Arc 4 flicker, only on level 3 with Surefire bat..

Hmmm.

I was playing with my Arc 4 last night. While trying to figure out which levels were good for me, and seeing if it would work with different brands of batteries, I found something strange.

Using new Surefire batteries, my light would flicker, around 2-4 hz on level three. It was going from full bright to about level three. Very strange. It does not do this at any other level, and would not do this with Duracell or Sanyo batteries. I noticed no flicker on level one, maybe a bit on level 2. I decided to set level three and five as my default settings. I'll just have to not use Surefire batteries unless I switch the level setting.

Any thoughts? I think it's strange that it only does this with one brand and not on full power.




Lukejt

I sent back an Arc4 because it had the flickering problem on levels 1 through 5 regardless of battery. I received the replacement today, and guess what--it has exactly the same problem. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif

I'm starting to think that this flashlight is not ready for primetime and certainly not worth the $180 I paid for it. Can anyone think of a reason why I shouldn't send this thing back for a refund?

Re: Arc 4 flicker, only on level 3 with Surefire b

Hmm.

Mine seems pretty decent except for this minor flaw. I don't really mind too much. I've got a decent supply of Surefire batteries though. My copy of the Arc4 is a second, and the problem I've found is not a big enough deal that I'll send it back. Hopefully it does not get any worse.

I guess if I paid full price, and could notice the flicker with any brand of battery, I'd be a bit upset too. When mine flickers, it's almost like a strobe. Definately not something you wouldn't notice.

Lukejt

Re: Arc 4 flicker, only on level 3 with Surefire b

Andrew, I am sorry the replacement has the same problem! Was this serviced by us recently? Our testing methods have improved a lot in the past couple of weeks. It can still be hard to detect if it is very slight. Simply letting the light run for awhile while staring at it directly and indirectly sometimes is not enough. To refund or replace is your choice. I think we can fix it though.

Peter