Caution when buying used Zebralights - SC51w turned out to be an SC50w

*Thread update*

I just traded for this SC50w on the basis of it's being an SC51w and with the help of the detective flashaholics below,
eventually determined that I did not receive what I was supposed to have.
How much does it really matter? Well, I don't always run 14500 and as such have to choose between having strobe
as my optional high setting if I run anything other than 14500's in it.

There's been much said over the years about peoples feelings regarding text on the outside of a light, and I think
this is one of the best arguments for having model names or numbers on all lights so that there can be no mistaking
what light you've just bought from the MarketPlace, or as in my case, taken on trade.

I stated my interest in an SC51w or possibly SC51c, but instead received this SC50w, a great light in it's own right,
but not what I was after.

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*Original post*

I just can not get anything other than high and strobe out of the high setting on my SC51w.

Two low settings, okay.
Two medium settings, okay.
Then comes the high setting which can be toggled with strobe.

No matter how much I've searched the internet I've found nothing other than that I need to do 6 double clicks (isn't that 12 clicks?), after that successive double clicks will allow me to walk through four options, but it never happens.

I even found a flowchart, which was no help for me and not nearly as clear as the Clicky flowchart we've been using for a while now.

After having traded for this light on the information that it had two different brightnesses on high, and no strobe, here it is with one brightness and, lo and behold, our beloved strobe (who is best kept in a closet).

I've been clicking away at this thing for hours and keep ending up in some very strange places, including momentary low for the high setting, which when clicked on simply light dimly then goes out. The only way out of that is trying once again to re-program. Then there was the time that the same very low mode was the only one on the light at all. Off or low.

Help. I mean :help:. Really.

Re: Zebralight SC51w programming help

it sounds like you're either double clicking too slow or too fast... or your light is defective.

my SC51s work perfectly, but i have to space double click sequences properly. try this (and sorry if you're doing it right and this is a stupid advice... ): click. it should turn on in high mode, H1 or H2 strobe (if it's locked on flashing mode)... if it's on strobe go back to H1. single click. off (sorry again, i'm not treating you like a retard, but i don't know how you're using that thing and you're having troubles with the UI...).
ok, so now click again. on in H1 mode. double click to H2. H1. H2. H1. H2. wait a second every time, clicking or double clicking too fast confuses badly the SC51 and it can even go directly to low from high... NOW every double click programs H2; the dimmer setting should be default, so when you double click the first time after the 5 times it took to get in program mode, the light gets brighter again, but it's simply the second H2 stage, it's not going back to H1. double click again and the beloved strobe appears. so, double click another time and it's back on the lowest H2 setting (100 lm in cool light models). every subsequent double click cycles through H2 modes, so when you find a setting that you like (i use the lowest, 140 lm are too close to 200 to be a real alternative) single click to shut the torch off. and it's done.
as a general rule wait a bit every time and don't double click like crazy, the zebra is slower than you!

if you're doing it right,
THEN,
your light needs a replacement...

Re: Zebralight SC51w programming help

The above post covers it...6 double clicks rather than 12 single clicks and then on the 13rd click you are in program mode. If it doesn't ultimately work...it's defective.

The only thing I don't like about the UI is the programming mode however once you get it how you want it (H1 and H2 set for 200 and 100 in my case) then you don't need to program again so it's fine.

Good luck and report back if you get it to work.

Re: Zebralight SC51w programming help

I'll also mention that ZL lights can behave a bit screwy if the battery is down on voltage under load (probably not in this case), OR if there is a dodgy connection between the tailcap spring, tailcap and main body. Make sure all these are good (ie clean) and the tailcap is screwed on fairly tight. Otherwise there is something wrong with the light.

Re: Zebralight SC51w programming help

Just wondering, is it brand new or you just bought it from someone else? maybe its a SC50w and not a SC51w. Just maybe

Re: Zebralight SC51w programming help

Only three posts so far and all of them with info I wasn't able to previously find, but still, it just turns off when I give it that last click. Maybe I'll have to send it to surgery...


But not without trying some more first.

Re: Zebralight SC51w programming help

ico said:

Just wondering, is it brand new or you just bought it from someone else? maybe its a SC50w and not a SC51w. Just maybe

Click to expand...

I traded for it and don't have any idea how to tell them apart. The only thing I can verify is that it's an SC5xx and that it has a neutral XP-G in it. Are there any ways to tell them apart?

Re: Zebralight SC51w programming help

Try 7 double clicks.

Re: Zebralight SC51w programming help

That leaves me at strobe.

Re: Zebralight SC51w programming help

What happens when you keep double clicking past the strobe? If you got that far, the timing isn't an issue. If it doesn't start cycling through the three options, something must be defective.

FWIW, mine doesn't feel "glitchy" at all doing this.

Re: Zebralight SC51w programming help

the OP never reached any H2 other than strobe so my best guess would be it isn't an SC51w but rather a sc50w since the sc50 only has 2 High modes

Re: Zebralight SC51w programming help

If it is a 50w or 50w+ it'll work with a 14500. Try that and see if you get two regular modes on high or not. If you do, it's a 50w or 50w+ and not a 51.

Re: Zebralight SC51w programming help

ico said:

Just wondering, is it brand new or you just bought it from someone else? maybe its a SC50w and not a SC51w. Just maybe

Click to expand...

ico said:

the OP never reached any H2 other than strobe so my best guess would be it isn't an SC51w but rather a sc50w since the sc50 only has 2 High modes

Click to expand...

B0wz3r said:

If it is a 50w or 50w+ it'll work with a 14500. Try that and see if you get two regular modes on high or not. If you do, it's a 50w or 50w+ and not a 51.

Click to expand...

Bingo - I've got an SC50w which was sent to me as an SC51w.
Don't know if it's an honest mistake or deliberate but this is the second case that I know of this week where a Zebralight was misrepresented and the action was hard to pick out due to the lack of any model name on the body.

Once I changed the battery to a 14500 I got two high modes back and that must be what I put in it originally as it did have two high settings when I first got it.

Thanks to everyone for the help in pointing out what I see as a frustrating issue and with this solution having turned into disappointing realization, I'm renaming the thread to hopefully help others avoid the same situation.

Re: Zebralight SC51w programming help

I realize it isn't what you wanted but if it's like my H51 the H2 isn't a big deal anyway. I never use any more than H1 since H2 uses twice the battery power and isn't all that much brighter to the eye. The only annoyance is that you may accidentally trigger the strobe I suppose.

Isn't it dangerous to put a 14500 in a SC51 since it isn't designed for it. I realize yours is actually a SC50 but originally you put a 14500 in it thinking it was a SC51. I ask only because I've never tried a 14500 in my H51 for that reason.

Re: Zebralight SC51w programming help

I don't know the technical answer to your question but my experience to date tells me that putting 14400, 14500 etc into lights rated for alkaline only is like food expiration dates. Eat the expired item, and you're still okay. Use the 14500 and the light still works.

Maybe some have fried lights doing the swap, but a little common sense goes a long way and I don't tend to use my lights on high for long - generally a few seconds at most. I'll eventually get rid of it and try to get one with the no-strobe, two high levels lights.

Re: Zebralight SC51w programming help

Kai,

I know that the UI between the 50w and the 50w+ is slightly different in terms of what you get on the high modes. I don't remember specifically what the difference is, but I think it's something about the strobe.

Either way, sorry to hear about the misunderstanding you've experienced. I personally prefer the tint of the 50w(+) to that of the 51w, as it's slightly warmer and I like that. With a 14500 the max output is virtually identical to that of the 51w, just with less run time. My hope is you find a suitable use for the light that will be satisfactory to you, to make up for what you've had to deal with here.

Re: Zebralight SC51w programming help

kaichu dento said:

I traded for it and don't have any idea how to tell them apart. The only thing I can verify is that it's an SC5xx and that it has a neutral XP-G in it. Are there any ways to tell them apart?

Click to expand...

I thought the sc51 had an XP-G and the sc50 had the XP-E, which look different like the photos in this post. Unless the sc51w has an XP-E, which I don't think ti does.

I have an sc50w+ and it definitely looks like and XP-E, not an XP-G. So, if you are sure its an XP-G then it should be an sc51. Maybe it somehow got the sc50 firmware/programming by accident from the factory?

Re: Zebralight SC51w programming help

gustophersmob said:

I thought the sc51 had an XP-G and the sc50 had the XP-E, which look different like the photos in this post. Unless the sc51w has an XP-E, which I don't think ti does.

I have an sc50w+ and it definitely looks like and XP-E, not an XP-G. So, if you are sure its an XP-G then it should be an sc51. Maybe it somehow got the sc50 firmware/programming by accident from the factory?

Click to expand...

That's an interesting possibility but I'll probably never know. Another possibility being I suppose, that an XP-G got stuck in an SC50w?!?

Re: Zebralight SC51w programming help

That really sucks, my friend. I would be very pissed with the misrepresentation. All is not lost, the SC50w is still a very nice light and I believe it uses the Q3 5A emitter which has a very pleasant tint, better than the one in the SC51w in my opinion.