ARC Story Collection: ARC Success Stories!

[carrot]

That little light you hang on your keychain comes in handy a lot more often than you think! We all love to read about saving the day with lights, so I've collected stories that'll make any flashaholic proud of being an ARC owner.

Every time I go through the ARC forum archives, I am always amazed at the incredibly loyalty to Gransee's creations. Of course, that loyalty would mean nothing if the lights weren't so fantastic. I greatly treasure my own ARC light -- the discontinued ARC AA that I recieved as a gift from a friend here -- even though there are brighter, they aren't quite up to par with ARC's design and quality.

PM me if you've found more stories I need to add here.

If you enjoy these, you may be interested in:
carrot's Flashlight Story Collection

Dug up from the archive and beyond:
AAA Survives 5 yrs Lost in a Cave
Why I edc an Arc-AAA P
So I finally got to use my Arc AAA for real
Arc goes extreme-dipping
bed & breakfast & blackout
Arc Flashlights: True Stories
Ode to a flashlight
$21 for a flashlight?!!
Arc4 going through security at Sydney airport
Arc 4 back from duty in the Yukon
AAA takes prolonged oil bath!
Could have sold my Arc AAA for $50.
The Great Laundry Experiment
Arc in action
Can your wife do this?
Gave away an Arc AA - Saved hundreds of $
Arc AAA survives cave trip
AAA works after 2 months lost in a snowbank...
AAA survives front loader
Surgery by "Arc light"
Arc 4 vs. Airport Security (TSA)
The Gingerbread Man
Bedtime with Arc - who needs light bulbs?
Arc AAA survives 2 story drop onto the cement 100%
Arc story from my work (medical)
First real test of my LSH-P since the blackout
Arc AAA as a night light -- long life is good!
You know you're a flashaholic when...
How I got started in LED flashlights Gransee's own story!
Great Arc stories, anyone?
Arc stories from New York blackout?
Another Convert
I visited the Arc facility! (ie, the bouncing Arc trick)
Confiscated Arc AAA!
Arc LS is a life saver in Argentina
What a weird dream.
"Where is all of the light coming from?"
SLS2 goes skiing
Arc AAA LE survives dunk in Liquid Nitrogen!
Forty dollars for a light???
A unique application for the Arc AAA
Arc AAA saved our parade float!
Caving: Lucky I had my Arc around my neck
Another AAA success story
Arc AAA saves my butt!
Been through the water and been baptized
Arc LS lights the way on coast to coast bicycle trip
Arc AAA abuse
Funny story involving an ARC flashlight
Flashaholic moment: Power outage!
A flashaholic anecdote
LED use at local theater

If anyone hasn't guessed by now, I really like stories.

[cy]

coooool....

[Gransee]

Thank you Carrot!

Peter

[greenLED]

You're becoming quite the archive digger!
Nice job, OrangeOne

[Grox]

Great job Carrot! I'm enjoying the stories!

[carrot]

Woohoo! More stories for your reading pleasure! (In no particular order, either.) Looks like I missed a lot in my first visit to the Arc archives.

Arc AAA abuse
Arc LS lights the way on coast to coast bicycle trip
Been through the water and been baptized
Arc AAA LE survives dunk in Liquid Nitrogen!
SLS2 goes skiing
"Where is all of the light coming from?"
What a weird dream.
Arc LS is a life saver in Argentina
I visited the Arc facility! (ie, the bouncing Arc trick)
Another Convert
How I got started in LED flashlights Gransee's own story!
You know you're a flashaholic when...
Bedtime with Arc - who needs light bulbs?
Arc AAA as a night light -- long life is good!
First real test of my LSH-P since the blackout

AAA survives front loader
AAA works after 2 months lost in a snowbank...
Arc in action
The Great Laundry Experiment
Arc AAA survives cave trip
AAA takes prolonged oil bath!
Arc4 going through security at Sydney airport

Okay, wow, that was a lot more work than I thought it'd be. I'm sure I'm not done, either. Stopped at page 14.

Edit: Okay okay, I couldn't leave the last 2 pages. So I went through those too.
Ode to a flashlight
Arc Flashlights: True Stories
Arc goes extreme-dipping

I hope I haven't missed any. If anyone remembers any not listed, please do PM me.

[Lebkuecher]

Wow good job Carrot!!! I enjoy reading the stories, especially the one on how Peter got started. This was before my time on the CPF and I think it’s neat to go back in time. In some of the stories I see names of posters who are long gone.

Here is story although it might not be that great. The other day I was out with my manager selling a customer telecomm services and the guy we were meeting with was just super nice and started giving us bottled water to drink. This was about an hour and a half meeting and after a while, well nature called in a BIG way. I really had to go so I asked the guy where the restrooms where and the guy pointed across the room so I hurriedly walk over thinking that I might not make it and when I opened the door the light didn’t work. All I can tell you is that it took less then two seconds to pull my keychain out and turn my trusty Arc on and the rest is history. I really have no idea what I would have done it wasn’t for the light. Not exactly a life saving story but man dose it back up the point that the best light is the one you have when you need it. I’ve carried a Arc on my Keychain now for almost 3 years now and there must be hundreds of times that the light saved the day but once you are in the habit of carrying it you don’t even think about using it. It’s just there. Thanks Peter for making a great light and one that can be with you at all times. I’m sure my customer also appreciates it LOL

[carrot]

There are more ARC stories in my Flashlight Story Collection thread, so I took the liberty of listing those here as well.
bed & breakfast & blackout
$21 for a flashlight?!!
Gave away an Arc AA - Saved hundreds of $
The Gingerbread Man
Flashaholic moment: Power outage!
A flashaholic anecdote
LED use at local theater

[Gransee]

Thank you Carrot. I added a link to this thread on the Arc testimonials page

Peter

[Empedocles]

I'm not sure you've captured one of my favorites.

It's a charming little tale about a flashaholic lying in bed with his bride. I can't remember all of the details, but I'm very clear on the part where she nestles an arc AAA in between her breasts so that she can read in bed next to him.

I seem to recall the title of the thread to be "Can Your Wife Do This?" but my search for this beloved thread has been unfruitful. It was probably in 2004, and it was a very entertaining thread!

[carrot]

Originally Posted by Empedocles

I'm not sure you've captured one of my favorites.

It's a charming little tale about a flashaholic lying in bed with his bride. I can't remember all of the details, but I'm very clear on the part where she nestles an arc AAA in between her breasts so that she can read in bed next to him.

I seem to recall the title of the thread to be "Can Your Wife Do This?" but my search for this beloved thread has been unfruitful. It was probably in 2004, and it was a very entertaining thread!

Found it.
Can your wife do this?

Any more requests?

[carrot]

I was skimming through the archives again and turned up two more threads. They're short, but good anyway.

Arc 4 back from duty in the Yukon
Could have sold my Arc AAA for $50.

[The_LED_Museum]

From my online dream diary comes this:

September 02, 2002:
I was in a large public market not unlike the Pike Place Market here in Seattle. I had to go to the bathroom, so I started looking for a toliet. Below the street level, I found a public restroom with two toliets. A tall drag queen in a gold lame' dress was just starting to leave one stall, and the other was already empty. So I went right to the empty stall, but found somebody had pissed all over the toliet seat and all over most of the toliet paper. The drag queen's stall was now being used by someone else, so I was stuck with this one. Using what little unpissed-on paper there was, I cleaned off the seat and then sat down. Affixed to an empty TP dispenser rod to my left was my pair of Arc-LS flashlights on a keyring. I realised I had left them there the previous day, and I saw evidence that a lot of people had tried to remove them but failed. There were deep grooves cut into the metal TP rod from somebody pulling back and forth on the keychain, apparently hoping to erode through the rod enough to break it. The toliet paper rod was locked into the holder with a small, stiff button at one end, which I firmly pressed and easily freed my flashlights. Still seated on the toliet, I briefly examined them and then stuffed them into my pocket. After sitting on the can for several more minutes and deciding I couldn't "go", I pulled up my pants and exited the stall. At this time I noticed a couple of younger guys in the bathroom. We exchanged a brief conversation, but I can't remember what it was about anymore. It wasn't anything bad, I'm pretty sure of that.

The thread on CPF this can be found in is: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/...d.php?t=105552

[carrot]

Two new stories.

Why I edc an Arc-AAA P
So I finally got to use my Arc AAA for real

[cy]

my first exposure to cpf...

back in 2001 or so...my brother was excitedly telling me about a new fangled LED called a luxeon. there was a limited production of 100 lights made by someone on a place called Candlepower forums.

so I browsed on over and started reading.... still remember a long thread about Craig (ledmuseum) getting sick and going dark. No one at first knew what was going on.... all sorts of folks got really up in arms and started a frantic search. marshaling all sorts of resources.

finally... Craig was found.. he had gotten ill and could not log in. this looking out for each other to me was above and beyond the call of duty. was totally amazed at how quickly resources was rallied to help.

anyways.... I emailed Peter and got on the original 100 list to receive an ARC LS first run. for some reason my email got lost or waylaid and never received notice ARC LS first run was nearing completion. so I was on the original list, but never took delivery.

did a lot of lurking on cpf in 2001, but didn't register until much later..... this is after my brother gave me his hand me down ARC LSH-P and ARC AAA. So ARC LSH-P was the first light that introduced me to term EDC...

[bombelman]

This Thread !!!!!!!!

[Casual Flashlight User]

Originally Posted by bombelman

This Thread !!!!!!!!

+1

Sterling work by the one who calls himself Carrot.


CFU

[Greta]

Replies copied from HERE.

frogs306-12-2007 07:56 PM
Re: ARC Story Collection: ARC Success Stories -- The Radiology Department

Today, 12 June 2007, we had a terrific thunderstorm that provided several direct hits on the Hospital where I work in the Radiology Department.

The power went out and the generators could not come on-line due to wiring burns from the enormous energy delivered into the system. A few minutes later an occasional light went back on to see in the hallways, but the major equipment was powerless.

Needless to say, in a work area that depends on computers for image reading, CT, MRI and digital acquisition systems, we were dead in the water for about an hour. Oh, and we have almost no windows in the Diagnostic Radiology Dept.

The WORST part, was that the bathroom was unlighted, except by my Arc P which I hung on the coat hook on the door -- as needed. Plenty of light for a small room.

I used it later to assist with identifying the circuit-breakers in a dark closet behind the MRI power supply room. The lights in that room depended on the circuit breakers that were thrown by the lightning. Amazing what an Arc P can do when no one else is prepared.

What amazed me was that so few people realized that this weather happens here -- Philadelphia suburbs -- all summer long, and this WILL occur again.

Arc P edc to the rescue again.

-HAK

paulr07-22-2007 08:14 PMRe: ARC Story Collection: ARC Success Stories -- The Radiology Department

None of carrot's links work since the CPF to CPFM move! Maybe they can be fixed if the thread numbers stayed the same.

carrot07-23-2007 12:34 AMRe: ARC Story Collection: ARC Success Stories -- The Radiology Department

paulr, thanks for letting me know. I'll get cracking on fixing that as soon as I get the chance.

Edit: Most, if not all, of the story links should be working now.

nightshade07-23-2007 07:12 PMRe: ARC Story Collection: ARC Success Stories!

Carrot, thanks for the complitation. And gratitude, for your time.

[roberttheiii]

Hey Carrot, perhaps you'd like to modify your original post to include the AAA lost in a cave for five years.... http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/show....php?p=2147973 I know you saw it. Great story though.

R

[carrot]

Just got my first ever Arc-AAA! (Previously I had only the Arc-AA.) The previous light (not gonna name names) on my keyring died so I figured it was time to give Arc a shot at my keyring. I'm liking it a lot.

[MrMom]

No special stories here but a true test of time…

For nearly six (6) years an Arc AAA has inhabited both my work and personal key rings. They have survived six years of on/off cycles, banging, grinding, swinging, dropping, rain, snow, mud, pool chemicals and everything else in its way. The Arc AAA has even survived my daughter from toddler to teen. It was truly designed for EDA – Every Day Abuse.

[Codeman]

MrMom - any chance you could post a pic? I'd love to see what it looks like after all that. Course, that's secondary to it's functioning, but stil...

[MrMom]

Originally Posted by Codeman

MrMom - any chance you could post a pic? I'd love to see what it looks like after all that. Course, that's secondary to it's functioning, but stil...

Codeman, I tried to email the photos to you but your email is not listed in your profile. PM me with the email if you want them and feel free to post the photos. I emailed the photos to Peter, he may post them if he sees fit.

In photo 1 is a shot of both work and personal key rings with the AAA's in their daily home. The second photo is a close up of an Arc AAA lug with nearly six years of daily wear. Each photo is over 1MB so the detail is there. Both key rings are attached to heavy brass snap swivels. The brass snap swivels wear completely out and must be replaced after every 1-2 years, but not the ARC's.

Function? They work the same as from day one. That is why they are still there ready for when I need them. KISS works, my Arc's are tools, not toys. BTW my camping/night hiking/geocaching favorite is a Arc AAA on a neck lanyard. The many I own are old 3 or so lumen versions. i don't have a new Arc yet...no need to as the old style continues to plug away. CPF has had a hold of my wallet 2002, 03, 04, 05, 06, and 2007. I have put hundreds of lights through the paces and abuse. Two lights rose to the top, the Arc AAA and SF-L4. Remember, I use these lights as tools daily. They are not toys for white wall beam shots and walking the dog. I believe that the durability of a light is better gauged in actual daily heavy use rather than in a single OOPS story.

One of these days I will study 'POSTING PICTURES 101' and learn how to do it myself.

SHINE ON
MrMom

[Grox]

It's actually quite easy to host photos!

Just go to http://www.imageshack.us and upload the picture you want. Make sure the resize to 640x480 option is ticked. Hit "host it".

When the upload is finished, copy the code in "hotlink for forums 1" or "hotlink for forums 2" and paste it into a message reply here!

[Codeman]

PM sent!

[paulr]

I edc'd an arc aaa on my keys for about 2 years, and am looking at it right now. You can see some general wear on the knurling and on the back edge of the cylindrical part of the battery tube (it's on a BP micro clip that rubs against that edge). No obvious wear on the split ring hole but maybe a little bit on the lug itself. You have to look closely to notice this. By comparison, a M*g Solitaire that was on my keys for a few years was completely beat to heck. I sent it to Souptree (who collects them) and he posted a nice pic of it in the Solitaire collectors' thread a couple months ago.

[Codeman]

Here's MrMom's photos (click for full size):

[Codeman]

I'm amazed at well they've held up. Less HAIII is worn off than I thought. I expected some around the edges, but after that long near that many keys, I thought it would be worn more on the body as well.

That's a good point about how the long term durability is a good indicator. Single events do tend to highlight a single aspect or two.

I've only had mine for a couple of years, so it's nice to see what to expect.

Thanks MrMom!

[Cyclops942]

Wow. I'm just glad I don't have to carry that many keys! My pants pockets already wear out too fast.

[carrot]

I have been carrying an Arc on my keys for years now, and I still like it. For some reason I just really like it, I don't know what it is. Even if it's not the brightest out there I certainly trust it more than most.