ARC LS - Help Me Understand?!?!?

Well, I'm sure I'm going to get a earful on this one but here goes:

Admittedly, I'm a newbie, but I've been poking around on this site for a while now and I've noticed that everyone has been absolutely raving about the ARC LS. However, it seems to me that $100++ bucks for a small "pocket" light (basically experimental even) that puts out around 18 lumens of light seems a bit rediculous. I understand its the probably the best LED going, and it comes with a couple of bodies for different battery configurations. But for the price it seems kindof ridiculous.

For the same money you could get a nice X5 and a small Surefire, or a nice rechargable streamlight.

I understand its probably the best LED out there, but I think I'm missing the big picture. Can anyone set me straight on the issue. Why is the ARC LS worth that much cash? Is it strickly for the collectability?

Boy, I'm sure I walked into a viper den on this one!!

I think you are confused...the Arc AAA is the absolutely must have light. The Arc LS is also a very nice light but it has it's lovers and haters. I have a SLS (Arc LS Second--didn't meet Quality Control standards) but the only reason I have it was because I got a great deal on it.

I don't think it's just the brightness that makes the LS so popular. Look at the battery configs. I can run my SLS with a 123 cell for ultra bright light in a ultra small package, in the 1 AA config for a very bright light (Not ulra bright mind you) in a tiny package (Skinier but longer than 123) or in the 2AA config (That's usually how mine is set up) for cheap, long lasting light.

Sure you can get a Small surefire, but the fact that the Arc LS will give you an hour or 2 of nice bright light out of a Dead 123 (Out of a Surefire) or the fact that you can have blindingly bright light for 7+ hours from 2 AA batteries are huge selling points...can you get 7 hours of beight light from your Surefire? (Forget the KLx people, we'll get to it in a minute)

Peter is doing something that, in many peoples opinions, is very risky...the Revision 2 and Revision 3 Arc LSes, due...before this time next year, are *much* brighter, but with much shorter runtimes. He will loose customers with this--I am not going to pay $150 or $200 anytime soon for a 2 hour runtime LED light, but he will gain customers as well-customers that are looking for that kind of thing. Heck, if I can get a good deal on a LS2 (Arc LS, Revision 2) or LS3 (Arc LS, Revision 3) I'd probably grab one...

A lot of people have the attitude that the SLS ($70) is great, but that they'd never pay $120 for a light, so not everyone is 100% comitted. If I had $120, I would not hesitate purchasing a first though.

Until now, the Arc LS has been the only real option in the Luxion Star flashlight field, short of making your own. Well now the Surefire KLx is out. Look at it...by the time you buy a house for it (Surefire E2) and it you've spent roughly, but not quite, the same ammount of cash.

Something that I knew before but, since joining CPF, has become more evedent than before is that, with few exceptions, you get what you pay for.

So there are, in a slightly chaotic presentation, some of the things that make the LS attractive.

Originally posted by Saaby:
...snip......can you get 7 hours of beight light from your Surefire? (Forget the KLx people, we'll get to it in a minute)

Peter is doing something that, in many peoples opinions, is very risky...the Revision 2 and Revision 3 Arc LSes, due...before this time next year, are *much* brighter, but with much shorter runtimes. He will loose customers with this--I am not going to pay $150 or $200 anytime soon for a 2 hour runtime LED light,...snip...

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">This reason is EXACTLY the reason I ran out and bought an SLS 2 weeks ago, even thought the budget is tight. As NICE as the LS2 and LS3 sound, for that runtime, I'll buy a Surefire

A short runtime LED light isn't real useful

Well...if you drop it or throw it the bulb shouldn't burst...I refer you to Mag Drop

One of the reasons InReTech developed the Mini-MAG adapter was because it was an inexpensive solution. Keep in mind that many of the people on this list are committed hobbyists. For a committed hobbyist, $150 is not too much to pay for a rare vinyl record, a particularly good Burgandy, a Lego Pirate ship, or a baseball card. The InReTech AA adapter doesn't really impress a lot of the people on this list because the light is insufficient to stop a charging bull elephant at high noon. (Our Super6 product is a different story.) The ARC LS is the peak of available lights optimized for size and brightness. This is the reason for the enthusiasm for this product as far as I can see.

The variables you seem concerned with, price and endurance, are not as critical for many of the people on this board. The excitement around here is largely about how bright LEDs are getting. For a lot of us, this is like being interested in radio in the 1920s or computers in the 1970s was. We are about to see a new technology era dawning, and we are some of the first to realize it.

By the way, thank God Craig is better. He is a treasure and really helping the whole LED community. He is the Hiram Percy Maxim of the LED hobby. http://www.arrl.org/aarrl.html

Lucky guess!

SureFire in the autos.

US at the back door.

X5s in a drawer (they're redundant)

This is a little like owning guns. Few own just a single weapon. There's a place for a rifle, and a shotgun, and even a large handgun. But the little StarFire travels well, so it gets carried.

Originally posted by Charles Gallo:
A short runtime LED light isn't real useful

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Sure it is... if it is way bright. How useful are all the surefires running HOLA's for only 20 minutes of burn time? Pretty damn useful.

The advantage of a bright, short-runtime LED light is the insane durability of the "bulb." Plus the quality of the light cannot be matched with an incandescent (though SF comes about the closest).

Plus, if you can use rechargeables (like in the case of the 2xAA body) runtime is much less of an issue.

We all have different needs. If a short runtime LED light isn't for you, then it isn't for you. But it might be just the ticket for somebody else. It is NOT useless to everybody. No sense in trying to convince anybody that they should buy a light that they don't need.

(Ha! What am I saying - that's what we ALWAYS do!)

Around here, 123s cost $9 each. That's $18 per load for an X5, $9 for an Arc LS. Lithium AAs cost less and give longer runtimes.

For me, the best selling point for the Arc LS, are the battery options. Factory configured options are 123 or AA. Custom mods by guys here at CPF give C and D options, plus additional mods for using as a headlamp. The Arc LS has far greater versatility and extendability than most other flashlights.

Arc's are the high end of the crop. Inretech and CMG give more reasonably priced alternatives, and both run on AA batteries. If I find myself living elswhere, I don't want to be stuck with very expensive batteries as my only option.

Arc's design philosophy is small, elegant, and bright, and top quality.

The Arc LS (I have an LS1/rev1) on 2AA is brighter and better focused than the Lightwave 4000. 1 Luxeon Star LED vs 10 White Nichia LEDs. I couldn't understand what the raving was all about, until I got mine. This is new LED technology and is suffering from the usual QC pains in manufacturing, as Inretech, CMG, and Arc will tell you.

I want both! I want bright and longlasting in the same light. Give me a light with 4-5 hr runtime and 80-90% of the brightness of the P6 and I'll be happy. (LS1 runtime with LS2 LED, would please me no end)

The LS is number one with me 'cause it is bright and SMALL! No more cumbersome than half a roll of Lifesavers. If you don't have one, it's hard to envision the size. The diameter of a MiniMagAA head and 1/2" longer than a 35mm film canister.

So much light, for so long, from so small a package, is what makes it great.

Originally posted by darell:
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Originally posted by Charles Gallo:
A short runtime LED light isn't real useful

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Sure it is... if it is way bright. How useful are all the surefires running HOLA's for only 20 minutes of burn time? Pretty damn useful.
</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">If I want I a light with the short runtime of a Surefire with a HOLA, I'll buy a Surefire with a HOLA - lifespan of the bulb doesn't worry me, THAT is why I say a high output LED light isn't that useful

It's not the lifespan of a bulb that causes problems - It's the failure due to shock/abuse
It's the ability to have the quality and type of light that the Luxeon provides.

Regarding the cost of SF123As - I order from the States to the UK and SF123As don't cost anything like that much. Without International shipping and customs charges, there are plenty of places to buy 123As from that are amazingly cheap.

Al

Oh yeah...I forgot all about the Inretech adaptor (sorry)

Let me add, that the ARC sLS is becoming my most-used light.

Yes the Arc AAA is great, but as we age, I'm told we need 2x the light every 12 years. So I need 4x (or more) the light of Mr. Saaby

The sLS is quite amazingly bright. It blew away my wife's MiniMag AA with Nexstar lamp (which is 2x as bright as the stock lamp -- approx).

We're converting the bulk of our flashlight stash around the house to LEDs. Streamlight has made that do-able.

The sLS lives on my keychain (next to my AAA LE) and the LS is amazing.

Oh yes, in another pocket is a SF E2e, and the Arc LS does wonders with the batteries that come out of that. It does much better than the Inova X5, by the way.

Cheers,

Richard

Originally posted by MSaxatilus:

For the same money you could get a nice X5 and a small Surefire, or a nice rechargable streamlight.

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">I actually own all of those (X5, X5T, E1, E2, G2, US) but carry only the Arc LS.

That should tell you something.

Originally posted by MarcV:
I actually own all of those (X5, X5T, E1, E2, G2, US) but carry only the Arc LS.

That should tell you something.

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">It tell me the Arc LS fit your need better .

Seriously, is it because of the size (assume you use 1x123)?

Ron