Additional Facts

The Arc-AAA use a 5mm Nichia LED part number NSPW500BS/CS. Like all good LEDs, Nichia bins these LEDs by tint and flux. The Standard Arc-AAA uses S flux and B2 or B3 tint. The Premium Arc-AAA uses a U or V flux with a B2 or B1 tint. The difference between the Standard and Premium is the Premium is brighter. All white LEDs tend to have a blue center and the Nichias are no exception. Here's a picture of the beam.

LED Lifespan

When white LEDs first became available, manufacturers were estimating a lifespan of 100,000 hours. However, as LEDs have gone into widespread service, those estimates have been reduced to 8000-10,000 hours in some cases. Not every flashlight manufacturer has updated their literature to show these new estimates however.

LEDs have various failure modes; they can suddenly go dark, start flashing, shift in color or most often, just fade slowly over time. How the LED is used in the application influences how long it lasts. Compared to some applications that run the LED continuously for long period of time, flashlights do have the advantage of being used for less time per use. They also tend to have smaller clusters that operate at cooler temperatures.

For the Arc-AAA, they use the latest Nichia 500 series. These have some of the best longevity in the industry. We figure that most users will get over 10k hours of usage. If the light was used for 15 minutes a day, every day of the year, this would equate to over 100 years of usage. The average flashlight usage is less than 5 minutes per task. We feel that the LED will last long enough that it can be sealed in the unit. This makes the overall flashlight more durable, simpler in construction and less likely to fail. If the LED does ever fail, we will replace the unit under warranty. Owners of our lights should be at ease using the light for as long as they want (leave it running for several days if you want), knowing that their light has one of the most durable LEDs on the market and it is backed up a lifetime warranty.

What is the LE?

The Limited Edition (LE) is an early designation for the Premium Arc-AAA. Starting in 2003, Arc changed the designation of the LE to Premium Edition. Except for the inscription, the flashlights are identical in finish and LED.

Batteries

For the Arc-AAA, we recommend you use the least expensive alkaline cell you can find that does not leak. We use and recommend Duracell brand for our lights. We recommend you check and change the cell from time to time to prevent the cell from leaking and damaging the Arc-AAA. Premium batteries will provide a longer run time but are not worth the extra cost in our opinion. The 5 hour run time estimate for the Arc-AAA is based on continuous use with a fresh Duracell Alkaline.

Rechargeable cells will work in the Arc-AAA and produce a slightly dimmer output. The self discharge common to NiCad and NiMH cells may cause the flashlight to not be ready if left unused for an extended period of time. Because an alkaline will last for several month of normal use, we recommend an alkaline cell over a rechargeable.

Cold Weather Performance of Batteries

Over the years, we have accumulated some experience with various chemistries in cold weather use. The quick answer to cold weather use is Lithium's are better at handling the cold than Alkaline, Rechargeables, etc.

With Alkaline, as the temperature drops below freezing, the light will be dimmer or not be able to fire with a weak cell. Since all of our lights are designed for personal use, they typically are carried in a warm pocket. This will help with cold weather use. If the light is not carried in your pocket and it won't start because the battery is too cold, remove the cell and warm it up in your hands. Once the cell is warm enough to start the voltage converter, it can be exposed to colder temperatures. This because the converter can operate at a lower voltage once it initially starts and also the light and battery produce a small amount of heat in operation. The Arc voltage converters have a lower startup voltage requirement than most of our competitors. So for given battery and temperature, the Arc is more likely to make it work.

Lithium's can operate at 30-40 below zero degrees Fahrenheit. Startup and rundown performance is also excellent.

Run Times

ARC conservatively estimates the run time with a good cell at around 5 hours. Although, your results may vary and many users report run times of over 6 hours. Every Arc model will continue to produce light after their rated run time but at less than 50% brightness. The Arc-AAA for example will still be producing a diminished output after 12 hours of use. With typical usage each cell will last several months.

Sun/Moon Mode

The Arc-AAA includes an electronic regulator circuit that helps maintain a more consistent output during the life of a battery. Compare this to conventional flashlights that more noticeably dim as the battery is depleted. The regulator in the Arc-AAA is a very compact design optimized for "partial" regulation. Please see further down in this FAQ for a more detailed description of regulation.

Basically, "Sun" mode is the bright operation of the flashlight and "moon" mode is the dim light produced by the light when the battery is nearly dead. When stating run time for our lights, we list the "sun" mode length for a given battery type. The Arc-AAA is capable of producing about 5 hours of sun mode.

With only 40% of the remaining capacity left in the AAA battery, the Arc-AAA will still be producing about 80% of its original brightness.

The transition from sun to moon is fairly smooth on the Arc-AAA with most battery chemistries and you may not notice it very easily. With alkaline cells, it is not an abrupt change. Here's a graph showing a worse case runtime from a fresh Duracell: