Breeding Dorcy features into an Arc AAA

This may be heresy to say this here. Even though I still carry it, I find myself using my Arc AAA less and less. I really like the Dorcy 1AAA 1LED "imitation tactical" tailcap. The ability to quickly grab the light, flash the thumb button, and set it back down, cannot be done with the Arc. It takes two hands and more "groping" to do it with the Arc AAA. And therefore I fish it out of my pocket less and less.

However, I think we can all agree that while the Dorcy may be a great value for 6 bucks, it is still a fundamentally cheap light with quality of parts, finish, and design that are good, but not fully up to Arc levels.

I think it's time for Arc to consider redesigning it's workhorse (or adding to the lineup) by integrating some features as follows:

o Have the LED and electronics in the head end of a one-piece body of the light.

o Load the battery via a removable tail cap.

o Design the tail cap like the Arc AA (tail standing with landyard ring) -- but put a small button in the end for momentary light. Tighten the tail cap all the way for "on", loosen a turn for lockout.

This light, with typical Arc quality and finish, would be a knockout. An AA version would also be a hit (maybe even more so).

The alternative, is that for my usage patterns, the six dollar Dorcy is "knocking out" the Arc AAA from heavy rotation.

I know some will say "all these parts and stuff would detract from Arc's high level of reliability." I have to believe that it can be done (everyone else does it). And the Arc AAA has hit enough reliability potholes lately that with all due respect to the company and it's people, maybe a fresh design wouldn't be all bad.

Your thoughts??

Again, I mean no disrepect to the current Arc AAA or to Arc as a company. I just think the world has innovated in the meantime. And we flashaholics are all about enjoying fruits of innovation.

Cheers,

Dave

Arc AAA: EDC (Every Day Carry)
Arc AAA with switch: EDU (Every Day Use)
I think it's a great idea; that way, all flashaholics would end up with 2 AAA lights!

No way is the removable tailcap ever gonna happen on the Arc (I think). Arc's design is actually an improvement on the theory of the tailcap because of the fact that it will not unscrew when you put it into your pocket. The Mag Solitair for example, will actually unscrew because the split ring (key ring) can create enough torque to loosen the tailcap just while its sitting in your pocket. I might agree with the other suggestions..but dont make the tail end removable

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DashingMan said:
No way is the removable tailcap ever gonna happen on the Arc (I think). Arc's design is actually an improvement on the theory of the tailcap because of the fact that it will not unscrew when you put it into your pocket. The Mag Solitair for example, will actually unscrew because the split ring (key ring) can create enough torque to loosen the tailcap just while its sitting in your pocket. I might agree with the other suggestions..but dont make the tail end removable

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DashingMan, it seems like both SureFire and Inova have certainly sorted out this issue. Let's not use the Solitaire as the benchmark we're shooting for!!

I have both an Arc AAA and a Dorcy 1AA 3LED on my desk. For brief shots of light, I always grab the Dorcy first. Superior convenience and poor water resistance wins over inconvenience and extremely good water resistance, at least the way I use lights.

The Arc AAA is designed to maximize carryability even at the expense of ease of use. It's like the screwdriver in your SAK vs. a screwdriver from your toolbox. If your toolbox is available and you have to unscrew something, of course you're going to use the full sized screwdriver. But you're not going to carry the toolbox everywhere you go.

paulr: I agree that the Arc AAA is an EDC, not an EDU. I have one and I bought my brother one too. Arc has already widened their scope by making an Arc AA; why not also build an Arc-style tail-switch AAA light superior in functionality and quality to the tepid Dorcy offerings? I'm sure that Arc's fans (including me) will buy one (or more) of each!!

i like the arc aaa just the way it is /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

any functional change would be a detraction...

The recent reliability problems with the Arc AAA (intermittent turn-on failure) are caused by a subtle electronics glitch, not the switching mechanism. I wouldn't even call this a "reliability" issue anyway; the afflicted flashlights display the problem from the start rather than developing it over time.

Pushbutton switches, in contrast, really can wear out and fail with repeated use. That's not necessarily bad, and I actually prefer these switches on larger flashlights. But the Arc AAA is meant to be a keychain flashlight, and small size/weight is important. And a switch that's small and waterproof and reliable is sure to raise the price of the flashlight well over its already high price.

I've alway thought that my arc AAA head grafted to the body of my Micro Illuminator (Brinkman Legend AAA) without the Brinkman head...would be the cats meow! My AAA gets very little use these days, it NEEDS a clicky.

Twist switches more reliable than pushbuttons? Not in my experience. I've had twist lights fail for issues of circuitry, waterproofing, and battery crushing. I don't recall every having a pushbutton light suffer from anything worse than a little flickering. FWIW, Krolls on my Arc LSs have been perfect.

Keep in mind that adding a switch will increase the number of contact points the (aprox 250mA) current and 1 - 1.5 volts must pass through. This low voltage is the reason that ANY amount of oxidation or dirt will impact operation.

However, offering a new AAA model with a switch along with the original would give us a nice choice.

I should have added a caveat: "all other things being equal." That is, if you take an already functional flashlight without a pushbutton switch, and then add one, you've just introduced more parts that can fail. The same thing goes for voltage step-up, PWM, regulation, etc.

But of course, it would be wrong to make broader generalizations such as "flashlights with twist-on switches are more reliable than those with click switches" or "unregulated flashlights are more reliable than regulated ones." (I see this on CPF all the time.) Here, we must account for the fact that the more complicated features are found disproportionately on the higher quality flashlights. So even if there are more parts that can fail, the per-part quality could be so much better that a complicated but high quality flashlight can be more reliable than the majority of simple, cheap ones.

So my statement about the Arc AAA was based on the premise of adding a tailcap switch but changing nothing else. If other improvements were made at the same time (e.g., brass positive contact, spring negative contact), then all bets are off.

I know its like im spitting fire, but I just dont believe a small light such as the ARC AAA should have an opening tailcap. I dont think I care either way about the other ideas mentioned. Please note the following rant is probably only a "rant" and that I dont even own the AAA yet, (its been ordered).
I dont think the Inova is a fair example at all in this case...the threading is very deep on the light compared with that possible on the arc. Also, you never actually stick something hard through the X5 lanyard hole other than a lanyard..I dont know people carrying an x5 or x1 on their keyrings..but I DO know plenty of people carrying a MagSolitair on their rings and their flashlights have opened on them. Didnt anyone notice thats the entire reason that Mag includes that 3 inch lanyard ring? It reduces the transmition of the torque from the ring to the tail end of the light. People who dont use it, find that their lights unscrew too easily.