Dimensions & Weight
Case Material
Case Features
Case Access Type
Switch Type
Reflector Type
Lens Type
Bulb Type
Circuit
Beam Type
Beam Characteristics
Overall Output
Nominal Color
Battery / Power Type
Battery Life (advertised)
Environmental Protection
Accessories
Special Items of Note
Warranty
Retail Availability & Cost

1-A unique flashlight form and size. This may well be a 21st century materialization of a once futuristic flashlight concept . To the un-initiated, it might at first appear to look like some sort of wireless remote control or a high tech weapon of some sort. With the Arc 'flash-burst' logo on one side and stylized '4+' model and serial numbers printed on the opposite side- an accidental discoverer of the Arc 4+R2 might well be forgiven for not immediately recognizing it as a flashlight.
A cautious glance into the front end reveals a familiar parabolic reflector which signals a link between the Arc 4+R2 flashlight and its progenitors.
2- The head of this light transitions through a taper at roughly the midway point to a narrower rear-section that effectively fuses the body and tail into one - terminating in a black rubber push button switch This is the space age sillhouette.
3- The Arc 4+R2 is comfortable to hold and is neither bulky nor heavy and yet it has enough heft to give it 'presence'- even in a large hand. Not small enough to be a key-chain light it barely passes for a pocket light and might best be categorized as a compact flashlight.
4- The fore of a hand surrounds the main head section-naturally positioning one's thumb, first and second fingers nearly to the front edge of the bezel with the third and forth fingers on the shorter rear section represents the typical forward hold.The body of the light easily fills a small (*1) sized palm with no protrusion.
5- Wide bands of shallow but effective knurling around the head and tail sections- aid in indexing and grip.
6- The aluminum wall thickness of the battery tube is 3mm and 2mm at the taper respectively.
7- All sections fit together precisely and the threading action is smooth.
8- 'Natural' Type III hard anodizing on the outside and throughout the inside, offer protection against corrosion.
9- The satin finish of the anodizing gives the Arc 4+R2 a luxurious look and feel.
10- There is no 'play' or rattle anywhere. A substantial 'O' ring seal at the mid-section provides some shock absorption, a snug fit and a seal against the elements- especially water. An additional 'O'ring seal prevents water from entering the bezel through the front lens. Lastly, the tail switch is almost seamlessly threaded to the body section and sealed with an 'O' ring. A textured rubber click switch button provides sure activation and an additional seal at the tail.
11- A removable heavy duty spring steel clip (62mm) with a lanyard cut-out- extends to nearly 3/4 of the light's length.
12- The Arc 4+R2 is a manly light to hold. Designed with a nice balance of form combined with function, it 's a space-age interpretation of a classic tool.

1- Stowage- A removable 62mm long and 6mm wide heavy duty spring clip is attached to the front section of the Arc 4+R2 with two hardened steel philips machine screws. Cut out of the clip is a lanyard or ring hole suitable for anything that will pass through a 2mm wide slot.
2 - Basic activation- In normal use, light emits from the front of the flashlight when activation occurs either through a full length press of the switch (momentary) or by partially depressing the switch button for On/Off activation. The first position is a permanent and 'primary' On whilst the second position is a full power-momentary On. Releasing the switch when it's been fully pressed turns the light Off completely. The Arc 4+R2 cannot be used for manual signaling or manual strobing.
3-The front head section is finely threaded to the mid body section and the tail piece allowing for access to the enclosed LED module and switch mechanism respectively. These components seem to require specialized tools for replacements or maintenance to be performed on them.
4- The removable body section protects the battery compartment from the environment by a single 'O' ring and thread lubrication. A removable tailpiece presumably allows for switch maintenance.
5- A proprietary retaining ring (requiring a special tool for its removal) holds the lens in place in the bezel.
6- Access to variable light intensity output of the Arc 4+R2 is afforded through the use of the single click switch button that is used as a control device for software programmed into an embedded ROM microchip . This allows for user 'menuing' through various intensity levels by multiple clicking of the control button.

1-The Arc 4+R2 is fundamentally as simple to turn On and Off as any of several contemporaneous flashlights. However- to go beyond simply turning it on to it's factory setting of 'High' requires a careful reading of the included instruction sheet. Since there are no visible cues on the flashlight itself to inform users of variable-level control; it's conceivable that some users who disdain manuals might never figure out that the unassuming On/Off switch button is also a control device for the software that manages the variable output settings .Indeed typical users are inclined to 'turn something'. That is likely to be either the head section or tailpiece or even both - in an effort to either activate the light or to adjust focus*3
* This goes squarely against the heuristic of making the 'system' obvious so that users can form mental models of the functionality without the assistance of a 'help' system. Instead of this, the design of the Arc 4+R2 hides the navigational paradigm behind an illusive and counter-intuitive behavioral policy of multiple clicking a button that is usually only used in a toggling fashion to affect the On and Off states of a flashlight.
The included one page instruction sheet is a 'quickstart' guide- written for novice users. It advises on operation basics and battery replacement as well how to change from High to "the other brightness level" - which is presumably 'Low'.
To advance beyond this basic functionality and unleash the full multilevel potential of the Arc 4+R2's user interface- users must engage in an archaic 'learning process' that is reminiscent of early desktop systems that were prevalent prior to the advent of the graphical user interface. To characterize this process as awkward would be an understatement at the dawn of the 21st Century. A second 17 page manual is also offered as well as 'pocket guide' and WAV format movies to assist those inclined to spend between one half and an hour 'studying' the functionality. It is unknown how may hours or days would be required for full mastery of the Arc 4+R2's Solid User Interface. As such, the Arc 4+R2 user interface represents a devolution of product usability to a time prior to the age of user-centered enlightenment and ease of product use.
The complete and unabridged Arc 4+R2 user manual is available as an electronic MS Word file that is offered to customers on a CD-ROM that is part of the complete package. These instructions may be reviewed here . In addition, several 'tip sheets' or pocket guides exists to aid users that may get stuck even after learning the basics. Samples of these pocket guides are available here (Diagramming illustrations reproduced with permission of Flashlight-Fan.com)
4- Suffice it to say that after nearly one hour of careful scrutiny of the instructions and repeated attempts to duplicate the effects they described, this 'Alpha User' was unable to repeatedly demonstrate more than 4 distinct levels of intensity. Furthermore, the ability to build a mental model of the architecture and navigational philosophy related to the cognitively burdensome menuing system - simply never sank in. Of even greater concern was the fact that because the Arc 4+R2 is capable of more than 3 levels of output intensity, a typical user would be hard pressed to visually distinguish, much less appreciate, the difference between similar levels without extensive experience and training . The subtle changes in this flashlight's illumination may be of limited practical usefulness.
Added to the previously cited ergonomic problems in handling the Arc 4+R2- this cumbersome approach to the simple function of changing intensity could lead to frustration in the user as well as to a renewal of the type of self deprecation that typified experiences with the early (DOS - command line interface) PC's prior to the introduction of the graphical interface by Apple Computers. In defense of Arc's designers, it should be noted that there exists in the user population for any product, an elite minority of individuals for whom the complexity, and sophistication of an interface is a welcome challenge -part and parcel of the intrigue of novel technology tools and games. As such, the Arc 4+R2 currently has few peers in pocket flashlights that use a computer program to control light intensity and other output functions.
5- We did not perform physical tests but judged that the diamond patterned knurling would be marginally effective to prevent hand slippage- even when factoring in the ergonomically disadvantageous orientation of the flashlight's tapering silhouette. We recommend the use of a wrist or neck lanyard or other tether in order to prevent loss of the Arc 4+R2 in situations that might encourage slippage from the hand -especially during menuing cycles.
6- The Arc 4+R2's lightness and sleek form make it ideal for almost all uses where compactness combined with a highly context inclusive and intense beam are the main requirements. It would be a great and handy asset to have in the home, laboratory, studio, workshop, tool box, camp site as well as for back-up law enforcement and security.
6-Once mastered, the variable intensity 'switch' allows for a calculated matching of supplemental illumination from the Arc 4+R2 to prevalent ambient illumination. As such it could afford it's owners a substantial advantage over lights that only allow for a full brightness setting or two additional levels. This is due to the tendency of overly bright flashlights to cause user 'blindness' resulting from deactivation of cones cells in the eye. By adjusting the intensity of the Arc 4+R2's output to allow for just enough illumination above the ambient illumination, the operator may thus preserve his night vision as well as battery power and increase the duration between battery replacement. The ideal implementation would be a light that senses ambient illumination and automatically emits a suitable level of supplementary illumination.
7-The haptic feedback of the Arc 4+R2's switch is silent and barely perceptible- especially as compared with other lights utilizing a similar push button switch. While this is a welcome relief from the numerous noisy switches we've experienced with some other lights, it actually adds to the difficulty in using this particular product. All too often we found ourselves struggling to hold on to the light as we repeatedly jabbed at the nearly silent button- this in our attempts to change settings from one level to another and not necessarily getting the physical acknowledgement that an 'event' has occurred.
8-Taking all the usability and human factors issues into consideration- once it's actually On, the Arc 4+R2 is a pleasure to use for illuminating a scene- whether it be a dark corner or an entire room. This highly redeeming characteristic suggests that the Arc 4+R2 deserves a switch functionality that more evenly matches the excellent beam quality and brightness as well as engineering build quality.

The Arc 4+R2 scored Maximum Distance for Object Identification or MDOI at 150 feet -more than adequate for general searching, as well as tactical applications. Using the built-in variable intensity feature allows for accurate matching of illumination to the prevalent ambient lighting and context of use.
Beam-shots Page >>

1- The Arc 4+R2 is a medium/heavy duty personal flashlight that's ideal for general flashlight tasks in a number of everyday applications including: wearable personal illumination,outdoors, science, inspection. Due to its robust waterproofness combined with punchy beam , we judge it to be an excellent choice for outdoor activities and everyday use.
2-Potential owners that expect instant gratification and tend to detest manuals or frustrating interfaces may wish to consider a simpler alternative to the Arc 4+R2.
3- This light begs for some modifications that include:
- Reengineering of the silhouette to deliver much better ergonomics-especially activation grip
- Allowing for self-supporting ceiling-bounce mode
- Redesigning the approach to variable level adjustment to much better conform to usability heuristics
- Re-designing the click switch to deliver more obvious sensory feedback and therefore, user control as well as less need for 'jabbing'.
4-Value. The Arc 4+R2-is in a class by itself with few peers. It's not possible to assign it a relative value when comparing it to non-comparable's. At this point in time, the Arc 4+R2 rates 4 stars out of a possible 5 stars.
Our gripes were... A) Mismatch between high value beam and counter-intuitive usability B)Poor ergonomics C) Lack of presentable package makes gift giving a challenge D) Burdensome instructional materials require extensive study.

4 Stars- Recommended

Footnotes:

(*1) Medium Men's glove size- Also, a Standardized Flashlight Hand Size Metric (SFHSM)

		Small A-B = 4.5" or Shorter
		Medium A-B = 4.5"-5"
		Large A-B = 5"-6"
		X-Large A-B = 6" and Longer

(*2) Maximum Distance for Object Identification (MDOI). The maximum distance that a person without the aid of magnification-can with normal or corrected vision, under a given ambient level of light, identify an object of known size, and clearly distinguish it from its surroundings. We have tentatively identified the following scenarios for such measures:

• A single average sized person/body identification scenario
  • Urban (city, inside buildings, dark alley, lit streets)
  • Rural (countryside,farm residential backyard)
  • Environmental (dessert, woods, wetlands, over water)
  • Natural & manmade disaster (fire, flood/mudslide,earthquake, hurricane /tornado,bombing scene, collapsed structure etc)
• Small Inanimate Object (smaller than a shoe-box)
• Medium Inanimate Object (Black Plastic 33 Gallon (124Litre) Garbage Bag stuffed with a big sleeping bag)

(*3) Usability testing results - in progress.

(*5) Context Inclusive Illumination Window (CIIW) as compared with a Context Exclusive Illumination Window (CEIW) .

• CIIW describes a subject illumination paradigm wherein the illumination target is the focus of the beam's brightest disc or 'Hotspot' and peripheral objects to the target are more dimly illuminated in a larger disc that surrounds the focus or hotspot. This outer region is also referred to as a corona or penumbra.
• CEIW describes a subject illumination paradigm wherein the illumination target is the focus of the beam's brightest disc or 'Hotspot' and peripheral objects to the target are not sufficiently illuminated to be easily discernable at the periphery of subject beam's focus or hotspot.

© 2004 - Imägo Metrics - All Rights Reserved
Original standards designations (including acronyms) depicted in this, as well as all of our evaluations are the exclusive intellectual property of Imägo Metrics LLC and subsidiaries. Reproduction without prior written permission is strictly prohibited.

All Photographs © 2004 - Imago Media