ARC4 Lux in lowest setting?

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pedalinbob

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whew--a LOT of posts to search through.

i am still looking to my perfect EDC. the ARC4 has caught my eye.

here are my needs: i was in the theater last week. my wife and i found an unlocked door and found a beautiful balcony area surrounding a large dancehall. it was dark, so i whipped out my arc aa. nice, but still a bit dim to really see everything. i could have used more lux.

next, during the play, i had to go to the bathroom, and needed to look at the program to figure out when the intermission would occur. i pulled out the arc aa, and it was too bright--i had to carefully shield it with my hand, so as not to disturb fellow patrons.

sooo...i realized i need a light which will turn on in a very low setting--like a palight onestar on low (without optic), about 5 lux. a middle setting would be nice. then full on.

anyone have lux readings at 1 meter for the ARC4 on lowest settings? ii figure i could set my primary to a very low setting, and have the secondary pretty bright.

thanks,
Bob
 

mut

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What I have found with the ARC4+ is if you put it in Semi-tactical mode and then lock it it is very dim when you push and hold the switch. It is as dim as the Palight when it is in constant on mode.
Another way is to put it on the lowest setting and use one of SF's F04 filters. It works quite well too.

Hope this helps you.
mut
 

PeLu

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[ QUOTE ]
pedalinbob said:
anyone have lux readings at 1 meter for the ARC4 on lowest settings?

[/ QUOTE ]

Should be easy to calculate.

Level one is around 500 lx at 1m, 15 levels down with 1.5dB (or is it 14 levels?)should give some 3 lx (estimated, not calculated).

(PG, you probably have overlooked my question in that other thread: has the Arc4 24dB range? in how many levels? which spacing? Is anything wrong in my calculation? What was the reason for the current lowest setting? Could there be an even lower one (when demand is there)? Should be only changing the software or is there another limit?)
 

paulr

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Bob, I don't know about lux measurements, but an Arc4 at lowest setting is just about right for finding your way around in the dark with minimal brightness for a white light. You can't directly compare it to a bare LED because the Arc's reflector makes the beam narrower. But the total output is maybe 1/10th of an Arc AA.

Another possibility for the theater is use a red LED. I find that a red Photon II works pretty well for seeing where I'm going without disturbing other people.
 

pedalinbob

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yeah, i figured the least expensive solution would be to have 2 lights.

but, i thought it would be nice to have one light "do it all".

the ARC4 might just be it. gonna have to think about it a bit more...


thanks,
Bob
 

Crash

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Pedalinbob,

Tha Arc 4+ can be used so that it turns on at the last used level or set up so that it comes on at a specific level EVERY time it is turned on. There are probably as many opinions on what way is best as there are owners. I like to leave the light set on the dimmest setting (level 16). Level 11 approximates the light of an Arc AA to my eyes. If you do it this way, you turn the light on to the dimmest setting. Of course the beauty of the thing is that it allows the user to configure it the way that is best for his or her intended usage. You can set two levels (primary and secondary). If you don't set these to the brightest and dimmest settings, you have access to a total of 4 light levels without changing the programming - primary seting and secondary setting are only a double click apart; the dimmest setting is a "triple click" away from either primary or secondary setting and the brightest setting is accessed by pushing and holding the button while the light is on. Between them, one of those settings should be appropriate to your needs. The idea of having to use the light in a theater actully played a part in the discussion of the programability of the light during it's developement.

Good luck. The Arc 4+ is a fine light and is adaptable to many situations.

Bill
 

HandMeLite

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I used my ARC4 in this way to read the program at my daughters band performance last week. I put it against my hand to block the light, turned it on, triple clicked to lowest setting. Level was about right to read the program without distubing others. My wife is pretty sensitive about disturbing others with my flashlights. She actually asked me for it. One observation - It was not totally dark in the auditorium, if it was, the ARC4 would have seemed a lot brighter.
Jim
 

PeLu

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[ QUOTE ]
HandMeLite said:It was not totally dark in the auditorium, if it was, the ARC4 would have seemed a lot brighter

[/ QUOTE ]

When newer versions get brighter it would be nice to have some more, lower levels. Actually I would like to have them now...
 

EmissionLine

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Or more space between levels. I think 16 steps is fine... just spread 'em out a little more.
 

HandMeLite

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Spread'em out a little more.....particularly pushing the upper limit! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/poke2.gif
 

PeLu

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[ QUOTE ]
EmissionLine said:
Or more space between levels. I think 16 steps is fine... just spread 'em out a little more.

[/ QUOTE ]

I also would to care to have 'only' 3dB steps, but on the other hand, it does not hurt. I only makes a difference the few times when you 'program' it.
Don't forget, it is only software. There are (probably) technical reasons for the lower (and of course for the upper .-) limit, but the sapcing and the number of steps are software.
 
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