Recommended Retail Price :- $39.95 / £25 (Now called the Premium Edition)
Size:- 72mm long 13mm Diameter at widest point.
Weight (With Batteries):- 30g
Battery Type / Qty :- 1off AAA alkaline.
Battery Life :- 5 Hours at full power + 6 hours at reduced output on AAA alkaline.
LED Type :- 5mm Nicha
Rated Output:- (Manufacturers Figures) 20,000 MCD + Moderate output on low batteries
Estimated LED Lifespan:- Over 100000 Hours
Colour:- White
Reflector Type :- Polished aluminium reflector
Lens Material :- Nicha LED case
Electronics:- Regulation to ensure constant light output for the length of the battery life
Body Material :- High grade aluminium alloy with type III hard anodising
Manufacturers Guarantee:- 10 Years!
This was my first ever torch from ARC flashlights. It a very small and I do mean SMALL light that is ideal for attaching to your keyring or car keys.
Features
This is the Limited Edition version of the light. This is now called the Premium Edition. So what's the difference between this an the standard version?
The main difference is the hand selected Nicha LED that is selected to give the Whitest light output possible compared to the standard LED's. The standard version when compared to this one would look slightly more blue in colour. Not much difference then, but worth it if you want the best!
The light is simple to operate. Just install the single AAA battery, + side up towards the head and screw on the head. Turn the head till it lights up. Turn the head back to turn off again.
The light comes with a split ring to attach to your keys and the newer version also comes with a pocket clip. Useful if you want to mount it on your cap for reading at night.
The light source is
a 5mm Nicha LED. As stated above the light is nice and white in colour.
The beam given off by the light is quite amazing considering the small
size of the light. It not going to be as bright as a 2AA incandescent
torch though but the beam is a lot better colour and is perfect for map
reading or finding things in a dark corner or glovebox. The LED will last
for over 100,000 hours yes that over 11 years of on time! With 5 hours
of bright runtime from a single AAA battery the light is also very cheap
to run. It would not be such a good light for dog walking as the beam
does not throw very far but if it was pitch black you would still find
it very useful outside at night.
The head of the unit consists of the LED and the electronics for the power regulation. These are potted in epoxy resin to make them impervious to any moisture ingress. The light is also very tough in design. You can drop it without fear of it breaking and the LED will never blow like a normal incandescent bulb will.
The power from the batteries is controlled by power regulation electronics. This makes it different from most incandescent or LED lights in that the light output is not effected by the battery voltage dropping as they become discharged. What it does is gives a constant voltage to the Nicha LED at the expense of drawing slightly more current from the battery. So you get a shorter runtime on the light but constant light output for the whole time. On a normal non regulated light the light output drops as the batteries discharge so when half empty the light may only give of half the light output that it did when the batteries were new. Once the ARC AAA battery drops to a low enough level the regulation circuit can no longer function at this point the light will still function but at a much lower light output. ARC calls this Sun & Moon modes of operation. Because of a feature of LED's which means they become more efficient at lower voltage / current levels, this now means that the light will work at this lower level of output for some considerable time. This should be over 6 hours according to ARC's figures. I have not tried myself yet as I always change the battery when the Moon mode kicks in!
The light is extremely well made with each part CNC machined from sold aluminium bar or tube. Each part is then type III hard anodised. This gives a very durable and hard wearing finish. Each part is then assembled using an O-ring to seal the light against moisture ingress. The light is completely waterproof although I would not want to use it as a dive light!
OK, now hopefully your interested where can you get one? Well as stated above you cannot buy this 'Limited Edition' model any longer. But not to worry as you can buy one of the Premium Editions instead instead.
UK Dealers
outdoorsuppliesuk.com At last a great UK supplier with LOW prices for Torches, Knives, Outdoor Equipment and more. (Still under development but please email them for prices.)
US Dealers
www.arcflashlight.com
www.meridiantactical.com
UK Cheap 123A Lithium & AA Batteries
More info on ARC and other lights here