Updated Arc's

F250XLT

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Dec 7, 2008
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Location
CA
I sent these off to Derek (datiLED), and told him to do what he thought best. I've always loved the look of the classic Arc's, but they definitely need an update.


First off is one that was a complete bear to open, and it's exterior speaks volumes (For the record, all exterior damage was done by me initially). I had tried back in the day, then sent if off to someone else, and finally to Derek. His persistence paid off, and he was able to open it up. This one kept it's stock board, but has an updated emitter and reflector added. I'm not sure if the current was adjusted or not, but it's a nice beater.

Update info from Derek...

The beater Arc was the most difficult light that I have ever opened. It took several days of using heat, penetrating lubricant and lots of muscle. Every attempt to open the light resulted in a very small rotation of the bezel. Because this light had damage from previous attempts to open it, I became more and more aggressive in my efforts. I finally threw caution to the wind, wrapped the light in a 1/4" thick rubber strap, and used a pair of ViseGrips to torque the head open. The components on the board were encased in epoxy, and several had come loose when the head was opened. I removed the epoxy with a soldering iron and a dental pick. After the board was thoroughly cleaned, it was reassembled using new ICs, and the original capacitors and inductors. This light also uses a Nichia 219 and an IMS 20mm reflector that has been modified to focus the 219.

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Next up is a nice condition host, that included the stock brown board. Due to it's rarity, he decided to keep the board in tact. Upgraded with a new emitter, and a frosted reflector for a nice floody beam.

Update from Derek...

The brown board light has a Nichia 219 driven at 1A. The stock circuit that has been boosted from 500mA to 1000mA by changing the sense resistor. It uses an IMS 20mm reflector that has been modified to focus the 219. The threads on this light were terribly galled, and had to be chased with a steel dental tool.


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And last, but certainly not least, we decided to do something a bit more exotic. I now own an Arc First Run TRIPLE!

Update from Derek...

The Arc triple has three Nichia 219 LEDs in parallel, driven by an AMC 3-level regulator board. The optic is a Carlco 10507 narrow array. The heatsink is a solid piece of turned aluminum that contacts the inside of the head for good heat dissipation.

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Hopefully, Derek will chime in with some particulars. But in the mean time, I'll be waiting for it to get dark so I can check these out.
 
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F250XLT

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Dec 7, 2008
Messages
2,385
Location
CA
I've added updated info to the OP regarding each build...Thank you Derek, for your time and patience :D
 
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