The Official Zebralight Thread

[tonkem]

After 9 years, my Zebralight SC63 CW finally died. The LED still comes on, but the Color temp is 5700K normally and now looks more like 4000k and has a large black hole in the center of the beam. Oh well. It lasted me 9 years of daily carry. I am not a fan of the lower K lights, so I emailed Zebralight to see if they would be releasing something in the 5700k range and they told me they would never be releasing anything higher than 5000k. They said they would be releasing an SC66 later this year, at 4500k and perhaps an SC66d at 5000k. Here is a photo of my LED, it looks melted.

 

[DE73]

After 9 years, my Zebralight SC63 CW finally died. The LED still comes on, but the Color temp is 5700K normally and now looks more like 4000k and has a large black hole in the center of the beam. Oh well. It lasted me 9 years of daily carry. I am not a fan of the lower K lights, so I emailed Zebralight to see if they would be releasing something in the 5700k range and they told me they would never be releasing anything higher than 5000k. They said they would be releasing an SC66 later this year, at 4500k and perhaps an SC66d at 5000k. Here is a photo of my LED, it looks melted. View attachment 85369

Change the LED to a new one.

 

[russprechtl]

You can also try Vinh. He may be able to get and swap in anything you want. He's been awesome in helping me with any special requests.

 

[DE73]

Case closed after six months. In May I ordered a Zebra H54c N that was defective. I received four replacement lamps that also were defective. Two I sent back to China at my expenses two defective I still have. I have also purchased lots off different batteries to try. But after six months they have refund the money. I hope zebra can sort out there quality problems but I will stay away for some time.

 

[Monocrom]

Case closed after six months. In May I ordered a Zebra that was defective. I received four replacement lamps that also were defective. Two I sent back to China at my expenses two defective I still have. I have also purchased lots off different batteries to try. But after six months they have refund the money. I hope zebra can sort out there quality problems but I will stay away for some time.

I look at their website, and it's clear that their Heyday is over. Has been for years. No offense to anyone, but as a Zebralight owner (love mine), I doubt that the company will be in business a decade from now.

 

[Lips]

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After 9 years, my Zebralight SC63 CW finally died.

Ask them for an RMA #

Just sent my SC64 HI back to the Texas home office with a $25 check. They'll send it to China to have the light repaired (button replaced) with 3 - 4 month turn around.


Member Bob_McBob sells SC65 with XHP35 5000K for around $157 at over 1000 lumens out the front. He'll put what you want in it if it has the right voltage.

 

[DE73]

I look at their website, and it's clear that their Heyday is over. Has been for years. No offense to anyone, but as a Zebralight owner (love mine), I doubt that the company will be in business a decade from now.

It’s nice lights but if they don’t have any none defective light to deliver they have huge problems.

 

[tonkem]

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Ask them for an RMA #

Just sent my SC64 HI back to the Texas home office with a $25 check. They'll send it to China to have the light repaired (button replaced) with 3 - 4 month turn around.


Member Bob_McBob sells SC65 with XHP35 5000K for around $157 at over 1000 lumens out the front. He'll put what you want in it if it has the right voltage.

Must not have mentioned that I contacted them, and they said they don't stock the LED that came in the SC63 anymore, so no RMA. I actually sent this light back to them for at button issue as well, earlier this year. The button, when pressed once, would sometimes not activate the light. They fixed that, but now the LED, oh well. I am carrying my SC600 Mk III, a little bigger but the same output, but will hold the higher output longer than the SC63.

 

[lampeDépêche]

possibly one of the first Right Angle LED Headlamps in Tube format.

I think Petzl had other headlamps before that, but they were not Tubular bodies w right angle heads..

a Headlamp was Zebralight's first product

the Zebra spreadsheet says the H50-P4 (first entry at bottom of sheet) was:

"The very first ZebraLight product. World's first "cylindrical with rubber loop" headlamp ever invented"

I have always assumed that the novelty of their design was the source of their name. Zebras are the weird ones in the horse world, the horses unlike others.
MD's in med school are taught to focus on the most common diseases and not obsess over rare, uncommon diseases, and what they tell the students is, "when you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras."
That's how I have always interpreted the name "Zebra"-light -- it's a light unlike any other.
(Though as DE73 notes, the design is now very common and copied by everyone.)

 

[jon_slider]

they said they don't stock the LED that came in the SC63 anymore, so no RMA.

McBob does impeccable mods, he routinely replaces the switch with a longer life one (that imo also has less mushy feel than the stock SC65).

He is the Master at LED replacements and repots completely..

 

[lampeDépêche]

I have had good luck with both Bob McBob and with Vinh. Vinh has done a lot of weird custom jobs for me over the years. You can ask him, and if he does not want to deal with modding ZL's, then BMcB is your man.

 

[tonkem]

How do I get a hold of McBob? Does he have a website, or?

 

[Mr. LED]

@Bob_McBob just PM him

 

[radellaf]

I look at their website, and it's clear that their Heyday is over. Has been for years. No offense to anyone, but as a Zebralight owner (love mine), I doubt that the company will be in business a decade from now.

Predictions they'll go out of business seem to have been following them for as long as they've been around. A decade is a pretty believable prediction, though. I'd doubt that any very small business would still be around in 10 years. Or, at least, wouldn't plan around expecting them to be.

I do respect that they have covered the important bases as far as size and battery types, in headlamp and handheld, and kept everything remarkably consistent. The build quality also seems to be more than just a cut above anything else that isn't $200+. I love my Convoy and Emisar lights, but I wouldn't trust them as much. Then again, when you have 10 of every brand, one of 'em will work.

If they can't fix the QC problems, though, yeah, that would be bad. Their rep, and a lot of the appeal, is based on reliability. I appreciate the affordable repairs, but taking months (vs just swapping lights and them dealing with it) isn't great.

 

[jon_slider]

about 18650 models.. I like the previous generation better than the new generation,

Im very happy w my SC64 LE.. driver has much lower Flicker Index than the new SC65

about AA models... I also prefer the previous generation AA models (because they work on LiIon), over the new AA only ones

Im very happy w my SC53c N and H53Fc N for their dual fuel capabilty.. much better than the new AA only SC54c N and H54Fc N.

I like 14500 LiIon much better than Eneloop.. both require recharging, but 14500 is available w built in USB-C, and 14500 offers double the output of Eneloop, on H1.

 

[GoVegan]

Zebralight will send a fourth lamp, I really hope that it will not have any defects. Three lamps with serious quality defects can't be a coincidence, Zebralight seems to have quality problems at the moment. I think however that they have god customer support, they answer quick and try to solve the problem.

I ordered a H54c N recently, my first ZebraLight. I liked it a lot, so about a week or so later ordered the SC54c N, which just arrived yesterday. First impressions, wow it's awesome, plus better throw that the H54c. Come night time, blink!, WTF was that, then again, and a short time later again. Then I remembered about your problem, sure enough when I timed it, 90 secs single blinking when off. Tried with two freshly charged Eneloops, same, 4 click battery check function shows 4 bright flashes, plus both batteries work fine in the H54.
Very disappointed, as I was going to order a bunch more ZLs. I've asked for an RMA and if this is a known problem.

 

[jon_slider]

Come night time, blink!

yikes
an undocumented 90 second locator flash that can only be disabled by physical lockout

is the flash at low brightness or high brightness?

 

[GoVegan]

yikes
an undocumented 90 second locator flash that can only be disabled by physical lockout

is the flash at low brightness or high brightness?

Low but still it's very bright in the pitch dark. A locator beacon would be most least desired feature on any flashlight. I'd never consider enabling it on my HDS lights even. There's probably a use case for some, but not for me.

Video of the blink: imgur.com/a/zebralight-sc54c-n-evlduip

BTW it was because of your raving about the SC54 here or on Reddit that I decided on it.
But I went for the headlamp first as a good SHTF light, plus my Petzl 50 lumens headlamp is about 14 years old now and I needed a constant current light, damn horrible running in the rain with the PWM.

 

[DE73]

I ordered a H54c N recently, my first ZebraLight. I liked it a lot, so about a week or so later ordered the SC54c N, which just arrived yesterday. First impressions, wow it's awesome, plus better throw that the H54c. Come night time, blink!, WTF was that, then again, and a short time later again. Then I remembered about your problem, sure enough when I timed it, 90 secs single blinking when off. Tried with two freshly charged Eneloops, same, 4 click battery check function shows 4 bright flashes, plus both batteries work fine in the H54.
Very disappointed, as I was going to order a bunch more ZLs. I've asked for an RMA and if this is a known problem.

Exactly the same problem I had with the first two lamps. I’m amazed that Zebra can’t fix there known quality problems. They don’t even check the lamps before sending them out. They really have huge problems.

 

[jon_slider]

Video of the blink: imgur.com/a/zebralight-sc54c-n-evlduip

BTW it was because of your raving about the SC54 here or on Reddit that I decided on it.

thanks for the video, I must have blinked, cause I did not see it, watched it 3 times, at what second mark is the blink?

I did compare the SC54c N form factor to a D3AA, and definitely prefer the Zebra form factor and clip. None of my SC54c N had the 90 second blink issue.

I do rave about the 2023 SC53c N that is dual fuel.. Once I found one, I sold my SC54c N

I’m amazed that Zebra can’t fix there known quality problems. They don’t even check the lamps before sending them out.

for me the SC54c N is inferior to the 2023 SC53c N, in several ways, even when they dont have the 90 second beacon bug.. Im not a fan of Eneloop (heavier than LiIon,) and the 54 driver has higher Flicker Index than the 53 driver. Plus I prefer the longer tailcap spring of the 53, which allows use of AAA, in addition to AA/14500.