ARC LS PREMIUM
w/FRAEN OPTIC

Arc LSHP (Luxeon Star) Premium with Fraen Optic, retail $150 (www.arcflashlight.com)
Manufactured by Arc Flashlight, LLC
Last updated: 03-15-07

LED Light


IMPORTANT! Effective 09-22-04, this product is no longer being made, but here is information on it anyway.

This model is the new Arc LS Premium edition with Fraen optic, and it features a very nice, bright LS (Luxeon Star) LED and a Kroll "clicky" switch on the tailcap. This is a limited run flashlight, and may or may not be available for sale. The cost should be the same as a regular Arc LSH-P though.

The "H" in LSHP-F stands for "High Dome", the type of lens the Luxeon Star LED uses. This is also known as the Lambertian; if you buy a lot of bare LS LEDs you'll know this designation. You can also get the "Low Dome" or Batwing lens on the LS; this lens projects a wider beam and is designed to be used with the NX-01 acrylic collimator, like the very first Arc LS flashlights did.
But I digress...this flashlight uses the High Dome LS LED and a Fraen optic, just so ya know. :-)


Size reference



The Arc LSHP-F will come in a couple of different configurations; both of them related to the type of battery you want to use in it.
The model I'm testing today arrived with a body for 1 CR123 Lithium photo battery. There is a thin plastic lens protector over the lens; use a fingernail to lift it up on one edge and remove it if you wish. It also came with a Duracell Ultra lithium CR123A battery, so it was almost ready to go (I had to put the battery in) right out of the bag.

To turn this photonic cannon on, press the button on the tailcap until it clicks; press it again to turn it off. You can also press the button more lightly, and the Arc LS will come on. Let the button go, and plunge yourself back into darkness. This momentary operation is handy for signalling - you can point it at something or someone and blink it in any pattern you see fit.



To change either the batteries or the battery holder on the LS, unscrew the head until it comes off. Then choose the battery style you wish to use.
For both battery types, drop the battery / batteries into the battery holder so the button-end faces up toward you. Then screw the battery holder onto the head until it's on there good.

I measured 470 milliamps of current consumption (on the meter's 20 amp scale) from a new Duracell Ultra CR123 cell.

As of the morning of 06-26-04, I'm running a battery discharge analysis using Toshiba alkaline AA cells, using the two AA cell holder supplied with another Arc LS (I'm out of CR123A cells). Assuming I don't queer the test, the machine should poop out a chart later today or this evening.


And here's the chart.
Runs for approximately 1 hour 40 minutes to 50% intensity.
The test itself ran for approximately 4 hours 20 minutes.

I'll run the test again when I get some CR123A cells.



The Arc LSHP-F (like the Arc LSH-P) is a very small and durable instrument that should provide you with years of service, even if you don't take care of it all that well. But you'll want to take care of it, once you see how well it's built.

The only weak link I can see is that rubber switch cover, but you'd probably have to take a knife or a razor blade to it in order to hack it up. The Arc LSHP-F is put together very well with no burrs or mismatched parts whatsoever. If your switch rubber spins, take the battery pack off and spin the switch clockwise (as the switch rubber is facing up) until it stops. Then screw the battery pack back on.

The LS LED is a Luxeon Star High Dome white, with the Fraen narrow-angle acrylic optic in front of it. The beam is a pure white color, with no blue, yellow, or "rotten cat urine green" visible anywhere in it. A 0.030" AR (antireflective) coated Lexan window protects the Fraen optic and the 1.2 watt LS LED underneath it.
If all Luxeon Star LEDs were this way, the flashlight market would be all over them like flies to a pile of {vulgar term for feces}. But they aren't, so there are relatively few to go around. Arc selects the whitest and brighest LEDs of the whole lot, and that's what winds up in the LSH-P and LSHP-F flashlights. The "P" stands for "Premium", and you'll see that when you use one of these lights.

The LSHP-F is a regulated flashlight, meaning there's some circuitry buried inside that will allow the flashlight to start bright and stay bright until the battery poops out, rather than starting bright and constantly dimming as the battery gets used up. The LSHP-F should go into a "moon mode" to provide a reduced level of light even on an almost dead battery, so you just aren't plunged into instant darkness when the battery craps out.

The Arc LSHP-F uses a cobalt-gold positive (+) battery contact, so intermittent electrical contacts are a thing of the past.

The beam that shoots out of the LSHP-F comprises of a circular hotspot, larger in diameter and very, very slightly cooler (bluer) than the one that comes out of the LSH-P. There is much less "spill" light coming out the sides than the LSH-P has.

The Kroll tailcap switch is easy and comfortable to use. You can just pick the flashlight up off whatever you put it on, wrap your fist around it, and push the switch with your thumb. You can use your forefinger too, but I think just holding the LSH-P in your fist and using your thumb to manipulate the switch is more comfortable. The light comes with a CR123A TSP (Tail Switch Pack) unless you specify otherwise

The unit comes with both a battery (or batteries, if you order with the AA pack) and a split ring already mounted to the tailpiece so you can hang it from your keys or attach a lanyard of your choise. A lanyard isn't included, so if you want to use one, you'll have to buy it elsewhere.

The Arc LSHP-F has a Chemkote application on the threads and inside the flashlight body. This appears as a gold colored coating, and is there to help prevent corrosion from a bad battery or if you take the light apart and somehow manage to spash water inside it. The outer portions of the flashlight are covered in a HA-III (Hard Anodized type 3) finish, so it will be tough and long-wearing. The HA-III coating is very durable, so pieces of it shouldn't flake off very easily at all.

After running for approximately 30 minutes continuously, the bezel (head) measures a temperature of 101°F (38.3°C) with an ambient temperature in the testing area of 75°F (23.8°C).
After about an hour, the bezel measured 107°F (41.6°C).
So while this is a bit warm, it's certainly not burning hot, and you won't burn yourself on the flashlight, if that's what you're worried about.


LED Light
Beam at ~12" from the target.
Measured 438,000mcd on a Meterman LM631.


Spectrographic plot
Spectrometer plot of the LED in this flashlight.
Ocean Optics USB2000 Spectrometer on loan from WWW.TWO-CUBED.COM.


ProMetric analysis
Beam cross-sectional analysis.
Image made using the ProMetric System by Radiant Imaging.


LED Light
Beam approx. 5 feet from a very light grey wall.
The light is a really pure snow white, with no blue, green, or yellow tint to it.

LED Light
The beams of the LSHP-F and LSH-P at about five feet.
The LSHP-F is the wider of the two beams there on the left.




TEST NOTES:
Light was purchased and provided by a CPFer who goes by the name of BobG on that board, and was sent by Merri Gransee of Arc Flashlight LLC in early November 2003 (sent on 11-05-03, and received on 11-06-03). Provided sample came with CR123A battery holder, so that's how the measurements are being taken.


UPDATE 01-23-04:
Here is a picture of the LSHP-F head affixed to a 2xAA TSP (Tail Switch Pack) battery pack. This pack came with a modified royal blue Arc-LS (modified to use a 3 watt royal blue LS LED driven at 667mA) that I purchased from a Candlepower Forums member, and is shown here for representative purposes only. But you can order your LSHP-F with this battery pack if you wish.

LED Light

The flashlight is longer this way, but some users may prefer the length and feel in the hand; and the fact that it takes two ordinary AA alkaline, lithium, or rechargeable cells. The flashlight may be held in an overhand grip and the switch manipulated with the thumb or forefinger. You can also hold it between your middle and ring fingers, and manipulate the switch with the thumb. With an underhand grip, you can blink the flashlight by using the side of your pinkie finger, but you may need the other hand to activate continuous mode unless you have an exceptionally strong pinkie.


UPDATE 09-06-04:
The Arc Company of Tempe, Arizona was started in May of 2001 by Peter Gransee.

The original 'First Run's or 'Rev1's
First announced in June 2001.
This was the first flashlight on the market using a Luxeon Star Low Dome LED.

Also called 'LS1 rev1'.

These have the laser engraving "First Run" and have a 2 piece body (bezel and body secured with Loctite).
Fatter than the current "one piece body". 123 tailcap is fat too.
Came with 123, 1AA, 2AA 'twisty' battery packs. The 1AA was slimmed down later.

ver 0.9
First shipped in December of 2001. Voltage regulated.
Low Dome Luxeon
Retainer optimized for the AA pack.
ARC offered an upgrade to Ver1.0 or a 30$ coupon.
Available in 6 colors White, Cyan, Green, Blue, Red, Amber (and ??? Orangish Red and Royal Blue ???)


ver 1.0
March 2002
Redesigned battery retainer
Raised knurling plain
New threads
Improved manufacturing standards
Retainer optimized for AA and 123
New NX05 optics


"Factory Seconds" are announced March 2002

ver 1.1 ?? 2002
123 guide chamfer added to solve 123 crushing problem

ver 1.2 Jul 2002
Retainer optimized for 123 cell
Cleaner HA

Rev 1s have a flat gold positive contact. Later versions have a raised 'button' contact.


LS1 Rev 2 and LS2 Announced August 2002
The models engraved "LS1" are low dome, "LS2" is high dome. The LS2 was the first flashlight on the market to use the Luxeon Star High Dome LED.


Low Dome Luxeon (LS1 rev2)
High Dome Luxeon(LS2)
New one piece housing
Smaller diameter than Rev1
NX05 optics protected behind AR coated lens
New efficient heat sink
Gold raised button contact
1AA bat pack discontinued
1.4v cutoff
New PCB circuit by Dat2Zip
Current regulated
Higher output
Thermally protected
Waterproof
Pricing LS1 Rev2 $120
ver2.1 Flex washer

LS3 (5W 2x123) announced
First flashlight on the market to use the 5 Watt Luxeon Star driven at 2 Watts. Rev2 technology. 2x123 battery. Waterproof.

Kroll clickie announced

Rev 1/2 Hybrids
Announced Sep 2002 Shipped Sep 2002
These look exactly like "First Runs" or Rev1s, but have a Rev 2 heatsink and circuit(Dat2Zip). Lowdome Luxeon.
The only way to tell them apart is to look at the positive battery contact. Hybrids will have a raised button contact, Rev1s will have a flat contact.

There were 2 types of Hybrids made, a 400mA version (actually set for 330mA, mistakenly reported as 400mA), and a 500mA version (actually 400mA, mistakenly reported as 500mA). The 500 version resulted from a wrong resistor being accidentaly installed and was not intended.
The 400s have a green PCB with raised gold positive contact. The 500s have a brown PCB with raised gold positive contact.

LS2 Seconds (SLS2) start shipping Dec 2002

LS1 rev1 Announced to be discontinued Dec 2002

Twisty 123 (P-123) changed to Kroll type (TSP-123)on all models late 2002


LS3 Discontinuation announced before product ships
Small number to be offered in Jan 2003

Lineup Renamed and upgraded to ver 2.1

LS1 rev2 renamed LSL (low dome)
2 grades

LSL aka LSL-S : standard
Low Dome LED with M-N Flux and 3-4 Tint. $120 Retail

LSL-P : premium
Premium version of LSL with P-Q Flux and 3-4 Tint for a brighter beam. $150 Retail

LS2 renamed LSH (high dome)
2 grades

LSH aka LSH-S : standard
High Dome LED with M-N Flux and 3-4 Tint for a more focused and whiter beam. $130 Retail

LSH-P : premium
Premium version of LSH with P-Q Flux and 3-4 Tint for a brighter beam. $160 Retail

Dimensions on all LSL & LSH variations are 3.2" long x .95" diameter and 2.2 ounces with TSP123.

Note: "Second" quality versions (w/o warranty, sold at a discount) are sometimes described by an "S" before the model (ie: Arc SLS)

LSHF-P Announced June 2003. Becomes available in Fall 2003.

Special Edition Arc LSH-P w/Tight Focus Beam High Dome Luxeon LED. Premium built with P or Q flux Luxeon only. Includes TSP-123. Independently tested to produce 22-26 Lumens regulated. This Special Edition design appears the same as the top of the line LSH-P on the outside, but inside uses the "Fraen Low Profile" optic to produce a more tightly focused beam but with less spill. The difference is clearly visible, producing 745 lux vs 614 lux at 3 feet. $160 Retail

The earlier batch had the same engraving as a normal LSH-P, later units had LSHF-P laser engraved.

LS3 Approx 3 dozen units offered Sep 2003

Arc4 (LS4) start shipping Feb 2004

Arc4 Forensic Kit offered

IMPORTANT: Photographs and chronology text were used with permission.


PROS:
Good looking & feeling in the hand
Very bright for its size
Regulated - so it will stay bright & suck the battery dry
Durable HA-III finish
Acrylic AR lens protects LS optics
Pushbutton on/off on tailcap
Tough little flashlight - very hard to break!
Your choice of battery carriage(s)


CONS:
Doesn't stand on tail (for ceiling light) unassisted
(very nitpicky; pick, pick, pick)


    MANUFACTURER: Arc Flashlight LLC
    PRODUCT TYPE: Small handheld flashlight
    LAMP TYPE: White Luxeon Star LED
    No. OF LAMPS: 1
    BEAM TYPE: Central hotspot with softer corona
    SWITCH TYPE: Tailcap pushbutton on/off
    BEZEL: Acrylic A/R window protects LS optics >
    BATTERY: 1x CR123A or 2x AA cells
    CURRENT CONSUMPTION: 470mA on CR123A cell
    WATER RESISTANT: Yes
    SUBMERSIBLE: Yes, to 50 feet
    ACCESSORIES: Split-ring attachment, battery(ies)
    SIZE: 3.2" long, 0.95" diameter
    WEIGHT: 2.2 ounces with battery (CR123A TSP)
    WARRANTY: N/A (company has gone tits-up)

    PRODUCT RATING:

    Star Rating






Arc LSHP-F * www.arcflashlight.com






Do you manufacture or sell an LED flashlight, task light, utility light, or module of some kind? Want to see it tested by a real person, under real working conditions? Do you then want to see how your light did? If you have a sample available for this type of real-world, real-time testing, please contact me at ledmuseum@gmail.com.

Please visit this web page for contact information.

Unsolicited flashlights appearing in the mail are welcome, and it will automatically be assumed that you sent it in order to have it tested and evaluated for this site.
Be sure to include contact info or your company website's URL so visitors here will know where to purchase your product.


WHITE 5500-6500K InGaN+phosphor 
ULTRAVIOLET 370-390nm GaN 
BLUE 430nm GaN+SiC
BLUE 450 and 473nm InGaN
BLUE Silicon Carbide
TURQUOISE 495-505nm InGaN
GREEN 525nm InGaN 
YELLOW-GREEN 555-575mn GaAsP & related
YELLOW 585-595nm
AMBER 595-605nm
ORANGE 605-620nm
ORANGISH-RED 620-635nm
RED 640-700nm
INFRARED 700-1300nm
True RGB Full Color LED
Spider (Pirrahna) LEDs
SMD LEDs
True violet (400-418nm) LEDs
Agilent Barracuda & Prometheus LEDs
Oddball & Miscellaneous LEDs
Programmable RGB LED modules / fixtures
Where to buy these LEDs 
Links to other LED-related websites
The World's First Virtual LED Museum
Legal horse puckey, etc.
RETURN TO OPENING/MAIN PAGE
LEDSaurus (on-site LED Mini Mart)



This page is a frame from a website.
If you arrived on this page through an outside link,you can get the "full meal deal" by clicking here.