Future Projects

I realize that repairing the AAA and AA intermittent problems and designing the Arc 5 are higher priorities, but lets look ahead to 2005 or 2006.

How about a 1 watt Arc LS that had 2 levels of brightness, high (17 lumens), and low (5 lumens). The switch perhaps could work like this:

Double click to switch brightness levels. Single click to turn on (the default turn on is the high level), single click to turn off. Momentary on/off by slightly pressing switch.


What I really am after is a simpler interface than the Arc 4, yet still have an option to go to a dim level for small tasks and to save battery life. I think 15 brightness plus other settings is overkill for the average EDC user. Having simpler software could also reduce price a bit. Would there be any demand for such a light?

Am I alone in liking the ability to change brightness, but feeling that 2 settings is sufficient for my use?

a software tweak for the arc4 would suffice /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

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357 said:
Am I alone in liking the ability to change brightness, but feeling that 2 settings is sufficient for my use?

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You are not alone! I would love this light and be willing to pay arc-prices for it. My only arc by now is the aaa premium, the ls-modells always seemed to expensive as they don't perfectly suit my needs. The arc4+ now has far to much options for me. If this two level light had the small form factor, rechargeables (3aaa??) and typical arc quality I bet it would sell better than many other lights. I could actually stop my attempts to build it myself.

Chrisse

Come 2005 the 1-watter will be totally obsolete and no one in their right mind would continue to build 1-watt lights and expect to get a premium price for them.

not if the 1-watt LEDs of 2005 put out 100 lumens when driven at spec /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

1watters still make the best edc's.

i edc 3 lights. an overdriven 5w, arc aaa, and slightly overdriven 1w.
what light do i use the most? the 1w.

i don't care what "wattage" we use in 2005, but i want the runtime to stay the same.

1w(ish) of power is an excellent choice for edc uses.
if they can be made more efficient (50lumens instead of 30, or whatever), then i'm even happier!

tell me, are single 5mm leds obsolete?
can anyone think of a company that builds them and sells them for a premium price? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thinking.gif

in 2005, we'll (hopefully!) have better options than the "1w luxeon", but i'm perfectly happy with its brightness in most uses.

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chrisse242 said:
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357 said:
Am I alone in liking the ability to change brightness, but feeling that 2 settings is sufficient for my use?

[/ QUOTE ]

You are not alone! I would love this light and be willing to pay arc-prices for it. My only arc by now is the aaa premium, the ls-modells always seemed to expensive as they don't perfectly suit my needs. The arc4+ now has far to much options for me. If this two level light had the small form factor, rechargeables (3aaa??) and typical arc quality I bet it would sell better than many other lights. I could actually stop my attempts to build it myself.

Chrisse

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How about 1 x 123 standard, and a 3AAA battery holder as an option (pay a little extra for). I like the size of 1 x 123 (great power:size ratio), but I like the easy to find (all US stores carry AAA) aspect of Alkalines.

We could make a version of the Arc4 with less functions if enough people wanted it. The price would be the same or more (to pay for the extra programming).

Roth is right. The output of an EDC is not determined as much by the "wattage" of the source but more by the efficiency of that source. So yes, I plan on making EDC lights in the 1 watt range for some time. What would change this would be better batteries of course.

The wattage of an EDC is mostly set by type of battery used.

In 2-3 years, a "1 watt" EDC will produce over a hundred lumens.

Peter

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Rothrandir said:

tell me, are single 5mm leds obsolete?
can anyone think of a company that builds them and sells them for a premium price? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thinking.gif



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Indeed. Great point!

Edit: I misread the post.

I don't necessarily want a more expensive but scaled down Arc 4.


What I'd rather see is a scaled up Arc LSH (Standard) at a slightly higher price.

Or a completely new design (that happens to have 2 brightness levels) marketed in between the Arc AA and Arc 4.

Something like an Arc equivalent of a Surefire L1 Lumamax.

$125 price range max.

Maybe its not doable, but its just an idea.

Maybe they'll still offer 1-watters, but at twice the light output!! (oops! I waited too long to enter this post!!)

But The Arc4 already has this functionality, If the user doesnät like options menu OR the adjust level menu the user can just choose not to use them and than you have the light with 2 levels and just change with a double click.

For people (like me) that likes functionaluti I can use the 10clicks menus.

So Me opinion is that Arc already have what you are asking 4 ?

Tusen, you are right of course. I am trying to make allowances for how different people perceive things.

Peter

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tusenkonstnar said:
But The Arc4 already has this functionality, If the user doesnät like options menu OR the adjust level menu the user can just choose not to use them and than you have the light with 2 levels and just change with a double click.

For people (like me) that likes functionaluti I can use the 10clicks menus.

So Me opinion is that Arc already have what you are asking 4 ?

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All true. But I see it as paying for a bunch of bells and whistles that I wouldn't use.

The programming had a certain cost to be sure. Most of the code in the Arc4 is the, "behind the scenes" power regulaton, etc. And that is the most difficult/expensive type of programming. The menu system was relatively easy and makes up only a fraction of the code and cost. Furthermore, adding it to each model is not like adding a physical part that has a purchase cost in inventory. So removing the small part of the code from the operating system responsible for some of the menus would have no effect on the cost of each unit. However, coming up with a new compilation of the code without those menus and developing new SKUs, marketing, factory methods for keeping both units seperate, etc would have an additional cost. We would have to balance this cost with any additional sales this version might gain. That is why I wouldn't do anything like this unless there was a strong support for it.

Maybe offering it will only affect people's level of contentment? People would rather have a choice even if the items available were none they would every buy. The downside is that you are borrowing from your Arc-loving neighbor anytime you suggest something that looses money for Arc.

Peter

I understand where you are coming from. Programming (software) is very labour intensive and expensive.

If the perceived need is for a switchable version of the Arc LS, perhaps Peter could license gadget lover's hi/lo switch mod. The enhanced model could be priced slightly higher than the LS, and could serve as a 'bridge' model between the Arc LS and the Arc4+. It would provide dual output at a lower price point than the 4+, while still giving customers a hint of the flexibility and sophistication of the Arc4+. Additionally, the hi/lo switch could also be offered a la carte for those who already own the Arc LS.

By the way...I suspect Peter may have thought of this already...there may be a reason its not practical. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon3.gif

^Good idea.

A modification to existing Arc LHS is maybe a viable solution. Furthermore, if other companies manufacture the mod (i.e. buy the mod from another company and install it yourself after buying your Arc LHS), Arc wouldn't have to even worry about designing or installing it.

I think brightness adjustment can only do so much for you. The configurability the Arc4 needs is in the beam shape. I wish there was a way to swap out the reflector for a wider-beam, textured one, or if there was a replacement lens available with a holographic diffuser.

Peter, can I ask whether you use your Arc4+ primarily indoors or outdoors? Thinking back to your old article about different types of flashlights, I think there's actually different types of users. Outdoor users like narrow beams for illuminating distant objects, and they like headlamps for handsfree lighting. Indoor users like wide beams because they don't care at all about distant objects (further than the other side of the room), and they like candle mode for handsfree illumination (easier than strapping a light to your head). Candle mode of course depends on a ceiling to bounce the light from, which isn't available outdoors.

So the Arc4's very directional reflector and its lack of a tail stand (until enough users clamored for an optional one) makes me think it was designed primarily as an outdoor light. Is that a decent guess? Nothing wrong with that, of course, but a single light can't be everything to everyone. So maybe some future version can be designed as an indoor light.

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paulr said:
Peter, can I ask whether you use your Arc4+ primarily indoors or outdoors? Thinking back to your old article about different types of flashlights, I think there's actually different types of users. Outdoor users like narrow beams for illuminating distant objects, and they like headlamps for handsfree lighting. Indoor users like wide beams because they don't care at all about distant objects (further than the other side of the room), and they like candle mode for handsfree illumination (easier than strapping a light to your head). Candle mode of course depends on a ceiling to bounce the light from, which isn't available outdoors.

So the Arc4's very directional reflector and its lack of a tail stand (until enough users clamored for an optional one) makes me think it was designed primarily as an outdoor light. Is that a decent guess? Nothing wrong with that, of course, but a single light can't be everything to everyone. So maybe some future version can be designed as an indoor light.

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Well said (regarding flashlights in general), and I agree. I too am mostly an indoor user....I prefer an indoor floodish style beam over pure throw.

Especially for going downstairs in pitch black conditions (power outage). The Arc AAA and AA are awesome for such tasks, as they have so much sidespill and light up a large area dimly.