*2016* ZebraLight SC63 and variants like the SC63w

[gunga]

I'm sorry. We've spent pages discussing the battery "issue" and are going in circles. Some people are fine with unprotected cells, some not. Everyone has their own valid preferences. Can we stop with the battery sniping and just talk about the light that this thread is about? If you read a thread about a car, you don't want to spend the entire time reading about gas. Let's get back on topic!

 

[light-wolff]

Ugh this uninformed battery talk is killing me...

+1000
Some people don't even read what they respond to. Drives me crazy. I surrender.

 

[KITROBASKIN]

People here are talking like no other flashlight manufacturer makes lights with limitations on 18650 configurations. Really?

It's a good thing that ZebraLight has heard this kind of clucking before (shape, size, ribs, color, matching anodizing, on and on) and takes it all in stride, and keeps selling great lights.

There probably would be little to no battery talk in this thread if Zebralight would have just allowed more cell compatibility with these lights:thinking:

 

[markr6]

So, let's move on and just accept the fact unprotected 18650s will blow your face off and burn your house down. Protected 18650s will only blow half your face off and burn half your house down.

In the meantime, I'm looking forward to using my SC63w with unprotected cells, just like a dozen other everyday products I have with unprotected cells and protection built into the hardware (cell phone, dust buster, external power supplies, laptop, etc.

 

[ateupwithgolf]

I'm sorry. We've spent pages discussing the battery "issue" and are going in circles. Some people are fine with unprotected cells, some not. Everyone has their own valid preferences. Can we stop with the battery sniping and just talk about the light that this thread is about? If you read a thread about a car, you don't want to spend the entire time reading about gas. Let's get back on topic!

+1000, rename the title to say "the unprotected cell only sc63"

 

[nbp]

I'm sorry. We've spent pages discussing the battery "issue" and are going in circles. Some people are fine with unprotected cells, some not. Everyone has their own valid preferences. Can we stop with the battery sniping and just talk about the light that this thread is about? If you read a thread about a car, you don't want to spend the entire time reading about gas. Let's get back on topic!

^^^ This. Keep on topic please, guys. Discuss the features of the light, not the safety of unprotected cells. There is a whole subforum for the discussion of batteries, which is where much of this thread's commentary belongs.

 

[Tachead]

Its not just unprotected cells guys, its the fact that it only takes exactly 65mm cells. I know of no other flashlight, or any other average battery powered device for that matter(aside from proprietary), that is so limited in its cell compatibility. It might as well be a proprietary battery like Sonys old rectangular AA. Plus, it has such tight tolerances that I question the long term connection reliability. The fact that the pressure on the contacts is so low that the battery rattles, unlike a spring contact, when it is brand new is a concern to me at least. I could see these models having connection/flickering issues down the road. Even if they hold up, I just dont think it was a wise decision on Zebralight's part. Just the strong opposition in this thread alone proves that. Any design that a large part of your customer base is strongly apposed to is a bad business decision imo. I know ZL likes to be different, hell many are apposed to their goofy looking ribbed designs too but, I think this different. I for one hope they stick with their usual design(SC62, SC600, H600 exc.) or a better and more compatible one going forward.

 

[sidecross]

Its not just unprotected cells guys, its the fact that it only takes exactly 65mm cells. I know of no other flashlight, or any other average battery powered device for that matter(aside from proprietary), that is so limited in its cell compatibility. It might as well be a proprietary battery like Sonys old rectangular AA.

Deleted

 

[Tachead]

All my other 18650 lights work with a 18650 65mm flat top battery; your statement is in error and his the only reason for my comment.

Yeah mine too lol. Its the fact that it will only work with a 65mm cell. My others work with various cells of various lengths, protected and bare. Some need a raised positive however.

 

[snowlover91]

Its not just unprotected cells guys, its the fact that it only takes exactly 65mm cells. I know of no other flashlight, or any other average battery powered device for that matter(aside from proprietary), that is so limited in its cell compatibility. It might as well be a proprietary battery like Sonys old rectangular AA. Plus, it has such tight tolerances that I question the long term connection reliability. The fact that the pressure on the contacts is so low that the battery rattles, unlike a spring contact, when it is brand new is a concern to me at least. I could see these models having connection/flickering issues down the road. Even if they hold up, I just dont think it was a wise decision on Zebralight's part. Just the strong opposition in this thread alone proves that. Any design that a large part of your customer base is strongly apposed to is a bad business decision imo. I know ZL likes to be different, hell many are apposed to their goofy looking ribbed designs too but, I think this different. I for one hope they stick with their usual design(SC62, SC600, H600 exc.) or a better and more compatible one going forward.

The thing is their customer base apparently has no issues whatsoever with this design. The MK3 has the same "limitations" yet sold out all the preorders quickly and they're having a hard time keeping up the demand. Part of the reason the SC63 isn't scheduled to ship until January 31 is due to the high demand, they originally planned to introduce preorders around the same time as the MK3 and ship early January. The email correspondence I received indicates they had to delay things slightly due to this high demand. A few members on here unsatisfied with the unprotected cell limitation is definitely not a majority of their customer base. My Nitecore lights are limited to using protected batteries but that doesn't make them any less a great light.

Personally I like the pogo pin design they have incorporated. It's one of my favorite features of the SC5w and SC5fd lights. The "battery rattle" issue experienced by some will probably be fixed in the SC63 and later production of the MK3 also. My SC62w does rattle when I use unprotected cells and if I shake it quite hard but that doesn't bother me at all. The future potential of the SC63 is bright with options for 90+ CRI down the road, something ZL is contemplating and may produce later this year. I for one would be ecstatic to buy a 90+ CRI light capable of 900+ lumens in a small SC63 size package.

 

[scs]

The thing is their customer base apparently has no issues whatsoever with this design. The MK3 has the same "limitations" yet sold out all the preorders quickly and they're having a hard time keeping up the demand. Part of the reason the SC63 isn't scheduled to ship until January 31 is due to the high demand, they originally planned to introduce preorders around the same time as the MK3 and ship early January. The email correspondence I received indicates they had to delay things slightly due to this high demand. A few members on here unsatisfied with the unprotected cell limitation is definitely not a majority of their customer base. My Nitecore lights are limited to using protected batteries but that doesn't make them any less a great light.

Personally I like the pogo pin design they have incorporated. It's one of my favorite features of the SC5w and SC5fd lights. The "battery rattle" issue experienced by some will probably be fixed in the SC63 and later production of the MK3 also. My SC62w does rattle when I use unprotected cells and if I shake it quite hard but that doesn't bother me at all. The future potential of the SC63 is bright with options for 90+ CRI down the road, something ZL is contemplating and may produce later this year. I for one would be ecstatic to buy a 90+ CRI light capable of 900+ lumens in a small SC63 size package.

While the general response here has been positive, Tachead has brought up some potentially valid points. Only time will tell.
Some people buy things without first considering every potential shortcoming, some of which will be consequential and some will turn out not to be. Therefore, just because something seems popular during the initial release phase, it doesn't mean it's all good.
And who knows how many ZL expected and planned and how many were actually ordered? Perhaps it sold out early only because ZL's first batch was really small to begin with, just so they can test the water, get some initial feedback and perhaps revise their design.

 

[Tachead]

The thing is their customer base apparently has no issues whatsoever with this design. The MK3 has the same "limitations" yet sold out all the preorders quickly and they're having a hard time keeping up the demand. Part of the reason the SC63 isn't scheduled to ship until January 31 is due to the high demand, they originally planned to introduce preorders around the same time as the MK3 and ship early January. The email correspondence I received indicates they had to delay things slightly due to this high demand. A few members on here unsatisfied with the unprotected cell limitation is definitely not a majority of their customer base. My Nitecore lights are limited to using protected batteries but that doesn't make them any less a great light.

Personally I like the pogo pin design they have incorporated. It's one of my favorite features of the SC5w and SC5fd lights. The "battery rattle" issue experienced by some will probably be fixed in the SC63 and later production of the MK3 also. My SC62w does rattle when I use unprotected cells and if I shake it quite hard but that doesn't bother me at all. The future potential of the SC63 is bright with options for 90+ CRI down the road, something ZL is contemplating and may produce later this year. I for one would be ecstatic to buy a 90+ CRI light capable of 900+ lumens in a small SC63 size package.

Just because they are selling lights doenst mean their customer base doesnt have issues with the design or that it isnt a bad design. They could be selling even more if they had kept the spring contact/wide cell compatibility design. A lot of people are not buying or are selling these models just because of this one bad imo design decision. I am one of them. And, members here and on other flashlight enthusiast sites are a large part of their customer base, really their main customer base. I personally dont know a single person who knows what Zebralight even is outside of this site and other flashaholic sights. I bet most members dont either. They are a niche market specialty flashlight company who tailors to flashlight enthusiasts and not the general public. This design is proof of that. I bet you will/would never see Fenix, Nitecore, Eagletac, Surefire, 4Sevens, exc. make a design choice like this.

Dont get me wrong, I like the company and do look forward to their future offerings. I have a H600Fd MKIII in the mail right now in fact. But, I dont like this new design and likely wont be buying any lights with it and I know Im not the only one. Like I said, I hope ZL realizes that a lot of people dont want to be limited so much on their choice of cells and goes back to the regular spring contact design or a new one that is not limited to one exact size/type of cell.

 

[sidecross]

I am a new consumer of Zebralights of only the last few months, but not new to having and using flashlights for many years.

I am now very partial to Zebralights because I EDC two lights, now a SC32 and a SC600w Mk II L2 18650 XM-L2. I have on order a newer SC600 Mk III 18650 XHP35. Their size and quality are main reason for my choice to replace what I had used before.

As for the battery issue, this seems to be an issue of debate and much misunderstanding; as been mentioned by others this is not the thread for any more discussion.

 

[sidecross]

Dont get me wrong, I like the company and do look forward to their future offerings. I have a H600Fd MKIII in the mail right now in fact.

The ZLH600Fd Mk 3 is only 1.7mm longer than the SC600 Mk3 and the ZLH600Fd Mk 3 is 25 grams lighter. The ZLH600Fd Mk 3 is now my headlamp.

 

[Tachead]

The ZLH600Fd Mk 3 is only 1.7mm longer than the SC600 Mk3 and the ZLH600Fd Mk 3 is 25 grams lighter. The ZLH600Fd Mk 3 is now my headlamp.

Please tell me you dont mean the battery compartment? The specs said it will take up to a 69mm cell? PM sent.

 

[sidecross]

Please tell me you dont mean the battery compartment? The specs said it will take up to a 69mm cell? PM sent.

Yes it is 69mm and will accept protected batteries at that length; it also has a traditional spring back.

 

[Tachead]

Yes it is 69mm and will accept protected batteries at that length; it also has a traditional spring back.

Great, I only bought it because the specs said 69mm and it has the spring contact. Glad I dont have to send it back. Thanks for the confirmation:thumbsup:

 

[snowlover91]

Just because they are selling lights doenst mean their customer base doesnt have issues with the design or that it isnt a bad design. They could be selling even more if they had kept the spring contact/wide cell compatibility design. A lot of people are not buying or are selling these models just because of this one bad imo design decision. I am one of them. And, members here and on other flashlight enthusiast sites are a large part of their customer base, really their main customer base. I personally dont know a single person who knows what Zebralight even is outside of this site and other flashaholic sights. I bet most members dont either. They are a niche market specialty flashlight company who tailors to flashlight enthusiasts and not the general public. This design is proof of that. I bet you will/would never see Fenix, Nitecore, Eagletac, Surefire, 4Sevens, exc. make a design choice like this.

Dont get me wrong, I like the company and do look forward to their future offerings. I have a H600Fd MKIII in the mail right now in fact. But, I dont like this new design and likely wont be buying any lights with it and I know Im not the only one. Like I said, I hope ZL realizes that a lot of people dont want to be limited so much on their choice of cells and goes back to the regular spring contact design or a new one that is not limited to one exact size/type of cell.

Nitecore already has this in many of their lights but theirs is the opposite; unprotected batteries can't be used unless they are button tops. Even then some of their lights won't work with button top unprotected cells, for example the EC4S series I've read require protected button tops. A button top unprotected cell isnt long enough to work based upon reports I've read. While the change for ZL may be a turn off for some I believe many will overlook it and the result on sales will be minimal imo. I've read maybe 15 members on here who stated they wouldn't buy this light... That definitely isn't going to hurt cells. I see where you are coming from but I don't think it will affect them negatively and there are many other variables to consider that could affect sales, those who like the shorter length and use of unprotected batteries might be more inclined to buy more than one thus offsetting those who refuse to buy it. It's hard to know since we have no sales data or anything to go off of but overall the initial demand has been strong for the MK3 and will probably be for the new SC63.

 

[snowlover91]

While the general response here has been positive, Tachead has brought up some potentially valid points. Only time will tell.
Some people buy things without first considering every potential shortcoming, some of which will be consequential and some will turn out not to be. Therefore, just because something seems popular during the initial release phase, it doesn't mean it's all good.
And who knows how many ZL expected and planned and how many were actually ordered? Perhaps it sold out early only because ZL's first batch was really small to begin with, just so they can test the water, get some initial feedback and perhaps revise their design.

Agreed it is hard to know without knowing all the facts. I'm just going off the correspondence I've had with them about the SC63 and future models of it. They mentioned that they were running max production for the MK3 lights and had to push back the HI version and SC63 due to this high demand. Even if they have a lot of returns or problems it does indicate at least a high initial demand for the product.

If they release a high CRI 90+ SC63 with 900 or more lumens like they mentioned I know everyone here will be buying those up, even those who don't like the design or battery restriction will be tempted with that! The hard part is waiting... The good news is it gives my wallet time to recover!

 

[Lumencrazy]

Just because they are selling lights doenst mean their customer base doesnt have issues with the design or that it isnt a bad design. They could be selling even more if they had kept the spring contact/wide cell compatibility design. A lot of people are not buying or are selling these models just because of this one bad imo design decision. I am one of them. And, members here and on other flashlight enthusiast sites are a large part of their customer base, really their main customer base. I personally dont know a single person who knows what Zebralight even is outside of this site and other flashaholic sights. I bet most members dont either. They are a niche market specialty flashlight company who tailors to flashlight enthusiasts and not the general public. This design is proof of that. I bet you will/would never see Fenix, Nitecore, Eagletac, Surefire, 4Sevens, exc. make a design choice like this.

Dont get me wrong, I like the company and do look forward to their future offerings. I have a H600Fd MKIII in the mail right now in fact. But, I dont like this new design and likely wont be buying any lights with it and I know Im not the only one. Like I said, I hope ZL realizes that a lot of people dont want to be limited so much on their choice of cells and goes back to the regular spring contact design or a new one that is not limited to one exact size/type of cell.

We are the largest customer base? Please show me the data! A lot af people are. CPF has approx 5300 active members. Even if 10% bought Zebralight it would still be nowhere near enough to keep the company in business. Many people like myself are waiting for these new models because they are optimized for unprotected cells and have a high quality built in protection circuit. I can use the highest quality Panasonics knowing that the protection circuit (the curcuit itself) is not some low budget design from some unknown manufacturer. Who makes the protection circuit for your cells? I do not mean who installs them on the battery under their own brand name, but who is the actual manufacturer of the proyection circuit board? Who knows?