Strange Arc4+ problem - NOT switch problem

Hi -

My arc4+ is doing something really funny and I'm sure it's not the
switch. It's software related - and I can repeat it every single
time with both r123's and cr123a's.

let describe it.

when I click 10 times to go into menu mode.
The sos signal will go until the first flash of the second sos.
then it acts as if i pressed the button - high,low,high,low.

i've repeated it about 20 times with identical results.
I've tried different batteries and I've tried resetting it.

very strange.

This is a rev1.

I have a funny idea what it might be, but I need feedback from Henry at HDS.

The click versus press times supposedly is "learned" from the user.
I tend to click very very fast.... and I know the arc4 has
adjusted itself to it... sometimes I can't click fast enough to get to the menu - and sometimes just a little faster will toggle to the dimmest setting. is the a limit to it's algorithm?
could it possibly the cause of this problem?

thanks

is there a way to do a complete hard reset to factory defaults?

7777, this is the only reset I have seen referenced :

" To reset your light, open the battery compartment, remove the battery, wait for 120 seconds, re-install the battery and close the battery compartment. "

Even though you didn't ask for my help,

I assume you are trying to activate the SOS function. To do this, you click the button about 10 times to enter the menu. Once in the menu, the light flashes to indicate which menu item is currently displayed. The first item is the SOS function and this is indicated by long and short flashes (SOS).

When a function is displayed in the menu, you have 3 choices:

1. select that function (long press until light stops flashing)
2. jump to the next function (click)
3. exit the menu (do nothing until light finishes error flashing high-low-high-low)

Since you did not say you selected the SOS function by a long press, the light would simply exit after 3-4 seconds and that is why you saw the high-low-high-low.

Remember, to select a menu item, you must press and hold the button down until the light stops flashing.

If you have already done this and the light is still acting strange, then I would like to know. Thanks.


Peter

Ah ha. thanks Peter. it's funny i never noticed that it would
"time-out" before the entire SOS sequence was done. I timed it to
be just about 10 seconds.

Quick question peter, were the arc4's polished after it was HA'd?
The finish on the arc just seems super smooth.

thanks again.

4Sevens,

The Acr4 menus time out after 10 seconds. This is covered in the documentation (available in the discontinued products section of our web site):

"If you have not pushed the button within 10 seconds or if you do not hold the button down until the acceptance flash sequence finishes, your light will exit the Options Menu without changing the option setting and displays the error flash sequence (dimmer, brighter, dimmer, brighter, ...)."

Since the SOS signal is longer than 10 seconds, it times out before the signal can complete one full cycle. All the other signals are much shorter and repeat a time or two prior to timing out.

This behavior has nothing to do with the click speed adapting.

As for the click speed adapting, the speed is not remembered across resets so use the reset procedure to return the click speed to the starting speed. Note: if you turn the light on, then open the battery compartment (the light goes out), then count to 15, the light will reset as soon as you close the battery compartment - saves the long wait. Note also that people who have RFS turned on always get a reset when the battery compartment is open long enough to change batteries - about 15 seconds.

You can also slow your click speed down over a period of 10 to 20 clicks by clicking slower and slower.

There is a limit to click speed - 1/10th of a second is the minimum click speed.

Henry.

No, the HA was not polished. Hard Anodize ("HA", "Type III") gets smoother as you use it. Similiar effect to burnishing pottery with a stone.

Peter

Thanks guys, I have now finally got the SOS working!!, I have always just got the SO and then hi-low-hi-low, thought it was a defect, guess I just never read the insruction in great detail, and did not realize the 10 second time out was coming into play.