arc的3月份总结报告－－by peter.
Many happenings at Arc recently. Not everything can be posted publically but we have been busy! Here are some updates on several programs:<BR><BR>AAA/AA intermittants<BR>Some of the AAA/AA product sold in the past year suffers with an intermittant operation. Most of the time the unit will turn on but sometimes it doesn\'t. This makes the product unreliable for emergencies. We stopped selling the product once we knew we had a serious problem. For the past 3 months, we have been intensively testing (thousands of manual cycles, electrical, thermal, etc) to determine the cause of the problem. We now feel confident that most of the intermittant problems were caused by the DC/DC chip used in our Arc-AAA/AA circuit. The manufacturer of that chip has been very helpful and has admitted to the part not meeting their spec. They have a new build of the chip that has passed our tests but the part is in short supply. There are quite a few customers that use this chip and they all want the new stock of course. With difficulty, we have received a small number of the good chips and have begun to ship out replacements to people who have requested warranty service. If you have an Arc-AAA/AA (all models) that has intermittant operation (sometimes it turns on, sometimes it doesn\'t), please send the light back and we will replace it under warranty. Lead time on warranty returns is about 3-4 weeks right now. <BR><BR>We have also begun to fill some back orders but we are limiting new orders until we have caught up fully. <BR><BR>LSH Stripes<BR>Last month, we had a batch of LSH parts come in with strange stripes that showed up in the anodize. Initially, we had no idea what was causing it and none of our contractors would admit wrong doing. We had to pay for the parts and they were assembled into LSH-S and LSH-P so we could service some of the heavy back orders we have for those products. I posted a disclaimer on our website about the stripes so people would know what they were getting. Meanwhile, we visited our vendors and continued to investigate this. One of our machine shops finally admitted to changing the stock and they agreed to replace future deliveries. This means that we paid for 1/3 of the blemished stock and they paid for 2/3. We will continue to sell out the remaining striped stock since they are excellent mechanically and electrically. Once that stock has sold out, we will offer a final batch of LSH-S/P/F without the stripes. This should allow me to end the line on a good note. We will not be offering replacements for striped units since we declared what they were before the sale and also offered refunds to those who did not know. We will continue to offer refunds of course. We are finding that demand for the striped units is surprisingly strong and we will soon be out of the LSH-P and LSHF-P units with the stripe. <BR><BR>We are phasing out this line because the Arc4 is designed to replace/surpass the LSH line. Since our production capabilities are limited and growth is rapid, it is better for us to focus on fewer designs.<BR><BR>In reflection, this has been an interesing couple of months... We have had two unusual problems we have never seen before hit our top lines. Bad chips and density lines are quite rare from what I understand. I feel like I am on a crash, "building character" course. <IMG alt="" src="http://www.candlepowerforums.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif"><BR><BR>We continue to experience unusually strong demand for all of our products. I think this is because of the large amount of media attention we have received in the past 6 months (radio, tv, magazines, etc). This has created a shortage of course and some people have gotten upset with us for the long lead times. We lost one of our dealers because they just couldn\'t wait any longer for us to ship their order. I understand this and it is unfortunate when we loose people. But having a strong demand for the product is a good thing. To a point. Please bear with us.<BR><BR>Arc4<BR>The Arc4 has been the least troublesome new product roll out in the history of this company. Every new product has some bugs of course, but the Arc4 has been quite kind to us. I think the biggest problem with this new line has been teething issues with the new switch design. We expected this because it is such a radical design. It has received more design attention than any other single feature in the Arc4. We are continuing to improve the design to make it more reliable. Rev2 will include several refinements. We are increasing the travel in the switch which will improve operation with different types of battteries. We are also adding a cushion ring to inside of the button to reduce the rattle of the plunger. This ring can also be applied to the first design and I will try to make these rings available for free when they come in.<BR><BR>After a few minor adjustments, the software has been quite stable. We have been using the same build for awhile now with no need to make any changes. <BR><BR>We recently changed the PCB and circuit as requested by our CM. These changes make the boards easier to make and less likely to develop problems during assembly. This has improved yields noticably. With the previous design, we had to send more assemblies back for rework. <BR><BR>The other top "problem" with the Arc4 has been user issues. The light has a fairly radical interface and the truth is that not everyone is having a smooth go at learning/using it. Even so, we feel that the design is sound. In fact we have applied for a patent on the user interface. As people get used to the idea of "smart" flashlights, we think that support costs will go down.<BR><BR>There are a few other minor issues with blemishes, PCB issues (causing beacon/RFS anomolies), etc but those are definately manageable. <BR><BR>Understanding that I am posting this on the CPF and you guys have clear opinions on certain options, design changes, etc I should remind you that there is a distinction between product flaws and difference in opinion on the addition of certain features. Obviously, not every will agree on what features they want in a light, that is why you have designers like myself who take a risk on design elements. You then decide among the available options what will work best for you. Not everyone will buy Arc of course. As always, I highly value your input. This helps insure our designs are as usefull/practical as possible. But I also realize we will not please everyone. <BR><BR>At any rate, moving on.. <IMG alt="" src="http://www.candlepowerforums.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif"><BR><BR>The last of Rev1 Arc4s are being shipped. We are now entering a pause in Arc4 production while the rev2 parts are finished and tested. Rev2 adds knurling to the head and length to the switch travel mostly. During this time, Arc4s will become very scarce. I imagine this will create some hard feelings and I ask for your patience. We will not be taking Arc4 orders during this time. <BR><BR>Today I received prototypes of the 2x123 packs and the switch guard. I will be testing these for a bit and plan on posting some info here as well. The 2xAA pack was delayed for another month. I have no idea at this point when all of these accessories will go on sale. Sorry, it has been pretty busy lately and I just don\'t have the info in front of me right now.<BR><BR>I am continuing developement on the Arc4 pouch but I have been so busy lately it has fallen behind. I haven\'t even finished reading all your posts in the pouch thread. <BR><BR>I continue to test Jon\'s rechargeable Lithium Ion cells in my Arc4 second that I carry (all the premiums were shipped to customers so I carry a second) with good results. When/if these cells become commerically available, I recommend them for us in the Arc4. The Arc4 is the only light I know that is specifically designed to work with these cells.<BR><BR>There has a been several major changes here recently that I can\'t tell you about or at least not yet. <IMG alt="" src="http://www.candlepowerforums.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif"> Some bad, some good with the good being in the majority thankfully.<BR><BR>I think I covered just about everything.<BR><BR>Thanks again for teaming with us to make usefull flashlights.<BR><BR>Peter 贴在cpf的，偶转过来，大家看看。so 长啊，偶可不给翻译。这句话可能我们这边不会很认同吧：
The Arc4 has been the least troublesome new product roll out in the history of this company. Every new product has some bugs of course, but the Arc4 has been quite kind to us.
大意是：
arc4是我们公司有史以来问题最少的产品。每个新产品不可避免的会有些问题，但arc4对我们来说已经足够好了。
问题最少？怎么不提自己的缺点，总是往好处说。这就是美国企业的作风吗？看来大家以后还是不要买arc的产品好了。支持国货，便宜又好用。。
如果将外观问题排除的话，也许可以认为ARC4问题很少。
不过说实在的，什么东西只要一与软件沾边，问题都不会少，只不过有些还未发现而已——peter实在是有些大意了。
这段也挺逗的：
I continue to test Jon\'s rechargeable Lithium Ion cells in my Arc4 second that I carry (all the premiums were shipped to customers so I carry a second) with good results. When/if these cells become commerically available, I recommend them for us in the Arc4. The Arc4 is the only light I know that is specifically designed to work with these cells.<BR>
我正继续在我携带的arc4 2nd上测试jon的可重锂电（因为premiums全供给客户了，我本人只好带2nd)，它表现的非常好。在这种锂电变得有商业应用价值的时候，我会建议用在arc4上。arc4是我所知道的唯一光源，为使用这种电池做了专业设计。
1，peter真可怜，自己都没有arc4 preminums使。
2，peter测试的，是16340这样的可冲锂电电芯吗？他管他叫cell，我猜是。
3，arc4为使用可冲锂电做了专门设计？好消息。只是不知道设计的哪些方面，过流？过放？做了这些那就太好了。
还有peter要在arc4下个版本灯头上加上防滑花纹，这是个好主意。
飞翔兄，还是不要太偏激了。
peter说：........This helps insure our designs are as usefull/practical as possible. But I also realize we will not please everyone.
“.....但是我同时意识到我们的产品不会满足所有人的要求”
可能arc的产品不适合你，下次别买了。但还是有很多人喜欢arc，尽管他只是个作坊，产品还会有缺陷。
<DIV class=quote><B>以下是引用<I>Raptor在2004-3-19 10:15:55</I>的发言：</B><BR>如果将外观问题排除的话，也许可以认为ARC4问题很少。
不过说实在的，什么东西只要一与软件沾边，问题都不会少，只不过有些还未发现而已——peter实在是有些大意了。
</DIV>
<BR>peter好像认为现在的软件版本已经很稳定好用了：
After a few minor adjustments, the software has been quite stable. We have been using the same build for awhile now with no need to make any changes. <BR>
可能老美和完美主意者不同吧：细节不影响功能，就是好。比如arc4关掉后，会很暗很暗的闪。其实偶也认为这不是个大问题，可能电池在arc4里放的时间久了，会没电。那点儿漏电，可能2年3年都不会漏完一个cr123吧。要我设计，这样也就可以了，偶对自己比较宽容，呵呵。
<DIV class=quote><B>以下是引用<I>weisar在2004-3-19 10:25:03</I>的发言：</B><BR>飞翔兄，还是不要太偏激了。
peter说：........This helps insure our designs are as usefull/practical as possible. But I also realize we will not please everyone.
“.....但是我同时意识到我们的产品不会满足所有人的要求”
可能arc的产品不适合你，下次别买了。但还是有很多人喜欢arc，尽管他只是个作坊，产品还会有缺陷。
</DIV><BR>同意以上说法，我的一级品到现在还没有发现论坛所述问题。个人感觉非常好用，在此感谢s2k为我提供这样好的电筒。 If you have an Arc-AAA/AA (all models) that has intermittant operation (sometimes it turns on, sometimes it doesn\'t), please send the light back and we will replace it under warranty. Lead time on warranty returns is about 3-4 weeks right now.
“如果你的arc aaa/aa有问题（有时候能点亮，有时候点不亮)，请退回我们更换，大概需要3——4周时间。”
不知道是不是对方付往返邮费。要是这样，偶一定退回。arc aaa用了2年来，给偶的打击实在很大，总在关键时候点不亮，已经对他没有信心了。
<DIV class=quote><B>以下是引用<I>yangaihui在2004-3-19 10:40:02</I>的发言：</B><BR><BR>同意以上说法，我的一级品到现在还没有发现论坛所述问题。个人感觉非常好用，在此感谢s2k为我提供这样好的电筒。</DIV><BR>看来就是你一个人的没有问题了。我和另外一个老兄的正品都有这些那些的问题。一个好的厂家，就应该要求自己的产品质量，虽说有些问题是不影响使用的。高档次的产品，质量，外观都应该比普通的产品要好，不然的话，这个价格，大家不如去超市里面买个2-3元的产品来用。一个产品是不可能很完美，但是如果有很多的问题，那么它就是一个不合格的产品。arc说不保证外观，本身的说法就是一种推辞，一个好的产品，一个高的价格，就应该有个好的外观。 <DIV class=quote><B>以下是引用<I>doglan在2004-3-19 13:43:54</I>的发言：</B><BR>我倒是觉得外观是个次要问题，特别是这种经常带在身上用的东西，结实、耐用、可靠就好。外观再好，用一阵也完蛋。</DIV><BR>呵呵。老兄如果不要求外观的话，用陶瓷做一个，用个几千年没问题。
[此贴子已经被作者于2004-3-19 14:03:27编辑过]
还是等等!会有升级版本出来的! <DIV class=quote><B>以下是引用<I>雨点在2004-3-19 15:13:15</I>的发言：</B><BR>还是等等!会有升级版本出来的!</DIV>
<BR>对，现在Rev1已经不供货了。Rev2在灯头加了防滑纹。现在的arc4的确太滑了。
<DIV class=quote><B>以下是引用<I>飞祥在2004-3-19 10:52:59</I>的发言：</B><BR><BR>看来就是你一个人的没有问题了。我和另外一个老兄的正品都有这些那些的问题。一个好的厂家，就应该要求自己的产品质量，虽说有些问题是不影响使用的。高档次的产品，质量，外观都应该比普通的产品要好，不然的话，这个价格，大家不如去超市里面买个2-3元的产品来用。一个产品是不可能很完美，但是如果有很多的问题，那么它就是一个不合格的产品。arc说不保证外观，本身的说法就是一种推辞，一个好的产品，一个高的价格，就应该有个好的外观。</DIV>
我认为，一个产品的档次高低，应和它的价格对应，档次高价格就高。作为ARC的产品，我认为还不能算是高档次的产品。众所周知，美国的产品相对中国的产品价格要高很多，这里面有许多原因。如果中国的产品能达到国外产品的水平，我想大家都会支持国货的。但是遗憾的是国内的产品太不争气，只会在一些花里胡哨的方面做文章。从功能、质量到外观都无法同国外产品竞争。
就目前中国的国情，似乎绝大多数中国人都只认价低的产品（美名其曰性价比高），价格稍高一些就只问不买。象坛子里的各位烧友如果同外人谈论自己买的某某手电是几百甚至上千买的，只怕没有几人会认为你是正常人。正因为如此，现在的国货是价格越来越低，质量是越来越差，造假售假的是越来越多。当然，并不是中国生产的产品都不好，而是很少，只有一些外商独资或合资企业的产品质量还能保证。比如今天我买的两个有利电无绳话机，每台1480元。需要订货才能买到，问柜台小姐说这样的货没有现货只能预订，原因是进一台一年半年不一定卖出去，同柜台的国产货功能花里胡哨，价格只要200元。但是拿到手一比较简直没法比，接上线比较更不是一个档次。买这样的电话是因为原来买的一台步步高无绳电话（一个月前花了1100元）声音差，经常掉线，对方听不到声音，总之毛病多了。功能却比有利电的多，什么七彩屏，和旋音乐，大屏幕等等。真是不比不知道，一比才知道。
以上纯属个人意见。<BR>
<DIV class=quote><B>以下是引用<I>yangaihui在2004-3-19 17:05:38</I>的发言：</B><BR>我认为，一个产品的档次高低，应和它的价格对应，档次高价格就高。作为ARC的产品，我认为还不能算是高档次的产品。众所周知，美国的产品相对中国的产品价格要高很多，这里面有许多原因。如果中国的产品能达到国外产品的水平，我想大家都会支持国货的。但是遗憾的是国内的产品太不争气，只会在一些花里胡哨的方面做文章。从功能、质量到外观都无法同国外产品竞争。
就目前中国的国情，似乎绝大多数中国人都只认价低的产品（美名其曰性价比高），价格稍高一些就只问不买。象坛子里的各位烧友如果同外人谈论自己买的某某手电是几百甚至上千买的，只怕没有几人会认为你是正常人。正因为如此，现在的国货是价格越来越低，质量是越来越差，造假售假的是越来越多。当然，并不是中国生产的产品都不好，而是很少，只有一些外商独资或合资企业的产品质量还能保证。比如今天我买的两个有利电无绳话机，每台1480元。需要订货才能买到，问柜台小姐说这样的货没有现货只能预订，原因是进一台一年半年不一定卖出去，同柜台的国产货功能花里胡哨，价格只要200元。但是拿到手一比较简直没法比，接上线比较更不是一个档次。买这样的电话是因为原来买的一台步步高无绳电话（一个月前花了1100元）声音差，经常掉线，对方听不到声音，总之毛病多了。功能却比有利电的多，什么七彩屏，和旋音乐，大屏幕等等。真是不比不知道，一比才知道。
以上纯属个人意见。<BR>
</DIV><BR>辉哥啊～这些话我们说说还可以，你说不太合适啦～ 纯属个人意见^_^ 前面的两种电话的比较很有意思，ARC4也是花哨功能一大堆，却连基本的外观都做不好……
坛子上的很多弟兄对国货的要求极高，可一放到美国货身上，就连外观问题也无所谓了。
100美元在国外也不算小数目！
<DIV class=quote><B>以下是引用<I>weisar在2004-3-19 10:39:09</I>的发言：</B><BR><BR>peter好像认为现在的软件版本已经很稳定好用了：
After a few minor adjustments, the software has been quite stable. We have been using the same build for awhile now with no need to make any changes. <BR>
可能老美和完美主意者不同吧：细节不影响功能，就是好。比如arc4关掉后，会很暗很暗的闪。其实偶也认为这不是个大问题，可能电池在arc4里放的时间久了，会没电。那点儿漏电，可能2年3年都不会漏完一个cr123吧。要我设计，这样也就可以了，偶对自己比较宽容，呵呵。
</DIV>
手电就是要能点亮，但也要能关断，连这个最基本的要求都做不好，是绝对不能原谅的。
至于外观问题，确实不影响使用，但这反映了厂家对待自己产品的态度——连外观这么简单的都解决不好，怎么能让人相信他能做出好产品？！
Peter敢这么做是因为ARC的牌子，但如果老是这样的话，迟早会把这块牌子砸了的。
<A name=18083><FONT color=#0000ff><B>Raptor</B></FONT></A>老兄话虽简单，一语道破天机，佩服。
不知道ARC看到会怎样，会不会也是不理不采。呵呵，反正他是不理我了。
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