Zebralight SC600w Mk III HI - Pocket Thrower

[CelticCross74]

20 years of light collecting on...the ZL SC600 MkIII HI is one of the best and baddest lights I have ever bought. Quality everywhere. A tint I can only describe as golden. The profile is amazingly wide for such a small reflector. Defined hot spot but not so defined it gives you tunnel vision. The spill is bright and very usable. It quite honestly makes my NW MkII look dim. There is indeed a higher than average glare coat on the lens but to me not high enough(Like Armyteks hard coat based AR). I love how ZL design has managed to do so darn much with such a small light. Love that this instant classic of a light uses cheap non protected flat top GA's

 

[Husker]

Haven't read the entire thread (Yet!)...Went to the Zebra Site, is this the Version (SC600w Mk III HI 18650) that is considered the one to get?

Are the batteries they offer PanasonicSanyo-NCR18650GA-3500mAh-10A-18650 recommended by CP members or is there something better I should order?

 

[twistedraven]

Haven't read the entire thread (Yet!)...Went to the Zebra Site, is this the Version (SC600w Mk III HI 18650) that is considered the one to get?

Are the batteries they offer PanasonicSanyo-NCR18650GA-3500mAh-10A-18650 recommended by CP members or is there something better I should order?

Yes and yes.

 

[BLUE LED]

They don't have the HI version in the UK

 

[twistedraven]

One other thing I noticed-- which might contribute to the HI heating up slightly faster compared to the cool white-- is that it's slightly less heavy. It's really tough to tell, and visually they look very similar, but I do feel as if there's a little less mass there to soak up the heat. It could be slight variations in Zebralights production process, or it could be that they machined out the head a little bit differently for a different reflector.

 

[Connor]

According to ZebraLight they both weigh 66 grams.

 

[jonnyfgroove]

I just checked and my MK III HI is 63.8 grams.

 

[PragmaticMurphyist]

They don't have the HI version in the UK

I've ordered direct from Zebralight, free shipping, currently in transit.

 

[Husker]

Will the PanasonicSanyo-NCR18650GA-3500mAh-10A-18650 batteries be safe to charge in my XTAR VP1 Charger?

Found the answer...Yes.

 

[drummer132132]

Just to add my own 2 cents on this light it's an impressive light for its size. I find that I'm using it a lot throughout the house with whatever I need light for. It's very pocketable and tailstands very well. I find that M1 is perfect for when I need to ceiling bounce the light to illuminate a room for when power goes out and knowing that it would take days to fully deplete the battery at that level. It's more than enough to read/do whatever.

 

[jonnyfgroove]

Will the PanasonicSanyo-NCR18650GA-3500mAh-10A-18650 batteries be safe to charge in my XTAR VP1 Charger?

Absolutely. Just keep in mind that these are unprotected cells. The ZL has the circuitry built in to make sure the cell does not get over discharged, so no worries there. If you want to use the cells in lights that don't have this feature, you'll need to be careful not to over discharge them.

 

[tex.proud]

FYI...for those wondering about batteries


Yes, the ZL SC600 MKIII Hi does require shorter, unprotected, flat top, high drain cells. The light has protection against over-discharge, so you don't have to worry out it. As for your charger being able to handle them, I cannot say. I have simply found 3 cells that fit in, and function perfectly in this light.


Orbtronic 3500mAh 18650 High Drain Hybrid IMR Rechargeable Battery 3.7V


LG INR18650MJ1 18650 3500mAh High Discharge


Sanyo NCR18650GA 3.7V 3500mAh 10A High Power Cell


Not linking to where I purchased them because where I did so does not advertise here. Copy each battery into your search engine and good luck.

Tex.Proud

 

[Husker]

Absolutely. Just keep in mind that these are unprotected cells. The ZL has the circuitry built in to make sure the cell does not get over discharged, so no worries there. If you want to use the cells in lights that don't have this feature, you'll need to be careful not to over discharge them.

FYI...for those wondering about batteries


Yes, the ZL SC600 MKIII Hi does require shorter, unprotected, flat top, high drain cells. The light has protection against over-discharge, so you don't have to worry out it. As for your charger being able to handle them, I cannot say. I have simply found 3 cells that fit in, and function perfectly in this light.


Orbtronic 3500mAh 18650 High Drain Hybrid IMR Rechargeable Battery 3.7V


LG INR18650MJ1 18650 3500mAh High Discharge


Sanyo NCR18650GA 3.7V 3500mAh 10A High Power Cell


Not linking to where I purchased them because where I did so does not advertise here. Copy each battery into your search engine and good luck.

Tex.Proud

Thanks for the great info...I just ordered the light + Batteries.

 

[CelticCross74]

awesome info on the 3 cells. Even though I am a big Orbtronic fan I have noticed they use pretty thick wrap. Is the Orb a tighter fit in the light? Read HKJ's review of the LG. He says the cell gets hotter than the GA(I think that is the cell he compared it to)thus I bought a bunch of the bare GA's and have them spread across my lights that have the needed built in protections and so far so very good. I also noticed the bare GA cells charge fully from depletion faster than their protected counterparts....interesting.

 

[tex.proud]

The Orbtronic was the first cell that I ran in this light. It fits perfectly. I read somewhere that some folks were adding a wrap to their batteries because if you hit it against your palm or something, you heard the bettery tap the side of the tube. That's just obsessive to me. I didn't notice any difference in temperature from the LG holding it in hand for 15 minutes on H1 (something I did with all 3). Of course, I'm not scientifically testing the batteries. I simply know from experience with these cells in this light that all fit and function.

Didn't notice that about the GA. Good to know for when I'm traveling in the truck and using the cigarette lighter cord with my charger.

Tex.Proud

 

[Cunha]

How does the hot spot on the MK3 HI compare to the hot spot on an M61 with XPG2?

I really liked the beam on my MK2 zebralight with XML2

And I don't want a lot of focus like my Maelstrom G5 / mms

So where on that spectrum does the MK3HI lay? Would I be better off with a normal MK3?

 

[TheRealSpinner]

Cunha, I can't comment on how they compare to other torches, but I have both the HI and the standard MK III. I like the standard version better for walking at night, and illuminating my path/sidewalk. The HI is too spotty. I luke more spill to illuminate my immediate surroundings. I just bought one for my dad, and one for my mother.

I keep the HI version to complement my SC63w since it is much floodier, and doesn't throw too far. The pair match up great!

The HI is pretty good for showing off, though. 😉

 

[sdr]

One thing I've done with all of my SC600's is put a "Pinkie Lanyard" on them just as soon as I get 'em. That's what I did with this latest acquisition, the Mk III High Intensity XHP35, as well. Initially I put an orange lanyard on it to distinguish it from my regular cool white Mk III which has an olive drab paracord & black bead lanyard on it. I have since switched to a black paracord & gold bead lanyard on the HI version.

The Pinkie Lanyard secures the light to my little finger and that eliminates any chance of dropping it. Like I said, I have done that with all of my SC600's and it's a system that works well from a security standpoint and feels very ergonomically comfortable, too.

But for some reason the new HI version, despite sporting an identical lanyard - save for color and bead, wasn't feeling nearly as comfortable for some reason. With the lanyard on my little finger, the bead cinching it tightly, my thumb didn't seem to be falling right on top of the switch like it always had before. And that had me feeling puzzled. I kept thinking that it was just my imagination. I mean, why would it feel any different if the lanyards were constructed in an identical fashion, same size and shape? It had to be in my mind, right?

Well, that would be true IF everything was identical. So, following that logical line of reasoning, I had to ask myself another question: "If all of my lanyards were made the same, what if something about the flashlight was different?" Hmm?

That's when I started comparing all of my Zebralights. And, Voila! There was the fly in the ointment! The pea under the mattress! The reason that this new HI version felt different from all the rest - The good folks at ZebraLight moved that little nub that houses the lanyard ring approximately .25" to the left of where it had been positioned on all on my previous Zebralights relative to all of the other aspects on the physical anatomy of the flashlight.

I apologize it that explanation sounds confusing. Perhaps some pictures would help?

Okay, here you can see from left to right - XHP HI - Mk III cool white - Mk II L2(w) neutral - SC600 Mk I Original cool white. Now let's turn these around and look at the other side...

Can you see the difference? These lights are all in the same order, they have just been rotated 180 degrees. The 3 lights on the right, despite their difference in size all maintain virtually the same aspects regarding the positioning of that little nub and its lanyard ring. But not so on the 4th, the one on the left - the Mk III HI. Therein lies the rub! That little nub was moved! And that's why it's feeling different, ergonomically speaking.

On the 3 previous incarnations of the SC600, it was absolutely ergonomic perfection for me and my Pinkie Lanyard. Now, on this HI version, I can only vouch for near perfection - not for absolute perfection, as it was in the past. And, at least, now I can appreciate that there really is a physical reason it feels different and why I have to rotate the light ever so slightly to position my thumb on the switch. It wasn't all in my head, after all!

If you have the High Intensity Mk III and any other SC600 Please compare them and let me know what you find on yours. Is my HI just a fluke? Or are all of the HI's made with this subtle difference regarding that little nub that annoys many and others find useful? I would be curious to hear what you find.

 

[defbear]

@sdr, Where did you get those pinky lanyards? I assume you made them. Where did the Clasp joining the ends come from. I'm heading for Google.
Ok zipper pulls Thank you for the photo inspiration!

 

[sdr]

@sdr, Where did you get those pinky lanyards?

I make them myself. I put lanyards on all of my knives and have quite a bit of paracord as well as beads and cord closures. They're very easy to make! You can find all of the supplies you need online.