Will increasing lumens cause the hot spot to become more evident on SC600 MK1b ???

This is a question to modifiers here on CPF to try and understand if what I'm asking makes sense or not functionally, not from a cost perspective. I'm not yet familiar with the cause and effect relationships when modifying lights but have an idea of one parameter I'd like to see changed if it's technically possible or reasonable to do when only changing the amount of light output.

QUESTION:
If I sent out my light for modifications to only increase output from 750 to 1000 lumens, will the beam characteristics (hot spot and spill) proportionally stay the same, only with more output?


I really like the lack of a hot spot and very smooth floody type beam on this particular light. A few have mentioned it can be modified. The only thing I would request to change is the level of output, with the hope of not increasing the hot spot over the spill. Today it's very uniformed across the beam and this is what I do like about as opposed to some of my newer lights that have too much of a focused hot spot that washes out the objects I'm looking at.

Originally I was going to sell it but now wondering if it would be a worthwhile candidate for modification if I can somehow retain the nice smooth beam. i.e more power, retain smooth flood. I apologize in advance if this is a stupid newbie question, but I'm curious about what is feasible for this light. Thanks in advance.

Light: mid 2012 Zebralight SC600 XM-L MK1b with 750 lumens.
Appearance: nice floody beam with a seamless (lack of a hot spot to spill) transition.
Reflector: stock orange peel
LED: stock XM-L from Zebralight

If you're keeping the same emitter and only increasing the drive current then the beam profile should pretty much remain the same. The difference would be like what you see when you change modes from low to medium to high. Change the emitter or reflector (or both) and you will see a change in beam profile.

It sounds like this would be an emitter swap to an XM-L2, with a possible driver boost. That wouldn't affect the beamh. If you get something goofy like an XML-EZW, MTG-2, or one of the big LEDs you'd have an even less spotty hotspot.

Have you asked the modder? It will be important that they place the LED well to keep the nice beam transition.

Edit: you would need a side by side comparison to tell the XML and XML2 apart.

Thanks 880arm. Effectively, what you said about it being the same as just changing modes is what I'm looking for. For whatever reason, and since I have an ET TX25C2 with plenty of output, for this particular sized light, I like the more even beam of the MKI vs. MKII with a more focused hot spot. I'd like to see if each output level could be stepped a bit.

AnAppleSnail said:

...
Have you asked the modder?

Click to expand...

No, have not asked many Modders yet. I'd like to find someone who has modded this model SC600 MK1 V2 / Mk1b V2 previously. And, if there is someone, hopefully they will be able to pretest and see if we can retain all characteristics of the smooth beam as it is today. I don't know the "Modders" personally yet, other than seeing Vin's name mentioned.

Does anyone have any referrals to "modder" contacts who've previously worked on modifying the prior SC600 MKI b version with proven success?

Note: Keeping the ultra smooth beam profile the same (no hot spot), while boosting the lumens is my goal; not sure if its possible.

The SC600 beam has a hot spot....but the overall floodiness of the beam deemphasizes it.

If the only change is going from 750 to 1000 lumens, the light's cd would go up ~ 33%. The change would potentially not be noticeable on a white wall per se, but if you shined the two versions out into a field for example, you'd see an increase in what was visible in the spill, corona and hot spot...and they'd have the same shape, but, would be brighter and extend farther overall.

I see, thanks TEEJ. If I were to have it updated by a "modder" to the new XM-L2 emitter, do you think it would require a driver change or update to the existing driver unit as well? (if I'm asking this correctly).

Its very difficult to change the led in a zebralight because the led and driver are potted in goop on the same mcpcb and to remove and re flow a new led can cause damage - but it can be done. I guess it would be far more cost effective to get the new 1100lm model.

okay, thanks swan. I'll likely list it over on CFPM next week as I'd hate to tear up a good light if it does not reasonable sense to modify it.

750 to 1000 lm is a 33% increase, not 25%.

Even that is not a big change. 10% is barely noticeable in side-by-side comparisons. I'd bet that if I gave you light A on one day, and light B the next, you couldn't tell me which was 33% brighter, at least with any confidence. The first light I built had 100% increase per mode change, with 5 modes. After using it, I decided that was too fine a resolution, and opted for 3 modes with 300%+ change per mode in later lights.

The human eye is logarithmic in response. That means that every time you double the amount of light, it looks like the same increase.

I wouldn't bother to mod or replace a light for 33% increase in output. I'd keep it and use it until I could get 50-100% increase. It would only be a short wait.

Thanks. After receiving a few other lights recently in a similar size, I may just leave the Zebralight alone AND considering feedback on this thread. This Zebra MK1 b fills a niche' just above my recently new Eagletac D25C clicky and below my more focused Eagletac TX25C2. There are times when I go out and walk the dogs and the older ZL600 is just perfect in how it casts light in a nice even floody beam. A case example of when the best solution might just be to leave something alone vs. changing it.