2) Blue

3) Royal Blue

4) Red

5) HD Orange-Red

6) Green

7) Amber

I don`t have the Amber or the Royal Blue, but I bought "several" of all of the others when Peter warned us that Arc would stop producing these beautiful lights.

My personal favorites are the Cyan and Blue, which really light up the landscape at night, and the HD Orange-Red, which is extremely bright but doesn`t seem to ruin your night vision.

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Wow. I knew there were a few colors, but not that many. Now I'm gonna have to see all of them. So Orange-Red was the only one made with the high dome?
My royal-blue first is arriving tomorrow via UPS. The only LS that I currently have is a white second, (which is almost perfect IMO), so I'm not really sure what to expect. Wonder if I'll be able to use it to locate scorpions at night? Anyone tried this?

 

[Carpe Diem]

Hi Virgo...

Some of the other colored LS`s, such as the cyan and blue/royal blue, were also made with high domes, but they appear to be rare.

Enjoy your Arc`s!

 

[tygger]

is there any possibility that Peter would make some more HD orange-red LS's for a custom CPF group buy or something? anyone interested? is it even remotely possible? i could kick myself for missing out on those.

 

[Carpe Diem]

I have several extra new and unused HD Orange-Red Arc LS`s. If the price is right, I may be willing to sell them. If anyone is interested, just send an email to me.

 

[Charles Bradshaw]

The only 'problem' with Arc LSes, is that the production is so low, that they are collectors items. Should we use them, or put them in locked and alarmed display cases for everyone to admire (and want)??

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Carpe, this is kinda fun. There's nothing like discontinuing a product to make me want it more. I should get my RB via UPS this evening. I think it's a low dome, but any way to tell visually?
Also, let me rebound from the M6 and Arc RB purchases, and I'll probably take you up on the offer to buy an orange-red.
I believe the RB LS I have coming is the one D'mo had for sale that you posted on in the B/S/T.
Charles, I'm like you. I want to put these things away so they remain in pristine condition, but I'm determined to get good/fun use out of them. I pocket carry my Arc SLS, and can honestly say it's in as good condition as when I bought it. So... they're tough! I will probably continue to have one for EDC, and just "lightly play" with the others at home.

 

[McGizmo]

I have a blue and cyan second LS. I have a red/orange HD second (just developed the flex problem :-( ) and I have a Cyan first HD. The cyan's are totally different colors; both primarily a green with the HD having a blue tint to the green and the low dome second actually being a yellowish green.

The HD is a very similer color to the 5W side emitters I got. The 5W HD emitters that I got have a totally different color; light aqua/ turquiose. This color is not a green.

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

McGizmo,
Which do you prefer, color and output-wise? (word?) Also, this prob. isn't the place, but what do the side-emitters look like. I'm familiar with the batwings, and optics included emitters. Different configuration? Alot of members seem to like them, as I see them discussed fairly frequently.

 

[McGizmo]

Virgo,

The red/orange HD has a very tight beam and throws well. I do not have a Royal Blue LS but with my experience with the 5W RB I made, I think this is the most interesting color as it is really a dark light and yet whites and flourescent colors shout back. It is other worldly, and similar to a black light except there is more illumination of all objects with the RB compared to the black light. I am also taken with the interesting color of the cyan 5W in a turbo head mod and of course since this light has an awesome beam that really throws, it is the light I "play" with the most. Because of its intensity as well as unusual color, I suspect this would be a great bike headlamp which would certainly alert motorists to your presence!

The side emitter looks like a regular emitter with a tiny inverted cone optic coming off the top. I don't think Lumileds gave any consideration to flashlight applications when they designed their optics and as time goes by, I am sure that the most effective flashlights will not be using Lumiled optics for beam direction and control. I did not find any value in the 5 W side emitter in terms of aiding in a beam pattern. The 1 W side emitter I understand has a different beam pattern and I have had no experience with this part.

- Don

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Great! I'll be scorpion-hunting tonight.
Speaking of bike-lights, how do you think the cyan would be for illuminating rough trails? I still haven't had a chance to ride with the 1W white LS headlamp I got from Bushman.
I've got a MadMax from Dat2zip; it had an inverted cone optic to install. Would this be the same as the side-emitter, or is it just a bare emitter w/optics?
Thanks!

 

[McGizmo]

Virgo,

You have the bare emitter with optics. The side emitter's tiny inverted cone is an integral element of its primary lens. The little cone has about a 1/4" diameter at the top. the cyan is monochromatic and I would think it would be hard to beat a white light for trails. In the absence of a 5W in white, the 5W cyan would certainly be the best bet for a LED bike light, at this point.

 

[**DONOTDELETE**]

cool. Thanks for the clarification, McGizmo.
These cyan colored LSs seem to be very bright and very well-liked by those who own them. Might have to try one of those next.
I've concluded, from what I've read, that the orange-red HDs are also very bright. Are there practical applications for it?
I'm very intrigued by the Amber, simply because I've heard so little about them.

 

[dark star]

I love my cyan LS - great for hiking - bright but does not seem to affect night vision as much as the white. Only problem when hiking is sometimes, if you do not know the trail, you need the white to tell the color of the trail to keep from getting lost. I carry the white, cyan , and orange-red - always end up using the cyan. The orange-red is good in combination with the cyan - makes a weird VERY bright white - but other then that I do not use it much - the cyan is so much nicer. I had an amber for a week till it developed the flex problem- OK for trails or around the home - but really didn't care for it much.