New H53c AA Headlamp Neutral White High CRI!

[roger-roger]

Disappointing. I'm not enough of a fan boy or interested in high CRI enough to upgrade.

 

[holygeez03]

I actually asked ZL about the pocket clip on the H53 series about three weeks ago. Their response: "The H53Fc will continue use the same clips as in the H52 series."

Excellent news... now I will just hope for a H53Fw with slightly less CRI and more output.

 

[lampeDépêche]

No peeking! top-sekrit theory about to come! This is my top sekrit and you can't look!

[Okay, now that it's just the two of us in here:

I wonder whether this is the same circuit as the new SC5, throttled way down.
*And* I wonder whether there will be a way to program it in order to get its H1 up to a higher figure, like closer to 500.
Think about it: it shares a *lot* of the characteristics of the new SC5 circuit: only handles 1.5v max; has the G5/G6/G7 groupings for programming.
But the body is a lot lighter than the SC5: 31g vs 49g, so it won't handle heat as well.
What does a responsible manufacturer do? They throttle back the output so that newbs won't get burned.
BUT--once we get one in our hands and start figuring out the cheat-code, we'll figure out how to re-program it.
Like: up up down down left right left right BA. Boom: 500 lumens.

Do I have *any* evidence for this theory? Nope. Not a bit. This is just pure speculation on my part.]

 

[holygeez03]

That's what I assumed regarding the SC5 driver... ZL doesn't want it heating up since it is a headlamp... but I almost never use my H52Fw as a headlamp and I use it with a 14500... I do not want to go backwards in terms of output... thus my hope for a Fw version with lower CRI and higher output.

A way for advanced users to re-program the light for a 400 - 500 lumen level would also suffice and be an instant buy.

 

[lampeDépêche]

A way for advanced users to re-program the light for a 400 - 500 lumen level would also suffice and be an instant buy.

Yeah, I want to repeat that I have *no* evidence for this speculation (I did correspond with ZL about springs, but nothing about programming or lumen-levels.)

I think what put it in my mind was reading Hondo's "Brief History of the HDS universe," where he talks about how it was later revealed that all lights were user-programmable if you clicked it 250 (!!) times in a row. That sort of thing is a pretty good barrier to having casual users get into trouble, but it would let advanced users get access to higher modes.

 

[holygeez03]

Waiting for pictures...

250 clicks to enter programming mode??? That's preposterous... was it intentional or essentially a glitch?

 

[mellowman]

if lack of boost is a heat dissipation issue they could just reduce the boost time to say 1min or 30sec from the 3min that the SC5w has.

 

[iamlucky13]

Zebralight has implemented step downs before. I doubt heat management is all that is going on here.

It could be the slightly smaller size compared to the SC5c II is just enough to force them to downsize parts like the inductor used for boosting the voltage, such that getting much more than 250 lumens from a 1.2v source isn't really practical.

As I understand, this is the main factor driving the sizing of transformers and other inductors:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturation_(magnetic)

If so, I expect the presumed next generation of the SC52 will either have a similar output limit as the H53, or will retain 14500 support.

 

[davidt1]

Price is cheaper than previous models. You get what you pay for?

 

[lampeDépêche]

250 clicks to enter programming mode??? That's preposterous... was it intentional or essentially a glitch?

This was HDS, remember, not ZL.

I really don't know why HDS did it--check Hondo's "Brief History" in the LED thread. No real answer given there, either, but it sounds like it was intentional: they sold the lights as non-programmable, but in fact they had been programmable all along.

 

[lampeDépêche]

...It could be the slightly smaller size compared to the SC5c II is just enough to force them to downsize parts like the inductor used for boosting the voltage, such that getting much more than 250 lumens from a 1.2v source isn't really practical....

Interesting. Yeah, you might be right. (Hope you're wrong).

And I think that an H1 of 285 or so would be an absolute catastrophe for the SC62 upgrade [eta: sorry, meant SC52]. It's one thing to say that we don't need huge outputs in a headlamp. But in a regular flashlight configuration, a single-AA model that tops out at 285 is going to be dead in the water. That's so far from the cutting edge that it cannot even see the spine of the blade.

 

[davidt1]

From ZL website"

"new generation AA headlamp. smaller and brighter. price lowered to $59. no longer support 14500s."

So far their posted specs say not very bright.

 

[lampeDépêche]

From ZL website"

"new generation AA headlamp. smaller and brighter....

Huh, I had forgotten that. The H52 already got 300 lumens, so this h53 is not brighter.

(I'm sure it has better tint, color, CRI, etc., and that's all good. But we want brighter, too, or at least *as* bright as it was on the 14500.)

 

[stephenk]

Whilst I'm surprised by the drop in 14500 support and turbo mode, 280 lumens is sufficient for most tasks. For example, I typically only use around 70 lumens for urban night running.

 

[scs]

Then there's the "Yeah, yeah, yeah 500 lumens from a AA size light, BUT for how long? And there's a step down?! *scoff* Why even bother." camp.

 

[iamlucky13]

And I think that an H1 of 285 or so would be an absolute catastrophe for the SC62 upgrade. It's one thing to say that we don't need huge outputs in a headlamp. But in a regular flashlight configuration, a single-AA model that tops out at 285 is going to be dead in the water. That's so far from the cutting edge that it cannot even see the spine of the blade.

I tend to agree (assuming you mean SC52, not 62). Maybe not a catastrophe, but they'd be ill advised to give up the extra power for the flashlight variant in the name of a small amount of space savings.

From ZL website"

"new generation AA headlamp. smaller and brighter. price lowered to $59. no longer support 14500s."

So far their posted specs say not very bright.

They must be comparing to the H502C, which could only do 190 lumens. It was a full-flood, not a floody, but the H502 was the only style they offer a high CRI AA-powered headlamp for the current lineup.

 

[mellowman]

Got a response from ZL asking if there was going to be a boost mode for the H53c and the answer was a short No.

Also asked if the clip will be compatible with my H52w and the answer was a short Yes.

So size will not be that much different than the H52 series.

Lack of boost therefore has nothing to do with heat dissipation (H52 series had boost to 500lm with 14500). Therefore lack of boost mode also has nothing to do with argument that you don't need that much lumen in a headlamp because the previous gen had it...and the one before it.

So as suggested by iamlucky13, maybe the driver can't completely fit is the reason and then they choose to reduce the head size since no boost mode and that is where the size and weight savings are coming from.

 

[lampeDépêche]

...maybe the driver can't completely fit is the reason and then they choose to reduce the head size since no boost mode and that is where the size and weight savings are coming from.

There's no reason to think that the head size is reduced. The size of the new head is listed as 0.86 inches, exactly the same as the H52 head. And the weight drop is exactly one gram, from 32 to 31. That probably just represents the fact that they shortened the battery tube by 0.1 inches. Given what we know now, I think we should picture this having basically the same size head as the H52 (and so same reflector).

Got a response from ZL asking if there was going to be a boost mode for the H53c and the answer was a short No.

I am just baffled by that. Seems like a crazy move, totally in the wrong direction. On the other hand, I do not run a successful cutting edge technology company, and they do. So I should wait and see.

 

[davidt1]

$6 less = no boost mode. You can't have everything.

 

[mellowman]

yea, your right about the head size.

So in the end new version brings 2 things 1.) new led which adds CRI and maybe better run times from more efficient led. and 2.) new driver which brings new G6 and G7 modes and drops 14500 support.

Why not just stick with the old driver and add new led which would be a more compelling buy to me than how it is now.