Changes to Zebralight UI: Why not?
- Thread starter scs
- Start date
Help Support Candle Power Flashlight Forum
Tachead
Flashlight Enthusiast
I like both those ideas.
I suggest they also add that a fast single click from low or medium takes you up a level so you dont always have to hold and scroll through low when your in medium for instance and want to get to high.
emarkd
Flashlight Enthusiast
I've often thought that both outputs for each level should be programmable, so I'd be on board with that. I don't think I'd like having additional modes per level though. Quick access to 6 levels is really quite enough for my usage. But I wouldn't swear off of Zebralight forever if they did it.
I don't like the idea of a "fast single click" taking you up a level, however. That means turning the light off just became a long press and that's annoying. I don't like that. The Manker U11 I just bought works like that and its not better than what Zebralight has.
I don't like the idea of a "fast single click" taking you up a level, however. That means turning the light off just became a long press and that's annoying. I don't like that. The Manker U11 I just bought works like that and its not better than what Zebralight has.
Tachead
Flashlight Enthusiast
Right, I never thought about that. I just find it really annoying to have to scroll through low to get to high. There must be a better way. Ideas?
The way I use my ZL is that I single click to on and then double click to toggle between H1 and H2. That's it. On the rare occasion that I use moonlight mode I slow click from off. Any changes to the UI that interrupts that, is a no go for me.
Also, I messed around with programming my first Zebralight(SC60). The other dozen or so Zls that I have purchased have been left at their default settings except for the blinkie mode. I set it to the most disorienting strobe.
Also, I messed around with programming my first Zebralight(SC60). The other dozen or so Zls that I have purchased have been left at their default settings except for the blinkie mode. I set it to the most disorienting strobe.
Tachead
Flashlight Enthusiast
Another thing I dont like and would like to see changed somehow is the fast blink of hi mode when you double click from off for medium. I dont like getting flashed as it hurts the eyes in the dark but, it is convenient to go straight to medium.
I guess they could fix that by making it 0.6 second hold to go to hi and single fast click to go to low instead of the other way around.
I guess they could fix that by making it 0.6 second hold to go to hi and single fast click to go to low instead of the other way around.
Last edited:
LightObsession
Flashlight Enthusiast
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2004
- Messages
- 1,385
How would you turn it off?
Tachead
Flashlight Enthusiast
Yeah I know, that's what I do but, then it has to scroll through low and its a bit slow. The double click is a lot faster to medium. If they could just get rid of the flash it would be perfect. I think switching the operation of hi and low(fast click for low and hold for hi) would fix it with minimal change to the UI.
Tachead
Flashlight Enthusiast
All 3 of the lower H2x modes can be useful.
The current UI forces the user to pick 1.
My suggested revision to the UI would allow the user ready access to any 2 of the 3, or all 3 if one chooses to program max out of the sequence for some reason.
The current UI forces the user to pick 1.
My suggested revision to the UI would allow the user ready access to any 2 of the 3, or all 3 if one chooses to program max out of the sequence for some reason.
If I understand you correctly... This gets messy and becomes too much to mentally keep track of.
Are the 3 modes per main level programmable? If so, how many options do they get? 2? 3? That would result in 18 or 27 options per main level (+1 for the default level)! Total, that's 57 or 84 brightness levels from which to choose per light. And how would one easily click their way into the programming of these modes, with all the clicking that's taking place just to get to these modes? It's a cumbersome obstacle to address in my book, let alone explain to the user. (One that has this specific of lighting level needs would benefit from a rotary/infinite output adjustment flashlight instead.)
So then suppose the 3 modes per main level are not programmable in this scenario. You just double click through M1, M2, M3... Would you still want to program the default M level? (I'm now referring to your second bullet point.) I think one needs that constant, unchanging default. It does 2 things: It sets a frame of reference where low, medium, and high are. And it prevents much confusion to the programming of the light, which for some, is already a little tricky. Without that constant, you no longer have sub-levels. You just have 2 arbitrary sets of medium levels. You have brighter mediums, and dimmer mediums. Brighter lows and dimmer lows. And so on. And like before, and added layer of complexity is required for the user to configure this setting.
These 2 suggestions radically alter the existing acclaimed UI Zebralight is known for. I'm not too keen on that as a Zebralight fanboi.
I hope this make sense, I'd feel better if we were discussing this in front of a white board!
Turn the light off, pause, single click. It's faster than cycling.
For example, SC600 MK3, main high level, 4 modes:
- current design: 2 slots; one reserved for max high only, the other programmable or assignable if you like (as in you can assign to it any of the 3 remaining high modes)
- my suggestion #1: 3 slots instead of just 2; one reserved for max, the other 2 assignable; you cycle through the 3 slots instead of the current 2 by double clicking just like you do now
- my suggestion #2: 2 or 3 slots, but don't reserve one for the max high; instead, allow user to assign any of the 4 high modes to any of the slots.
- now replicate for the main medium and low levels.
Not confusing at all. Only tricky part is coming up with a clicking sequence to assign the modes to the extra slots.
Perhaps:
- double click 6 times to enter programming mode when in any of the 3 main levels, just like you do now
- single click to cycle through available modes, stop at the one you like and double click to set that mode for that slot and at the same time moving into the next slot
- single click to cycle through the remaining available modes (light remembers what you just picked for the previous slot) double click to select
- repeat for 3rd slot; double click sets the 3rd slot and exits the programming sequence
- one problem is to keep things simple, may have to assign all 3 slots each time the programming mode is run, instead of being able to choose a particular slot to reassign.
Last edited:
The only change I won't mind is press and hold to go to the next level instead of always starting the cycle from low. Especially if I'm already on low, it seems like it'll still cycle L->M->H.
I do wish sometimes the lowest H2.x level can be assigned to medium sub level. To my eyes for my SC5w, the medium sub levels and main L1 are close enough that I'll just use L1 instead. It feels like my M2.x level is "wasted".
Once in a while I'll mistime moonlight and blast myself with high..but it hasn't happened too often.
Otherwise I like the UI right now. There's already a lot of clicking to select different sublevels to me. One reason I like the current UI is there just 3 main modes to cycle through and each level has a "quick" toggle back and forth. For my general use, it's still just 3 levels to go through.
I have another light with 5 levels, and I'm getting tired to having to cycle through so "many" levels.
I do wish sometimes the lowest H2.x level can be assigned to medium sub level. To my eyes for my SC5w, the medium sub levels and main L1 are close enough that I'll just use L1 instead. It feels like my M2.x level is "wasted".
Once in a while I'll mistime moonlight and blast myself with high..but it hasn't happened too often.
Otherwise I like the UI right now. There's already a lot of clicking to select different sublevels to me. One reason I like the current UI is there just 3 main modes to cycle through and each level has a "quick" toggle back and forth. For my general use, it's still just 3 levels to go through.
I have another light with 5 levels, and I'm getting tired to having to cycle through so "many" levels.
eraursls1984
Flashlight Enthusiast
I've had those same ideas. It just comes down to figuring out a programming method. I would love for them to ditch the hybrid memory type setup and have long press from on advance to the next mode.
On my SC52w I'd love to have 3-4 of the low modes available, and 2 for medium and high. IMO there needs to be a mode in between the two M2 modes. One of the M2 modes is too close to L1 and the other is too close to M1. A mode right in the middle of those two would be perfect.
On my SC62w I'd love 3-4 modes on low, 3 on high, and 2-3 on medium. I'd love to see the lowest H1 moved to M1. This model also has the M2 issue of being to close to the L1 or M1 depending on which mode chosen.
On my SC52w I'd love to have 3-4 of the low modes available, and 2 for medium and high. IMO there needs to be a mode in between the two M2 modes. One of the M2 modes is too close to L1 and the other is too close to M1. A mode right in the middle of those two would be perfect.
On my SC62w I'd love 3-4 modes on low, 3 on high, and 2-3 on medium. I'd love to see the lowest H1 moved to M1. This model also has the M2 issue of being to close to the L1 or M1 depending on which mode chosen.
AussieRanga
Enlightened
- Joined
- Apr 13, 2010
- Messages
- 206
The only major change I can see of any real benefit would be to allow the programming of H1 level to any of the H levels.
I like the max output but for practical purposes I think being able to program your H1 setting for more conservative battery use (ZL's strong point IMO) but still giving that extra punch over the lower H2 level would be a really big thing for most people..
I like the max output but for practical purposes I think being able to program your H1 setting for more conservative battery use (ZL's strong point IMO) but still giving that extra punch over the lower H2 level would be a really big thing for most people..
markr6
Flashaholic
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2012
- Messages
- 9,258
Yes! This is all they need to change! Being able to use H2a and H2b by double clicking (no H1 at all) would be great for conserving power yet giving you a lot of output.
That's definitely not Zebralight. More along the lines of every other 6", black, nearly identical copycat light out there. But if they did happen to make one, I'd be a buyer!
An option to select/deselect 3 modes for H would be about the only change I'd want. Having the ability to have 149, 326, and 930 on the SC62w would be nice. 150 lumens or so is my go between of choice from 30 to 300+ lumens in other multi-mode lights, but I usually keep H2 at 326 because 150 to 930 is a big jump. And then again, 65 to 326 is a big jump.
