Peak AAA LED compared to Arc

geepondy · Sep 24, 2004

On Peak's website, it states that their AAA single LED light lasts ten hours to 50 percent brightness compared to five hours for the Arc AAA. However from early runtime graphs I recall seeing from the Peak AAA lights, the discharge curve had the steep non-regulated alkaline look to it, maybe not even an hour to 50 percent brightness. Has anything changed? I may have to consider these for Arc substitutes.

Sub_Umbra · Sep 24, 2004

IIRC none the Peak's LEDs are ever overdriven, which may have something to do with their claims.

RonM · Sep 25, 2004

I went from the Arc as my EDC to the Peak 1AAA 3LED hi power. Just needed that little bit extra light. Like Sub said, peak doesn't overdrive the LEDs like Arc did so you need to get the 3LED version for equivalent or higher output. Can't comment on the discharge curve.

SilverFox · Sep 25, 2004

I was wondering about the high power lights at Peak.

As Ron pointed out, it looks like you need to go with the high power 3 LED version to get similar output to the ARC AAA.

Those who have the 3 LED versions, are the LED's reasonably matched? Anyone tried their Snow version?

Tom

Fitz · Sep 25, 2004

SilverFox,
It's hard to do a side-by-side comparison of the Arc AAA and the Peak due to the fact that the Arc has a much wider beam than the Peak. I have both a standard and a hi-power 3 LED Peak, and even the standard "seems" brighter than the Arc due to the more intense hot spot. The LED's in both Peaks are well matched in mine

Double_A · Sep 25, 2004

Get the hi-power, not the standard. As everyone has said here Peak does NOT overdrive their lights. My standard power 5 led AA cell light is comparable in output to my ARC AAA.

Sub_Umbra · Sep 25, 2004

After spending some time going over Peak's site AGAIN, I just wanted to amend my earlier statement to reflect that Peak states that they never overdrive the LEDs in their standard line of lights. They state that they will overdrive LEDs if that is part of a customers spec on a custom order.

So, I guess you could run into over-driven LEDs in a Peak light if you bought one secondhand and didn't know the whole story.

Just picking my own nits.

jayflash · Sep 25, 2004

Are the Hi-Power versions overdriven or are better LEDs used?

geepondy · Sep 25, 2004

Are there any runtime graphs available for the Peak high-powered AAA lights? Craig and Quickbeam have reviewed earlier standard versions if I'm not mistaken.

Sub_Umbra · Sep 25, 2004

jayflash,
I think it's the same LED(s), just driven closer to the manufacturer's spec. Not over-driven.

Peak makes the case that:

1--- The LEDs remain brighter for a longer time that way.

2--- It is better for run times to have more LEDs running on less power because an increase in power into the LED does not result in anything near a proportional increase in light output.

It's an interesting way of looking at it. Certainly different than most other light makers approach the equation.

Shadows · Sep 25, 2004

comparing craigs peak runtime with roys arc runtime, the peaks circuit seems less optimal....

Peak AAA LED compared to Arc

geepondy

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Sub_Umbra

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RonM

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SilverFox

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Fitz

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Double_A

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Sub_Umbra

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jayflash

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geepondy

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Sub_Umbra

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