ARC4 New switch design

Hi Peter,
Can you give us any updates on the new switch design?

Yes:

An engineer has been selected. We have talked about various designs, micro switch samples have arrived. Drawings of the switch system have been made.

primary goals:

- More tolerance for variations in battery length and tempurature
- longer finger travel in the button
- increased shock resistance (at least a 6 foot drop directly on the button)

secondary goals:

- more definate click and tactile feedback
- mechanical lock out
- no rattle
- 2-stage switch

Peter

WOW,That sounds Great.Keep up the good work and thanks for the update /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Cool! Will retrofits be available for older Arc4's?

Good news Peter,what I most like is the tactile and noisy click and shock resistance.
Thanks for the update. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Will these be compatible with the current ARC4's and will they be available for purchase so we can choose to install them on our lights?

Thanks,
TerryF

The new switch will not be backwards compatible with any of the previous Arc4 head or bodies. Entirely new parts will be made. Defective rev1 and rev2 units will be replaced with Rev3 units under warranty.

Peter

If an Arc4 has been sent back for the switch tweaks, and the owners remains unsatisfied with the switch, is the Arc4 considered defective?

[ QUOTE ]
Gransee said:
The new switch will not be backwards compatible with any of the previous Arc4 head or bodies. Entirely new parts will be made. Defective rev1 and rev2 units will be replaced with Rev3 units under warranty.

Peter

[/ QUOTE ]

Does this mean that there will not be any 2xAA or 2x123 packs for the rev1 and rev2, or does it mean that there will be packs for the rev1/rev2 and different packs for rev3?

mut

Future accessories will be made to work with the latest version first. If it can be made backwards compatible it will be.

Peter

Is there something for a lanyard (hole, split ring, ..) with the new design ?

Sounds great Peter /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/clap.gif

[ QUOTE ]
absoLite said:
Is there something for a lanyard (hole, split ring, ..) with the new design ?

[/ QUOTE ]

I hope it!

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/poke2.gif

[ QUOTE ]
Gransee said:
The new switch will not be backwards compatible with any of the previous Arc4 head or bodies. Entirely new parts will be made. Defective rev1 and rev2 units will be replaced with Rev3 units under warranty.

Peter

[/ QUOTE ]

This kinda sucks Peter. That means I have Arc4x lights that can never take advantage of the new tailcap design.

I'll be investing my money in other brands of lights from now on. I can't believe I've got a $180 light with an annoying switch, and rather than work on a solution that would be compatible with existing lights, Arc is planning to fix the problem for future purchasers only. I think that's really wrong.

I understand that Arc/Peter will allow any Arc4 owner who is not satisfied with their rev2 switch to upgrade their whole flashlight to the new rev3. Arc is willing to replace any unhappy switch owners with a brand new light. I would not be so quick to assume the worst when in fact it is a best case scenario.

[ QUOTE ]
gp01 said:
I understand that Arc/Peter will allow any Arc4 owner who is not satisfied with their rev2 switch to upgrade their whole flashlight to the new rev3. Arc is willing to replace any unhappy switch owners with a brand new light. I would not be so quick to assume the worst when in fact it is a best case scenario.

[/ QUOTE ]

Although it's a great jesture by Arc, it does not help the folks that have a light that's perfect to them in every other way. Sending a great working light back and chancing getting a less desirble light as it relates to runtime or tint is not good.

So, does this mean that I will not be able to get a stand-on -its-end/lanyard compatible tail for my Rev 1?
If so, that is a disappointment.

Legitimate concerns. TIN bought a couple rare Arc4s that may not be able to be served by warrantee. A number of us, myself included, bought Arc4s with the understanding that they could be retrofitted with tailstand/lanyard ends later on.

The engineering isn't surprising though, in retrospect. The switch problems lie in both the head and the tail. Both have to change. Arc may not be able to upgrade existing heads to the new switch economically.

A key component of the Arc equation has always been their customer service and willingness to "make it right". I bet that Peter will extend the Rev2/Rev3 exchange to cover people who are unhappy - not just Rev2s that malfunction.

Update on mine: My Rev2 works for the most part. Not always though. Sometimes it drops out without my touching the button, pauses several seconds, then comes up with the RFS. This problem has been reduced in frequency since I started padding the battery negative contact with a scrap of folded aluminum foil. Yesterday the light went into a funk - stuck in secondary output and couldn't be shut off or made to change level. The Arc4 seems more likely to malfunction when I first pick it up. After a few minutes of use it seems to settle down and behave properly. Odd. These intermittent issues are why, should I decide to return the light under warrantee, I will send along a log for the last month or so of use to help Arc identify whether or not the light qualifies for replacement. Meanwhile, I'm still using the Arc4 in rotation with several other lights. It's pretty useful, getting overall more service hours than any other light except for my Infinity-powered nightlight.

One thing for sure though...I won't send the Arc4 back unless Rev3 is out and proven to be perfect (or reasonably close).

[ QUOTE ]
this_is_nascar said:
Although it's a great jesture by Arc, it does not help the folks that have a light that's perfect to them in every other way. Sending a great working light back and chancing getting a less desirble light as it relates to runtime or tint is not good.

[/ QUOTE ]
Peter, I think you may be dropping the ball on a whole lot of folks out here; I for one was expecting to be able to purchase a tailguard and extension for my ARC4 rev 1.

I've had my replacement light for a couple of weeks and on occasion it will drop out to something far dimmer than my secondary setting. An on-off cycle clears it but it is a slight annoyance. I first thought that a new battery might help but the primary doesn't seem to drop, only the secondary.

The tail guard thing has me bit peeved and I'll be blunt - I like my A4R2 but had I known that it couldn't be retrofitted with a new tail I wouldn't have bought it. So there. My possible disappointment has now been put into words. When the ideas and drawing were discussed there wasn't any talk of the new tail not working with R1 and R2 lights. Had there been I think we would've seen a lot of returns.

I'll think about it for a while longer but I might return it or put it on BST.