Gransee
Flashlight Enthusiast
The single largest reason an Arc-AAA is returned to us is for cosmetic reasons. As you know, cosmetics ranks low in my design philosophy. Sometimes people feel like the product is over hyped here on the CPF and the actual Arc-AAA is disappointing when they get it. I have posted here several times what to expect and I don't use a lot of hype. We make a good light but it far from perfect. All this shipping back and forth to try to find a cosmetically perfect light is wasteful. So in this thread, you get an honest presentation of what to expect.
This thread is similar to the thread I wrote earlier on, "What to expect when you order an Arc-LS". I went into more detail in that thread on shipping, dealers, warranty, etc.
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Here's what the Arc-AAA should look like when you get it. This is what we call a "retail ready blister pack". It has the light, clip, instructions and battery.
Here is an exploded view:
If you want to remove the clip. Slid it carefully towards the head of the flashlight. If done correctly, this should not produce any scratches.
Here's the same Arc-AAA with the clip removed. Notice the matte appearance of the HA finish. It is not a shiny finish. It is a hard, no-nonsense finish. The knurl does vary from the head to body because the parts are made at separate times. Same with the HA tint although this variation is harder to see on the Arc-AAA than the LS. The inscription shown is the new 3.3 version.
Here is the tail view. It is normal to see some cosmetic issues on this end. Examples would include scratches, tooling marks, knurl overruns, etc. Each part has an individual character. Notice the thinness of the lug at the top end. This is to facilitate installation of the split ring. We have yet to have a single unit fail in this area.
Here's the head view. The LED height will vary from unit to unit which also effects the beam corona size. Centering is tested by rotating the light 6 inches from a target. Deviation cannot be more than 1/2 inch for any specific marker.
One of the most frequent questions we get about the Arc-AAA head is, "where is the lens?". The 5mm LED has a built in lens. Adding an extra lens would reduce the total output by about 8%. Some people are worried about the LED being scratched or damaged. This is certainly possible but unlikely. Unlike many other keychain lights that have their LED exposed and protruding, the Arc-AAA recesses the LED into a reflector. This greatly reduces any impact, scratches, etc. The reflector will collect dust and lint over time, but the LED should hold up quite well. Another thing about adding a secondary lens; since the second lens would be less recessed, it would get scratched more easily. Notice how quickly the lens on the Mag Solitaire gets scratched up. Recessing the LED provides a durable, serviceable, bright and mechanically simple design.
Side view of the head with the battery pack removed. Notice the o-ring, threads and battery retainer. The retainer is the black foam piece on the end. It can vary in color between black and grey.
The positive contact area of the head. This is a solder pad which normally wears with use. See the DIY Arc-AAA Maintenance page on how to maintain this and other parts of the Arc-AAA. Sometimes too much lube or other factors may cause the retainer to pop off the head and stick in the battery compartment. Use a pin, etc to pull it out and ask us to send you a new retainer. You can also re-glue the old one if you want.
Inside the battery compartment. This should be clean and shiny for the most part. It should also have a slight gold tint to it. The gold color does vary in intensity from unit to unit.
Finally, the beam. My camera does a poor job of capturing beam detail. This picture makes it look nice and smooth but reality is much different! We use Nichia 5mm LEDs because they are the brightest 5mms in the world. We then hand sort them. We have noticed in the past year that the beams have gotten less smooth. These are similar to miniature low dome LEDs. There will be a blue center, with a ring around that and a green-yellow corona. There may be rings, blobs, etc in the beam. This beam is rougher than the beam of a good LSH for example.
Like the Arc-LS, each Arc-AAA comes with a 10 year warranty against manufacturer's defect. Like the Arc-LS, the Arc-AAA is made right here in Arizona, USA. It is more American made than an American made car. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Hopefully this helps new buyers make an informed decision on our Arc-AAA. We think it is a good light and we do put a lot of care into each one. But again, they are not perfect. We hope this light serves you faithfully for many years to come.
Peter Gransee
This thread is similar to the thread I wrote earlier on, "What to expect when you order an Arc-LS". I went into more detail in that thread on shipping, dealers, warranty, etc.
--
Here's what the Arc-AAA should look like when you get it. This is what we call a "retail ready blister pack". It has the light, clip, instructions and battery.
Here is an exploded view:
If you want to remove the clip. Slid it carefully towards the head of the flashlight. If done correctly, this should not produce any scratches.
Here's the same Arc-AAA with the clip removed. Notice the matte appearance of the HA finish. It is not a shiny finish. It is a hard, no-nonsense finish. The knurl does vary from the head to body because the parts are made at separate times. Same with the HA tint although this variation is harder to see on the Arc-AAA than the LS. The inscription shown is the new 3.3 version.
Here is the tail view. It is normal to see some cosmetic issues on this end. Examples would include scratches, tooling marks, knurl overruns, etc. Each part has an individual character. Notice the thinness of the lug at the top end. This is to facilitate installation of the split ring. We have yet to have a single unit fail in this area.
Here's the head view. The LED height will vary from unit to unit which also effects the beam corona size. Centering is tested by rotating the light 6 inches from a target. Deviation cannot be more than 1/2 inch for any specific marker.
One of the most frequent questions we get about the Arc-AAA head is, "where is the lens?". The 5mm LED has a built in lens. Adding an extra lens would reduce the total output by about 8%. Some people are worried about the LED being scratched or damaged. This is certainly possible but unlikely. Unlike many other keychain lights that have their LED exposed and protruding, the Arc-AAA recesses the LED into a reflector. This greatly reduces any impact, scratches, etc. The reflector will collect dust and lint over time, but the LED should hold up quite well. Another thing about adding a secondary lens; since the second lens would be less recessed, it would get scratched more easily. Notice how quickly the lens on the Mag Solitaire gets scratched up. Recessing the LED provides a durable, serviceable, bright and mechanically simple design.
Side view of the head with the battery pack removed. Notice the o-ring, threads and battery retainer. The retainer is the black foam piece on the end. It can vary in color between black and grey.
The positive contact area of the head. This is a solder pad which normally wears with use. See the DIY Arc-AAA Maintenance page on how to maintain this and other parts of the Arc-AAA. Sometimes too much lube or other factors may cause the retainer to pop off the head and stick in the battery compartment. Use a pin, etc to pull it out and ask us to send you a new retainer. You can also re-glue the old one if you want.
Inside the battery compartment. This should be clean and shiny for the most part. It should also have a slight gold tint to it. The gold color does vary in intensity from unit to unit.
Finally, the beam. My camera does a poor job of capturing beam detail. This picture makes it look nice and smooth but reality is much different! We use Nichia 5mm LEDs because they are the brightest 5mms in the world. We then hand sort them. We have noticed in the past year that the beams have gotten less smooth. These are similar to miniature low dome LEDs. There will be a blue center, with a ring around that and a green-yellow corona. There may be rings, blobs, etc in the beam. This beam is rougher than the beam of a good LSH for example.
Like the Arc-LS, each Arc-AAA comes with a 10 year warranty against manufacturer's defect. Like the Arc-LS, the Arc-AAA is made right here in Arizona, USA. It is more American made than an American made car. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Hopefully this helps new buyers make an informed decision on our Arc-AAA. We think it is a good light and we do put a lot of care into each one. But again, they are not perfect. We hope this light serves you faithfully for many years to come.
Peter Gransee
