Apologies for the lengthy post.
It has become obvious to me that either I am doing something very wrong, or I am in possession of two defective Zebralight products, the H53Fw headlight and SC64 Hi flashlight. I'm inclined to believe both lights may be 'normal' in their own Zebralight way, and that there exists a clicking/pause sequence to enter the program mode which completely evades me. While I'm almost ready to concede defeat it would be nice to be able to at least sample the two additional sub-lumen levels in each L/M/H group.
While it was not my initial intention to perform any programming on either light, I'm curious and finally did try to program the H53Fw headlight before discovering that I couldn't enter the program mode from any level or mode. I have tried to program G5's H2, and G6's H1/H2/M1/M2 multiple times each.
Interestingly enough, when I first tried to enter the program mode I did so in G6 mode because I was totally happy with G5 mode and didn't want to mess it up. I believe that from the factory all three modes G5/G6/G7 shared the same start-up levels as G5, although I may have misremembered that. Regardless, in attempting to program G6 mode I must have changed something, because after my attempt the G6 displayed two quirks different from G5 and G7 modes. First, the H2 mode got stuck down in one of the moonlight levels. I can't explain it, nor could I open the program mode to change it. Second, the L1 level increased to about what the M2 level was before. So while G5 band G7 modes remain the same, even though I cannot enter the programming mode in either, I affected some change in the G6 levels.
I tried the 6-click group sequence three times in a row many times trying to reset G6 without success, until AstroTurf kindly replied and advised me to try clicking 18 times in a row without any pause between 6-click groups, and that finally worked to reset G6 to 'normal.' Thanks for that advice, which is obviously different from the Zebralight printed instructions which came with the headlight. Who knew!
While I am mostly satisfied with both lights as they are, I must say the bloom is off the rose regarding any programming ability of Zebralights, and thus can only recommend them for their default settings.
I have tried all the solutions kindly submitted from this website, and those from Zebralight Customer Service thus far without success.
FYI, I contact Zebralight Customer Service twice about programming my H53Fw and received the following:
Zebralight response # 1. Try programming the G5's H2 first to see if you can change the H2 into different levels.
I tried this with negative result then replied to Zebralight Customer Service:
Thank you for your prompt reply.
No, I cannot change the H2 into different levels. Here's what I tried many times:
1. From off I clicked 5 times to assure that I was in G5. The light briefly blinked on indicating that I was in G5.
2. From off I pressed and held the switch until it cycled L1/M1/H1. I stopped it at H1.
3. At H1 I double clicked, and the light entered H2, a slightly lower level. Then I paused.
4. From H2 I double clicked six times to enter the program mode. Nothing happened to indicate that I entered a different mode.
5. I paused, then quickly clicked three times to lower the H2 light one level. This did not work. Instead, the three clicks resulted in the light cycling from H2 to H1 to off. It did not shift to a lower level.
6. When I turned the light back on, I pressed and held the switch again until I reached H1, then double clicked into H2 and nothing had changed.
Any suggestions?
Thank you.
Zebralight response #2: Try 'double-click' instead of 'triple click' in number 5
I tried this with negative result. Actually, this procedure in G5 simply results in shifting the H2 level to the H1 level without actually changing the H2 level, because when the light is turned back on it simply defaults to the 'normal' H1 level, whereby a double click will shift it into the 'normal' H2 level - thus nothing in the G5 mode has actually changed. So, I did not enter programming mode, but rather the double click simply shifted from H2 level to H1 level.
I also tried these solutions kindly submitted from this website without success:
- Taking the battery out for 1 minute
- in G5 mode doing 5 clicks three times in a row followed by a battery removal for 1 minute
- In G6 mode doing 6 clicks three times in a row
- In G6 mode doing 6 clicks three times in a row followed by a battery removal for 1 minute
- In G7 mode doing 7 clicks three times in a row
- In G7 mode doing 7 clicks three times in a row followed by a battery removal for 1 minute
At least the H53Fw headlight provides some feedback after resetting a mode in the form of a quick blink, whereby the SC64 Hi flashlight provides no feedback whatsoever. Neither light provides any feedback to indicate that you're in programming mode. Once you're in the level that you wish to program and begin the 6Xdouble click sequence to reach the program mode, the lights simply flash back and forth between the two levels (main and sub-level), and when you stop you simply assume that you're in the programming mode. Here's where it all falls apart for me, because at that point three clicks never lowers the level, and two clicks never raises the level.
Stuckly I remain.