Arc and HDS once the same?

Just wondering...I'm fairly new, so I don't know much of the history. Both Arc and HDS seem to claim the same innovations and also the development of the Arc4. Were they once the same company and split?

I know someone will correct me if I am wrong (pleas do) but I believe that Henry Schneiker (the man who designed the HDS lights) also designed the ARC lights.

Ron

I don't know how far back Henry when with Arc, but I know the Arc 4 (and 4+ and other varients) were his brainchild. The HDS EDC series could almost be called the Arc 5.

I'm sure someone can fill in the details that I don't know.

"Also designed the ARC lights" isn't accurate, in that ARC lights involved more than those with which Henry was involved.

There was involvment by Henry of HDS, in an aggreement, contract, or some type of business arrangement in the development in the progressive evolution of Arc's Luxeon line of lights. Eventually the agreement terminated, leaving Henry working on his own, and Arc working on their own. The demise of ARC brings in an "IF" scenario that cannot be determined, since there is no definitive method of knowing what would have occurred had the company remained. It does provide an answer for the similarities of technology.

Thanks guys.

Here is my version of events. This may factually be incorrect.

I first ran across HDS on the web, looking for LED flashlights and such. Originally, HDS made the Action Light. A headlamp for caving. It had a hexagonal array of discreet LEDs. The Luxeon was still in a lab somewhere.

Later, after the introduction of the Luxeon, I ran across Arc flashlight. The first Arcs were the AAA keychain light. Then they made some of the first flashlights to have the luxeon in them, the Arc LS. The LS is pretty basic, a simple twisty "switch" and a regulator circuit.

I believe at sometime later, Arc collaborated with HDS on the Arc 4. At the time, HDS didn't make anything like the Arc LS, but HDS had experience with LED lighting and had some things to contribute (I believe that the Action light had variable light levels, and was designed for reliability).

Arc Flashlight LLC, then ceased to exist. I believe that HDS retained most of the circuit IP, and proceeded to make their own version of the Arc 4. The EDC series of lights.

I'm assuming that Peter (of Arc flashlight) had also run across HDS the same way I did, and collaborated with HDS, but this is speculation on my part.

edit: HDS predates Arc Flashlight. Also, if you hunt enough, you will see on the HDS website, that HDS did some consulting for Arc.

Empath, are you a lawyer?

Empath said:

"Also designed the ARC lights" isn't accurate, in that ARC lights involved more than those with which Henry was involved.

There was involvment by Henry of HDS, in an aggreement, contract, or some type of business arrangement in the development in the progressive evolution of Arc's Luxeon line of lights. Eventually the agreement terminated, leaving Henry working on his own, and Arc working on their own. The demise of ARC brings in an "IF" scenario that cannot be determined, since there is no definitive method of knowing what would have occurred had the company remained. It does provide an answer for the similarities of technology.

Click to expand...

geepondy said:

Empath, are you a lawyer?

Click to expand...

If so, I would likely have learned to spell agreement with only one g by now.

The way I understand it, the Arc4+ electronics were basically a repackaged and tweaked version of the HDS Action Light headlamp circuit. Obviously the physical form factor more closely followed the earlier Arc LS and there was other Arc participation as well, but at least on the electronic side, I gather it was mostly an HDS design.