ARC-LS: dead in 20 minutes (or less)

Yes, my shiny new, multicolored ARC-LS, with the special violet LS module, and the battery cases which do not conduct electricity to the light head died today, after less than 20 minutes runtime.

Just a day and a half after receiving it, and while still trying various steel washers, and small wads of aluminum foil to get it to approximate some level of reliability, my ARC-LS light module died.

I had compared the beam of the ARC-LS to my other LS flashlight, which I purchased for $25. The 3D cell conversion has a whiter, more even beam than the now dead ARC-LS had. The ARC-LS had a bit brighter beam, although a disgusting violet color, using the 123 battery case, or the 2AA case with lithium batteries, likely due to the fact that my 3D cell LS conversion has a light stealing lens protecting the LS module.

My only complaint is that the light is simply too expensive to do what I would really enjoy doing: seeing how well it holds up to repeated rounds from my S&W Model 29-2; a vintage late 1970's 44 Remington magnum, now reduced to the lowly status of 5th or 6th most powerful (production) handgun in the world.

Just as Robert De Niro felt better after being advised to "hit the pillow" by Billy Crystal in the movie "Analyze This", I think I would feel *much* better if I could 'hit' the ARC-LS. Sadly, I can't afford this, as $105 is pretty expensive to be throwing away.

But it's pleasant to think about, plus the fact I no longer have to spend endless hours trying to make the damn light *work properly*, at least *some* of the damn time.

Hello again Gandalf. Please send us an email when you are ready to have this fixed.

Peter Gransee

p.s. Whoah, I just noticed this thread has been posted twice and the other one already has a few replies. Oh well, what they said.

Gandalf if I may put my 2 cents in. In all fairness Peter only made this production run because we begged him. And I do remember in his original thread that he said this was a first run and that their were going to be problems and if you weren't comfortable taking a risk to wait until the bugs are worked out. Now this is the reason I am waiting to buy one but I will buy one because Peter will get everything running smoothly.

Reading the thread in the manufactures section Peter recently stated that Arc will not produce anymore LS's until the end of next month. That tells us the only reason he made these was to appease CPF members. We begged him to get us some by Christmas and he gave it his best(even posting Christmas themed pics when they didn't make in on time) and still shipped them after the Holidays just to make us happy. You got a bum unit that happens even Peter admitted that the industry standard is 3%. But Peter also has said to email him which you haven't. I think it is a safe bet Peter will unconditionally offer you another unit when production starts again or your money back. Arc sets the standard for customer service and will make the problem right.

I have said enough I will go outside and play in the first real snowfall of the year.

This one's for you 5BY5:
...while I'll stick to this:

Thats really funny.

Gandalf

Infant mortality is one of the things you have to live with on new designs...today's high-tech is also today's relatively untested product (one reason I'm a bigger fan of Maglite products than many in this forum). However, in situations like this, it's good to know you're doing business with someone who stands behind their products. I have no reason to believe it won't be made right. I do think, however that you're well within your rights to bring it to the attention of everyone in the forum...progress is an offshoot of performance tracking.

If Gransee refused to stand behind his product, I could see conducting a vendetta like this.

However, Peter has offered several times to replace the unit. Therefore, your constant carping about it is juvenile.

HMMM, i read your first thread on its violetness, and was going to discuss the IDEA that they get more violet when overdriven, they also get more blue, now i think you have confirmed my idea

you could look at the "brighter" side of it, if it was overdriven you have seen the max

Well, then... it`s all agreed:<UL TYPE=SQUARE><LI>At least in the earlier posts, Gandalf got a well-deserved group hug from CPF`ers.<LI>Peter again shows his patience of biblical proportions, and reconfirms that he truly is the patron saint of good customer service.<LI>The unfolding "Defective LS" drama, including Gandalf`s heroic efforts to save the LS on his own, is over. <LI>It`s now time for Gandalf to send the LS back to Peter, so that Peter can work his usual magic and make the world well again.[/list]

I totally agree with 5by5...Gandalf why don't you quit complaining and just send it back?? Personally, I wouldn't want to sell you anything!!

I for one will not order an Arc LS until all ( or at least most) of the bugs are worked out, like I did for the AAA LE, and I have Zero complaints about it! SBY5 is right about CPF'rs bugging Peter, and Peter was upfront about the first run being less than perfect. I recall Peter saying once that he was concerned that a lot of us would be let down when we finally recieved our Ls' since
almost no new (or rushed) product could live up to the hype.
Gandalf-Send it back, Peter will make it right.

Now this is really over the top. Peter has done a great effort, but we're still allowed to complain when products fail. Actually I think complaing (when justified) is good. It makes future flashlights better. I think Gandalf had a good reason to complain. Even though customer service is great it shouldn't be neccessary sending a brand new product back.

If someone complained about a cheap Eveready flashlight no one would protest. But for Surefire and Arc it's almost considered a mortal sin. That's sick!..in my opinion.

I totally agree. This piling on Gandalf is sad. The man is allowed to state his opinion and he certainly wasn't rude about it.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by recercare:
Now this is really over the top. Peter has done a great effort, but we're still allowed to complain when products fail. Actually I think complaing (when justified) is good. It makes future flashlights better. I think Gandalf had a good reason to complain. Even though customer service is great it shouldn't be neccessary sending a brand new product back.

If someone complained about a cheap Eveready flashlight no one would protest. But for Surefire and Arc it's almost considered a mortal sin. That's sick!..in my opinion.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I can appreciated Gandalf's frustrations. When one spends $100+ on a light, it had better meet expectations, especially since those expectations have been hyped up so much on this forum. Because we live in a democracy, everyone's opinions have the right to be aired. If this is done in a respectfull, civil, and supportive manner, then I think that we all win in the end.

Remember, we CPFers asked Mr. Gransee to make and distribute early the LS. That doesn't give the right for us to excuse poor workmanship though. At the same time, Mr. Gransee has offered to make things right. We as customers should take advantage of this offer. If we don't, then there is no room left for complaint.

The system does work - just give it a chance. My hats off to Mr. Gandalf for expressing his opinion. My hats off also to Mr. Gransee for keeping his promises.

I'm sorry about the duplicate 'dead in under 20 minutes thread'. My computer didn't show the first post, so I sent it again. I'm not trying to 'hurt' anyone, just passing along my experience, and rants, too.

So many things wrong with this light; it's hard to believe... It's going back to Arc Flashlight as soon as I can find the AWOL 1AA battery carrier.

I expect I'll see it again in April....May....June(?) But maybe by then I'll get one tht works. I don't know about you, but when I spend $100 on a flashlight, I expect it to light up when I put batteries into it. (Duuuuh!)

Obviously, this ARC-LS simply had absolutely no QC at all. And after all the delays, so a 'good' Arc-LS would be shipped out.... Pretty poor product, I'd say.

You people who have to wait until April or May to get one...count your blessings. At least the odds are better that you'll get one that does actually works properly, all of the time, and doesn't produce an intermittant, blotchy, violet light.

For an enhancement that doesn't require hours of grinding, aluminum foil or firearms, I recommend the JoeyL post in the Manufacturers Forum, which goes in part: "The easiest fix for me is to take a bunch of 123 cells, and put a small blob of solder on the nipple, tharefore creating another small nipple. This may be a lot of work for some, but it was no problem for me..."

Gandalf, I really sympathize with your frustrations and thank you greatly for sharing them with us as it was VERY interesting reading. I can understand why you wanted to try to fix it yourself because sometimes a little fiddling is all it takes to get something to work, and obviously with all that anticipation and the unit in your hand you really wanted to see it light up. Unfortunately you really got a "lemon", and spent more time on it than you thought you would. At least you got to see the light, even though it was only for a short time. Too bad it was one of those violet tinted ones though, especially if you are expecting a nice clean warm white beam - I got a violet tinted one too and Peter has already agreed to exchange it . Well get on the trail of that cat of yours - I'm sure Peter is waiting eagerly for you to return it, to peel it open, to find out how a lemon managed to get out of his shop that sour.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Termac:
I have an LS kit now, and I'm counting my blessings!

For an enhancement that doesn't require hours of grinding, aluminum foil or firearms, I recommend the JoeyL post in the Manufacturers Forum, which goes in part: "The easiest fix for me is to take a bunch of 123 cells, and put a small blob of solder on the nipple, tharefore creating another small nipple. This may be a lot of work for some, but it was no problem for me..."<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

That's a good idea, and something I didn't think of. Of course I'd also have had to do it wth every AA battery I wanted to use in the light, as well, since the 1AA and 2AA battery carriers didn't work either. Moot point, now that it's dead, but I appreciate the information. This should be posted as a seperate post to help out the other people who are receiving Arc-LS's, too

But that's a great idea! Too easy and simple for me to think of. I tend to go for the hard and frustrating fixes, apparantly.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Gandalf:
I'm sorry about the duplicate 'dead in under 20 minutes thread'. My computer didn't show the first post, so I sent it again. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

That's happened to me before too because it was going so slow it didn't look the system was going to accept it so I hit post again.
When I checked there were 3 of the same posts. Fortunately I caught it in time and was able to immediately delete the extra posts.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Termac:
I recommend the JoeyL post in the Manufacturers Forum, which goes in part: "The easiest fix for me is to take a bunch of 123 cells, and put a small blob of solder on the nipple, tharefore creating another small nipple. This may be a lot of work for some, but it was no problem for me..."<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I'm having a problem picturing how it would NOT BE A PROBLEM to have to individually customize batteries FCOL to make a $100 light perform its normal function. Most of the Flashaholics on this forum would be crying in their beer about that if it were an $8.99 Walmart light.