The Official Zebralight Thread .

[jabe1]

I think the electronic switch complicates getting an amperage reading that’s reliable.

Couldn’t stop myself; ordered one!

 

[this_is_nascar]

I see what the specs say, but does anyone know for sure that this new SC53c N Neutral White High CRI AA won't safely support 14500.

 

[chillinn]

I think the electronic switch complicates getting an amperage reading that’s reliable.

Maybe Bob_McBob can help us out. If that's true, the switch can be bypassed, and he knows how to get into them.

I see what the specs say, but does anyone know for sure that this new SC53c N Neutral White High CRI AA won't safely support 14500.

How could anyone know? No one has one yet.

 

[Bob_McBob]

New features, so great

View attachment 40679

That's actually not a new behaviour. All SC53 and H53 variants blink periodically while off with very low cell voltage, and I assume the SC52 and H52 behaved the same way. I've seen speculation it might actually be the MCU rebooting, but I guess it's a feature now 😁

 

[HRace]

Dedoming that emitter is going to make a very warm color temperature. Anyone have a number on that? 2000K CCT?

3100k. Bob Mc_Bob just dedomed this emitter in the Zebra right angle mule (flood) and those were his measurements. Similar to the 219b sw30, kind of.

 

[aznsx]

The SC53w is 330Lm on 1.2V Eneloop, but, and this is critical, with LED, as you increase the voltage, the current necessarily will also increase. So whatever the current draw is for SC53w on Eneloop at 330Lm, on voltages above 1.2V, the current is going to necessarily be higher.

I just measured the current draw of my Streamlight 2L-X, first using an 18650 (~4V), then using a pair of CR123A cells (~6V)); a voltage increase of ~50%. The current drawn by the light (as measured in amps) decreased by >30%. Allowing for a few variables (such as cell voltage sag under load, which I can't measure, etc.), that sounds a lot like Ohm's law 101 to me.

How did you determine that the opposite should occur, or is a Zebralight somehow fundamentally different from my light?

 

[Lips]

Cranked the Vapcell H10 button-top really tight and no joy on my SC53w. Probably could grind the button down a little and it would work...

Just a guess given the SC53w not getting overly warm on H1 using a Li-ion it's running close or around 2 amps for the SC53w on Li-Ion. It auto ramps down at one minute like the SC52 so that's a good thing...

I think the driver/light was originally designed for Li-ion (like SC52) and it had the slight problem when changing battery chemistries. Too much money to fix the problem and too much confusion to add a line in the manual to push the button when changing battery chemistries for the general public users...

I put a little solder on the one H10 flat-top I have that wouldn't make contact and it works fine...

For me the SC53 is anemic (to dim) on an Eneloop - Fujitsu battery. I'm gonna be sending it back, promptly, if it doesn't take the Li-ion!

 

[SYZYGY]

I think the electronic switch complicates getting an amperage reading that’s reliable.

what? why? you just have put an ammeter in series with the battery or other power source.

what's slightly complicated is rigging that up.

 

[chillinn]

How did you determine that the opposite should occur, or is a Zebralight somehow fundamentally different from my light?

I just looked it up. Google, fwiw. My "research" these days is never very deep and thorough. I catch the scent and run with it.

 

[RegularGuy81]

I ordered one! Can’t wait!

Seems like the verdict is still out on taking Li-Ions?

Until someone becomes a Guinea pig and tries out a cell and posts definitively I’ll get some Eneloop Pros.

TeamZL!

 

[this_is_nascar]

Maybe Bob_McBob can help us out. If that's true, the switch can be bypassed, and he knows how to get into them.


How could anyone know? No one has one yet.

Maybe Bob_McBob can help us out. If that's true, the switch can be bypassed, and he knows how to get into them.


How could anyone know? No one has one yet.

Insider info? Someone that has ties with someone that does know. You make it sound like it's impossible to know things, until something is released.

 

[PoliceScannerMan]

I prefer regular Eneloop, my Pro's crapped out after a few years.

 

[lampeDépêche]

I ordered one! Can’t wait! ....

Until someone becomes a Guinea pig and tries out a cell and posts definitively I’ll get some Eneloop Pros.

I've pre-ordered as well. I don't know whether they'll take 3.7v Li-Ions, but I think they probably will, on the assumption that they have the same driver as the other SC53 and H53 units that do accept Li-ions.
I'm confident enough that I will drop a Li-ion into mine after it arrives, and report back to the thread.

 

[The Whispering Gallery]

@ tailcap
SC52w L2 - H1 on 14500 - 1.72 A
H53w - H1 on 14500 - 1.76 A

Getting inconsistent results with Eneloop. The highest I measured was 2.33 A on the SC52.

Not 100% sure that these are accurate, so it would be great if someone could cross-check.

 

[chillinn]

Insider info? Someone that has ties with someone that does know. You make it sound like it's impossible to know things, until something is released.

Not so fast, this_is_nascar. There are many types of knowledge, but what you asked was,

does anyone know for sure

which would imply whether someone has experience to know, or knows a posteriori. I know beyond all doubt that SC53c does not support Li-ion because it says right on the dang product page: Operating Voltage Range: 0.7V - 2.0V, as well as its previous few incarnations also not supporting Li-ion voltages.

So we do know that, officially, Zebralight does not support Li-ion voltages in the SC53c N. If, in fact, Li-ion voltages work in the light, and Zebralight is aware that Li-ion works, and yet officially does not support Li-ion voltages in the light, why would that be? Do you think Zebralight is being coy? Or would it make more sense that they are limiting their liability? In the case of the latter, it is pretty unlikely anyone associated with Zebralight closely enough to know, such as an employee or owner, would contradict Zebralight's official position on the matter, as that would tend to undermine their liability strategy.

So the only way anyone is going to have the experience to know is either they try it themselves, or someone they find trustworthy does. In both cases it requires someone to have the light. So that is really what we are waiting for, release, shipment, delivery, and only then, experimentation. Only then will someone know "for sure."

 

[lampeDépêche]

@ tailcap
SC52w L2 - H1 on 14500 - 1.72 A
H53w - H1 on 14500 - 1.76 A

Getting inconsistent results with Eneloop. The highest I measured was 2.33 A on the SC52.

Not 100% sure that these are accurate, so it would be great if someone could cross-check.

Those numbers seem pretty consistent, so far as I understand things.
Suppose the 14500s are running at 3.9v, then 1.7A gives you roughly 5 watts, for about 500 lumens.
The Eneloop at 1.2v and 2.3A is putting out around 2.8 watts for an H1 of around 280 lumens.
So, the emitter in both cases is pumping out around 100 lumens per watt.
That all make sense, I think?
But my grasp on electronics is nothing compared to some members of this fine community, so I speak awaiting correction.

 

[this_is_nascar]

Not so fast, this_is_nascar. There are many types of knowledge, but what you asked was,

which would imply whether someone has experience to know, or knows a posteriori. I know beyond all doubt that SC53c does not support Li-ion because it says right on the dang product page: Operating Voltage Range: 0.7V - 2.0V, as well as its previous few incarnations also not supporting Li-ion voltages.

So we do know that, officially, Zebralight does not support Li-ion voltages in the SC53c N. If, in fact, Li-ion voltages work in the light, and Zebralight is aware that Li-ion works, and yet officially does not support Li-ion voltages in the light, why would that be? Do you think Zebralight is being coy? Or would it make more sense that they are limiting their liability? In the case of the latter, it is pretty unlikely anyone associated with Zebralight closely enough to know, such as an employee or owner, would contradict Zebralight's official position on the matter, as that would tend to undermine their liability strategy.

So the only way anyone is going to have the experience to know is either they try it themselves, or someone they find trustworthy does. In both cases it requires someone to have the light. So that is really what we are waiting for, release, shipment, delivery, and only then, experimentation. Only then will someone know "for sure."

Did you ever make a simple post and regret it later? Let me find that delete button.

 

[chillinn]

Did you ever make a simple post and regret it later?

Every last one of them, and then some.

 

[Chauncey Gardiner]

Every last one of them, and then some.

In your defense, some of them are great!

 

[lampeDépêche]

That's actually not a new behaviour. All SC53 and H53 variants blink periodically while off with very low cell voltage, and I assume the SC52 and H52 behaved the same way. I've seen speculation it might actually be the MCU rebooting, but I guess it's a feature now 😁

Weird -- I have never seen this behavior. But then I realize that I religiously back the tail-cap off a little bit whenever I'm not using the light. And I also pretty religiously keep topped-up batteries in my lights if I'm using them, or no battery at all if I'm not. I should try putting a low battery into some of my ZLs sometime, just to see if they do this!