Someone please post review of your new LS3

Many who never got the chance to order are interested in a review of the LS3 by a lucky owner. What was this fuss all about?

The initial pictures of closeup beamshots appear to be misleading based on beamshots of similar 2.5 watt mods: flood versus spot. What is the LED color, HA quality, beam patter and size? What type of battery configurations will work on the light. Peter initially said that the LS3 would work with the single 123 configuration. How doe the output compare with a LGI? Etc.

Thanks.

Whatever the LS3 is putting out in lumens is not nearly what I expected. My CMG Reactor is white compared to the pathetic Greenish cast this $200.00 light puts out. If as rumored they held some back for being too green, they must have been really green. I bought this light for EDC. I merely wanted what I supposed would be the best. The beam pattern is a basic uneven splochy splatter with an area that attempts to be a beam in the middle with an uneven dark pattern in the center.

I also noticed the batteries were very loose in the compartment. Inside diameter of Innova X5 .663, Surefire E2E .667, Arc .695. Battery diameters I checked were SureFire .650 Sanyo .650, and Energizer .645. The biggest diameter battery compartment was fitted with the smallest diameter batteries. When the head of the LS3 was screwed on the batteries were tight (No rattle). My point here is that this light is bigger in diameter than it needs to be.

Outside diameter of the Innova X5 (Top of the grooves, thickest point) .800, SureFire E2E thickest point .808, LS3 THINNEST POINT .837, knurling on Arc is .851.

Inside the head the electronics board is seriously off center, while this will not affect the performance it puts a dent in the cool factor. The retainer ring in the head is either mis-machined, deformed or has a gob of some sort of adhesive on one side of it. Deduct more cool points.

After what may have been one of the cleverest Marketing schemes ever applied to a limited group of people all of these lights sold out in record time, 4 days before new product announcements (Shotshow) possibly at much lower prices. If somebody wanted to unload a quantity of potentially soon to become extinct product this could be a blueprint of how to do it.

This is my first and only Arc product, it is not necessarily my last. Too many of you swear by your Arc products, they must be good. The LS3 was just not ready for prime time. When you are trying to play with the big boys details can make all the difference.

This review is not meant to be scathing or mean, just telling it like it is. Peter, I hope the ShotShow goes well for you. I am also looking for new and innovative products from Arc in the upcoming year.

Comments are welcome either here or e-mail me directly. If you absolutly can't wait you can call me on my 800 number below 24/7. No extension, it will be me that answers.

800-837-9200 (Added, I thought it was part of the signature)

Great review!

So what you're saying is it's not for everyone, right?

To be fair, I don't think Peter ever claimed it was a world beater of a flashlight....only a limited run of a unique product for Arc.

Originally posted by logical:
To be fair, I don't think Peter ever claimed it was a world beater of a flashlight....only a limited run of a unique product for Arc.

Click to expand...

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">I agree with you Logical. Peter himself, in one or more posts he made some time ago, indicated he was not really satisfied with the quality of the light beams coming out of his first LS3`s.

I suspect that was at least one of the reasons he ultimately decided not to make the LS3 his "flagship" model as originally planned.

Quote from Peter Gransee:

"If you have any doubts about buying this light, please do not buy it. You will be dissapointed if you do."

CM

Good, candid review, thanks. I must disagree about your feelings that this was even remotely close to a "marketing scheme."

If anyone was scheming, it was the people that purchased the lights only to turn around and sell them for a profit. Absolutely reminded me of the Cabbage Patch Kid fiasco back over a decade ago in California (was it national?).

There was no "this is going to be the best light ever!"

no "if you guys don't have this, you'll be missing out!"

no fanfare, minimal hype from him. I think the quote that CM posted above just scratches the surface as an example of Peter's honesty.

Some customers, on the other hand, went absolutely nuts about it and created the craze. It happens all the time (e.g. tickle me Elmo); this was just on a very small scale. From what I saw on sat. morning, some people were getting their pitchforks and torches (haha) ready.

This is absolutely NOT INTENDED to slam anyone. You guys that bought this light as a tool to USE deserve to be happy.

Just my opinion based on what I have seen. Peter merely produced the light... it practically sold itself.

cheers

Originally posted by krept:

If anyone was scheming, it was the people that purchased the lights only to turn around and sell them for a profit...

Click to expand...

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">There it is:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2710238463&category=16037

N162E.

Is the green not a usable shade - I know that lights shined at close range which appear very green are not too bad in actual use.

How does the output compare to other standards such as a LGI (it appears that LGi are pretty consistant), KL1, BB500 or ARC LS1&2. Perhaps this is a difficult comparison between apples (spot) and oranges (flood).

Thanks.

Fed-Ex just delivered my Arc LS-3 . . .

It's not dark yet but here are my first impressions.

The bezel is marked

ARC Flashlight LLC
Made in USA Caution Hot!
ARC-LS LED LS3-03"X"

Size:

if I place a Kroll clickie on top of my E1e+KL1 it is approximately the same size. The diameter of the light is also slightly smaller than that of the KL1 unit.

Finish:

An even and uniform light satin green. Lighter and shinier than the lighter shades found on most of my HA SureFires. No splotches, scratches or mill marks. It came with it's "O" ring lubed and two Duracell ultras installed. It also came with a split ring already installed. The ring does not show signs of distress or separation. There is no battery rattle or shake of any kind!

Beam:

See the post on beamshots. Big-time flood. Much brighter and much whiter than either my KL1 or KL3! A "tinge" of brownish? green? but again, much more white than my SureFires. Info on "throw" when it gets dark.

(It came with a yellow post-it that said "It was the last one . . .)

All in all, I'm a pretty "Happy Camper"

"Lux"

MY

The green is usable, it is ok for walking around in the dark. I do think however it would have been much more effective and appeared much brighter had it been whiter.

As an early adopter of 123 battery technology I would have expected better battery fit and a light that was significantly thinner. I figure this light could have been at least .045 thinner.

As far as overall output, visually to me it is significantly more output than the KL1 or my Mad Max. I do not have an LG1 to compare to.

I spent a little time measuring up lights and batteries last night. How about one or two of you taking a minute or two and measuring up your LS1 and posting the dimensions.

I also have observed this light may be seriously damaged by over tightening the head. Both the Surefire and Innova screw down to a point where flat rests against flat. The LS3 screws down to where a fragile thin tapered edge slides against an outward angle. In otherwords it never positively bottoms out. Is the LS1 head built the same?

Considering Arc has no marketing or packaging costs and little if anything spent on research I would have expected an ultimate product for $200.00. A good idea might be to include with each Arc product a preprinted apology in case the product does not come up to what the customer expected.

A lot of you guys out there are playing with cutting edge technology on your kitchen tables. As far as I am aware Peter (Arc) manufactured and produced the FIRST commercially available Luxeon flashlight. This is American enterprise, genius, and etrapaneurship (?) at its best. Now go the extra mile and seperate yourself from the group. You can do it!!

Coming tomorrow night-Reviews from the Shot Show.

Owner of LS3-014

Lux-Lutheran:

Why does your LS3 have an "X" after the serial number? Your luxeon may be brighter based on the luck of the draw?

Ok, Ok!

My serial number had an "X" in it due to the residual paranoia associated with not wanting to give out too much personal information.

I'll come clean - my Arc LS-3 is #031

The bezel reads:

Arc Flashlight LLC * ARC - LS LED *
Made in USA ! Caution HOT! LS3 - 031

It may very well be the LAST ONE MADE!

"Lux"

My Arc LS3 has serial number 049. I had my order in very early. I don't think the serial numbers were shipped in order.

Best regards,
Randy

49 in a limited edition of 35?

I have proof in my hand


see it? Kinda blurry, I know.

Never doubted you sir. I'm just wondering if there were more than 35 made.

I assume a greater number of lights were made than were the 37 good ones sold or auctioned because of defects.

Well, I'd guess a few are Peter's.

Mine is number 57. I may have the last one ever made.
John