ZebraLight SC600 MkII

[Patriot]

I'm eager to see how they shaved over 5mm in length! It's really neat to see zebralight incorporate real improvements and updates. It would be nice to see really innovative pocket clip but with regards to the MKII, I'm sure that changes made have already been finalized for production.

 

[Badbeams3]

Badbeams, if i thought id get a replacement within a week and felt certain that it would be a 'good example' then i would but waiting 3-6 weeks to take another gamble on the tint color etc. and now with xmas upon us the postage system just about grinds to a halt; i dont like sending or trying to receive items OS this time of the year at all.

I go camping just about every second weekend and this is my first warm tinted light so im enjoying that and focusing on that, id rather just use it then wait for a replacement. The light works and in a few months the finish will be well worn anyways... It is what it is and i think i was expecting to much mind you ive had other Chinese lights (Fenix) and they have all been 100% perfectly machined and finished etc.

The off center tail cap is really strange, ive tried looking over every single photo i can lay my eyes on, online and cannot tell if they are all this way or not... ill post up some photos.

Understandable. Looking at my SC600 I see no flaws at all...looks perfect in every way. I think you got hold of a reject...made it`s way back into the mix. Are there no dealers local you could order from in the future? Makes it much easier to return, exchange...whatever. I never order online. I always use the phone and guide my dealer through an inspection before sending it...with the assurance and understanding that if things are not 100%...they can expect it returned. Still run into problems though...ordered an S10 and the battery fit was so tight...I sent it back for a refund (I really loved that light...for the one night we were together).

 

[Alpinebully]

Using a set of verniers i measure 1mm or 0.039" difference between the two sides the cap is off. It can be felt easily when in the hand if you rub your thumb up and down on the knurling on the side of the battery cap, and do it all around basically one side it is flush with the lanyard band and one side the lanyard band sticks out - this is not the side where the lanyard ring is located its about 90degrees from the ring, basically if the side with the logo and switch is the front, the lanyard hole is the back then im talking about the other two quadrents - left and right. I dont know whats off center, maybe its the lanyard 'band' or everything from the underside of it and up.

There are also some deep machining marks covering approx 1/4 of the dia. of the body in the section under the lanyard 'band' seen in the 2nd photo. So perhaps the light wasnt in the tool straight in the first place i dont know.

Other marks in the anodizing can be seen in the battery cap, it feels smooth where the marks are. I havent bothered taking photos of everything i originally mentioned but can do if anyone really wants to see my every complaint.

Example of anodizing marks

Gouging in the area under the lanyard 'banding'

Battery cap is about flush on the right side, but off on the left.

Compare the left to the right side, the shelf between the oring and the edge, its 1mm difference from the left side to the right.

.

 

[CarpentryHero]

I have had poor luck with the ones I bought from there main site too. Poor anodizing on one and an sc60 with what may be dirty contacts in the head or a loose connection.

 

[magnum70383]

If you plan to mostly use the medium and lower brightness selections, then the higher mah AW (Panasonic) 18650 batteries like the 2900, 3100, and 3400 will be best.
However, if you plan to mostly use the high and turbo settings which draw high current, then you will get best results from the AW 2600 mah 18650.

I realize that this sounds unusual, but the chemistries are different. The 2600 is the older LiCo chemistry, and that holds up to higher drain better, and holds up its voltage better in those conditions. It will hold the high setting brightness for longer than the 3100(and probably the 3400 too) before it starts dropping off.
The newer chemistry with the Nickel in it can last longer at low current draw, but drops voltage faster at high current, so the run times on high or turbo won't be as good with the new chemistry that is used in the 2900, 3100, and 3400.

So, for a LED like the XML that likes a lot of current to run at high power, the 2600 is still the battery of choice.
If you want to mostly use the low modes, then get the 3400.
If you look at the discharge graphs of these different batteries closely at the high discharge rates vs the low discharge rates, you can see what I'm saying.

Wow FINALLY I get it. Thank you so much!

 

[peterharvey73]

Wow, I think the light is fine by me.
There certainly are some scratches from the annodising at the tail cap.
In the last photo, the lanyard ring is certainly a little thicker on the right than on the left.
A bit too picky.
I've seen much much worse build quality around than this; like clearly off centered LED emitters.
Nevermind, everyone is different - I understand where you are coming from...

Using a set of verniers i measure 1mm or 0.039" difference between the two sides the cap is off. It can be felt easily when in the hand if you rub your thumb up and down on the knurling on the side of the battery cap, and do it all around basically one side it is flush with the lanyard band and one side the lanyard band sticks out - this is not the side where the lanyard ring is located its about 90degrees from the ring, basically if the side with the logo and switch is the front, the lanyard hole is the back then im talking about the other two quadrents - left and right. I dont know whats off center, maybe its the lanyard 'band' or everything from the underside of it and up.

There are also some deep machining marks covering approx 1/4 of the dia. of the body in the section under the lanyard 'band' seen in the 2nd photo. So perhaps the light wasnt in the tool straight in the first place i dont know.

Other marks in the anodizing can be seen in the battery cap, it feels smooth where the marks are. I havent bothered taking photos of everything i originally mentioned but can do if anyone really wants to see my every complaint.

Example of anodizing marks

Gouging in the area under the lanyard 'banding'

Battery cap is about flush on the right side, but off on the left.

Compare the left to the right side, the shelf between the oring and the edge, its 1mm difference from the left side to the right.

.

 

[Alpinebully]

Wow, I think the light is fine by me.
There certainly are some scratches from the annodising at the tail cap.
In the last photo, the lanyard ring is certainly a little thicker on the right than on the left.
A bit too picky.
I've seen much much worse build quality around than this; like clearly off centered LED emitters.
Nevermind, everyone is different - I understand where you are coming from...

I understand exactly where your coming from too Peter, but what i genuinely find strange here is how can the out of center tail cap happen with a product machine made, i would have thought they would all be basically identical and therefor in design made completely symmetrical in ie. AutoCAD then manufactured etc. as most other SC600's appear to be in the photographs ive seen (I assume these are not made 1 at a time by a bloke on a lathe etc... Its hard to show in the photos and i certainly didnt see it first, it became clear to me while holding the light that it wasnt even.

And as i said above, its the sum total of the 'little' things that bother me. Like little 'chips' in the chamfering of the edges, specially around the on/off button as i feel it every time i turn the light on or off.

 

[twl]

Fascinating.

Is there any downside to using the 2600 on high?

Not really.
During the last half of the run time, the 2600 holds on to its voltage better than the 3400.
However, much depends on your use of the light, and what voltages you decide to recharge at.
If you are an early recharger, and don't wait for the light to get down under 3.5 volts, then you get basically as good from the 2600 as you would from the 3400.
If you recharge a little later, and use 3.4 or even 3.3 volts as your lower limit, then the 2600 is better.

However, if you are the type of user who waits for the protection circuit to cut-off the light, then the 3400 will still last longer because it has higher capacity than the 2600. So, it can run longer at the lower levels at the tail end of the run time because of that.
That's where the benefit of the 3400 is. At the tail end.

The thing is, that if you don't use the tail end of your run times, and like to recharge at mid-voltages to keep your battery more than half-full, then you get just as good or better results off the 2600, and it costs a lot less to buy the 2600. And early recharging helps give longer battery longevity with more cycles.

The 3400 is still a great battery, and I'm not downing it. I'm just saying that there are some circumstances that you can get as good or better results from the 2600, and pay less money for them.

I personally never wait for the battery to get run way down to the bitter end before recharging. I always like to have my batteries as full as possible when I go out with the light.

 

[JKolmo]

Good stuff twl, thanks for sharing!

Just so that I understand completely, does a high MAh cell take longer to reach lets say 3.6V from fully charged than a 2600 given the same type use? If not, and if always recharging at approx 3.6V, I don't see the point in shelling out for high MAh cells.

 

[sspc]

...
The thing is, that if you don't use the tail end of your run times, and like to recharge at mid-voltages to keep your battery more than half-full, then you get just as good or better results off the 2600, and it costs a lot less to buy the 2600. And early recharging helps give longer battery longevity with more cycles.

Thanks for sharing the benefits of the 2600 mah batts (this is helpful). But would early charging "give longer battery longevity with more cycles"? Since early charging would increase the frequency of charging cycles (compared to later charging), isn't it possible that consistently early charging a batt will degrade a battery as fast as late charging (over time) because you're charging the battery more often?

So on one end you gain more cycles but at the same time since more cycles are happening more frequently, do you reach the batteries cycle max sooner?

 

[twl]

Good stuff twl, thanks for sharing!

Just so that I understand completely, does a high MAh cell take longer to reach lets say 3.6V from fully charged than a 2600 given the same type use? If not, and if always recharging at approx 3.6V, I don't see the point in shelling out for high MAh cells.

It depends on the brand of batteries involved, but the best 3400 will reach 3.6v at the same time as the AW2600 at a 2 amp load.
At a 3 amp load, they reach 3.5v at the same time. Both batteries are fairly comparable down to that level.
But, with either 2 amp or 3 amp load, the 2600 holds on to its voltage from 3.5v down to 3.3v at higher levels for a longer time before dropping off pretty hard at about 3.3v-3.25v.


So basically, if you recharge before it gets down to 3.5v, the AW 2600 is as good as the 3400 under heavier loads.
If you wait until 3.3v-3.25v to recharge, the 2600 is better than the 3400, because the 2600 maintains voltage better than the 3400 in that range, just before dropping off fairly hard at the end of its capacity.
If you run the battery lower than 3.25v, the 2600 quickly runs out of capacity, and the 3400 will continue trailing off down to the cutoff voltage. So, for some purposes, the 3400 would be better for that. The 3400 "hangs on" longer at the lower voltage range at the end of the run time. That's where it gives its real benefit, and it might not run the turbo or high levels down there. But it would still run on the lower settings.
That's the synopsis.

 

[JKolmo]

Thanks for that synopsis twl, very well put!

AW 2600 MAhs it is for me...

 

[twl]

Thanks for sharing the benefits of the 2600 mah batts (this is helpful). But would early charging "give longer battery longevity with more cycles"? Since early charging would increase the frequency of charging cycles (compared to later charging), isn't it possible that consistently early charging a batt will degrade a battery as fast as late charging (over time) because you're charging the battery more often?

So on one end you gain more cycles but at the same time since more cycles are happening more frequently, do you reach the batteries cycle max sooner?

Yes, it would depend on the battery.
But generally speaking, shallow cycling will make the battery last longer because it extends the number of cycles in its life.
The number of cycles in a battery's life is not fixed. It varies with depth of discharge, and shallow cycling extends the number of cycles in its life. Deep discharging reduces the number of cycles in its life.
And high charging voltages also reduces battery life. If you charge to 4.1v or 4.15v, instead of 4.2v, you'll get more cycles out of the battery too.
And you have to weigh that against how it might impact your usage of the light.

Most of this stuff is variable, and YMMV, and your usage/needs will dictate what's best for you. That's why they give these discharge curves in various current loads, so you can match the battery to the way you use your light or device.

 

[sspc]

Thanks TWL for the details!! This is a big help to me.

Regarding the new ZL. I'm really intrigued by the smaller size. The single 18650 flashlights are my favorite form factor and the smaller the better. My only reservation is the diameter on the SC600 as I love to pocket carry my lights but this one may be too good to pass up

 

[twl]

Thanks TWL for the details!! This is a big help to me.

Regarding the new ZL. I'm really intrigued by the smaller size. The single 18650 flashlights are my favorite form factor and the smaller the better. My only reservation is the diameter on the SC600 as I love to pocket carry my lights but this one may be too good to pass up

I have found that if you have relatively loose fit pants, like slacks or cargo pants, it feels fine in your pocket. In tight jeans, it feels like a lump in your pocket.
So, it comes down to your attire.

I don't have a Zebralight SC600, but I have a light that is just as small, about 102mm long and 31.5mm head. So, it's virtually the same size as a SC600, and I find it just fine to carry in a pocket.

It's a triple XPG2 with 1600 lumens on high at turn on. A real pocket rocket.

That black thing above the business card is a 18650 battery carrying capsule. It's about 3.5" long.

 

[TEEJ]

 

[carl]

Using a set of verniers i measure 1mm or 0.039" difference between the two sides the cap is off. It can be felt easily when in the hand if you rub your thumb up and down on the knurling on the side of the battery cap, and do it all around basically one side it is flush with the lanyard band and one side the lanyard band sticks out - this is not the side where the lanyard ring is located its about 90degrees from the ring, basically if the side with the logo and switch is the front, the lanyard hole is the back then im talking about the other two quadrents - left and right. I dont know whats off center, maybe its the lanyard 'band' or everything from the underside of it and up.

There are also some deep machining marks covering approx 1/4 of the dia. of the body in the section under the lanyard 'band' seen in the 2nd photo. So perhaps the light wasnt in the tool straight in the first place i dont know.

Other marks in the anodizing can be seen in the battery cap, it feels smooth where the marks are. I havent bothered taking photos of everything i originally mentioned but can do if anyone really wants to see my every complaint.

Example of anodizing marks

Gouging in the area under the lanyard 'banding'

Battery cap is about flush on the right side, but off on the left.

Compare the left to the right side, the shelf between the oring and the edge, its 1mm difference from the left side to the right.

.

Good eye! Apart from the scatches on the tailcap, I never would have caught the other irregularities.

'Ignorance is bliss...'

 

[eloreno]

My recently received sc600w looks the same I regards to the bulging ring under the tailcap.

 

[Alpinebully]

My recently received sc600w looks the same I regards to the bulging ring under the tailcap.

Thanks for the comment eloreno, kinda glad to know im not alone.

So, does you example also have the deep machine mark / gouging under the protruding lanyard ring 'band'?

And also, while im at it i might as well show you the 'glue'...

See in the last photo in the original set of images with the battery inserted how at the 'bottom' quadrant, the battery isnt sitting even? Well i dare say this is why;

This blob, has run about 5-10mm along the battery tube and its interferance can be seen on the battery plastic wrap as it creases the wrapping of the battery.

 

[tobrien]

Thanks for the battery explanations twl!