What's Next for Arc?

[BIGaudioDYNOMITE]

I currently carry an infinity ultra-g on my keychain. I think I would surely buy an Arc AA if it were to come out.

 

[paulr]

When you're talking about a $40 light that runs for 5+ hours, the cost per hour of batteries is practically irrelevant to most users, especially since heavy users can use rechargeables.

The point of the AA in my opinion is it gives you battery commonality with other AA devices. If your bigger light, your digicam, your audio recorder, your GPS, your walkie talkies, your radio, your travel alarm, etc. all use AA's, then it's nice to be able to just stash a box of AA's and you have spare batteries for -everything-. So you want your tiny light to use the same batteries as everything else. There's a thread on equipped.org called "AA or no way" basically encouraging people to refuse to buy any device that uses other-than-AA-sized batteries without a good reason. I'm looking to buy a new digicam and I definitely want one powered by AA's (I'll use NiMH) and not a custom lithium ion pack. I similarly refuse to buy an Ipod because it doesn't use AA's.

Also, in some parts of the world, AA's are basically all you can get.

Finally, while the Arc AA doesn't disappear into your pocket or keyring as easily as the AAA does, when you're actually using it, its larger size makes it feel a bit nicer in your hand. And its candle mode is useful.

 

[tsask]

I've got both. one ARC but 3 infinity ultras. at $20 the infinity by Gerber costs less, but side by side the ARC is brighter. the gerber ultra infinity is a nice light, I like my ARC AAA better. ARC stands behind the product! hope you can get an ARC !

 

[BentHeadTX]

I understand that paulr,
When I go on my travels, AA batteries is what I standardize to. My shortwave, alarm clock, discman, camera and other devices use AA batteries. When I need to use different colors of light, (red or UV) more AA batteries power those lights. The shortwave/alarm clock uses lithium AA batteries as do the colored lights since they are generally stored. My 170 lumen 8 output level LuxeonV Mag uses NiMH AA batteries but will run fine on alkaline batteries also.
I have an Arc, Peak and MicroIlluminator that run on AAA batteries but when ultimate small size does not matter--make mine AA.
tsask, I have an Arc AA light and it is a nice light. Stands on it's tail and runs for 12+ hours on one AA battery. Although the Fenix L1P gets all the press for it's Luxeon brightness, there is something to be said for a long running AA light that stands on end. My Arc AA will always perform the function of room lighting during power failures (standing on end)

 

[Solstice]

When you're talking about a $40 light that runs for 5+ hours, the cost per hour of batteries is practically irrelevant to most users, especially since heavy users can use rechargeables.

True enough, but I think there is also a psychological boon from getting long runtimes out of a AA- even if rechargables aren't a posibility (I for one don't want to be carrying a battery charger when traveling). Since a AA delivers over twice the runtime as a AAA for the same cost, while still maintaining a nice small size, they are preferable when extended runs are in order. I would much rather read (a long constant on activity- 5 hours starts to seem a bit short) with a AA light over any other battery type. That said, CR2s are "expensive," but given the 20+ hour runtime of the Jil DD, I really don't mind reading with it.

 

[rdshores]

Nichia 365nm NSHU590B?

 

[paulr]

The Arcs aren't so great for extended reading because of the beam shape (small hotspot at reading distance) and the blue cast to the LED. My favorite reading light is the McLux with the flood reflector. It has a very nice, even, white beam.

If Peter is looking for suggestions I'd like to propose a 1AA "anglehead" or "lighthouse" light. The LED would be pointing perpendicular to the body instead of out the end. That means clipped in your shirt pocket, it's pointing straight ahead, or you could also easily attach it to a very lightweight headband. For some reason nobody makes a 1AA headlamp. I wish someone would. Actually, a 1AA light like the old CMG Tracer but with an AA and built better, would be great, and maybe Peter is the guy to do it.

 

[Solstice]

Yeah Paul, I think I seconded your suggestion of an Arc 1 AA headlamp back when Arc was first announced it would be back in the game. I'd like to see the battery in the front with a comfy band and no top strap (like the PT EOS).

However, I'm not so sure Arc is the company to make this, since I've never seen a non-aluminum Arc and I figure for weight/comfort purposes, a quality polycarbonate would be more appropriate. Also, since the light would be mostly used for extended close-up work, I wouldn't really want a Nichia in there since, as you mentioned, the cast is too blue and irritates your eyes when reading/drawing/etc. After the performances of the Terralux Chromstar (over 10 hours on a AA at around 5mm brightness) or the Fenix (3 hours on a AA at high brightness) I feel more convinced that an underdriven (or with multiple brightness levels) luxeon or K2 would be the way to go.

 

[snakebite]

make a headlamp housing with 2 aa cells in paralell that accepts a aaa head.
or better yet accepts a aa head or a aaa with removeable plugs for whichever heads you own.
make it so it will run on one cell if need be.
and many of us like the old arc-ls-x series too.

 

[hank]

>Angle-head

Could be done with just a machined adapter, right?

Take the standard head off.
Screw in an adapter that would provide a set of threads at 90 degrees and a contact.
Screw the head into that.

 

[pizzaman]

I love my ARC AAA-P. If an ARC AA comes on the market, I will definitely purchase one.

For emergency use AA batteries are prolific. Most folks that standardize on batteries seem to chose AAs. If they become unavailable in stores during an emergency, they can always be pinched from kids toys, adult toys , remotes, cameras, etc.

My PSK currently carries a Gerber Infinity Ultra with lithium AA batteries. It is a great little light, but I like the "whiter" LED of an ARC, the superb machine work, and the rugged HAIII of the ARC flashlights.

TR

 

[TIP AND RING]

I vote for a Arc-AA, there are so many darn tiny CR2 and 123 lights on the market. Much of which has borrowed from the LS designs. Any new LS design at this point will be compared to a dozen or so similiar lights and anti-climatic. Tough crowd here to make happy.

 

[AdamW]

I, too, am a proponent of standardizing around the AA battery. Many positives to doing this.

A variable output Arc AA would be fantastic. The vaporware LRI Proton was suppossed to be variable output, single AA, and high quality. Arc could build it.

I like the HDS lights, but they use a CR123.

There is a market for a variable, or even multiple predefined output single AA light that will happily run on alkaline, lithium, or NiMh.

 

[Solstice]

When you're talking about a $40 light that runs for 5+ hours, the cost per hour of batteries is practically irrelevant to most users, especially since heavy users can use rechargeables.

The point of the AA in my opinion is it gives you battery commonality with other AA devices. If your bigger light, your digicam, your audio recorder, your GPS, your walkie talkies, your radio, your travel alarm, etc. all use AA's, then it's nice to be able to just stash a box of AA's and you have spare batteries for -everything-. So you want your tiny light to use the same batteries as everything else. There's a thread on equipped.org called "AA or no way" basically encouraging people to refuse to buy any device that uses other-than-AA-sized batteries without a good reason. I'm looking to buy a new digicam and I definitely want one powered by AA's (I'll use NiMH) and not a custom lithium ion pack. I similarly refuse to buy an Ipod because it doesn't use AA's.

Also, in some parts of the world, AA's are basically all you can get.

Finally, while the Arc AA doesn't disappear into your pocket or keyring as easily as the AAA does, when you're actually using it, its larger size makes it feel a bit nicer in your hand. And its candle mode is useful.

Not to take this thread too far off topic, but I find that many of these small electronic devices you mentioned are shrinking. From travel alarm clocks to MP3 players, AAAs are increasignly chosen by manufacturers so that they can make their products more compact. As much as I prefer AAs (twice the runtime for the same price), you could "minaturize" everything you use to run on AAAs instead.

That said, IMHO, any luxeon based design, given current technology, should be based on the AA battery as the very "worst" battery the device could use. Fenix has proven this can work, but I am skeptical about the viability of a single AAA luxeon design that can take a regular old alkaline AAA battery- and last more than 20 minutes or so above 50%. For me, the most exciting product Arc could come out with would be a 2 stage single AAA or AA light- produced with the usual Arc excellence in build and circuit quality.

 

[Navck]

*Notices Fenix competitor topic*
*Notices this topic*
AA Luxeon...

 

[Peter Atwood]

Now that the Fenix has come out it is going to be very hard to differentiate oneself in the AA market. I hope Arc can do it since Peter is such an important pioneer in the flashlight world.

A two stage switch would be great as would a clickie. And a real pocket clip that screws on.

 

[THE_dAY]

any eta on the arc aaa uv?
or any other products for that matter..
i'm really looking forward to getting the uv.

 

[Sub_Umbra]

any eta on the arc aaa uv?
or any other products for that matter..
i'm really looking forward to getting the uv.

I was hoping that ARC would introduce colored LEDs for the New AAA before they came out with a whole 'nother light. I've got one of the old crazy bright ARC AAAs with the Turquoise LED and I want one of the new ones in Turq, too.

I actually like the ARC AA better than the AAA -- but of course, I want one in Turq.

Are there any plans to offer the new ARC AAA in LED colors other than white?