My first Arc AAA. Lens? Moonlight mode?

I got my first Arc AAA in the mail today from Texas Tactical. It's a pretty neat light. But two things surprised me:

1. There's no lens, at least not on mine. Just a bare LED in an uncovered reflector. Is it really waterproof like that?

2. I've read a couple descriptions of how when the batteries get low, it drops output to so called "moonlight mode." There is not a word in the instructions about it. Does this light really have it?

The head is fully epoxied (sealed) so that even if water gets inside it will still work.Arc AAA are waterproof and moon mode is built in and there is not a lens on them

Georget98,

I asked the same question when I got mine, WHERE'S THE LENS!

There is no lens!

The cool thing about this light is the cheap batteries. SO, check out the moon mode. Leave it on for 5-8 hours, and see what moon mode looks like.

Someone here, I forget who, changed batteries under 9' of water with no problem. So I wouldn't worry about the waterproof part. Most single LED keychain lights don't have lenses. TX

OK, I'm a believer. But I wonder why not a hint of moon mode in the instructions.

May be because of the confusion it can cause. There is no "mode" that you can enter. When the battery is too weak to offer up the voltage required to maintain regulation, the output falls off faster, and that's the point that is called "moon mode." There isn't much to say about it beyond "partial regulation" which is what this light does well.

A lens would just serve to reduce the output, make the light heavier and more expensive. No reason to have a lens on a potted, single-LED light in my mind. Use it and enjoy.

Originally posted by txwest:
Someone here, I forget who, changed batteries under 9' of water with no problem. So I wouldn't worry about the waterproof part. Most single LED keychain lights don't have lenses. TX

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">I wouldn't say it was done with no problem.It was Trevor. The account is here.

Move to Arc Flashlight forum

I wouldn't say it was done with no problem.It was Trevor. The account is here.

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">I read the entire account waiting for the exciting conclusion.

So did they ever get it opened?

Yes he did.

Originally posted by Aragorn:
Over the summer I did a senseless thing- I changed the batery in my LE for for the fun of it. No that isn't what was so stupid. The stupid thing was when I did it at the depth of 9ft. of clorinated water. As they say in the chronicles of thomas covenant , it became "closed to me"

. when I got it open useing a viceclamp and channel lock pliers the inside had been ravaged by corrosion and it would not screw back together right. long story short this weekend i dremeled out the inside and ended up with a worn arc that still workes like a charm. I thought the HA was worn before but now the beloved light that has taken me through thick and thin has taken on a rustic "old freind" look that is so full of charector that I wouldn't trade it for an M6 and a green laser and an A2. Really I wouldn't.

You may call it LE but to me it's proper name is "Bannor". I wonder how many of you know who that is?

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">(From this thread)

when i was cleaning my arc a month ago, tried screwing on the head underwater with the barrel filled with water, and it was impossible to get the head to turn anymore past the point where the O-ring sealed against the barrel. this is probably because water cannot be compressed like it would be required to once the O-ring seals against the barrel and head.

does anyone know what version he did this with?
would the kemchote help if he didn't have that?

nihraguk makes the relevant point about the underwater story. There would be no way to compress the water. To screw the head on, the water would need to squirt past the O-ring, and the presure required for that to happen is a bit scary.

Darell's recomendation? Change the batteries at approximately one atmosphere of air.

And to those that don't know:
One atmosphere = 101325 N/m^2.

Originally posted by Empath:
I wouldn't say it was done with no problem.It was Trevor. The account is here.

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Empath, thanks for the link. I missed it originally. You're right, "done with little problem" is a bit of an overstatement. Wonder if he ever got it open?? TX

Originally posted by yclo:
And to those that don't know:
One atmosphere = 101325 N/m^2.

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">YC, thanks for the info. I was awake most of the night wondering what that was... :>) TX

from the originator of this thread:

Last night I realized the O ring on my new AAA came to me unlubricated from the factory. It seemed hard to turn, but it was my only Arc anything. Is this usual, or did they miss mine?

I put a little Vaselene on it and now it works a lot better.

My very recently acquired AAA also had a unlubed feel. This was remedied with some silicon grease. I seem to recall reading somewhere here that some greases can actually damage the O ring. Maybe someone can add to this.

actually, arc uses buna o-rings, so it should be pretty resistant to most lubes. (isn't arc the best?)

Last night I went to the library. I used my now two week old Arc AAA to find books in the back seat, put it in my pocket, and went inside. Later while driving home I realized the light wasn't there.

I headed back, got out my Legend-LX and started looking on the ground where I had originally parked -- there was a house size Escalade now in the space so it was easy to look underneath. No flashlight.

I went inside and looked around on the floor where I had been, asked at the desk (why would anybody have a flashlight in the library), then went outside.

I took one last look under the SUV, this time I caught a little glint off the reflector and there it was, just visible under the front left tire. A Cadillac Escalade was parked on my Arc AAA!

It was near closing time so I just waited a few minutes in the car. Soon the giant Arc destroyer was gone and I went over to look at the remains.

You're probably ahead of me at this moment. The AAA was partly melted into the ice. I yanked it out, gave the head a twist, and as you know it lighted. Not even a scratch.