ZebraLight SC600

[Glock27]

Yeah Baby!, I should have an SC600w before the weekend!. FORT WORTH TX, 76161 G27

Processed through USPS Sort Facility

December 06, 2011 - 1:19 am

 

[MikeWilson]

That charger will charge them fine as long as that battery fits in the SC600, a very tight fit can eventually cause you problems.

Thanks for the heads up on the charger. What batteries is everyone else using in the SC600? AW's?

 

[henry1960]

AW 2900 PROTECTED CELLS...

 

[oldways]

RediLast 3100:thumbsup:

 

[jhc37013]

Mike get the AW or Redilast 2900mah they are the best quality protected 18650 you can buy and they both use the same Panasonic cell last I heard. The 3100 may or may not fit your particular SC600 depending on the manufacturing tolerance of the both the light and the battery, the 2900 is the best play.

 

[Fitz]

AW 3100's fit fine in my SC600, newest version with lanyard hole.

 

[MikeWilson]

Thanks everyone - such helpful people on a delightful forum (like a breath of fresh [brightly lit] air on the internet!).

I saw both the 2900 and 3100 AW cells available from a local retailer and I did wonder why everyone recommends 2900 when they both look the same. I'll stick with 2900, then

All the best,

Mike

 

[MikeWilson]

AW 3100's fit fine in my SC600, newest version with lanyard hole.

Nice to know

 

[PoliceScannerMan]

AW 3100's fit fine in my SC600, newest version with lanyard hole.

+1

 

[uplite]

Has anyone checked their SC600 or 600w with an ampmeter yet? Curious as to what they pull at the tailcap on turbo.

Just for kicks. With a benchtop power supply caliibrated to 3.70 volts (nominal LiCo voltage), my SC600w drew 3.12 amps on Turbo. Call it 11.5 watts.

Incidentally, less than 10% of those 11.5 watts are turned into light. The rest becomes heat.

Can you imagine holding a 10-watt incandescent bulb in your hand for 5 minutes?

Zebralight has done a stellar job (as usual) with the thermal engineering in such a small package.

 

[uplite]

I saw both the 2900 and 3100 AW cells available from a local retailer and I did wonder why everyone recommends 2900 when they both look the same.

To give a cell more capacity, you either have to make it larger, or make the anode/cathode separator layer thinner.

Some manufacturers take the simple approach of making the cell larger, even beyond the standard cell size. This can cause fit problems with precision-machined tubes like the SC600.

Other manufacturers take the more difficult approach of making a thinner separator, so they can pack in more anode and cathode material. This has its own drawbacks, since a thinner separator is more delicate. Heat or physical shock is more likely to cause a cell failure.

I build li-ion battery packs for one of my projects. In my experience, 2600mAH 18650 cells are currently the sweet spot of performance & reliability.

Jeff

 

[MikeWilson]

To give a cell more capacity, you either have to make it larger, or make the anode/cathode separator layer thinner.

Some manufacturers take the simple approach of making the cell larger, even beyond the standard cell size. This can cause fit problems with precision-machined tubes like the SC600.

Other manufacturers take the more difficult approach of making a thinner separator, so they can pack in more anode and cathode material. This has its own drawbacks, since a thinner separator is more delicate. Heat or physical shock is more likely to cause a cell failure.

I build li-ion battery packs for one of my projects. In my experience, 2600mAH 18650 cells are currently the sweet spot of performance & reliability.

Jeff

Thanks Jeff, that's a very clear explanation.

I'll stick with 2900. It seems to be the capacity that most people are using for the SC600 and I do need the run-time.

Just one more question for you if I may; have you ever carried a spare battery? What's the safest way to manage it? (Stored in a plastic container?)

All the best,

Mike

 

[Quacker]

Uplite, have you got any experience with the new Panasonic 3100mah 18650s?
I bought 2 to try out in my SC600 and so far they are absolutely fantastic. Only drawback is that they are unprotected, but the SC600 has built in protection already

 

[Glock27]

<snip>; have you ever carried a spare battery? What's the safest way to manage it? (Stored in a plastic container?)
Mike

I carry a spare cell in a plastic waterproof match case that I got at Wal- Mart. If you put a small bit of foam in the bottom of the case, an 18650 fits perfectly.

http://www.rei.com/product/678278/c...-B849-E011-AFD7-001517384908&mr:referralID=NA

 

[psychbeat]

I don't understand how pana3100 (NCR18650a) are less reliable than a 2600mah?

Is it just the thinner internals or something?
I've got some 2900 2600 &3100 both protected and non - no problems so far.
The unprotected 3100and 2900 panasonic seem about the same size.
The protected are def larger than the protected 2600.

 

[TyJo]

I think the reliability discussion was generally speaking. Li-ion chemistry keeps changing/evolving as does li-ion battery technology as a whole. I'm no expert but I doubt you would see a difference in durability between a quality 3100mah cell and a quality 2600mah cell, the way they are used in flashlights. The 3100mah cell also provides slightly better runtimes, and could very well have better cell longevity, shelf life, discharge rates, and lower self discharge rate.

 

[samgab]

I don't understand how pana3100 (NCR18650a) are less reliable than a 2600mah?

Is it just the thinner internals or something?
I've got some 2900 2600 &3100 both protected and non - no problems so far.
The unprotected 3100and 2900 panasonic seem about the same size.
The protected are def larger than the protected 2600.

The 2900 and the 3100 are exactly the same size... They use the same can:
https://industrial.panasonic.com/eu/news/nr201005IE002/nr201005IE002/Press_Release_Li-Ion_NNP_E.pdf .

As for how they get the extra mAh's out of the new 2900 and 3100's have a read of the info here:
http://industrial.panasonic.com/www-data/pdf2/ACI4000/ACI4000CE17.pdf .

Basically, it's due to improvements and advances in technology, such as a Nickel Oxide based positive electrode.
A bit like how as years go by, some newer and more advanced cars have better fuel economy and more power with a smaller lighter engine than in the past.
There's no reason to avoid the NCR18650 or the NCR18650A, in either bare unprotected format, or in re-wrapped PCB protected format, for the SC600.

 

[John_Bowtell]

Should be Recieving one today and another later this week =] I should of orderd one of each (SC600 & SC600W) oh well haha always good to have a spare.

 

[samgab]

Has anyone checked their SC600 or 600w with an ampmeter yet? Curious as to what they pull at the tailcap on turbo.

Here are my tail current results.

• Original SC600
• Tested with a Fluke 87V (Typical burden voltage, 0.03V/A on DC Amps range and 1.8mV/mA on DC mA range.)
• Using AW2900 with 3.948 starting OCV

Turbo (750lm):
Min: 2.721 A / Max: 3.042 A / Avg: 2.934 A (~2.900 with freshly charged cell)

H2 (500lm):
Min: 1.299 A / Max: 1.370 A / Avg: 1.321 A (~1.249 A with freshly charged cell)

H2 (330lm):
Min: 0.763 A / Max: 0.778 A / Avg: 0.765 A (~0.734 A with freshly charged cell)

H2 (200lm):
Min: 0.410 A / Max: 0.414 A / Avg: 0.411 A (~0.396 A with freshly charged cell)

M1 (65lm):
148.6-149.1 mA (~142.4 mA with freshly charged cell)

M2 (21lm):
52.98-53.05 mA (~51.15 mA with freshly charged cell)

L1 (2.8lm)
10.50 mA (10.09 mA with freshly charged cell)

L2 (0.1lm)
1.56 mA (1.55 mA with freshly charged cell)

Off
65.6 μA (Whaat! You could fly to the MOON on 65.6 μA! )
(70.2 μA with freshly charged cell)

 

[bansuri]

Great info Samgab! Thanks for taking the time to get the readings.