Zebralight H600/H604/H600F MKIV headlamp

[noboneshotdog]

^^^
Good post. Many of us actually wish for springs instead of the pogo pins as the pins have been known to dent the ends of the cells. I have dents on the positive and negative ends of my cells.

So, the springs just may be a positive attribute of this light.

 

[Bucklight]

Surprisingly, the clip from the SC600w doesn't fit the headlamp, different body diameter. Are there any other clips that would fit the H600Fc? From another brand?

 

[eh4]

So, for the MK II version of the H600, the H model clip fits butt up or head up, with two flat slots that fit the clip either way.
That's one of the shortcomings I am planning on dealing with with the MK IV, I'm hoping that the H style clip will fit well enough into the curve at the neck of the light, because carrying it head down in a pocket is not going to be acceptable.

 

[ThunderCloud]

I'm having trouble with programming the sub modes.

Right now my H1 = H2 = M2

After double clicking 6 times, each subsequent double click just made the light brighter. It never cycles back to low. So since I got H2 and M2 stuck on the highest setting, further double clicks after 6x double click does nothing.

Edit: What the hell? I think I got H1 = H2 = M1 = M2.

I thought M1 is not programmable?

Edit: Nevermind, I figured it out. I accidentally went into the G6 / G7 mode which is not listed in the accompanying manual.

 

[likethevegetable]

I'm having trouble with programming the sub modes.

Right now my H1 = H2 = M2

After double clicking 6 times, each subsequent double click just made the light brighter. It never cycles back to low. So since I got H2 and M2 stuck on the highest setting, further double clicks after 6x double click does nothing.

Edit: What the hell? I think I got H1 = H2 = M1 = M2.

I thought M1 is not programmable?

Edit: Nevermind, I figured it out. I accidentally went into the G6 / G7 mode which is not listed in the accompanying manual.

When you're in the programming mode, triple-click will bring you to a lower brightness mode.

I've found that a good way to dial in your settings is to go all the way to the lowest or highest mode, then double-click to go up or triple-click to go down down (respectively) to the desired level by keeping track of the amount of levels you've gone through.

 

[dmsoule]

Surprisingly, the clip from the SC600w doesn't fit the headlamp, different body diameter. Are there any other clips that would fit the H600Fc? From another brand?

I purchased this clip from Zebralight, before they made one available for the h60x models: http://www.zebralight.com/Pocket-Clip-for-H31-H32-H302-H51H52H53-H502_p_80.html

I actually prefer it to the one which came with my h604c, because it is smaller and more comfortable in my pocket. It's designed for their AA headlamps, but it has worked great on the 18650 models.

 

[MX421]

Cool, Cool. Thanks for the good feedback.
I wish they'd go ahead and post runtimes for their levels.
I'm getting closer to getting one of these MK IV, probably have to take my own advice and get the flood and floody both.
Although the MK II warm flood and floody are both serving well, that 4000K high CRI and greater efficiency sounds really appealing, and the programmability is extra icing.
After having the MK II's for several years now, it'll be odd relegating them to spares, having great spares to lend out is half the fun though.

I was on the fence on these new MK IVs because even now Zebralight didn't have the runtimes posted. I also have/had a MK II (H602w) that served my needs quite well, but the combination of a recent painting job where i needed the Hi CRI and twistedraven's H600Fc he had up for sale had me ordering a H604c and buying twistedraven's H600Fc. Still prefer the full flood for up close work (especially overall views of wall painting), but i do see why people like the H600F lights. Still testing out the two differences between the lights to see what tasks are best suited by each light. Beam profile aside, I'm loving the hi CRI of both...

Surprisingly, the clip from the SC600w doesn't fit the headlamp, different body diameter. Are there any other clips that would fit the H600Fc? From another brand?

Armytek clips for their headlamps fit the Zebralight headlamps. Its about the only thing i'll tout about the Armytek headlamps...

 

[eh4]

I think that now that the issue of the Floody model lenses breaking more easily than non frosted glass is an old, defunct issue,
-that the floody models seem to embody the best of what the right angle headlamp/24-7 pocket carry, general purpose light can be.

Beyond that I want a pocket thrower, preferably to go with the floody.

Pure flood remains my least favorite, it's so limited,
yet also the only one that I regularly use for hours on end while rarely noticing.
I'm not even aware of the nearly ideal flood except when the shadows are unfavorable,, while this light is actually making me money... which pays for the lights that I get all silly over.
I'm sure there's some metaphors and analogies in there, but when something works really, really well, basically seamlessly, it tends to be taken for granted.

 

[Fireclaw18]

Been using my H604c quite a bit for hobby work. It's really nice, but defnitely not perfect.

The wide flood beam starts off bright, but after a few minutes the PID kicks in and dims the output. Also, while overall lumens are good initially, intensity on my project isn't great because the beam is so spread out. My modded $10 cheapie easily produces more light on target at 1.5 amps than the Zebralight with pure flood does at 3 amps.

Because of this I tend to run my H604c at full power all the time, while I ran my old headlight at medium power, which was only around 500 mA. As a result I find myself having to change the battery much more often than my old light.

On the upside, it is much lighter weight than my old light so feels much better on the head. And the high-CRI beam is useful for hobby painting where having good color definition actually matters.

Overall the H604c does what I expected and I consider it a great light. I find myself reaching for it much more than my old headlight.

 

[TheShadowGuy]

I just got tracking info for my 4000k H600Fc! I'll update when it's arrived and used it a bit. I was debating between this and the Armytek Wizard Pro.

 

[eh4]

Fireclaw18, the Fc versions deliver an egg curved cone of light that keeps maybe 70% of the intensity of the hotspot while spreading and smoothing the light across center of focus and into periphery.
Fc is the one that stays in my pocket, my original spot&fill model is relegated to spare, and my pure flood stays in the headband and gets used for work.
I got to use an AA powered Fc that I gave to a friend and it delivered good, usable light over a dinner plate size area at arms length with much less power than my pure flood 602w.
If I were typically working on small projects in close areas then Fc would be just as good or better than full flood, messing with wiring, under a vehicle, etc.
The pure flood is great for limited range spatial awareness, chaotic work environments, but so wasteful when you need a task light on your head.
The 602w really is my least favorite ZL, still the best one for wrapping up jobs in the dark, climbing ladders, avoiding head bumps and finding tools.
When I get a 600Fc MK IV I'll try the old 600Fw MK II as a work headlight again, it's too good though as a pocket light to keep putting the headband on and off, especially with the pocket clip complicating the headband attachment process.

 

[eh4]

Also, my 600Fc works fine for short duration hands free use, I'll hold it with my teeth by the pocket clip, in the style of 007/sci-fi pocket scuba, and can still mumble intelligibly if need be.
The ergonomics are good, it's really convenient to have hands free light in 3-5 seconds any number of times a day without a bulky headband. If I need hands-free for more than a few minutes or I'm climbing around and worried about losing my teeth, then I get the headlight.

 

[TheShadowGuy]

I'm really liking the 600Fc! Once I got it set up the way I want it, the modes are well spaced, the tint is quite pleasant and doesn't have any greenishness, plus it is smaller than I envisioned. Overall it makes for an excellent headlamp.

I haven't seen the weird flickering some users have reported. I only used the H1 (which I'll call Turbo) for a bit. Using a fresh Samsung 30q, the head became hot in seconds, then uncomfortably hot not long after. I ran turbo for maybe 20 seconds before turning it off to let it cool. It did cool quite quickly at least. I'm a bit skittish about heat, so I don't really want to stress test it.

The only issue I have is that the clip I received is hideously bent.

 

[Secateurs]

I received my first Zebralight headlamp yesterday, the H600Fc. I love the quality of light and the beam spread, but I have a few issues that make the light less than perfect:

2. The rubber button is actually higher than the silver metal surrounding the button. It makes it more likely to turn on the light by accident and it also prevents the light from standing flat on its head. My switch on the SC600w is deeply recessed and I don't worry about turning it on accidently while being carried in my pocket with the clip.

My H600Fd has a fully-recessed button. I.e. it can stand on its head no problem without the rubber switch touching the surface. Does yours have a warranty issue I wonder?

 

[Secateurs]

Review of my H600Fd:

Pro's:
* Love the new User Interface (UI) - see my other thread asking how people have set theirs up.
* I usually like cool white. The cooler the better actually. So I was worried that 5000k wouldn't cut it. But it's just ok. Maybe because it's high CRI?
* I think this one has slightly better water resistance rating than my old ZL? Not that I had any issues leaving my old one sitting on the bottom of the shallow end of the pool for the cool illumination effect and to show off...

Con's:
* My previous ZL 18650 was a spot and spill. Thought i'd go for a floody this time (and high CRI) to make it better for the odd times I use it for fill for photography. Didn't want to go full flood though because I need a light I can use all the time for everything. Unfortunately, the beam has a higher colour temperature in the middle hotspot than the rest. I.e. it looks bluer in the middle, the brightest bit. Sad.
* The thing that wore out first on my old ZL was the headband. Stretched. They still supply pretty much the exact same band.
* The holder for the light on the band leaves marks on my forehead because it digs in = not well designed. Gets uncomfortable after a while, especially when I am working under a car or something and I tighten the band so it doesn't fall off when I have my head upside down.
* The pocket clip and/or tail cap doesn't have magnets.
* This light gets really hot really quickly on the PID modes. I live in a hot part of the world and this concerns me. I would prefer a slightly larger head with bigger fins, and maybe even fins on the body of the light as well, to try to sink more of the heat and allow the light to be used for longer on the highest settings. The added bulk would be well worth it for me.

I miss the throw of my spot/spill ZL. Even though the H600Fd is 300lm or so brighter on high it doesn't compensate for the spot of my old ZL. But I knew that would be a compromise, and the floody will be better for photography, and maybe slightly better for close-up work (not that I ever had an issue with spot/spill for that though). I'm thinking I may need to bump up the brightness more often with the floody, especially when I need throw outside. Then battery life/PID might become more of an issue. We'll have to wait and see.

Even though the cons list is a lot longer than the pro's, I still absolutely love this light. The best upgrade by far is the new UI, which makes it worth it on its own. if only wish they would fix the mounting system and heat dissipation.

 

[markr6]

* The holder for the light on the band leaves marks on my forehead because it digs in = not well designed. Gets uncomfortable after a while, especially when I am working under a car or something and I tighten the band so it doesn't fall off when I have my head upside down.

I can't wear it as is. I undo the strap and also pass it thru the two rings as well - the round parts that actually hold the light. It sounds weird but I've been doing this on all my headlamps for years and it works great:

1. It's comfortable since you have a solid, smooth piece of rubber against your head conforming to that shape. No bumps, lines, etc.
2. It holds the lamp inside the rubber a little tighter, which is good for any active use like running or mountain biking.

 

[Secateurs]

I can't wear it as is. I undo the strap and also pass it thru the two rings as well - the round parts that actually hold the light. It sounds weird but I've been doing this on all my headlamps for years and it works great:

1. It's comfortable since you have a solid, smooth piece of rubber against your head conforming to that shape. No bumps, lines, etc.
2. It holds the lamp inside the rubber a little tighter, which is good for any active use like running or mountain biking.

Yeah, saw you post this a few months ago. Changed my old zl over. Improvement, but still leaves marks in my forehead.

 

[likethevegetable]

Yeah, saw you post this a few months ago. Changed my old zl over. Improvement, but still leaves marks in my forehead.

The ArmyTek Wizard Pro mount works well. It can be purchased as a spare part.

 

[Keitho]

H604c ordered 4 June, and was delivered 2 days, 22 hours, 44 minutes later to Colorado. Pretty nice turnaround time!

Love the warm, high CRI, pure flood for slow speeds (walking) at night outdoors. I "needed" this one for an upcoming multi-day trip in the San Juan mountains of CO, to go with an H600FwIII that I already had. I like the 4000K vs 4500K, and like the new UI, especially when handing the light to my wife (one click on to low; she seems to expect low-med-high when cycling through modes, so that's how I programmed it).

 

[see level]

Can anyone tell me the difference between the 18650 size zebra light headlamp and the cr123 size. I mean in Practical use how much lighter is a cr123 size. I have a H600fdlll high cri floody neutral white 5000k headlamp which I really like but I would like a lighter one. Also the CR 123 size only comes in cool White. Does anyone have both these lights, the h 600fdlll and the cr123 size 6300 k cool White to compare the two side-by-side? Thanks for any input.