To Zebralight

[evgeniy]

5. Nichia 219b Hi CRI: I finally stopped waiting for ZL to do that and found a modder here on CPF to mod my SC600 (old style with removable bezel) with a triple Nichia 219 setup. This is the light I use at work every night, and it's stupendous, so keep asking, and while your at it, ask them to do a TRIPLE Nichia 219b. the central hot spot is HUGE : )

If I did want to add anything to your list, it would be this:
6. Extreme Lower Levels on the rise: When you increase the output of your lights, please don't increase the lowest levels to try and keep the levels perfectly spaced. The ZL super low levels are your trademark, and your loyal customers LOVE and USE those super extreme low levels. I'd rather have those super low .01 and .05 levels, and give up a bit of the perfect spacing you are trying to achieve...... or even better........ give us a new driver with 14 or 16 choices in output, rather than the current 12. That way we can have our higher output lights AND keep the perfect spacing : )

I agree with you, few low levels is nice option, and I also want see these low levels in new ZL flashlights .
------------------------------
What star you used for modding ZL SC600 with triple ? pls. send me fotos in PM, if you can.

 

[SubLGT]

... They sure have PWM but it is not visible to the human eye just put it under the camera and you will see it.

If the PWM is not visible to the human eye, why is it a problem?

 

[Keitho]

Just one more voice to add, in case ZL reads this thread...there is not unanimous support of the OP. My $.02
1. Pogos work well for me, esp. if it allows high current
2. I've never heard/felt battery rattles with my cells in lights with pogos.
3. All my ZL have anodize beyond perfect. Do you use diamonds in the coating somehow?
4. I've never seen PWM, as they say, IRL. Keep up the great work on your driver, it seems to be the most advanced in the industry in most meaningful ways. If you added a momentary mode, infinite ramping, and a bike strobe, it would be perfect.
5. Thanks for all the high CRI offerings of late. It makes me not care as much about a Nichia version, especially since the Emisar D4 has been recently demonstrating exactly how much heat they can produce.

One comment I will add, however. I've experienced two lights with temperamental side switches (one returned, one about to return). Time to switch vendors (pun intended). Your product support is fantastic; but, I'd rather not use it.

 

[Tixx]

I wish you could switch tubes on these so the 18650 lights could be used as 18350 lights.

 

[Tixx]

Howdy Nichia!,


5. Nichia 219b Hi CRI: I finally stopped waiting for ZL to do that and found a modder here on CPF to mod my SC600 (old style with removable bezel) with a triple Nichia 219 setup. This is the light I use at work every night, and it's stupendous, so keep asking, and while your at it, ask them to do a TRIPLE Nichia 219b. the central hot spot is HUGE : )

Nice! a Triple ZL! I can dream!

 

[18650]

I welcome anyone and everyone. But people should be more polite when they talk to others. And it's not a false info as you can see above. to me it's still some kind of PWM. back to the topic please

You have a misunderstanding of what PWM is and this is absolutely not PWM.

 

[eh4]

Overall ZL is my favorite manufacturer, and I have and could endlessly extol their virtues, for this post I'll mention the two main issues (ok 3) I have with their product evolution:

Mode switch timing registers a momentary loss of contact as "OFF", this is really inconvenient when you've left the light on and drop it, and it goes dark!

Losing the super low level is a real bummer, please leave that option for us, it's part of what makes ZL so versatile and essential.

Leave the battery selection open to longer, protected batteries, no matter that protection circuits are redundant and the lights are being made as small as possible, if I need to steal protected cells out of my two cell light to run my ZL headlamp, then let me do that!
Offer an optional deeper tail cap if necessary. (Maybe the most expedient option).

 

[Beard Man]

Overall ZL is my favorite manufacturer...

Can you explain why?

Build quality, indestructible construction,etc.

Just wondering.

Thanks.

 

[eh4]

@Beard Man:

Power to weight,
Body strength to weight,
Compactness,
Versatility,
Light quality,
Build quality,
Features,
Programmability,
Extreme lows with extreme runtimes,
Impressive highs with practical runtimes,
Well spaced levels,
Good tint and beam profile options,
Reliability,
Easy communication and warranty work, with very reasonably priced out of warranty repairs.
(I suspect that their warranty department is so good because they aren't getting slammed with returns.)

Great value despite cost,
in real terms they are the least expensive lights that I own due to their utility and reliability, and for the longer periods of time I've been able to go without getting a newer, better light, because they suffice so well... so by that measure alone they've saved me money, let alone their utility as work lights helping me make $.
(I'm still living in the past with the MK II's, - these are great, polished, late production run lights on discount btw)

They've got a dizzying variety of lights, but all I care about are the AA headlamps and the 18650 headlamps in "w" and "c" tints, (and photo red), so I've only got 13 varieties to concern myself with, multiplied by up to 3 model generations available in stock or for pre-order.
The neutral "w" models used to seem to me to be the best deal between tint and lumens×time, but with continued improvements with the leds and drivers, the "c" models are getting to me, I am trying to hold out for a few more months before the inevitable purchase of an H600Fc MK IV and an H600c MK IV.

Holding out through the MK III generation was relatively easy because the MK II are excellent, and because due to ZL tirelessly improving upon already excellent and cutting edge designs, their improvements are often incremental.
The MK IV "c" lights are worth jumping on to me though, compared to the MK II "w".
- If the MK IV "c" lights prove to be as good as I expect, then my completely reliable MK II "w" lights will become armored, watertight spare battery holders, and their thoroughly tested, and slightly worn switches, threads, and rings will get to rest until needed again.

 

[Beard Man]

Thank you eh4 ,

appreciate it!

 

[ven]

Good feedback eh4!!! I am pretty new to ZL and have watched all the fuss, threads and raving about for ages.................feels like forever! ZL have a strong following, not the usual either. These followers are pretty demanding, hard core customers who are passionate about many factors. Not just high output, low low outputs. Then on top of that, they want frugal, mah sipping lights in a super compact hard anodised light..........So far, i can only think of ZL who offer all in a compact package.

Simply put, if you dont have a ZL you are missing out!. From older pics, i always thought a little fugly, maybe as i was more use to the typical 18650 combat tacticool type light. Either way , the ZL make others look dated, so last year(even new models released).

My only wants and wont get, better clips(like the sc63/64 screwed) instead of the clip on ones. LED wise, nichia(we can have that with other lights, be nice for ZL as well).

 

[Keitho]

Can you explain why?

Build quality, indestructible construction,etc.

Just wondering.

Thanks.

For me, in my EDC uses and outdoor uses, the differentiator that gets me to choose a ZL almost every time instead of my other lights, boils down to some kind of objective or subjective ratio of performance:weight/size. ZL (especially in 18650 models) is unmatched in just about every objective and my personal subjective measures in this area (lumen-hours:weight, lumen-hours:volume, turbo-brightness:weight, usefulness:weight, show-off-performance:volume, etc.).

They are my favorite manufacturer, but aren't perfect. I guess that keeps me buying new ZL's every year!

 

[Tixx]

For me, in my EDC uses and outdoor uses, the differentiator that gets me to choose a ZL almost every time instead of my other lights, boils down to some kind of objective or subjective ratio of performance:weight/size. ZL (especially in 18650 models) is unmatched in just about every objective and my personal subjective measures in this area (lumen-hours:weight, lumen-hours:volume, turbo-brightness:weight, usefulness:weight, show-off-performance:volume, etc.).

They are my favorite manufacturer, but aren't perfect. I guess that keeps me buying new ZL's every year!

Completely feel the exact same way and why I have more ZL lights than any other single brand. I use those type of standards for all my lights. More useful to me than my Oveready Boss.

 

[Lumencrazy]

The electronics used to be potted I guess no more!

 

[Tachead]

The electronics used to be potted I guess no more!

What makes you say that? All of their lights are potted.

 

[Derek Dean]

Tachead, I'm guessing that Lumencrazy is referring to the photo you posted earlier in this thread of the disassembled light, and I've got to admit, those electronics don't exactly look potted to me, but maybe I'm missing something. Please do set me straight. Maybe they are partially potted?

 

[TCY]

Derek, here's the reply ZL staff sent me regarding their potting:

"This is what looks like before the potting material (a Dow Corning thermally conductive silicone) is removed: http://www.zebralight.com/zoomify.asp?catalogid=158&img=assets/images/SC32Potting.jpg
Smaller components (less mass and hence less force under the same acceleration from shock/vibration) are on the upside of the board and covered with potting silicone completely.
Large/hot components are on the other side of the board. The unibody (http://www.zebralight.com/zoomify.asp?catalogid=122&img=assets/images/SC600MkII(L2)cutaway.jpg) are machined to have "cavities" of various sizes and depths, and when filled with potting silicone, provide strong support and short thermal paths for the components.
Single board design is to reduce unnecessary wiring and hand soldering, for better reliability and durability. Besides, PID thermal regulation doesn't work well if the sensor is not right next to the LED. Unibody also provide better mechanical rigidity as well as much better thermal and electrical paths. "

I believe this should answer your question.

 

[Derek Dean]

Thank you TCY, most helpful : )

 

[quangtan]

the 264lm on the H600w MkIV doesn't count

 

[Keezy]

Zebralights are some probably one of the top stock lights in my book from any manufacturer. I echo all the factors pointed out about the ZL that makes them so great. I already have a bunch of them but have already pre-ordered the upcoming MK IV.

I've been away from the flashlight scene or a while so I haven't been using any instruments to test things such as PWM.. just my eyes. Are other users using instruments to test for this or is it mostly an eyeballing thing?

My only real issue at first was the very limited length of batteries that could fit and inability to use protected cells. I quickly got over this when I got used to the excellent driver with LVP and the use of a quality high drain flat top.

The Nichia LED suggestion sounds interesting as it seems a lot of CPF members love the tint and the CRI. I personally am satisfied with the Cree offerings and I even quite like the cool white offerings. Still it would be nice to see how it performs against the Cree for the warmer/high CRI options in the ZL.