Ra Clicky 170 vs. Arc 6?

Hello all:
Looking to buy a new EDC, and pretty much have it narrowed down between these two. I like the smaller size of the Arc, but also like the extra lumens of the Ra. Just looking for opinions one way or another. If somebody has other ideas, I'm willing to listen, but it must run a single 123/R123 only, and strongly prefer American made. Also must be Aluminum, I have a few Ti Lights (Including a LS20 and Nautilus), so looking for one that can be used hard without guilt...
Thanks,
Greg

Why not a Nitecore EX10? The only thing I'd recommend over that is a McGizmo Haiku, Sundrop, or Lunasol 20 (but you don't want Ti). My D10 was my own EDC before that. Not sure what offerings Surefire has since you prefer American.

They are pretty different lights (and on high with a recommended RCR123 I suspect the Arc is just as bright if not brighter - won't last long at that level however due to the smaller mass).

Ra - bigger than the Arc by a good bit. Programmable with what I call the "toggle" user interface - you switch between levels using a series of clicks or presses - i.e. between primary/secondary is two clicks, low is three, high is one plus press. Built like a tanks and based on a long legacy of proven lights from the Arc4 through the HDS and Novatac lights to the Ra - the basic UI and general design has been around for awhile and has been tweaked and upgraded.

Arc - smaller than the Ra by a good bit. Programmable with the press/twist interface - press for one mode, press more for the other, press really fast for the third. Built well and designed around the proven McGizmo piston drive mechanism, although the board/driver is somewhat untested.

It's a tough call because they are so different. Since I've owned an Arc4, HDS and Novatac I'd probably go with the Arc6 just to try something different and smaller between these two. which probably seems odd since I have obviously rather liked the Ra heritage lights - but the increased size over the HDS and Novatac lights is a bit of a negative for me.

Having said that - you could consider a Milky modded Creemator. I had been saving up for an Arc6 and ended up going for a Creemator instead - whiz bang interface, very bright, multi cell/body options and upgradeable in the future.

Gatsby said:

Having said that - you could consider a Milky modded Creemator. I had been saving up for an Arc6 and ended up going for a Creemator instead - whiz bang interface, very bright, multi cell/body options and upgradeable in the future.

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Gatsby: I have a Creemator too... probably my most carried light. Running at 1 amp, from what I remember. Need to pick up an E2DL body and tailcap for it yet, and will send it back to Milky for the latest and greatest emitter eventually. I've had a Ra Twisty (with the red) that I liked and regretted selling, if Henry put the 140 or 170 emitter in one I'd buy it again in a heartbeat. Right now I'm leaning slightly toward the Arc, especially at the $200 sale price.
Thanks folks.
gg

gjg said:

Gatsby: I have a Creemator too... probably my most carried light. Running at 1 amp, from what I remember. Need to pick up an E2DL body and tailcap for it yet, and will send it back to Milky for the latest and greatest emitter eventually. I've had a Ra Twisty (with the red) that I liked and regretted selling, if Henry put the 140 or 170 emitter in one I'd buy it again in a heartbeat. Right now I'm leaning slightly toward the Arc, especially at the $200 sale price.
Thanks folks.
gg

Click to expand...

Very nice! The Creemator is a slick piece of work - mine is a 1.3a version but has a custom UI (from prior owner) that I'm thinking of sending back to get the latest Bailey firmware to get all the bells and whistles (miser mode, theater mode, etc...). I don't know what emitter is in it - it seems plenty bright although my Novatac 120P with a K2 emitter is darn close, if not perhaps equally as bright (but the 120P heats up a LOT faster than the Creemator on high, more head mass I suppose). I'm still trying to decide on a body for it as I'm not 100% hooked on the Vital Gear FB1 it came with - neat and very compact body but the switch is a bit dodgy. Might think about an emitter swap as well once Milky has it open but I'd think only an XPG would make any sense.

Given you have a Creemator which will be brighter than the Clicky - and is also slightly more compact (depending on what body you use) - I'd definitely go for the smaller Arc6, particularly at the sale price.

I voted ARC, mainly because i just picked one up in B/S/T for a decent price and it is now my ONLY EDC, period. I really like this light .

jblackwood said:

Why not a Nitecore EX10?

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+1, I know it isn't American made but I just picked up the R2 edition for $37 with discount, it is a great light.

Gatsby captures it pretty well.

I've got the Arc6 and a Tactical Ra 140. I've said on many threads here that I do believe the Arc6 is the greatest unloved light on CPF. The Ra is nice but it is large and takes the prize for "worst clip on a over $100 light."

I find that I go to the Arc6 way more often than the Ra. I'm also beginning to believe, based on my experience, that the PD lights will reveal themselves to be the much more reliable, since PD is seeing more widespread application in more consumer priced lights, than any brand of clicky light.

Of course, you know the one, only and true solution: By them both:laughing:

Later,
HB

Check out the Incendio V3 by Lumapower. It looks like a great new single 123 light.

Ra, IMO, is the best EDC light on the market.

PoliceScannerMan said:

Ra, IMO, is the best EDC light on the market.

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+1

The Cn models offer an excellent compromise between flood & throw.

James....:thumbsup:

I have both and think the ARC wins on the UI and size. It is even brighter than the Ra. I think that the ARC UI is the next best to the Surefire T1A. PD is proven. For the sale price, ARC 6 is a great buy.

Regards

I am with PSM. the Ra has raised the bar and is tops in every category for me except for size and appearance (the Ra's are nice, but the Arc 6 looks just plain awesome)

I have owned the Arc before on 2 occasions but I could not stand the very poor efficiency that I observed in the runtime graphs and from experience. I really want to love it, but it just eats through batteries too quickly.

I like the looks, size, and the piston drive of the arc6, but it is the run times that keep me from buying this light. Look at light-reviews dot com. Compare the run time graphs of the arc6 and ra clicky 140cn. WHich I am sure the 170cn is even more efficiant. These graphs are night and day from each other.

I want an arc6 with the run times of a ra clicky.... Wait?? Or a ra clicky with the looks of a arc6? Either way it would be my perfect edc.

For EDC the size of my Ra clicky rules it out for any kind of pocket carry. Although it meets and surpasses my EDC expectations in every other way. Also - I find the Ra will sap a battery noticeably more than my other lights - surely a parasitic drain is happening here?

The ARC 6 is very small, but very functional and easy to use. Long low-light runtimes and a useful high beam that is a wow-er if not a long runner. I am trying to decide if I like this torch because it is superior to my others or if I just can't help myself because it is an ARC. Impossible for me to tell.

In my opinion if they redesigned the driver with a SST 50 in mind with longer high runtimes and brighter turbo and called the resulting torch the ARC 7, they would sell a bundle here on CPF.

Maybe not - it seems that ARC has a very few fans around here nowadays.

Nyctophiliac said:

For EDC the size of my Ra clicky rules it out for any kind of pocket carry. Although it meets and surpasses my EDC expectations in every other way. Also - I find the Ra will sap a battery noticeably more than my other lights - surely a parasitic drain is happening here?

The ARC 6 is very small, but very functional and easy to use. Long low-light runtimes and a useful high beam that is a wow-er if not a long runner. I am trying to decide if I like this torch because it is superior to my others or if I just can't help myself because it is an ARC. Impossible for me to tell.

In my opinion if they redesigned the driver with a SST 50 in mind with longer high runtimes and brighter turbo and called the resulting torch the ARC 7, they would sell a bundle here on CPF.

Maybe not - it seems that ARC has a very few fans around here nowadays.

Click to expand...

See posts 562, 563, and 567 re parasitic drain using Ra https://www.candlepowerforums.com/posts/3315829#post3315829

Bill

Thanks Bill, good to know.

I have had both. I only have one now. Here's what I think.

Beam - Arc6
Tint - Arc6
UI - RA clicky
Runtimes - Ra clicky
The quality is pretty close.

Most important to me, customer service - Ra clicky

With that being said, I would be scared to hand two hundered dollars over to arc, in fear my order would be lost (which hapened to me and so many others). I would also be scared to send an arc light in for warranty work in fear of it being lost or never returning. So I guess you know which one I kept. It is my go to light for any hard use

Kgp - nice list which I would like to reply to.

Beam - ARC6
Tint - ARC6
UI - ARC6 (Sorry Ra - close run thing)
Size - ARC6
Runtimes - Ra Clicky
Quality is pretty close, but I think they both could do a bit better in the finish department - also the titanium bezel on the ARC^ is a bit sharp when new.

Customer service has been rank at ARC up to now - but my dealings with them since Lucy has been on the end of the phone have been excellent.

Above all - the thing that stops me using my Ra Clicky at all now is the parasitic drain on the battery - I got so fed up with using it from time to time and finding the light stepping down very quickly was annoying in the extreme - so much so I am considering selling the light as it's become nothing but a shelf queen - something the ARC6 never will be ( Or the Ra twisty for that matter ). In my experience the batt seems to drain to unusable levels just when you need it most - not good.

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/277977

Read that and forget all other light and get a RA Clicky
I also own a 170T and love mine.