What is your EDC - ARC????

I joined CPF in 2003. Then if one asked “what is your favorite EDC” nearly all said ARC.
I always thought it did not put out enough light for EDC. It was said to be bulletproof, but I had two fail. They honored the lifetime warranty, but I had to pay postage, that made it more expensive than the Fenix E01,which is a better light.
I have two that I intend to give to two little girls in my church whose parents sometime take them camping. I have not seen ARC mentioned lately.
Jerry

My EDC varies. I have a collection of lights and tend to rotate them around so my “pocket toy” EDC stays fresh. I have no regular EDC that I would carry for a year.

The ones in this week’s rotation are the following:

  • Jetbeam TCR-01 - modded with XPL HI 4000K 5D emitter, spring bypass in the tail, driver from a 2019 RRT-01, OP reflector from a Niteye EYE-10, a UCL lens from Flashlightlens.com. and the short Jetbeam clip. Using an 1100 mAh Aspire 18350 in it. Great looking light. Feels great in the hand. Looks great. Fanastic UI and decent output.
  • Emisar D4v2 grey - modded with metal switchboot, a tailcap from an older model D4, and low-profile clip I got from some budget light. Using it with the 18500 battery tube and a 2200 mAh Vapcell INR 18500. Feels good in the hand and has incredible output.
  • Acebeam TK16 copper unmodded. With 3x Osram White 1 inside and powered by a Vapcell T8 850 mAh 16340. Super-throwy. Small and compact. Copper.

Pocket-carry, MH20. Bag-holster SP32Av2.

Dito Stainless Steel 1xAA light.
1-mode, rotary switch on-off

Dito used to be on Aliexpress and they had amazing sales in their 11/11 heyday. Unfortunately, they somehow stopped selling on there and went silent for a few years.
For reasons beyond my knowledge they are now suddenly back on banggood:

Zebralight H6 series

I always have a Virence Jetusolis AAA in my pocket. At work, at least a FW3A SST-20 4000k that have replaced a JetBeam RRT01 (1st version).

ARC was cool they have been succeeded.
Peter Gransee was an innovator,and a nice guy.
Chris

FW3A for me.

I have 2 I EDC; a Rofis MR70 as it has the normal light and an auxiliary side emitter. 26650 form factor means I only have to charge it maybe once a week. Backup to that in my pocket is my D4V2 Ti with a deep carry clip from an Olight M2R. Probably will end up with something else rather than the D4 as I’d hate to lose it accidently.

still EDCing the FW3A, i find it very reliable

around the house after dark: drop.com $10 copper 1xAAA, it;s also never missed a beat
(unlike my lumintop AAA Tool, which was fried by 1 alkaleak
i never liked the switch or ‘start on medium’ anyway
or the lack of tailstand)

wle

I just took my keychain out to check, and sure enough, it’s an Arc AAA. Original one

Some of the other keychains such as the car keys have newer lights — Astrolux A01, Sofirn C01 — or older, there’s even one M@g Solitaire with a bipin LED ddropin — or other Arc AAAs (blue, aqua, red-orange).
Depends on which bundle of keys suits what I’m planning to be doing.

What is it you like so much about them?

On Banggood website it said 450Lm on an AAA battery, there are no way it can put out 450 Lumen on an AAA 1.5v. I run 10440 on various AAA (Thrunite Ti3, Lumintop tool AAA and EDC1) they can roughly put around 300-350 lumen on a very short time on High mode.

They are stainless steel, durable, don’t scratch, easy to use and the driver is VERY efficient. With infrequent use you only have to recharge the battery after many, many weeks. Like 2 months.

During 11/11 they were also sold for like 2 dollars including shipping and came with a case, additional gadgets/tools/keyrings.

My light has around 100 lm, probably even less. This light is for finding keyholes, steps or walking to your mailbox at night. Nothing else.

What’s the color temp and CRI like? Passable?

Mine came in neutral white with a tiny hint towards cold. Very acceptable tint, looks good on low amp/lm and no shift towards green or any other color.
I haven’t checked CRI, but simply assume it is the standard XP-G2 CRI. This is not a Nichia, but I am considering one in. the light is not glued or hard to open.

Every day with me:

Olight i3E, 4000K :smiley:

Lately I haven’t been leaving the house. So around the house I tend to carry AA/14500 lights: DQG Slim AA with a 14500 or Thrunite T10T V2 with NiMH AA.

I still, as a rule, don’t stay out after dark without an 18650 light. But it’s also summer here, so on top of isolating at home I haven’t had much occasion.