I'd appreciate if someone could bring me up to speed here.

I\'d appreciate if someone could bring me up to speed here.

I've been able to hunt around some and start understanding some of the differences in the different versions of the ARC AAA.

The LS, however, seems to be a different story. As I become more and more interested in an LS set, I searched through this forum section, and couldn't find a definitive rundown of the differences through the evolution of the LS.

Can anyone give a quick run down? I'd much appreciate it.

Re: I\'d appreciate if someone could bring me up to speed here.

Actually, the evolution of the LS is quite simple.

There is currently just one version. The Arc LS.

There are some pre-version 1's around as well, but the design has remained basically the same. Soon we'll see the LS2 and the LS3, but for now, the evolution remains at LS1... which is pretty much where it started (there were many behind-the-scenes tweak improvements to the design, but the basic light has remained the same.

No doubt you've seen this: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=31;t=000296
That's the best description of where the evolution is headed.

Re: I\'d appreciate if someone could bring me up to speed here.

Actually, to go further back in the evolution of the Arc-LS, we have to go back to the time just after the Arc-AAA proved so popular and people were asking for a AA version for improved run time.

Gransee then unveiled a new idea he had which had 5 of the 5mm LEDs (ie the same LED as used in the Arc-AAA but 5 of them) hooked up to a single AA power pack. (Could have been 4 LEDs. I forget.) He even titillated us with pictures of the prototype and opened up a discussion of what we wanted in a light.

Needless to say, the discussion was long and detailed, with many varying "wants" and "must-haves" and "this-would-be-cool". Afterall, what do you expect when you tap in to a pool of so many flashoholics? (BTW, part of those discussions is the reason why the Arc-LS is offered with the capability to take different battery configurations.)

But before the design was finalised, LumiLEDs released their Luxeon Star LED, which threw out more light, and in a more focused beam, than even 5 of those normal (5600mcd at that time) 5mm LEDs. So he threw it open for a vote as to whether we wanted to wait while he tried to incorporate the LS in to the new light, or just go ahead with the old 5 LED design. What a dumb question!! Being flashoholics, we naturally voted for the brighter LS, though I believed there were a few dissenters.

Since then, Gransee has been working steadily to improve the LS design and incorporate all the latest technology to make it the best LED flashlight available. There were some teething problems at the start, and several more even when the production model was released, but Gransee has been improving the design so that now there is the LS3 in the works. And this is where Darell's reference picks up.