Zebra H600Fc Soft Brick

[Dr.Tautology]

I just picked up this light and I continue to have a problem with it becoming soft bricked. Essentially the light occasionally and randomly will go into a state where it is on, but unresponsive to any button presses. I have to disconnect the battery to get it out of this state. This seems to happen most often after programming or switching the UI groups, but I can't reliably replicate.

I've emailed Zebra light customer service and they first had me troubleshoot the battery. I've tested with two fully charged Samsung 30q's and I have experienced the problem several times with both batteries. Zebra light is saying that this issue is a result of a voltage drop which causes the microcontroller to stop.

I need this light to be reliable and I cannot have it doing this at random. It seems that Zebra is reluctant to say if this is a firmware bug or not. I just need to know that I'm not wasting my time getting a different unit, or if this is just problem with these lights I need to find something else.

 

[desert.snake]

I just picked up this light and I continue to have a problem with it becoming soft bricked. Essentially the light occasionally and randomly will go into a state where it is on, but unresponsive to any button presses. I have to disconnect the battery to get it out of this state. This seems to happen most often after programming or switching the UI groups, but I can't reliably replicate.

I've emailed Zebra light customer service and they first had me troubleshoot the battery. I've tested with two fully charged Samsung 30q's and I have experienced the problem several times with both batteries. Zebra light is saying that this issue is a result of a voltage drop which causes the microcontroller to stop.

I need this light to be reliable and I cannot have it doing this at random. It seems that Zebra is reluctant to say if this is a firmware bug or not. I just need to know that I'm not wasting my time getting a different unit, or if this is just problem with these lights I need to find something else.

The same behavior with any battery. It seems to me that this is due to a memory overflow in the driver or something like that, I can't say for sure, but it really happens most often when switching mode groups and reconfiguring them. I also unscrew the back cover so it goes out, then I screw it back up and it works fine again. In my opinion for complete reliability, it is better to take the HDS Executive, but this Zebra has never let me down yet.

 

[Mr. LED]

Yesterday I was programming one of my Zebras and it froze just like that. I disconnected the battery and all was fine. It was the first time in six years owning Zebras and I own dozens of them. I think you need not to worry.

 

[Gemster]

I just got a replacement H600Fd mk IV but I haven't tested it yet. The original one had a tendency to dim itself down within minutes of being turned on, and that was at less than after a dozen uses from new.

It's troubling that it takes a couple months to get a returned item looked at and replaced ZL. My customer service experience comes up a bit short compared to other companies that I've dealt with.

If the replacement is also faulty I'll certainly be looking to another brand.

 

[Stefano]

I just got a replacement H600Fd mk IV but I haven't tested it yet. The original one had a tendency to dim itself down within minutes of being turned on, and that was at less than after a dozen uses from new.

It's troubling that it takes a couple months to get a returned item looked at and replaced ZL. My customer service experience comes up a bit short compared to other companies that I've dealt with.

If the replacement is also faulty I'll certainly be looking to another brand.

I also have a similar problem with an H604c that drops in brightness very quickly, a brand new headlamp that was only used at the time of receipt and which was then in its box. .
The same headlamp but in version "d" instead has the opposite behavior.
After a long email exchange they told me to clean up the contacts and if the problem persists I will have an RMA.
Now I have cleaned the contacts and tomorrow I try to see if anything has changed.
I only used a bit of Nyogel 750 on the thread of the cap but I have always done it with all my lights and I doubt that is the problem.

 

[Gemster]

I also have a similar problem with an H604c that drops in brightness very quickly, a brand new headlamp that was only used at the time of receipt and which was then in its box. .
The same headlamp but in version "d" instead has the opposite behavior.
After a long email exchange they told me to clean up the contacts and if the problem persists I will have an RMA.
Now I have cleaned the contacts and tomorrow I try to see if anything has changed.
I only used a bit of Nyogel 750 on the thread of the cap but I have always done it with all my lights and I doubt that is the problem.

I got a bit of a directed exercise trying fresh and different batteries as well as "cooling" the light before an RMA was issued; Nothing was required about cleaning contacts. Thinking about that, it was brand new out of the box so what's up with cleaning contacts?

If you get an RMA prepare for a long wait. ZL doesn't just send a new one out right away.

I have an H602 that I have had for many many years and it is fault free other than the fact that it is fairly power hungry being only useful on high output.

So I have just tested the replacement H600Fd mk IV and it acts like the original. It runs on high for a couple minutes than it steps down in 1 second intervals to maybe the H2 level. I do regret the purchase.

 

[Stefano]

I got a bit of a directed exercise trying fresh and different batteries as well as "cooling" the light before an RMA was issued; Nothing was required about cleaning contacts. Thinking about that, it was brand new out of the box so what's up with cleaning contacts?

If you get an RMA prepare for a long wait. ZL doesn't just send a new one out right away.

I have an H602 that I have had for many many years and it is fault free other than the fact that it is fairly power hungry being only useful on high output.

So I have just tested the replacement H600Fd mk IV and it acts like the original. It runs on high for a couple minutes than it steps down in 1 second intervals to maybe the H2 level. I do regret the purchase.

I was told it will be repaired, not replaced.
Some details about my problem here:

Zebralight H600Fc Mk IV - First Impressions

Mark, can you please post a pic for us, showing what is this “routing the strap”? My next zebra is H600w IV, just waiting to come back in stock. Thanks.

www.candlepowerforums.com

I also have a H602w from 2014 and it still works very well (even at the heat management level) I made some comparisons between the H60x MKIV and the old H602w but now I don't remember the results.
After some recent tests I have seen that Armytek (at least the old models) holds the power longer than Zebralight. The Zebralight thermal sensor intervenes much earlier, the Zebralights never get very hot. Armytek is heavier and slightly larger, has more mass to dissipate heat (and some models even cooling fins)
I have tried to raise the PID but without success.
Perhaps my specimen has some problems.

Another user gave a possible interpretation of my problem but I don't know if it's that cause.

Zebralight H600Fc Mk IV - First Impressions

Mark, can you please post a pic for us, showing what is this “routing the strap”? My next zebra is H600w IV, just waiting to come back in stock. Thanks.

www.candlepowerforums.com

It might also make sense, my H604d is the best, H604c the worst.
But the H600Fc sits between the two H604s
I don't like this disparity of results and it makes me think of something that is not working or that is not perfectly fine.

 

[Stefano]

I ran contact cleaning and retested again. Nothing has changed, my H604c loses brightness very quickly and in a very visible way even with the eyes.
The H604d is solid as a rock, after a maximum of one minute of power it loses only 10/13% (test at home without ventilation, temperature 19.5 C °)
H604c lost almost 50% after exactly 1 minute
This light I will have to travel to China to be repaired, I will have to pay to ship and with the new laws in effect from July I will also pay taxes to receive.