Zebralight SC600-III (XHP35, 1x18650) Review: RUNTIMES, BEAMSHOTS, VIDEO and more!

[Tachead]

There is no reason it couldnt support protected cells though. There is many easily accessible protected cells that can handle 10amps+ continuous.

Protected isnt even the worst part though. Its the fact that there is only a 0.2mm cell tolerance which greatly limits even what bare cells can be used. Not to mention the weak contact pressure of the pogo pins which can cause cell rattle and connection loss with certain cells even withing the 0.2mm tolerance. Its just a poor cell compartment design in general imo. I think ZL realized that too and thats why they went back to the spring tail cap when the SC63 came out.

 

[markr6]

I think it's just the progress of making them smaller. You look at the numbers and think "1/8" isn't worth it" but then you look at the previous model, then the previous to that, and you see how the size starts to matter.

No complaints with my SC600w III HI - NCR18650GA is inexpensive, perfect fit (especially after adding shrink wrapper) and tight but not too tight length-wise so the pogos are doing their job.

No complaints about my SC63w either, but that spring is compressed SOOOO tight, it might as well be the same tolerance as the dual-pogo pin design.

If 18650s were still $20/ea, I would complain about not being able to use my old stock. But at $8/ea or less, I'm fine buying new ones to fit the new Zebralights. I scored 8 NCR18650GA for $16...$2 per cell!! That was a nice score.

 

[recDNA]

I think it's just the progress of making them smaller. You look at the numbers and think "1/8" isn't worth it" but then you look at the previous model, then the previous to that, and you see how the size starts to matter.

No complaints with my SC600w III HI - NCR18650GA is inexpensive, perfect fit (especially after adding shrink wrapper) and tight but not too tight length-wise so the pogos are doing their job.

No complaints about my SC63w either, but that spring is compressed SOOOO tight, it might as well be the same tolerance as the dual-pogo pin design.

If 18650s were still $20/ea, I would complain about not being able to use my old stock. But at $8/ea or less, I'm fine buying new ones to fit the new Zebralights. I scored 8 NCR18650GA for $16...$2 per cell!! That was a nice score.

I don't like battery crushing springs. Too tight IS too tight.

 

[Vothelo]

Where did you find NCR18650GA for $2 each!?!?

 

[akhyar]

If 18650s were still $20/ea, I would complain about not being able to use my old stock. But at $8/ea or less, I'm fine buying new ones to fit the new Zebralights. I scored 8 NCR18650GA for $16...$2 per cell!! That was a nice score.

That was an awesome price for NCR GA.
High drain cells are reasonably priced nowadays as I managed to snag few Samsung 30Q for $3 a pop few months back.

 

[markr6]

Where did you find NCR18650GA for $2 each!?!?

Ebay! Normally I wouldn't trust most sellers there, but it was a reputable seller unloading some overstock.

 

[Vothelo]

Wow! Great find!

 

[markr6]

I don't like battery crushing springs. Too tight IS too tight.

Definitely not a crusher since it is a spring afterall. It gives plenty to make sure of that...but I guess you can call it a battery "etcher". Damn, I'm waiting for the thing to cut a circular sheet of metal out of the negative terminal!

 

[Tachead]

Definitely not a crusher since it is a spring afterall. It gives plenty to make sure of that...but I guess you can call it a battery "etcher". Damn, I'm waiting for the thing to cut a circular sheet of metal out of the negative terminal!

It sure sounds like the spring is close to, if not fully, compressed. I think it was an after though by ZL to deal with the battery rattle/cell tolerance issues that the duel pogo pin designs have. They probably should have started making the bodies a few mm longer if they were going to switch to a spring. It doesnt need to be that compressed and making it longer would have enabled a wider selection of cells to be used including button tops and prevented the risk of cell deformation.

 

[markr6]

Luckily I haven't seen the cell get deformed. Even if it does, I don't care. I know it won't hurt anything. I've done far worst dropping them or damaging them by removing solder. A .05mm dent on the raised portion of the positive terminal is the least of my concerns.

 

[recDNA]

I have had cells deformed because of spring. I am ultra careful but I actually recycled one. It was a big 16340 and it was deformed by an eagletac I had. I knew it was too tight.

 

[sidecross]

An interesting dielemma if ZebraLight switched to a spring from the 'pogo pins' because of consumers concern over riding an engineering design.

ZebraLight has a problem and it is how to market an engineering design for consumers who are not fully informed and think their conclusions are more informed.

 

[Tachead]

An interesting dielemma if ZebraLight switched to a spring from the 'pogo pins' because of consumers concern over riding an engineering design.

ZebraLight has a problem and it is how to market an engineering design for consumers who are not fully informed and think their conclusions are more informed.

I'm guessing ZL switched to the spring tail cap because of warranty/defect claims on lights with battery rattle and contact issues. It was a quick way/fix to stop cell tolerance issues by increasing contact pressure(remember they made the change mid way through production because the specs originally said it would have a pogo pin tailcap). I dont see why else they would have done it when they already were making pogo pin tailcaps and planned to use them on the SC63. It seems like a logical conclusion but, I could be wrong. Either way, the pogo pins and their 0.2mm cell range are a poor design because they either crush batteries, cause cell rattle, or cause connection issues with many users. Not to mention severely limiting cell selection. I wouldnt be surprised if they went with a different design on future versions of their lights. They already have with the SC63(at least with the tail cap).

 

[markr6]

Time for KISS with these lights. Buy the light and the battery they also sell (NCR18650GA). Done.

Pogo pins work fine on my SC600 HI, SC5w OP, and two MKIII's that I had and sold (I did wrap these due to the wider tube). So there's no reason it can't work with a revised SC63w. I wouldn't be surprised to see that make a comeback in the near future.

 

[Tachead]

Time for KISS with these lights. Buy the light and the battery they also sell (NCR18650GA). Done.

Pogo pins work fine on my SC600 HI, SC5w OP, and two MKIII's that I had and sold (I did wrap these due to the wider tube). So there's no reason it can't work with a revised SC63w. I wouldn't be surprised to see that make a comeback in the near future.

You shouldnt have to rewrap cells to make them work properly in a flashlight. I never have had to with any of the many flashlights I have used and owned. You are one of the lucky ones Mark. Many others have complained about connection issues, battery rattle, and crushed cells in lights with this design(even recently shipped ones). Even Nkon, one of the largest European ZL dealers, has a warning on these lights that they may not work with some cells including the one you listed that ZL sells.

"This light needs batteries of 65mm long, it does not work with protected batteries (like from Keeppower, EagleTac or Enerpower) because these are too long. Unfortunately it also does not work with the Sanyo NCR18650GA, because it is a little bit too short. This causes the light to turn off when you shake the SC600w a little bit."


That is cut and pasted from the HI model too(one of the newest releases). So some, although not all, still have issues. It wasnt just the initial batch.

People can argue or tell themselves whatever they want in their head but, this design does have issues. It is no where near as reliable as a duel spring design with or without jumpers or a second inner spring. It also has the tightest cell tolerances I have ever seen on a flashlight in 25 years of being in this hobby(0.2mm tolerance). ZL could have used a design that wouldnt have caused these issues and would have even allowed for more cells, even protected cells of adequate continuous amp output, they just didnt. It was a bad decision imo and that 4mm reduction in length has come at a cost. It will be interesting to see what they do with new models going forward. I for one hope they change to either a more traditional design or a new one that is more forgiving and still maintains the many advantages of a traditional design.

 

[markr6]

I didn't say I had to wrap them to work properly. There is just the slightest click when I tap the end against my hand. I nit-pick like that. Not a big deal since the cell thicknesses can vary and this happens in so many lights. I like to wrap them anyway since the NCR18650GA wrapper is cheap feeling. I just like the cells to fit tight.

I don't know what Nkon is about. I can put any naked call in any of these lights and they work fine. Maybe the early SC63 was an exception. I must have gotten the revision.

As usual, there are a TON of assumptions and hearsay evidence when it comes to Zebralight and why they did certain things.

Do you even own a single Zebralight yet? I'm serious, not being a jerk about it. It's just that I've had at least 20 different Zebralights in my hands at some point over the past 4 years and they perform well above so many other lights I've had. Zebralight is a magnet for criticism because they are one of the best. At least that's my opinion.

 

[Tachead]

I didn't say I had to wrap them to work properly. There is just the slightest click when I tap the end against my hand. I nit-pick like that. Not a big deal since the cell thicknesses can vary and this happens in so many lights. I like to wrap them anyway since the NCR18650GA wrapper is cheap feeling. I just like the cells to fit tight.

I don't know what Nkon is about. I can put any naked call in any of these lights and they work fine. Maybe the early SC63 was an exception. I must have gotten the revision.

As usual, there are a TON of assumptions and hearsay evidence when it comes to Zebralight and why they did certain things.

Do you even own a single Zebralight yet? I'm serious, not being a jerk about it. It's just that I've had at least 20 different Zebralights in my hands at some point over the past 4 years and they perform well above so many other lights I've had. Zebralight is a magnet for criticism because they are one of the best. At least that's my opinion.

Yes, a couple of headlamps. One of the best in some ways for sure but, they still have many areas where they are far from the best and need improvement imo. This new cell compartment design definitely falls into the needs improvement category imo. I personally think it is a step backwards when compared to their old design. YMMV.

 

[sidecross]

Yes, a couple of headlamps. One of the best in some ways for sure but, they still have many areas where they are far from the best and need improvement imo. This new cell compartment design definitely falls into the needs improvement category imo. I personally think it is a step backwards when compared to their old design. YMMV.

"Best" in flashlights is a time dependent evaluation, and if the last three years is an example what was best then, it is certainly made room for other flashlights that could now be placed in that category.

ZebraLight from my own experience is for a more advanced end user of flashlights who has knowledge about lithium ion batteries, the function of drivers, and an understanding of the newest development in LED technology.

From the discussion about protected batteries vs standard flat top 18650 lithium batteries on this forum, it is not hard to see how the marketing of protected batteries has made quite abit of money for those who sell and promote this one kind of lithium battery. The difference in price between the two does not seem to be justified.

There is definitely a need for protected batteries used in series or parallel as a precaution for those whose understanding of lithium ion batteries is limited, but I use unprotected flashlights in series and I am still here to write about it.

ZebraLight's decision to produce their newest SC600 Mk lll may be as surprised as I am about some of the complaints being made here on CPF.

 

[ShineOnYouCrazyDiamond]

It's just so painful reading through the threads on this light. The battery compartment is what it is. If you don't like it just move on and quit complaining, really. I think this light is great. Best SC6000 yet. I commend the decision to move to the unprotected smaller battery as the size of the light has shrunk while performance has increased.

I honestly don't care if my battery gets a little mark on from a spring or a pogo-pin. It's metal on metal - something's gotta make a mark somewhere.

This is hands down a great light. At it's price point I would be hard pressed for find another light that has as many check boxes on the pros side as this one.

If you disagree with me that's cool, but I have a right to my opinion as well and I have nothing bad to say about this light except for wishing it has a screw on clip like the other ZL lights. But with the Dark Sucks clip fitting this light well I have a great alternative.

 

[sidecross]

It's just so painful reading through the threads on this light. The battery compartment is what it is. If you don't like it just move on and quit complaining, really. I think this light is great. Best SC6000 yet. I commend the decision to move to the unprotected smaller battery as the size of the light has shrunk while performance has increased.

I honestly don't care if my battery gets a little mark on from a spring or a pogo-pin. It's metal on metal - something's gotta make a mark somewhere.

This is hands down a great light. At it's price point I would be hard pressed for find another light that has as many check boxes on the pros side as this one.

If you disagree with me that's cool, but I have a right to my opinion as well and I have nothing bad to say about this light except for wishing it has a screw on clip like the other ZL lights. But with the Dark Sucks clip fitting this light well I have a great alternative.

+1

I agree with you. :thumbsup: