Zebralight SC64c Smashing Batteries

beamis

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Not sure if it's a Sanyo problem or a Zebralight problem, but I bought a SC64c to EDC and discovered to my dismay that if it even so much as falls off a coffee table it will smash the top of the NCR18650GA that Zebralight sells with it. Before today I had always assumed that flat-top batteries were solid under the flat top, but now I know they cave in.
 

WalkIntoTheLight

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Yeah, the tops of flat-top cells are pretty weak. You could buy some cheap cardboard protection rings and use them to protect the positive terminal.

I find that 3 or 4 of them, stacked on top of each other, do a good job.


hIrCL09.jpg



Or, you could just not drop the light. ;)
 

twistedraven

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Yeah the pogo pins in my SC600 MK3 HI have over time depressed the top of my unprotected cell. I'll have to buy a new one eventually.
 

WalkIntoTheLight

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It seems like that would prevent the light making good contact.

Assuming you're referring to my insulation rings, no, it still allows for good contact. The pogo pins are long enough to extend through the open hole and make good contact. The raised rings prevent impacts from slamming the cell completely down against the pins.

It works. The only issue I've found is that contact can be tricky on some chargers. The dimples on the charging posts can be shorter than pogo pins. In those cases, I used a small magnet to temporarily allow a charger to contact the positive terminal.
 

Mr. LED

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I noticed that one of my Sanyo batteries have the positive "smashed" in, but appears that after it happens, it tends to stay that way and won't go deeper. It's stable and still have good contact with the pins.
 

Random Dan

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Assuming you're referring to my insulation rings, no, it still allows for good contact. The pogo pins are long enough to extend through the open hole and make good contact. The raised rings prevent impacts from slamming the cell completely down against the pins.

It works. The only issue I've found is that contact can be tricky on some chargers. The dimples on the charging posts can be shorter than pogo pins. In those cases, I used a small magnet to temporarily allow a charger to contact the positive terminal.
I wonder if you could achieve a similar result with an o-ring placed in the head side of the battery tube. If it was the right diameter it would have enough friction to not fall out when changing batteries. Then your batteries would be clean and able to work in chargers and other devices.
 

WalkIntoTheLight

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I wonder if you could achieve a similar result with an o-ring placed in the head side of the battery tube. If it was the right diameter it would have enough friction to not fall out when changing batteries. Then your batteries would be clean and able to work in chargers and other devices.

Possibly. Although, an o-ring thick enough to fill up the sides of the tube to stop the battery going down the full way, might also be too thick to allow proper contact with pogo pins. It would definitely be worth a try, as that would prevent the need for the rings on all your batteries. A flat rubber washer might work, if an o-ring didn't.

I'm assuming that whatever you use can handle the heat, but o-rings shouldn't have a problem.

The cardboard rings I am using could be installed in the light, if done carefully. I don't want to do that, as removing them and cleaning up any residue is far more work than just peeling them off the battery. I don't imagine that cardboard lasts forever, so you'd want to remove and replace them eventually.
 

Random Dan

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Possibly. Although, an o-ring thick enough to fill up the sides of the tube to stop the battery going down the full way, might also be too thick to allow proper contact with pogo pins. It would definitely be worth a try, as that would prevent the need for the rings on all your batteries. A flat rubber washer might work, if an o-ring didn't.

I'm assuming that whatever you use can handle the heat, but o-rings shouldn't have a problem.

The cardboard rings I am using could be installed in the light, if done carefully. I don't want to do that, as removing them and cleaning up any residue is far more work than just peeling them off the battery. I don't imagine that cardboard lasts forever, so you'd want to remove and replace them eventually.
I think if I had a pogo pin ZL I'd probably just by a bunch of different thickness 18mm-18.5mm o-rings and try them all to find the thickest one that would still allow contact.


If ZL were really on top of their game they could include a rubber cushion in the design of the light and then not have to worry about customer complaints.
 

JoeRodge

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I have such a love-hate relationship with my Zebralight, lol. The damaged cells are numerous!!!

One of my worries is the battery not making proper contact and causing excessive heat. Potentially damaging the battery/device.

qALKxFH.jpg

sGVVJge.jpg
 

markr6

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I thought I had a pic but can't find it. Mine looks exactly like the red one above ^
 

JoeRodge

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I bought some of the cardboard protectors that walkintothelight suggested in a previous thread. They worked well enough. I just need to invest in New cells now lol. Destroyed 3-4 batteries before I learned my lesson.
 

vadimax

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Finally got my SC64c LE. Tried 18650GA — the "+" contact suffered minor deformation:

3-D1-BEED0-6150-4043-893-D-9422-F63-B02-F5.jpg


Now I use VTC6 — fits tightly, but no damage detected.
 
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Mr. LED

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Problem is the Sanyo battery has a thin metal positive pole, and would probably get bent with pogos or not. After it's sunken in, it shouldn't move, though. I'm not worried about this anymore, my batteries work fine. If you don't want this happening, you must try another brand of batteries.
 
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