# Zebralight H501 Part 2



## nzbazza

Let's continue the discussion of this headlamp here. Part 1 was getting rather long.


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## f22shift

be careful when you are flexing the steel. you can puncture the rubber and then you have a rubber sleeve with steel points to scratch your light.

the clip is more of holding onto thicker items like a belt.
i'm not sure if i even trust it on the belt. i can imagine bending over and my fat belly knocks it off.:rock:

so one of the reasons i got this is to have a light for hiking that i dont necessarily have to use on the head.
i think using the extra headband and attaching it semi permanent to a hiking pack strap would be a good solution. or wearing the headband around the neck and rotating the light forward(can't do that with other headlamps).
i'm not sure if someone has a better idea  :shrug:
oh, i tried with the extra head holder with a velcro loop for belt use. that would hold it more securily but you have to put it on tight or it wiggles when you walk. which you can see, if it's not on tight.


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## concept0

I'm trying to figure out if I actually got the H501w that I ordered. Mine has a very vanilla tint, which seems to look like the regular H501 Q5 edition, instead of the peachy tint of the Q3-5A.

Is there some way to verify which one I have? Mine has a dark yellowish core. Is there a difference in the color of the core (I think that's the correct name for the little square) for the two emitters?


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## wapkil

drmaxx said:


> For the H50 they specified the lumens on the H50 for NiMH - they did not specify the battery assumed for the H501. With the higher efficiency of the 14500 you could drive the LED a little harder get a higher lumen count and still get the same runtime? They might even have a more efficient driver on board?
> But actually, it does look somewhat odd...



I looked at the numbers for the H50 and H501 and they seem quite believable to me. I think no one mentioned it earlier but 66 lumens for 2.33 hour for the H50 doesn't seem to be really that efficient. ZL probably now simply has a better behaving circuit.

If I did my math correctly, to achieve 66 lumen output the H50 would need around 0.25A on the LED.That would be 3.12V Vf and around 0.65A taken from a NiMH. Multiplied by 2.33 hours runtime it would give around 1.5Wh needed for a light with a perfectly efficient circuit. A 2700 mAh cell holds approximately 3Wh. That would mean that the H50 circuit consumes 3Wh when the perfect one would need 1.5Wh. In other words, the overall H50 efficiency in the high mode would be only around 0.5. Quite an interesting place for improvement here, I think.

With the similar calculations one would see that for the H501 such an efficiency figure is around 70%-75% (96lm, 2.3h, 0.36A on the LED, 3.17Vf, 0.95A on the battery, 2.3Wh needed for a perfect circuit).

These are only really approximate calculations and we would not know for sure before someone performs a full runtime test. But I believe they show that the advertised 96lm for 2.3h seems to be achievable. And these figures are definitely much closer to the truth than those provided by some other manufactures who claim to be able to drive the LED with twice the amount of the energy than they have in an AA NiMH cell.


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## wapkil

concept0 said:


> I'm trying to figure out if I actually got the H501w that I ordered. Mine has a very vanilla tint, which seems to look like the regular H501 Q5 edition, instead of the peachy tint of the Q3-5A.
> 
> Is there some way to verify which one I have? Mine has a dark yellowish core. Is there a difference in the color of the core (I think that's the correct name for the little square) for the two emitters?



The H501w has a darker emitter:

H501w:






H501:





(please excuse the dust in the photos)


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## davidt1

Clip is improved slightly with some anti-skid material wrapped around it.


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## concept0

wapkil said:


> The H501w has a darker emitter


 
From the pictures, it looks like the H501 emitter is kind of a fluorescent yellow whereas the H501w emitter is more of a school bus yellow. Is that right?


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## drmaxx

wapkil said:


> I looked at the numbers for the H50 and H501 and they seem quite believable to me. I think no one mentioned it earlier but 66 lumens for 2.33 hour for the H50 doesn't seem to be really that efficient. ZL probably now simply has a better behaving circuit.


Thanks for doing the math. The reason why I concluded that the runtime with 96 Lumens is from the description on the website:


> Powered with one AA size battery, the H501 can produce a maximum of 96 Lumens



The maximum sure is achived with the LiIon battery.....


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## concept0

drmaxx said:


> The maximum sure is achived with the LiIon battery.....


 
I thought I had heard that the H501 actually had lower output on high using a 14500...


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## wapkil

concept0 said:


> From the pictures, it looks like the H501 emitter is kind of a fluorescent yellow whereas the H501w emitter is more of a school bus yellow. Is that right?



I think that's how they look like. Maybe the H501w is a bit darker than school bus yellow. When I compared the H501 emitter to another Q5 I have, they were very similar. The Q3 was easily distinguishable. At least that's what I remember - I don't have these lights with me now. And I never personally saw an (U.S.) school bus


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## wapkil

concept0 said:


> I thought I had heard that the H501 actually had lower output on high using a 14500...



Yes, that's how they behaved in my tests (link). In the high mode they were half as bright for LiIons as for NiMHs. That's one of the reason I assumed that the brightness and runtime values provided by ZL are for NiMHs.


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## drmaxx

drmaxx said:


> The maximum [brightness] sure is achived with the LiIon battery.....





wapkil said:


> In the high mode they were half as bright for LiIons as for NiMHs. That's one of the reason I assumed that the brightness and runtime values provided by ZL are for NiMHs.



 Assuming is not always the best way to go....
It's good that there are people who actually _measure_ :twothumbs.

Still, I am wondering why LiIon should be less bright then NiMH. Let's hope that one of the electronic gurus here on the board can chime in.


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## wapkil

drmaxx said:


> Assuming is not always the best way to go....
> It's good that there are people who actually _measure_ :twothumbs.



Well, I had to assume for what chemistry ZL advertised the H501 parameters - it's not mentioned on their website (while for the H50 they say it's Sanyo 2700 NiMH). And of course I *measured* the brightness. A digital camera is not a calibrated luxmeter so I preferred not to talk about the precise absolute values but I believe the measured relative changes in brightness should be pretty accurate.


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## cheetokhan

Ordered a warm emitter version a couple weeks ago. It arrived today but definitely does not have a warm emitter:sigh:
Mine has a very harsh, greenish tint to it, just like my older H30. 
Sent Zebralight an email. Hopefully they will exchange it for the correct version.

Edit: after further testing I believe I did actually get the warm emitter I ordered. See my post later in this thread.
And Zebralight did respond to my email within 24hrs:thumbsup:


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## AvPD

I hate to ask, but what is wrong with having more than 10 pages on a thread? The inconveniences of not being able to reply to earlier posts and having to find the links at the end and start of each 'part' surely outweigh whatever convenience (if any) is gained by it.


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## Woods Walker

cheetokhan said:


> Ordered a warm emitter version a couple weeks ago. It arrived today but definitely does not have a warm emitter:sigh:
> Mine has a very harsh, greenish tint to it, just like my older H30.
> Sent Zebralight an email. Hopefully they will exchange it for the correct version.


 
If that happens to me I would return it. Greenish tint is kinda sad and made worse when you expected nice warm 5A tint. :mecry:


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## Unforgiven

AvPD said:


> I hate to ask, but what is wrong with having more than 10 pages on a thread? The inconveniences of not being able to reply to earlier posts and having to find the links at the end and start of each 'part' surely outweigh whatever convenience (if any) is gained by it.



The only thing wrong with it is in the past, long threads created problems within the software itself. Reducing the possibility of a forum slowdown or even a total shutdown and being able to continue to post on a particular subject would seem to outweigh the inconvenience of putting forth a bit more effort to make a reply.


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## Alan B

Unforgiven said:


> The only thing wrong with it is in the past, long threads created problems within the software itself. Reducing the possibility of a forum slowdown or even a total shutdown and being able to continue to post on a particular subject would seem to outweigh the inconvenience of putting forth a bit more effort to make a reply.



Someone might want to check with rcgroups.com. They use the same software and have many threads with hundreds of pages with no apparent problem.

When comparing the new H501 to my H30 the H30 appears slightly greenish, while the H501 appears slightly yellow. It is NOT the warm Q3 5A tint, but it seems to be a warmer Q5 tint. Unfortunately the LED tints are not quite under control in the manufacturing process, so they must select them, and manufacturers must buy what they can get, or shop for price, at least some of the time.


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## concept0

Alan B said:


> Someone might want to check with rcgroups.com. They use the same software and have many threads with hundreds of pages with no apparent problem.
> 
> When comparing the new H501 to my H30 the H30 appears slightly greenish, while the H501 appears slightly yellow. It is NOT the warm Q3 5A tint, but it seems to be a warmer Q5 tint. Unfortunately the LED tints are not quite under control in the manufacturing process, so they must select them, and manufacturers must buy what they can get, or shop for price, at least some of the time.


 
I'm so confused... the output of my light is yellowish, but not peachy. Certainly not green or blue, but not like my other 5A lights. What do I have?


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## Woods Walker

Alan.

That is a bit different from ordering a 5A and getting a green tinted Q5.


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## Woods Walker

concept0 said:


> I'm so confused... the output of my light is yellowish, but not peachy. Certainly not green or blue, but not like my other 5A lights. What do I have?


 
Guessing a warm tinted Q5.


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## concept0

Woods Walker said:


> Guessing a warm tinted Q5.


 
I emailed ZL about it, and they asked whether the emitter square looked orange. How orange should it be?

Mine looks like school bus yellow (like this guy ) and not florescent yellow (like this guy ).


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## Woods Walker

Got any beam shots?


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## concept0

Woods Walker said:


> Got any beam shots?


 
Don't laugh, this was my first attempt at a beamshot. The ZL is on the left, a Regalight EDC modded with Q3-5A is on the right. The Regalight looks pinker/redder to me, though I don't know how well that shows up in the picture. Now that I look at it, the ZL does look a tiny bit green.


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## Woods Walker

I am no expert but that looks like a Q5.


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## f22shift

concept0 said:


> Don't laugh, this was my first attempt at a beamshot. The ZL is on the left, a Regalight EDC modded with Q3-5A is on the right. The Regalight looks pinker/redder to me, though I don't know how well that shows up in the picture. Now that I look at it, the ZL does look a tiny bit green.


 hmm that looks like mine. and your beamshot to the right looks like my mag aspheric q3-5a(flood focused).
i always thought that the color look different depending on how it's projected.


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## concept0

f22shift said:


> hmm that looks like mine


 
Ahh, but which one do you have?


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## davidt1

The beam on mine is perfect. I am glad they sent me the regular white LED. I think it's possible for ZL to make this light brighter. The new small Nitecore EZ AA can put out 130 lumens. I would rather have more lumens and a little less run time.


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## peskyphotons

I just got my H501s in the mail. One has a little more of a yellowish tint than the other, I like the whiter tint better. I am a little color blind and I am not able to distinguish any benefit to a warm tint. I really like the UI, I can get to any setting very easily and quickly. I would like to see this UI on other lights as well. I really found my H50 to be nice light and the H501 is a good improvement. Unscrewing the cap a little is a good lockout and the 80 degree beam is very usable. I don't have any criticisms, I'm happy with the light. I do wish there was a way to clip it to my hat brim though.

Alex


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## AvPD

Unforgiven said:


> The only thing wrong with it is in the past, long threads created problems within the software itself. Reducing the possibility of a forum slowdown or even a total shutdown and being able to continue to post on a particular subject would seem to outweigh the inconvenience of putting forth a bit more effort to make a reply.


Thanks for responding.


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## f22shift

concept0 said:


> Ahh, but which one do you have?


 
q3-5a with the packaging marked that.

davidt1 smart move with the extra rubber. the friction should help. about the output, i dont think they can push it harder without redesigning it. ie larger heatsink. it gets pretty warm already. their other alternative is just use higher bin crees like r2's.
if someone were to want a higher output they should consider the h60 version.

book reading. i wanted to comment on someone else's statement saying they wish it was wider or that it didn't cover both pages. i found that it did cover both in reading..:thinking:


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## carl

concept0 said:


> I'm so confused... the output of my light is yellowish, but not peachy. Certainly not green or blue, but not like my other 5A lights. What do I have?



Maybe you got a Q3-5B (who knows?). Wouldn't that be interesting? Isn't a Q3-5B more yellow and less pink?


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## davidt1

Zebralight seems to be the only company making this type of light. I wonder if it's because they own the patent. I would love to see other companies entering the fray. There is nothing like a little competition to encourage innovations.


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## cheetokhan

I posted earlier in this thread that I had received a regular emitter when I ordered a warm emitter. Zebralight did answer my email within 24 hrs and asked me to look closely at the tint of the LED die with the light off.
I compared it to my other Q3-5A emitters and was surprised to see that it does have the slightly orange color of the warm emitters. Then I went into a dark room and did a lot of comparisons with my flashlight collection and I have decided that I did actually get a warm emitter.
For some reason, my 501 has a slightly harsh quality to the light it produces. The beam color is about the same as my other warm emitters, maybe not quite as warm, but a lot warmer than my regular, unmodded lights. It just has a slightly harsh quality that I have always associated with the cooler emitters. I don't know how to describe it any better than that. 
It may just be an effect of the optic. When I bounce the light off the ceiling, the harshness is gone and the resultant illumination looks exactly like my other Q3-5A lights.


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## Woods Walker

Maybe there is a lottery with the Q3-5A LEDs too.


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## Yapo

I ordered a regular tint H501 just before i went away over the easter week end and just got back now to find out that it was shipped on friday and now the website says its out of stock...lucky i ordered it in time...maybe i got the last 1?!? hope it has a good white/warm tint!


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## cheetokhan

Woods Walker said:


> Maybe there is a lottery with the Q3-5A LEDs too.



That's what I'm thinking. It is definitely a warm tint, but not the same as my other Q3-5A emitters.


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## ZebraLight

The lights we delivered recently AND in the near future are come with either Q5-WD or Q3-5A tint LEDs. The color temperature of the WD tint is in the 6350-5700K range. It's a bit warmer than the WC tint (7000-6350K) we had before. The 'warm white' 5A tint is in the 4300-4000K range. One way to tell if you have a WD or 5A tint light is to compare it to a camera flash (5500K). Here are some examples of color temperature (K):

Cree WC 6350-7000
Cree WD 5700-6350
Daylight 5500-6000
Camera flash 5500
Cree 5A 4000-4300
Incandescent 2700-3300


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## carl

ZebraLight said:


> The lights we delivered recently AND in the near future are come with either Q5-WD or Q3-5A tint LEDs. The color temperature of the WD tint is in the 6350-5700K range. It's a bit warmer than the WC tint (7000-6350K) we had before. The 'warm white' 5A tint is in the 4300-4000K range. One way to tell if you have a WD or 5A tint light is to compare it to a camera flash (5500K). Here are some examples of color temperature (K):
> 
> Cree WC 6350-7000
> Cree WD 5700-6350
> Daylight 5500-6000
> Camera flash 5500
> Cree 5A 4000-4300
> Incandescent 2700-3300



Wow, the WD looks to be equivalent to daylight. who can ask for more! and with Q5 brightness rather than Q3!


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## mhejl

Can someone with 14500s laying around please check the fit in their H501?

I just got my H501 and the first thing I did was drop in (well, sort of) an AW protected 14500 and it got stuck! Had a bear of a time getting it out, requiring taps with a rubber mallet on the threaded end. 

My only other 14500 wasn't quiet as tight but made me too uncomfortable to go through another panic. These are almost new 14500s, purchased at the same time.

Back OT: I didn't specify warm tint. Mine has a cool, but more purple tint compared to my H30 and other Q5s I have. Threads and o-ring were dry and gritty; needed cleaning and lubed. The pocket clip is plain steel (magnetic) while the H30 is (apparently) stainless. Not sure I like the "instant high" on a quick button press (no OT comments, please!) but I suppose I'll get used to it. Strobe is adequately hidden, though.


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## DevL

Does the 501 make a clicky noise or is it silent?


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## Shorty66

The H501 makes more sound than the H60 as the button is a little bit harder, but its nothing when compared to a tipical "clicky" light. Think of a button of your mobile and you get the sound.


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## wapkil

carl said:


> Wow, the WD looks to be equivalent to daylight. who can ask for more! and with Q5 brightness rather than Q3!



Yes, these are quite nice Q5s but I wouldn't single out Q3 5As 

I've read a little about color perception (including a few discussions here on CPF) and even though I knew it's complicated it turned out to be much more complicated than I expected. I couldn't possibly repeat all the information, but I think it's important to note that the CCT temperature is only one of many factors that contribute to how we see the light. The perception depends for example on the light level. The Kruithof curve shows that in low light conditions lower color temperatures are perceived as white and consequently higher temperatures appear blue. The Q3 5A 4000K light would appear too yellow under full light conditions. In the low light, when we use flashlights, Q3 5A can be perceived as white, while 6000K Q5 WD would appear too blue.

The spectral power distribution of LEDs is also different than that of a black body radiator (e.g. the Sun). If I correctly understood the Cree documentation, all the XR-E LEDs lack the 500nm green but the neutral white Q3 5As should be much better than the cool white Q5 WDs in the 530nm green to 750nm red spectrum range.

To make matters worse, there are also individual preferences and I, for instance, tend to like lower CCT lights (e.g. incans). And if this subjectivity wasn't bad enough, the color perception can change when people get older. After using my H501 and H501w for some time now, I find the Q3 5A H501w more suitable for me indoors. I hope in the first week of May I will be able to compare them during an outdoor trip.


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## wapkil

mhejl said:


> Can someone with 14500s laying around please check the fit in their H501?



My blue TrustFires fit perfectly.


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## Yapo

ZebraLight said:


> The lights we delivered recently AND in the near future are come with either Q5-WD or Q3-5A tint LEDs.



Cool so does that mean the H501 i ordered last week will definitely not be cool/blue?


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## Sadsack

mhejl said:


> Can someone with 14500s laying around please check the fit in their H501?
> I just received mine today with the Q3 5A and both my AW protected 14500s fit fine. The high mode is not any brighter on the 14500 though. Would love to see some runtime graphs with different kinds of batteries.


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## concept0

AW protected 14500s fit my H501w just fine...


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## Lite_me

I have 2 AW 14500's that fit just fine also...


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## StandardBattery

Good news! 

If I can't have 5A (or maybe 5B), then WD does seem to be a great tint. I only have one light (Infinitum) with a guaranteed WD emitter, and I must say I like it. Should have my H501 in a couple of days, and this is very good news. I'm still going to get a 5A when available.


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## Woods Walker

So here are my first impressions of a H501. Later when the sun goes down I will compare it to the H50 and other headlamps with some beam shots and update the info with field tests.

1. UI takes a little getting used to. But got the hang of it.

2. Seems much brighter than the older H50.

3. The switch would be too sensitive for EDC however nice for a headlamp as it does not push the unit around when switching modes. Lock out is easy so not worried about it turning on in my pack. All lights get locked out in the pack anyways. Also this is a headlamp not an EDC for me.

4.  My H50 is too green on low mode, somewhat better on medium and just fine on high. This one is better on all modes. Granted tint is in the eye of the beholder but no angry blue or squid **** green from this headlamp. Guessing their preference for Q5 WD has paid off in this case.

5. Quality the same as the H50 and the anodizing is a bit darker than the H50 however anodizing color unlike build quality means little to me.

Well that is about it for now.


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## Glock27

ZebraLight....How many 501's did you make on the first run?
How many are in the 2nd?
I'm hoping the Red ones will be available in the 2nd batch.
G27


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## ZebraLight

Glock27 said:


> ZebraLight....How many 501's did you make on the first run?
> How many are in the 2nd?
> I'm hoping the Red ones will be available in the 2nd batch.
> G27


 
The Red ones have nothing to do with the 1st or 2nd batch. The red LED's have much lower Vf value. We will have to modify the circuit to make it work.


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## mkane

I checked the ZebraLight website and the H501's are back in stock.

*H501 Headlamp*





*Available in stock:wave:*


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## Yapo

No one was home today when the postman came by with my package so i have to go pick it up from the post office tomorrow. I'm surprised it got here within a week from when i ordered! cant wait to get my hands on it tomoro!


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## carl

can anyone post pics of WD vs. 5A vs. WC (as if anyone has all three)?


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## Beacon of Light

I have a H50 on order (still haven't received - Ebay seller from HK) so not sure how I will like it, but I do have a newer 50 lumen variety Princeton Tec EOS headlamp that has a nice (assuming it is a neutral - cool tint) that I love. Wondering how this 501 or H50 for that matter compares to the EOS beam.


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## mhejl

Lite_me said:


> I have 2 AW 14500's that fit just fine also...



Thanks, guys. I've ordered a couple more and an Ultrafire to test. Maybe just the batch my two AWs came from.


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## Lite_me

mhejl said:


> Thanks, guys. I've ordered a couple more and an Ultrafire to test. Maybe just the batch my two AWs came from.


I have 2 Ultrafires also. One fits good, the other is a little tight, especially on the base end. Looks like the protection circuit is off-center. It appears quality control is not as good on these. Well, duh!


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## lebox97

this should be of help...
http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=156772




carl said:


> can anyone post pics of WD vs. 5A vs. WC (as if anyone has all three)?


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## davidt1

I love the UI on this light. You have the option of starting on either low or high. The strobe is completely out of the way if you don't want it. Within 15 minutes of using it, I knew it was going to my most useful light. The most used light though is the Lighthound fauxton attached to my watchband because that's all the light I need to walk around inside the house at night. The H501 is now my main EDC night. Yes, I have learned to live with the misplaced and ultra sensitive clicky switch. 

My H501 in the shirt pocket most of the time even when I am sleeping. It's the most useful light I have used.





The most used one, however, is this little guy because it's right on my hand.





Suggestions a better Zebra light:

Put the clicky switch on the tail cap completely recessed like the one on some of the River Rock lights. It's really in the way where it is right now. I activate the switch everytime i clip and unclip the light. That means it would get turned on unless the tail cap is loosened first. Having the clicky switch in the tail cap solves this problem. 

Come up with an all metal clip that attaches to the head of the light with a hole for lanyard attachement. 

That's all for now.


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## Derek Dean

davidt1 said:


> Suggestions a better Zebra light:
> 
> Put the clicky switch on the tail cap completely recessed like the one on some of the River Rock lights. It's really in the way where it is right now. I activate the switch everytime i clip and unclip the light. That means it would get turned on unless the tail cap is loosened first. Having the clicky switch in the tail cap solves this problem.
> 
> Come up with an all metal clip that attaches to the head of the light with a hole for lanyard attachement.


+1
Yes, with those revisions I would probably buy one. I've been following this light closely and love how tiny it is,the excellent UI, and the wonderful beam. Now, just take care of a few small details and you will have my perfect backup EDC.


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## Woods Walker

Beacon of Light said:


> I have a H50 on order (still haven't received - Ebay seller from HK) so not sure how I will like it, but I do have a newer 50 lumen variety Princeton Tec EOS headlamp that has a nice (assuming it is a neutral - cool tint) that I love. Wondering how this 501 or H50 for that matter compares to the EOS beam.


 
Well the H50 is pure flood and the H501 has a bit less flood and a little more throw. The H501 puts out more lumens than the Rebel EOS however the EOS has more throw. I am packing up for openning day trout fishing this weekend so can't do any beam shots yet. My H50 has less lumens than the H501 but still has more than the EOS however it is hard to judge 100% flood against anything else. Still ZL seems honest about the lumens.


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## Woods Walker

Derek Dean said:


> +1
> Yes, with those revisions I would probably buy one. I've been following this light closely and love how tiny it is,the excellent UI, and the wonderful beam. Now, just take care of a few small details and you will have my perfect backup EDC.


 

For a headlamp I think the Clicky of the H501 is nice. Most headlamps have stiff switches to prevent accidental activation in a pack. This is a good idea as to lock out an EOS or APEX the batteries must be removed. The price for this is a stiff switch but a H501 can be locked out with something like 1/4-1/2 twist. Takes less than one second both ways. There is no other headlamp on the market that has both an easy lockout and very easy switch. For a switch to be packproof it must be harder to activate. The very fine Rebel EOS and Apex are a good examples of this. But for these non lockout lights I accept the stiffer switch for the pre stated reasons. If the H501 could not be locked out with such a small twist of the tail cap (the O ring is still covered) the switch would be a problem. However this is not the case. The easy tap to bump up modes is nice. Now for an EDC I would prefer a stiffer switch like on my Leatherman S2 flashlight but this is at heart a headlamp. This easy lockout information should be stated on the box and web site to elaborate on the value of the easy switch in my view.:twothumbs


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## JB5

Woods Walker said:


> For a headlamp I think the Clicky of the H501 is nice. Most headlamps have stiff switches to prevent accidental activation in a pack. This is a good idea as to lock out an EOS or APEX the batteries must be removed. The price for this is a stiff switch but a H501 can be locked out with something like 1/4-1/2 twist. Takes less than one second both ways. There is no other headlamp on the market that has both an easy lockout and very easy switch. For a switch to be packproof it must be harder to activate. The very fine Rebel EOS and Apex are a good examples of this. But for these non lockout lights I accept the stiffer switch for the pre stated reasons. If the H501 could not be locked out with such a small twist of the tail cap (the O ring is still covered) the switch would be a problem. However this is not the case. The easy tap to bump up modes is nice. Now for an EDC I would prefer a stiffer switch like on my Leatherman S2 flashlight but this is at heart a headlamp. This easy lockout information should be stated on the box and web site to elaborate on the value of the easy switch in my view.:twothumbs


 
Thanks for the info on the lockout method. Had'nt really thought to try that. Your right it is just a slight turn and it works perfectly.. I now have faith that it will not come on when in my backpack.

Peace


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## bansuri

Woods Walker said:


> If the H501 could not be locked out with such a small twist of the tail cap (the O ring is still covered) the switch would be a problem. However this is not the case. The easy tap to bump up modes is nice. Now for an EDC I would prefer a stiffer switch like on my Leatherman S2 flashlight but this is at heart a headlamp. This easy lockout information should be stated on the box and web site to elaborate on the value of the easy switch in my view.:twothumbs


Agreed. I got mine the other day and the lockout works with less than 1/8 turn, really as soon as it loosens up so the whole o-ring argument is dead in the water. Also, being able to switch straight to high or back to your previous mode is great.
It's a great light, I thought the the h50 was my favorite headlamp and along comes the H501. Now, do I sell the H50 and get some cash back or do I keep it for my wife when the electricity gets knocked out as it does annually?
Do any of you folks in the know or forward thinkers imagine we'll look back on these as clunky/inefficient relics in a few years? I've loved lights since I was a kid and can remember some clunkers that weren't worth the investment in batteries to run them, is it possible that we'll see improvements on the order of say,. 5 or 10X brighter in the next decade?
Pardon the thread-jack.


----------



## Woods Walker

I say keep the h50 and use the cord loop thing they gave out with it for a geneal purpose hangling area camp light for times when you go away from camp. Sure makes finding a camp so much easier when going out for fire wood. I do this now with the E01 however the ZLs are so UL that this would be perfect for that and the low runs forever. Plus I have a backup. I do think the lock out should be on the ZL web page. Kinda turns the nice easy clicky into the true positive that it is.


----------



## Yapo

Just opened my package...the box was smaller than i thought it would be n the zebralight feels great and light. great annodizing! the threads seem abit short and the clicky is a lil senstive as others have mentioned but its not too bad. The tint is a lil on the cool side n would liked a a lil warm but i can live with it. The strobe seems pretty annoyin to look at stuff with...seems faster than the strobes on my other lights.

Other then that... a Great light!:twothumbs
Cant wait till its dark!


----------



## fleegs

I noticed on my H501 headlight that from off the following works: 1 click high, 2 clicks medium, 3 clicks low. All starting from off.

Anyone else experience this? I click fast. 

It's kind of cool. 


Rob


----------



## kwieto

Woods Walker said:


> There is no other headlamp on the market that has both an easy lockout and very easy switch.



Petzl headlamps have good locks (achieved by lamp rotation to the maximum up position), but the buttons are too small for me.
Also Mammut Lucido (X-zoom, TX1, etc) have similar type of lock (in TX1 locking system also protects light lens), both TX1 and X-zoom (and as I think, other models too) have big, easy to press buttons.


----------



## wapkil

fleegs said:


> I noticed on my H501 headlight that from off the following works: 1 click high, 2 clicks medium, 3 clicks low. All starting from off.
> 
> Anyone else experience this? I click fast.



I believe all H501s should work that way. A double click is treated as a single click for high and the second one to start cycling through the modes. I was also surprised when I noticed that, although it's described in the Operations section on the package and the ZL website.

They have now H501w and h60w officially listed on the website (out of stock). No H50b yet though.


----------



## Woods Walker

I guess easy to press is in the finger of the user. This one is by far the best to my finger but don't own every headlamp on the market. Do have a Petzl and never knew there was any lock out at least on my Tikka Plus. Gotta mess around with it.


----------



## Shorty66

There is no lockout on the single piece petzls. I think only the Myo (r)XP has lockout.


----------



## Marko

Petzl Myo XP lock out system

Open






Close





Back to topic,


> They have now H501w and h60w officially listed on the website (out of stock).



Thats nice, now its easier to order Q3 5A version.


----------



## Yapo

fleegs said:


> I noticed on my H501 headlight that from off the following works: 1 click high, 2 clicks medium, 3 clicks low. All starting from off.
> 
> Anyone else experience this? I click fast.
> 
> It's kind of cool.
> 
> 
> Rob



heh yeah i found that as soon as i turned it on n kept on clicking...thought it was somthing cool i had discovered until i looked at the back of the box and u know the rest lol...

After a bit of use i found the 80 degree beam is pretty wide and useful and when i hold it in my hand and click it with my thumb i find that my index finger can somtimes cover the edge of the beam. I'm glad they changed from the 120 degree to 80 degree beam as i cant see y u would want anything wider...

And i find the strobe more annoyin when its pointed to at somthing than lookin into it directly. It feels weird looking at it like its flashin out a funny pattern/spotty beam. Anyone else experience that?


----------



## ToTo

They added a warm withe H501 and H60 on der HP 
but its out of stock atm


----------



## f22shift

i'm not sure why they chose strobe. it's not a tactical light. i think a flashing(bike, warning etc) or beacon( to find) would be better.
i guess it's better than nothing. it's hard to accidently start it.


----------



## PhantomPhoton

f22shift said:


> i'm not sure why they chose strobe. it's not a tactical light. i think a flashing(bike, warning etc) or beacon( to find) would be better.
> i guess it's better than nothing. it's hard to accidently start it.



I agree. Locater blink or double blink would be best imho. Strobing yourself with a high frequency from the headlamp isn't fun, and your buddies won't appreciate it either.


----------



## StandardBattery

PhantomPhoton said:


> I agree. Locater blink or double blink would be best imho. Strobing yourself with a high frequency from the headlamp isn't fun, and your buddies won't appreciate it either.


Ya, strobe :thinking: I don't know what they were thinking and how this got past design review, let alone testing.

I love how it's tucked away... but I must say Zebra really missed the mark on this one. A locator beacon, maybe 2 sec., would be useful. Damn... now I'll need a 502... maybe we can get them to change this before the warm tint versions appear again.


----------



## AvPD

In my opinion strobe or beacon is unecessary on a headlamp, a very fringe use if any. Thankfully Zebralight had the foresight to not include it in the main sequence.


----------



## StandardBattery

AvPD said:


> In my opinion strobe or beacon is unecessary on a headlamp, a very fringe use if any. Thankfully Zebralight had the foresight to not include it in the main sequence.


While I agree the beacon is not strickly required, I'm thinking that it could be used as a type of location marker. One would not use it when the light was being used as a headlamp. Well maybe if they wanted to keep track of their buddies drinking in the dark or by the fire when they wonder into the woods for...


----------



## Lite_me

StandardBattery said:


> While I agree the beacon is not strickly required, I'm thinking that it could be used as a type of location marker. One would not use it when the light was being used as a headlamp. Well maybe if they wanted to keep track of their buddies drinking in the dark or by the fire when they wonder into the woods for...


It flashes so fast, I could see it being used while in that mode. It's just that I'm not sure why you'd need or want to. The only thing I can come up with is if you were trying to be discovered while continuing to move about. (caving) 

I like strobe on my lights, but I can't see much reason for one on a headlamp. :shrug:


----------



## davidt1

Reason for strobe? Survival. Rescue. Signaling. It's completely out of the way for those who don't it need. For those who venture far and might get lost and need help, a strobe/beacon/SOS can make a big difference. 

Remember this: it's better to have something and not need it than to need it and not have it. 

Now on a more practical issue, for this light to truly be a task light and a headlamp, Zebralight needs to make the transition from one to another easier. As is, it's too time consuming and requires too many steps. First you have to remove the cap, then the clip, and insert it into the headband and then reattach the cap. 

Wouldn't it be wonderful if you don't have to remove anything and just clip the light on headband in one step?

Well, I am not holding my breath for Zebralight to be creative here. I will modify the clip and headband to do just that.


----------



## bansuri

davidt1 said:


> Remember this: it's better to have something and not need it than to need it and not have it. ....
> 
> Wouldn't it be wonderful if you don't have to remove anything and just clip the light on headband in one step?.....
> 
> Well, I am not holding my breath for Zebralight to be creative here. I will modify the clip and headband to do just that.




David,
I'm coming from an H50 where there is no benefit to taking the cap off as it will just scrape along the threads and o-rings so I've carried those habits forward. Maybe you can skip the removal of the tailcap? I've haven't noticed any stretching of the holder on the headstrap yet, maybe eventually. The pocket clip is definitely a point for improvement of ease of use.
Also, I totally agree with your strobe point, they've designed it so you will probably not be triggering it all the time and I'd rather have it than not.


----------



## Marko

davidt1 said:


> it's too time consuming and requires too many steps. First you have to remove the cap, then the clip, and insert it into the headband and then reattach the cap.
> 
> Wouldn't it be wonderful if you don't have to remove anything and just clip the light on headband in one step?
> 
> Well, I am not holding my breath for Zebralight to be creative here. I will modify the clip and headband to do just that.



Mine arrived today, and I did this holder mod. I just cut some parts off, and now it is possible to leave the clip on with headband. :thumbsup:


----------



## Woods Walker

Marko said:


> Petzl Myo XP lock out system
> 
> Open
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Close
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Back to topic,
> 
> 
> Thats nice, now its easier to order Q3 5A version.


 
That looks more like a reduction in accidental discharge rather than a true lockout like the ZL H501 and H50 has. Also the buttons look a bit like the Tikka XP. If they are then swtich is not like the H501 so going to stand by my statement. I have kept away from most of the pretzl headlamps due to lack of regulation, no lithiums and the issues with using NiMH. I think they have some newer headlamps with regulation and as a plus will not burn my head-off. But wonder about the heat sinks on them.


----------



## davidt1

Marko,

Awesome mod! Are you able to angle the light up or down? I was thinking of something more elaborate because I really want to get rid of that bulky clip. I like your idea a lot. Thanks for sharing.

Edit: I followed you and did the same mod. This one-step headband attachment is quicker and you don't have to worry about losing the clip. Another benefit is that the headband is thinner with the rubber protruding parts removed, making it possible to EDC both the headband and the light in your shirt pocket. This extends the usefulness of the light even more. Good job, dude!

Marko's one-step headband attachment mod






Both headband and light in the same shirt pocket with room to spare.


----------



## StandardBattery

I think this is my project for this evening. I like the benefits of this headband/clip Mod as well.

davidt1, did you answer your own question? After the mod is is still nice an smooth the adjust the light up and down while on the headband?

How comfortable on the forehead is this mod?


----------



## Marko

Woods Walker said:


> That looks more like a reduction in accidental discharge rather than a true lockout like the ZL H501 and H50 has. I have kept away from most of the pretzl headlamps due to lack of regulation, no lithiums and the issues with using NiMH.



Yes You are probably right. There is still a possibility to turn it accidentally on (Myo XP) when its on "locked" at Your backpack - if the bezel just turns enough, then it could "unlock". But I think its still better than nothing. :thumbsup:

I'm totally with You about Petzls, those features are just what I have been looking for too (those or fixed pretty good with Myo RXP). I just like the Myo XP because of the good diffuser and common AA cells. 

davidt1,
Thanks. I think You have already tried to angle the light - its bit stiff because of the tight clip holder. One thing You have to take care of when cutting the original holder: try to cut corners smooth, otherwise holder could rip when installing the light with clip.


----------



## davidt1

StandardBattery said:


> I think this is my project for this evening. I like the benefits of this headband/clip Mod as well.
> 
> davidt1, did you answer your own question? After the mod is is still nice an smooth the adjust the light up and down while on the headband?
> 
> How comfortable on the forehead is this mod?



While you can't rotate the light like before, adjustment can be made by lowering or raising the headband itself. I find that I don't need to adjust it after all.

It's comfortable. I can't tell the difference between the old way and the new way. This is based on wearing it for 10 minutes.

I took headband off and notice a depression on my forehead. I think I will need to straighten out the clip.


----------



## StandardBattery

I went ahead and modified one of my headbands. I modified the band for my H50, I haven't checked yet if it works well with the H30 clip, but I'm guessing it will work more or less.

I used small flush (close cut) wire cutters to lob off the rings, and used my new Barkie to notch the holder. The clip went on a little stiff and I thought I thought it would not last too many attach/detach cycles. So I then used the Barkie to shave off the raised portion of the mount so that the clip would slide on without excessive force. That glow in the dark material is very soft and could tear easily. 

*Front:*





*Back:*


----------



## LowBat

Nice work Marko! I may have to copy your idea.


----------



## davidt1

I straightened out the clip. It works much better now. No more depression on the forehead. It clips like a vise grip now.

Yeah, I know. It's ugly. I nearly broke it too.






Shrink tubing added to hide scratches and to improve gripping strength.







It clips like a vise grip on a single sheet of paper.






I used the light while riding my bicycle for 40 minutes today. Although it was attached my head, I only used it on the back of my head on medium as a safety light. It's very light and comfortable, almost to the point of not being there.


----------



## jhc37013

Is buying from Zebralight direct and goingear the only places I can order one from. I live in U.S. and want to get one quickly as possible but with a good repable dealer. It seems from what I've read it can take awhile direct from Zebralight and goingear is out of stock. Thanks


----------



## LowBat

Here's a little trick I did with an H50. Just put a neodymium magnet behind the clip for attaching to metal surfaces. Maybe somehow a magnetic headband attachment is possible.

Please pardon the lack of a closeup setting on my cell phone camera.


----------



## wapkil

A magnet can also be attached to the back of the clip. This way it sticks stronger to the surface and doesn't interfere when the light is being clipped. I used a thin insulated copper wire to fasten it:






I was also thinking about using magnets to attach the light to the headband. I have a fauxton with a sanded red led attached with them but haven't found a good way to do it with H501.


----------



## davidt1

I used it as a headlamp while riding my bicycle tonight. I only used it on poorly lit or dark parts of the street and as a signal light. Having turned the light on and off quickly a dozen times in real-world use, I have to say the responsive switch is a good thing in certain situations.

No, this headlamp is not the best for riding bicycle, but it's pretty good for what it is. If Zebralight keeps on improving, the future of their lights is bright.


----------



## parawolfe

I ordered an H501 from Zebralight and got the shipping notification yesterday. I'm aware that the shipping is via Airmail from China and on Zebralight's site it states 2-3 weeks. I was curious to know how accurate that shipping time was for some of you living in the US? What your experiences were, time wise. I unfortunately wasn't aware of the CPF upgrade to EMS shipping so mine is standard Airmail :shakehead . I live in northern Illinois but it doesn't matter to me where you live in the US. I just want to get an idea of how long it actually took for you to receive it via their Airmail service. Thanks.

Parawolfe


----------



## davidt1

Got mine in 4 weeks. Was not aware of the CPF shipping deal either.


----------



## LowBat

Ordered mine 3/16 which was the first day they became available. I got standard shipping from Shanghai to California. Arrived 4/06, exactly 3 weeks or 21 days later.


----------



## parawolfe

davidt1 & LowBat,

Thanks for the replies. I've never ordered anything from China directly before, not even DX, and wanted to hear from someone who has. It gives me a better idea how long it will take. I'll give it a month before I start to panic  From reading Part 1 and Part 2 of this thread, or parts of it, it seems that it's well worth the wait. I can't wait to add it to my kit.

Parawolfe


----------



## Alan B

Mine also took about 3 weeks to California.

I used my 501 tonite. It is so light that you forget it is on your head after awhile. I really appreciate how easy it is to turn on and off. It is definitely a keeper.


----------



## Egsise

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/posts/2913042&postcount=448


> OK, you are right, my mistake
> 
> But then explain me one thing:
> 
> Here in that post: http://candlepowerforums.com/vb/show...19&postcount=2
> is written, that H501 produces 460lux at 0,4m distance and H50 produces 240lux at 0,4m distance.
> 
> Then we get the formula from some your post in this thread:
> 
> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Shorty66*
> 
> 
> _Area of a circle: r²*Pi
> r= sin(1/2 alpha)*distance_
> 
> For *H501* it will be: (sin(40)*0,4)²*Pi * 460lux = *95.535 lm*
> Then for *H50* it will be (sin(60)*0,4)²*Pi * 240lux = *90.478 lm*
> 
> OK, there is a difference, but c.a. 5, not 30 lumens.
> What is wrong - lux measures done by *Ichoderso*, your formula quoted above, or specifications at Zebralight website?



From http://www.zebralight.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=186


> Light Output: Constant ratio output level spread. Current regulated.
> 
> *96* Lumens (2.3 hr) on High
> *18* Lumens (19 hr) on Medium
> *3.3* Lumens (3.5 days) on Low
> Light output and runtimes are measured using a Sanyo 2700 mAh NiMH battery.


http://www.zebralight.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=183


> Performance: Constant ratio output level spread. Fully regulated.
> 
> Low *2.6* lm for 3.5 days
> Medium *13* lm for 19 hr
> High *66* lm for 2 hr 20 min
> Light levels are out of the headlamp values. Runtimes performed using a Sanyo 2700 mAh NiMH battery.



Has anyone compared H50 and H501 output with a *lightbox*, H501 efficiency just seems too good to be true....


----------



## ichoderso

Hi all,
I don't read all the last posts, but I can say, my measurement from the H501 was from a "warm white" version (I wrote this in my review). This is a Q3-5A XR-E LED. Q3 is not so bright like Q5!! Thats why the difference is not so big.
I got a second H501 and a H60W today and will make beamshots and measures soon!
greetings, Jens


----------



## davidt1

Heavy rain storm caused intermittent power outages at my work last night. With the H501 clipped to my shirt, I was able to work without interruption. This light is proving itself everyday. 

That said, there are improvements that can be made and I hope Zebralight pay attention to the suggestions and modifications people made here and implements them in future lights. 

As I said before, 80 degree beam is nice, but 90 degree would be better for me.


----------



## Alan B

davidt1 said:


> Heavy rain storm caused intermittent power outages at my work last night. With the H501 clipped to my shirt, I was able to work without interruption. This light is proving itself everyday.
> 
> That said, there are improvements that can be made and I hope Zebralight pay attention to the suggestions and modifications people made here and implements them in future lights.
> 
> As I said before, 80 degree beam is nice, but 90 degree would be better for me.



I used mine last night to do some things on the outside of the trailer. We are RV camping this weekend. Worked nicely.

I wonder if 5 degrees on either side (80 to 90 degree) would make any noticeable difference. That is a very small change. Might make more sense to have a snap-on lens that takes it out to 100-120 degrees. Could even be an optional accessory, maybe a rubber ring with the lens in it that slips over the head. Then folks who want it could have it. You could store it on the other end when not in use if desired. 

Having had the wider beam H50 before I find the 80 degree beam to be a lot brighter and more useful so I haven't missed the wide beam so far.


----------



## Marko

Alan B said:


> Might make more sense to have a snap-on lens that takes it out to 100-120 degrees. Could even be an optional accessory, maybe a rubber ring with the lens in it that slips over the head. Then folks who want it could have it.



That sounds nice, although I like the regular 80 degree flood also.

What I really want, is better adjustable pocket clip. Something like with this lamp:
http://www.lssproducts.com/product/4003/portable-lamps

...or even better if the clip could be removable like this one: http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=104721

Then it would be more convenient to use H501 attached to belt etc. Now with the regular pocket clip the flood isn't always aimed to the best direction.


----------



## f22shift

i dont think anyone listed the current at the battery. 
this is my measurements with a dmm and a nimh fully charged.

1.12a-high
0.13a-med
0.03a-low

i'm sure it'll change as the battery is depleted.


----------



## wapkil

I have measured the initial current while trying to understand why the H501 behaves differently for different chemistries. The NiMH results are similar to yours:



Code:


        NiMH                            LiIon
        Current [mA]    ~Power [mW]     Current [mA]    ~Power [mW]
High    1150            1380            134             495.8
Med     160             192             71.9            266.03
Low     35.5            42.6            14.5            53.65


No wonder that in the high mode LiIons when compared to NiMHs give ~40% output and ~270% runtime. I still don't understand though why in the medium mode the light has similar output but with only around half the runtime.


----------



## Shorty66

Egsise said:


> Has anyone compared H50 and H501 output with a *lightbox*, H501 efficiency just seems too good to be true....



Your quote of Kwieto (which is the first quote, quoting myself correclty ;-) ) has wrong numbers. For the H501 it is quite accurate, as the beam pattern is quite uniform over the whole 80 degrees. 
The beampattern of the h50 however is anything but uniform. It has a clear hotspot at the center (where the lux measurement was taken) and fades to the outer rings. Therefore its about right to multiply the lux with the lit-up m² to get the lm for the h501. But its absolutely wrong for the h50. To get the lm of the H50 you need an integrating sphere, or know the fading rate to integrated by yourself before calculating the lm.


----------



## Egsise

Shorty66 said:


> Your quote of Kwieto (which is the first quote, quoting myself correclty ;-) ) has wrong numbers. For the H501 it is quite accurate, as the beam pattern is quite uniform over the whole 80 degrees.
> The beampattern of the h50 however is anything but uniform. It has a clear hotspot at the center (where the lux measurement was taken) and fades to the outer rings. Therefore its about right to multiply the lux with the lit-up m² to get the lm for the h501. But its absolutely wrong for the h50. *To get the lm of the H50 you need an integrating sphere, or know the fading rate to integrated by yourself before calculating the lm.*



I am not interested of the real lumens for H50 and H501, but with lightbox readings we could compare the efficiency of these two models.
As I said, H501 efficiency just seems too good to be true.
96 lumens 2,3 hours with just one 2700 mAh NiMH, that must be the most efficient boost circuit there is, right?


----------



## jirik_cz

I think that it is possible. But not 96 out the front lumens but we are talking about 96 bulb lumens...


----------



## Marduke

jirik_cz said:


> I think that it is possible. But not 96 out the front lumens but we are talking about 96 bulb lumens...



Except ZL quotes OTF from an IS.

I suspect their optical setup with the narrower flood is continually tweaked to eek out a couple extra percentage every design iteration.


----------



## Woods Walker

A Fenix LD10 runs 94 lumens 2.2 hours so the 96 lumen 2.3 hours for a H501 is very very good. Often Fenix is tops for runtimes etc.


----------



## wapkil

I'm not even sure what is the exact meaning of the "96 Lumens (2.3 hr) on High" statement. 

In the high mode the light output gradually lowers to achieve 80% close to the end of the runtime. Looking at the runtime graph I think that the average value is around 90% of the initial value.

Should "96 lumens" mean "96 lumens for a few seconds with a fresh battery" or "average 96 lumen output during the full runtime"?


----------



## davidt1

Used it to work on my car in the middle of the day today. It was dark enough underneath the car that a light was needed. The H501 performed again.


----------



## Mikellen

If anyone has the H501W (Q3 5A) and regular H501(Q5), can you please post if the Q5 is noticeably brighter? And if so by what degree, meaning just a little, moderate, or very noticeable.

I like the warm tint but wondering if brightness might be more important on an all flood light. If the warm tinted H501 is not that much dimmer than the Q5 version, then I think I will go with the H501W. If the Q5 version is very noticeably brighter, then I'll lean towards that model.

Thanks.


----------



## wapkil

Mikellen said:


> If anyone has the H501W (Q3 5A) and regular H501(Q5), can you please post if the Q5 is noticeably brighter? And if so by what degree, meaning just a little, moderate, or very noticeable.



The specification by ZebraLight and the results of my tests show that the difference in lumen output is around 10-20%. 

It's hard for me to tell if this difference is even noticeable. The lights have visibly different tint and that makes them hard to compare. I'd say that to my eyes the low mode seems to be a little bit brighter on H501 but I'm not even sure about that. I haven't tried to perform any real world tests to compare the output so maybe there are some situations where the difference can be spotted. 

I think that with a thrower 20% more lumens may be important but with a pure flood light like the H501 it's negligible. As always, YMMV - maybe someone else has a different opinion?


----------



## Mikellen

Thanks wapkil for your response. If that is the consensus that the difference in brightness of the H501W compared with the H501 is negligible or even just slightly lower, then I think the H501W will be the choice for me.

Thanks in advance for any more responses.


----------



## aeromys

I'm just getting into all this and mine arrived today, would agree that a headband clip that allowed use of the pocket clip as wll would be nice. I had a spare Maxpedition "Web Dominator" clip http://www.maxpedition.com/store/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=15&idproduct=591 and that fits quite nicely, it secures the H501 to a strap with or without the clip attached. The back of the clip is quite flat and not uncomfortable - 

















Cheers,
Dave


----------



## StandardBattery

aeromys,

Great Idea. I just bought abunch of MaxP with their recent 30off sale, but those items were the only ones that did not register the discount so I removed them from the cart. I'll have to remember to grab a few on my next order. Could probably put something on the back to make it more comfortable if needed. I like the simplicity of it, although I'm having no problem with my current bracker mod I might worry more if I had to remove and install it often.


----------



## Egsise

_Moderation: Comment removed. rule violation._

Pic from http://www.kuvaboxi.fi/julkinen/2b7o2+vesa-lampputesteja-2009.html


----------



## wapkil

I don't know what happened here but I remember that there used to be a post somewhere informing that the measurements in the picture in the post above represent the difference in lumens output (taken with some sphere?). Do I remember correctly? I tried to look at the site linked in the post but I don't understand a word in any Finno-Ugric language.

Does anyone know how it was measured? In comparison to the ZL specifications these results look surprising...


----------



## kwieto

It was telling about "Lightbox"

In my opinion, the results posted above are less surprising than Zebralight specification, in fact.

Compare, according to the specifications:

For LOW: H50 = 2.6lm/3,5days | H501 = 3.3lm/3,5days. H501/H50 = 26.9% increase of efficiency. 
For MID: H50 = 13lm/19h | H501 = 18lm/19h. H501/H50 = 38,5% increase of efficiency.
For HI: H50 = 66lm/2.3h | H501 = 96lm/2.3h. H501/H50 = 45,5% increase of efficiency.

I really don't belive that light which is 45,5% more efficient in Maximum mode, in minimum mode gets only c.a. a half of that efficiency.
And I still don't belive that they increased the light output that much without shortening battery runtime. 
And if they did, the driver efficiency in H50 would be only c.a. 60% or less (??)

The measurements posted above looks more realistic.

LOW: H501/H50 = 16% improvement
MID: H501/H50 = 0% improvement
HI: H501/H50 = 8% improvement

Except this 0% on MID level, looks more "real" than in the specifications from the Zebralight.

Maybe someone could measure and compare the current for both lamps?

I still think that most of the "improvement" in H501 is because of the different optics. If the difference was in the driver, that would mean, that the H50 driver is *VERY* poor.


----------



## vee73

I have measured all of the lamps in this lightbox:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHeqP3BZSuY






http://www.kuvaboxi.fi/mediaobjects/orig/pub/2009/05/08/8143010478550159287orig.jpg


----------



## davidt1

vee73 said:


> I have measured all of the lamps in this lightbox:
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHeqP3BZSuY
> 
> http://www.kuvaboxi.fi/mediaobjects/orig/pub/2009/05/08/8143010478550159287orig.jpg



Thanks. In the picture the H501 seems brighter in all modes.


----------



## kwieto

davidt1 said:


> Thanks. In the picture the H501 seems brighter in all modes.



But it is normal when you have narrower angle.
The diameter of a circle enlightened by H501 is c.a. half of that given by H50.
If you have more concentrated light, it will look brighter even if it produces the same ammount of light (lumens) in fact.


----------



## wapkil

kwieto said:


> It was telling about "Lightbox"
> 
> (...)
> 
> I really don't belive that light which is 45,5% more efficient in Maximum mode, in minimum mode gets only c.a. a half of that efficiency.
> And I still don't belive that they increased the light output that much without shortening battery runtime.



As we recently saw, such efficiency jumps sometimes happen.



kwieto said:


> And if they did, the driver efficiency in H50 would be only c.a. 60% or less (??)



In my previous approximation I estimated it even lower - at the 50% level.

When compared e.g. to the Fenix LD10 specification, the H501 numbers don't seem impossible. I know that Fenix gives LED lumens and ZL quotes OTF. I also expected that the runtime can be a little bit lower and the 96 lumen output may be achievable only on the fresh battery. Still, if the difference between the H501 and the H50 were so low, well within the results of the emitter variation, the specification would be simply false.


----------



## wapkil

vee73 said:


> I have measured all of the lamps in this lightbox:
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHeqP3BZSuY
> 
> http://www.kuvaboxi.fi/mediaobjects/orig/pub/2009/05/08/8143010478550159287orig.jpg



Thanks for the measurements. Do you think it may be possible that the measurement results in your lightbox may to some degree depend on the beam angle? Maybe you have measurements for other lights for which we know the lumen output (e.g. measured here)?


----------



## vee73

Angle does not much seem to affect the measurement result. Hardly any other measurement results are comparable to my measurements. Because there are so many factors. box size, and how well the surface reflects light.
This link has all my lightbox measured lamps:
http://www.kuvaboxi.fi/julkinen/2b7o2+vesa-lampputesteja-2009.html

I also tested the batteries with the help lightbox:
http://www.kuvaboxi.fi/julkinen/2bkam+vesa-aaa-paristotesti.html


----------



## kwieto

wapkil said:


> As we recently saw, such efficiency jumps sometimes happen.



OK, but it was PRE production model.
I belive that some PRE release can contain bugs, but efficiency of production model on the level of 50%... there are plenty of cheap, more efficient drivers on the market.

And I don't know why, according to the specifications, improvement on LOW would be only 26,9%, when on HI it would be 45,5% (69% better on HI) ?

Usually the more current is given to the driver, the less efficient it is (?)

According to the measurements: I think that if no big mistake was done and the measurements were done in the same conditions, you can use results at least to compare tested devices.
It is no matter if it was 800 lux or 820 or 790. More important is that the difference for HI was 8%, far less than declared by the producer.


----------



## wapkil

vee73 said:


> Angle does not much seem to affect the measurement result. Hardly any other measurement results are comparable to my measurements. Because there are so many factors. box size, and how well the surface reflects light.
> This link has all my lightbox measured lamps:
> http://www.kuvaboxi.fi/julkinen/2b7o2+vesa-lampputesteja-2009.html



Thanks once again. I asked about other measurements to have an idea how the lux readings in your lightbox roughly relate to the lumen output. When looking at your measurements I noticed that you have them for an LD20 light. In MrGman's measurements L2D (which should have the same output) measured 145 lumens. That's ~12 times less than 1745 (lux) number you got. This 12 divider when applied to your H50 measurements gives ~66.7 lumens - almost exactly 66 lumens from the ZL specification. The numbers don't always much so closely but it seems that this 12 times divider for your measurements should be within around 10% range of the real lumen output. This would mean that the H501 in your measurements gave 70-80 lumens.

Of course this is still only a speculation based on a single measured sample but the conclusions seems to be rather unpleasant for ZebraLight. I hope someone with another sample will be able to take measurements and compare the results.


----------



## wapkil

kwieto said:


> And I don't know why, according to the specifications, improvement on LOW would be only 26,9%, when on HI it would be 45,5% (69% better on HI) ?
> 
> Usually the more current is given to the driver, the less efficient it is (?)



I think it's not that simple. IIRC the drivers have their peak efficiency somewhere in the middle of the normal operating range and they are much less efficient for both high and low currents. To get 3.3 OTF lumens from current regulated driver you need less than 20mA. That's quite low and, as far as I know, that's also the level where the LEDs start to be inefficient.

That's one of the reasons I thought the specification may be correct. The numbers were high but didn't seem impossible. It's too bad that the vee73's measurements results seem to disagree with my theory


----------



## JB5

My dog just ate my H501 headband and the glow headband mount. I emailed Zebralight to see if its possible to get a new one. I hope so cuz i have been using this light so much and now I can't. Just glad he didn't swallow the light as well.


----------



## LowBat

JB5 said:


> My dog just ate my H501 headband and the glow headband mount. I emailed Zebralight to see if its possible to get a new one. I hope so cuz i have been using this light so much and now I can't. Just glad he didn't swallow the light as well.


While it sounds comical like saying my dog ate my homework, I just hope your dog doesn't develop any complications. That's a lot of material to pass through a dog (big or small) and the headband hopefully won't get tangled or snagged before it has a chance to be passed. You are probably already keeping a close eye on your dog in case he starts to look sick. You may also want to call a vet and ask for advise. I hope everything comes out ok... literally.


----------



## JB5

LowBat said:


> While it sounds comical like saying my dog ate my homework, I just hope your dog doesn't develop any complications. That's a lot of material to pass through a dog (big or small) and the headband hopefully won't get tangled or snagged before it has a chance to be passed. You are probably already keeping a close eye on your dog in case he starts to look sick. You may also want to call a vet and ask for advise. I hope everything comes out ok... literally.


 
Fortunatly everything came to pass. And I have a new headband in route. This is not the first time he has done something like this. We have been lucky to not have any complications...I think the fact that he is such a large dogs helps in this regard.
thanks for the concern lowbat.


----------



## Flying Turtle

Good to know the dog is fine, and that replacements are available. Sounds like the light itself could be in danger if left within reach. Now that would be a true torture test. :laughing:

Geoff


----------



## jhc37013

I got my first Zebralight today, the 501. I am so impressed by the light weight and how comfortable it is. Thanks to all for all your pics and reviews. This is probably become my favorite all around headlamp.


----------



## LowBat

jhc37013 said:


> I got my first Zebralight today, the 501. I am so impressed by the light weight and how comfortable it is. Thanks to all for all your pics and reviews. This is probably become my favorite all around headlamp.


Welcome to the club. These are really great lights, and I don't even use the headband. My H501 lives on my backpack shoulder strap like an anglehead flashlight. I can tap it on for map reading or leave it running to see the trail. When at camp I either stick a push pin at arms reach up on a tree truck and hang the H501 upside down, or use a small plastic Niteize S-hook and attach the H501 to a tree branch. Either way mounting the Zebralight above your head eliminates any glare and makes for a nice little area light. Small, lightweight, single AA cell, and very versatile, you just can't go wrong with a Zebralight.


----------



## davidt1

*Suggestions for a better H501*

I like my H501, but it could be better. So here are some suggestions for the next version of this light.

1. Put the on/off switch on the tail end. This Tank007 shows a good example. 











2. Redesign the clip. It's too bulky the way it is. The clip should be longer and starts at the end of the light so that no part of the light hangs out when it is clipped to a pocket. Notice how I have the clip all the up very close to the top of the light. You don't want the light to get snagged by something and falls out. With the on/off switch on the other end, perhaps the clip can be screwed on top of the LED housing. 

Don't just be content with what you have. Make it better every time.


----------



## xucchini

Ordered an H501 a week or two ago. 


Just waiting now...


----------



## jhc37013

Even for camping or fishing I can't see myself picking my EOS II over the 501. Its less weight and great run time off AA, just put a couple extra AA in my pocket and im good for all night even on high. I love that the strobe is totally out of the way. I bought mine from NW outfitters via Amazon and got in 3 days it was $10 cheaper there to. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0026MH67K/?tag=cpf0b6-20

I talked to him yesterday and he had 10 in stock and he said he was going to get some 501W in stock soon. I may have to get one but just the regular 501 tint is great with me.


----------



## Woods Walker

I would go with the Rebel EOS over the H501 for night hikes on some trails but not all or bushwhacking. Same goes for the kayak when returning late from small mouth fishng due to the greater throw. For nearly everything else the Zebralight rocks.


----------



## LowBat

jhc37013 said:


> http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0026MH67K/?tag=cpf0b6-20


That link shows only one pic of the H501. The rest are of the H50.


----------



## jhc37013

Yeh I noticed that to they definitely need to change that. I will e-mail NW Outfitters and let them know.


----------



## StandardBattery

jhc37013 said:


> *...* I bought mine from NW outfitters via Amazon and got in 3 days it was $10 cheaper *...*


 
Since you have to pay shipping there, and GG has Freeship and cpf coupon, The difference is about $2.


----------



## davidt1

*Dual lights*

I used the other holder to clip a Microstream to the headband. It's possible to use 2 lights on the Zebra headband -- one for flood and the other for throw. I am thinking about getting the Nitcore EZ AA for this purpose. I will experiment with elastic bands to further reduce the thickness.


----------



## Foxx510

Just a heads up that the H501w is back in stock at Zebralight. I can't decide which tint to get! Also, is their still a shipping deal for CPF members? If so, how do you redeem it?


----------



## jhc37013

Thanks for the heads up Foxx510, I might have to look into getting another. Glad I did not have to make that decision when I got my 501. The 501w wasn't in stock and didn't seem like it would be for awhile. humm..If I had to choose again knowing the 501 tint is pretty good the way it is, I would choose the 501 over the W. Thats just my opinion though. Don't struggle with your decision to long or you may miss out.


----------



## Foxx510

I think I'll go for the 5A tint. It turns out there was never a CPF discount or shipping upgrade. Not sure where I got that idea....


----------



## StandardBattery

There is free shipping if you spend $$ and the shipping upgrade can be applied I think for $5 if your at the $$ level for courier. 

I've got warm on order at GG, so I hope that means they also shipped his order to him. Although I love warm, trying not to buy lights without it, I must say on the Zebra it's not a huge deal they all look great to me. I'm hoping the Neutral (what they call warm), will be just a bit better for color rendition.


----------



## BWX

.......


----------



## BWX

What the heck? I just made a post, then posted it- now i am subscribed to this thread (indicating that I did in fact make a post)... but no post!? :huh: EDIT- It was just the cue.

Anyway.. I was going to make a new thread, but just as well I ask here. I just ordered an H501 Headlamp, I am going to use it on a bicycle helmet. Has anyone tried this? If so does it work without modification? If not I am sure I can make it work somehow but it would be cool if it worked right out of the box. It seems like an awesome little flashlight- can't wait to get it. 

Second question- how long does it usually take to get to NY? Anyone know? (regular shipping).


----------



## Marko

BWX said:


> I just made a post, then posted it- now i am subscribed to this thread (indicating that I did in fact make a post)... but no post!? :huh:



I can see both of Your posts fine. 

Haven't actually try H501 with bicycle, but I think beam might be too wide (and weak) for that, but it depends how much You actually need light. And how fast You ride.


----------



## davidt1

I used it as a bicycle light for 2 nights (not on the helmet though). It worked OK as a bicycle headlight, barely. The H501 is a great task light and light duty headlamp. It is not a sport headlamp.


----------



## Yucca Patrol

BWX said:


> Second question- how long does it usually take to get to NY? Anyone know? (regular shipping).



Depends on who you ordered it from. If you ordered it from overseas it could take a few weeks. If you ordered from a US reseller such as 4-sevens, you'll get it in a few days.


----------



## BWX

I know what happened to my post(s)- They were held in a cue.

I have two bike lights on the handlebar (Luxeon 1-watt Planet Bike), this would be a third light just for my helmet so that when I look around I have some kind of directional light and to add to the two spot light I already have when looking forward. I have pretty good night vision too.. after epi-lasik eye surgery (lasik without the flap).

I got the e-mail with a tracking # from zebralight, but I am not sure where to check it. On the website it says simply "airmail". I ordered it from the Zebralight website and it was only $59 so the only option was the slower mail. I live in NY, USA BTW. The tracking # doesn't work at the USPS site.

On the zebralight website it did say about three weeks, I was just wondering if that was the longest it takes and maybe it will get here sooner. That seems to happen quite a bit when ordering stuff on-line.


----------



## f22shift

Marko said:


> I can see both of Your posts fine.
> 
> Haven't actually try H501 with bicycle, but I think beam might be too wide (and weak) for that, but it depends how much You actually need light. And how fast You ride.


 

yes. it's more of a too be seen light. i wonder if there is some kind of red cap that would fit on the head..


----------



## LA OZ

Sold my gladius and just got a confirmation that my H501 has been shipped. This is the only way to understand what all these rave about Zebralight.


----------



## davidt1

I replaced the bulky silicon stuff with thinner elastic bands. For pocket EDC, the smaller, lighter and thinner the better.












Size comparison


----------



## LA OZ

The 501 had just arrived!
Very surprise how small this thing is.
Very simple and nice UI.
Nice design - I like the clip that came with it. Just clip on the belt and walked around with it turned on.
Very light and come with great accessories.
Good floody light and nice tint.
It is definitely a keeper.


----------



## Sector7

BWX said:


> Second question- how long does it usually take to get to NY? Anyone know? (regular shipping).


 
8 days


----------



## StandardBattery

davidt1 said:


> I replaced the bulky silicon stuff with thinner elastic bands. For pocket EDC, the smaller, lighter and thinner the better.
> 
> 
> 
> Size comparison


 
Nice refinement! I think after seeing all these projects to refine the Zebralight carry systems they are not going to be able to ignore that their customers want more options. Or you could say refined options, but they could attack the problem different ways to due to the various tasts of customers. If they had an nice wire integrated clip like a LiteFlux your head band mod/light would be a very easy carry.


----------



## cave dave

I was out camping in WA state last week and I had the AA battery go out without warning in my H501w. I had been using it on Med and High inside the Ice Cave (actually a lava tube) near Mt Adams. I had turned it off then went to turn it back on and nothing happened. I was using it on Max before turning it off and it was very bright and seemed to have plenty of power. I let it rest and tried to turn it on again figuring I'd get the typical dim quick fade-out, but I got nothing. I thought the light itself had died, but it worked fine once I replaced the battery.

I had used the headlamp to read the previous two nights in camp for not more than 3 hrs. I think I was using Med to read but I may have used Max some. Its hard to tell what setting you are on during twilight because the min setting doesn't register as even being on when there is some ambient light. I'm not sure how long I was in the Ice caves, less than 2hrs for sure, there are 4 sections and they are all pretty small. I was using a PT EOS at the same time, both on my forehead, and was switching back and forth between them or trying them combined. So really I have no idea of runtime. It was only my third day out and I put an eneloop in it before the trip. 

I think maybe the regulation on the H501 is a little too good, it will suck a battery dry without noticeable dimming past the startup voltage for the light to turn back on. I think I prefer regulaton more like the EOS which has a very long moon mode.

A continuous run might show different results but real world intermittent usage seem to go from full bright to dead without warning. The H501 may have continued to operate with a dimming effect if I had left it on and not tried to turn it off and back on.

Note: I was pretty much violating every rule of caving since I was there by myself and had no helmet and no spare batteries, however I was wearing two headlamps and had three additional lights on me. Cave Safely, Don't be like Cave Dave.

EDIT:
Why they call it the Ice Cave:


----------



## wapkil

cave dave said:


> I think maybe the regulation on the H501 is a little too good, it will suck a battery dry without noticeable dimming past the startup voltage for the light to turn back on. I think I prefer regulaton more like the EOS which has a very long moon mode.
> 
> A continuous run might show different results but real world intermittent usage seem to go from full bright to dead without warning. The H501 may have continued to operate with a dimming effect if I had left it on and not tried to turn it off and back on.



When I tested my H501s there was a dimming period at the end of runtime that lasted around 20-30 minutes. The lower output is always hard to notice but during dimming on NiMHs the light starts to annoyingly flicker which should be easier to spot. 

I don't know when it's no longer possible to turn the light back on but my lights behave in the same way. If some time after they start to flicker I turn them off, they refuse to turn back on. I found out that if I press the button and leave the light alone, it will blink once when it's again ready to operate (probably when the battery voltage climbs above the preset threshold). With my batteries it can take a good few minutes before this happens.

EDIT to add: When the light is ready to be turned on again, it can work for quite some time. It seems that the cut-off voltage and the "can't be turned on" OC voltage are placed far from each other on the battery discharge curve.


----------



## LowBat

davidt1 said:


> I replaced the bulky silicon stuff with thinner elastic bands. For pocket EDC, the smaller, lighter and thinner the better.


Why didn't I think of that? Great idea David!


----------



## cave dave

wapkil said:


> When I tested my H501s there was a dimming period at the end of runtime that lasted around 20-30 minutes. The lower output is always hard to notice but during dimming on NiMHs the light starts to annoyingly flicker which should be easier to spot.
> 
> I don't know when it's no longer possible to turn the light back on but my lights behave in the same way. If some time after they start to flicker I turn them off, they refuse to turn back on. I found out that if I press the button and leave the light alone, it will blink once when it's again ready to operate (probably when the battery voltage climbs above the preset threshold). With my batteries it can take a good few minutes before this happens.
> 
> EDIT to add: When the light is ready to be turned on again, it can work for quite some time. It seems that the cut-off voltage and the "can't be turned on" OC voltage are placed far from each other on the battery discharge curve.



I never noticed a flicker during my camping, caving experience so I decided to test this. I took a dead Nimh charged for only about 5min and threw it in the H501 and set it to max.

After a few minutes Max and Med were about the same brightness, Med and Low are a good bit different. I think all levels were a good bit lower than whith a fresh batery. The Max level got dimmer but it did not flicker. While I was comparing modes I accidentally turned it off and it would not turn off so I waited less than a minute and like you said it gave me the single blink and I was able to turn back on. After a few more minutes of medium usage trying to scroll through the modes by holding he button like normal only gives me low and medium level strobe, not a flicker but just like the 2-click strobe but not as bright.

So mine does not flicker as the battery is exhausted but the Highest level does get dimmer till its as bright as the Med level. This is the same way I tell my EOS is ready for a recharge. But in the case of the EOS when that happens there is hours and hours of gradually dimming emergency light left. With the H501 its only low and I don't know for how long, but don't turn it off.


----------



## wapkil

cave dave said:


> After a few more minutes of medium usage trying to scroll through the modes by holding he button like normal only gives me low and medium level strobe, not a flicker but just like the 2-click strobe but not as bright.



Do I understand correctly that you had only two modes - low and strobe?

If that's the case, this strobe would be what I called flicker. My lights at first flicker delicately, almost invisibly then the flickering becomes more and more pronounced and finally looks like the strobe.


----------



## dilbert

cave dave said:


> EDIT:
> Why they call it the Ice Cave:



I haven't been there in years! The Ape Cave is another nice lava tube to visit in the area.

I've noticed that with my H50 and H501 they both go out like a fuse, with no warning, when using eneloops. The first few times this happened I thought there was a problem. Now I just carry a spare or do a preemptive battery replacement before heading somewhere where I expect a fair amount of usage.


----------



## Alan B

Long moon modes are typical on some buck and most direct drive lights. On a boost light it is not uncommon for the oscillator to not want to 'start' when the battery is low enough, even though they may continue to 'run'. So they can get into a state where they'll run down to a point they cannot restart in. Sometimes putting it in your pocket both rests it and warms it up raising the cell voltage enough to allow it to restart again.

Are there any single AA led lights that have long moon modes?


----------



## cave dave

Alan B said:


> Long moon modes are typical on some buck and most direct drive lights. On a boost light it is not uncommon for the oscillator to not want to 'start' when the battery is low enough, even though they may continue to 'run'. So they can get into a state where they'll run down to a point they cannot restart in. Sometimes putting it in your pocket both rests it and warms it up raising the cell voltage enough to allow it to restart again.
> 
> Are there any single AA led lights that have long moon modes?



Until you mentioned this I hadn't even thought of the temperature. Outside it was almost 80deg that day, but inside the Ice Cave it was in the 30s (hence the Ice), that might help explain why I got less runtime than I was expecting.


----------



## davidt1

Extreme temperature ranges make a good case for e2 battery use. I have been using the same one since I got the light maybe a month ago.


----------



## Mike V

*I love it, but wish it had a lanyard hole and low was much lower*

Just got mine.

Love the switch, super easy and smooth to operate.

Really need to twist the tailcap to lock it out when not in use though as it's very easy to turn on accidentally. Really easy to lock it out though, takes only a small turn to do so.

Surprisingly small and lightweight.

Great build quality all around.

Tint and eveness of beam is great.

Really wish it had a hole somewhere so you could attach a keyring or lanyard or something. I'd like to wear it around my neck.

I'm going to have to come up with something using heat-shrink or something.

Really wish the low was much lower.

Would make a nice night time reading light, but is too damn bright in the low mode.


----------



## Alan B

Wonder if yours is defective. The low is lower than just about anything else and almost too low for reading. In fact the low is so low that with any stray light it may not appear to be on and appear to be only a 2 level light.


----------



## davidt1

The low on mine is only good for walking around the house in total darkness. It's useless for other tasks including reading. I wish the low was twice as bright. That way I don't have to use medium to read. Save battery that way.


----------



## f22shift

davidt1 said:


> I wish the low was twice as bright. That way I don't have to use medium to read. Save battery that way.


 
you realize that doesn't make any sense. if you had the low that was twice as bright you won't have the same runtime. you would have a low that would act like the med with med output and runtime. it sounds like you are looking for a 2 output light(med/high).
i dont think you are trying to dismiss the low but want more output. you either are gonna lose the runtime or have to focus the light into a smaller spot(bad for reading).


----------



## davidt1

Zebralight could learn something from the new *Liteflux LF2XT* on how to design a clip and power switch.


----------



## cave dave

I also find the low too low for reading, I use the med even though it is more than I need. 

I think what Davidt1 said makes pefect sense. If Low was 6 lumens instead of 3.3 he could use that for reading instead of the 18lm setting and therefore save battery power.


----------



## Flying Turtle

Alan B said:


> Are there any single AA led lights that have long moon modes?



A quick early test of my EZ AA using a very worn (<1.0 v.) AA alkaline was very promising. It restarts and puts out a good useable light.

Geoff


----------



## bhds

cave dave said:


> I was out camping in WA state last week and I had the AA battery go out without warning in my H501w. I had been using it on Med and High inside the Ice Cave (actually a lava tube) near Mt Adams. I had turned it off then went to turn it back on and nothing happened. I was using it on Max before turning it off and it was very bright and seemed to have plenty of power. I let it rest and tried to turn it on again figuring I'd get the typical dim quick fade-out, but I got nothing. I thought the light itself had died, but it worked fine once I replaced the battery.



Yeah, that is the only quibble I have with the h501. I use mine at work where I work with some pretty high voltage electronics. Theres nothing like having the light go out completely without warning when you have your hands deep into it.:huh: I wish it would drop down into medium mode instead of switching completely off.


----------



## AusKipper

so has anyone gotten brave yet and put their H501 in a sink and tested its operation under water? or do i have to go first...


----------



## AusKipper

OK, noone replied, so I went ahead and tried it.

I put it in a sink of water for 1 minute (while off) and took it out, tested operation, still worked, no water had got into the tailcap, and i dont really know how to check the head, but it didnt look like any got in there.

Then i put it back in the sink, turned it on and off repeatedly (probably 30 times or so) for a minute, took it out, dried it off, took another close look, didnt look like any water was getting in.

I then put it on low, put it in a cup of water and brought it back to my desk with me. Every 10 mins for 30 mins i stuck my finger in and turned it on and off 5 times (20 times in total) and then took it out, dried it off, checked functionality, unscrewed tail cap, took out battery, checked no water had got in, and put the cap back on and put it back in my pocket.

Its waterproof enough for me  (i must admit i was quite nervouse before i started after hearing in thread 1 about the soap bubbles...)


----------



## Mike V

Alan B said:


> Wonder if yours is defective. The low is lower than just about anything else and almost too low for reading. In fact the low is so low that with any stray light it may not appear to be on and appear to be only a 2 level light.




That's weird.
Maybe mine is defective?

It's difficult to compare it's output to other lights, because it is so floody, but I'd say the low is similar in brightness to the spot part of the beam of a Photon Freedom Micro, 3 clicks up from the lowest setting.


----------



## Foxx510

Just got mine, the W version. Love it, such a good light. Love the UI, and the super low low. Nice work ZL.


----------



## davidt1

*Headband update*

Added another elastic band to the headband for a total of 3. Now I can carry the light and 2 spare batteries. I can also carry a peanut lighter, pill fob, or a backup aaa light instead of batteries. The headband with elastic bands is more versatile.


----------



## Daniel_sk

I didn't read the whole thread, I just want to ask if the current Zebralights are reliable? I bought a H50 and H30 a year ago and sold both of them. The H30 was working OK most of the time, but sometimes - usually when the battery was low - it started acting up. It either didn't want to switch brightness levels or wouldn't turn off at all. Did ZL take care of these issues? 
I am thinking about the H30 again... Is there a warm LED version available? Will the 18650 Zebralight also run on two CR123A? 
Thank you.


----------



## davidt1

My H501 is reliable so far.


----------



## Woods Walker

Daniel_sk said:


> I didn't read the whole thread, I just want to ask if the current Zebralights are reliable? I bought a H50 and H30 a year ago and sold both of them. The H30 was working OK most of the time, but sometimes - usually when the battery was low - it started acting up. It either didn't want to switch brightness levels or wouldn't turn off at all. Did ZL take care of these issues?
> I am thinking about the H30 again... Is there a warm LED version available? Will the 18650 Zebralight also run on two CR123A?
> Thank you.


 
So far all my Zenra lights work great. But some regulated lights seems to act just as you stated when the batteries are low. The EOS will not switch modes and the same for the Apex. Plus some will not turn back on with a low battery. Seems more the nature of the beast rather than a problem with regulated lights. However some regulated lights have a long direct drive mode like the EOS. I think the Zebra does not have much of a direct drive mode. There was a few issue with the early H30's UI but a fellow hunter has a H30 and showed it off in camp. Ran very well near as I could tell. Zebralight has great customer service too.


----------



## SilentK

Has any one had any heat related issues, or flickering when near the end of a battery? because i like to stay up kind of late and use my h501 as a desk light on high, and i will tend to leave it on for 4-5 hours, only with breaks to change the cells.


----------



## rigormootis

FWIW, I had my 501w on low for about 35 minutes straight last night and it became pretty warm but not uncomfortable to wear (just noticably warm on my forehead).


----------



## drmaxx

AusKipper said:


> Its waterproof enough for me



Same here. I submerged the light in shallow water and left it out in the rain. No problem I could identify.


----------



## davidt1

rigormootis said:


> FWIW, I had my 501w on low for about 35 minutes straight last night and it became pretty warm but not uncomfortable to wear (just noticably warm on my forehead).



Are you sure it was on low? I tested my regular H501 after reading your post. Left it on medium for 1 hour. It was not even warm. Maybe mine stays cool because it has a cool tint and your stays warm because it has a warm tint. Get it? Warm tint. LOL

On a different note, I really need a beam wider than 80 degree. Something like 100 degree would be perfect for me. With a wider beam you don't have to aim the light exactly to get light.


----------



## Daniel_sk

davidt1 said:


> On a different note, I really need a beam wider than 80 degree. Something like 100 degree would be perfect for me. With a wider beam you don't have to aim the light exactly to get light.


 
The original H50 has a 120 degree beam. That was too much diffused for me, a lot of the light gets lost. It's difficult to describe with my limited english but the beam didn't produce enough contrast, everything looked somehow "flat" - especially on hiking trails. And the colors were like "washed-out", like if you were walking on the moon. More lumens are needed for such a broad beam pattern. But it might be good for close up work indoors. 
I wish there was a warm version of H30... Any chance? :sigh:


----------



## kiwicrunch

Mike V said:


> That's weird.
> Maybe mine is defective?
> 
> It's difficult to compare it's output to other lights, because it is so floody, but I'd say the low is similar in brightness to the spot part of the beam of a Photon Freedom Micro, 3 clicks up from the lowest setting.



MikeV- if it helps, the low of my h501w is, like some others, also just bright enough for reading. If yours is too bright it does sound to me like your unit is putting out more light on low than mine.


----------



## SilentK

davidt1 said:


> Are you sure it was on low? I tested my regular H501 after reading your post. Left it on medium for 1 hour. It was not even warm. Maybe mine stays cool because it has a cool tint and your stays warm because it has a warm tint. Get it? Warm tint. LOL
> 
> On a different note, I really need a beam wider than 80 degree. Something like 100 degree would be perfect for me. With a wider beam you don't have to aim the light exactly to get light.



Mine got to the point where it was pretty uncomfortable to hold


----------



## rigormootis

Yeah, it was on "low" (I like your joke though).  I was working in a crawlspace and the higher modes were too bright for the close-up stuff. I was running it with a new L91.


----------



## Alan B

SilentK said:


> Mine got to the point where it was pretty uncomfortable to hold



I believe mine only gets warm on high, on the other modes it stays cool. I use NiMH. If it gets warm on lower settings that may indicate a problem.


----------



## SilentK

Alan B said:


> I believe mine only gets warm on high, on the other modes it stays cool. I use NiMH. If it gets warm on lower settings that may indicate a problem.



I tend to use mine on high with eneloops. I pretty much use only high because of the guilt free lumens concept. 


Update: Tempature gun says 129 degress farenheight after roughly an hour on high


----------



## Foxx510

Well it turns out my new 501w is faulty. Intermittently won't turn on, but comes back to life if you tap it with reasonable force. Guessing it's a bad solder joint or something. Bit disappointing given the price. 

Are they good with returns?


----------



## SilentK

Foxx510 said:


> Well it turns out my new 501w is faulty. Intermittently won't turn on, but comes back to life if you tap it with reasonable force. Guessing it's a bad solder joint or something. Bit disappointing given the price.
> 
> Are they good with returns?



Have you changed the cells? i notice that when my cells get really low, i have problems with it starting.


----------



## Foxx510

Yep that's the first thing I tried. There's no sign of flickering or anything indicating a low battery when it's turned off before it will not turn on again, if that makes sense. I also figure that a low battery wouldn't give a movement sensitive fault. 

Thanks.


----------



## Foxx510

I have a feeling I know what might be going on. If I look down into the barrel I can see the positive battery contact was only touching the battery on a tiny point. It appears that it may not have been sitting flush. It also looks somewhat dull as though it has a coating of oxidisation over it. 

If I push on the neg end of the battery while in the light with the tail capped removed and turn the battery while applying a small amount of pressure, you can see the battery is very slowly making a larger, cleaner looking contact area on the pos battery contact in the light. Be careful if you try this yourself, I cut my thumb on the sharp inner barrel edge while doing it. 

I'll see how it goes for a bit before I return it.


----------



## Woods Walker

I don't know if anyone asked you this but have you tried to clean the contacts with alcohol?


----------



## Foxx510

I will do that, I'm now suspecting the tailcap contacts as well. I have given it all a good clean without a cleaning solution and it seems ok at the moment. Seems odd to have this much trouble with bad contacts so early in the piece. 
Thanks.


----------



## Foxx510

Ok, think I've finally worked it out. If I use a piece of tinfoil to simulate the battery cap and push on the neg of the battery while it's on, the light goes out. It's either putting pressure on a bad solder joint, or the board is moving and fouling on another part, I assume. Looks like it's going back.


----------



## SilentK

Foxx510 said:


> Ok, think I've finally worked it out. If I use a piece of tinfoil to simulate the battery cap and push on the neg of the battery while it's on, the light goes out. It's either putting pressure on a bad solder joint, or the board is moving and fouling on another part, I assume. Looks like it's going back.



Yeah. i would not suffer with a defective product, if i could just send it back


----------



## Foxx510

I reckon the tailcap spring is too long, there's bugger all room left for it to compress when it's fully closed.


----------



## kiwicrunch

SilentK said:


> Has any one had any heat related issues, or flickering when near the end of a battery? because i like to stay up kind of late and use my h501 as a desk light on high, and i will tend to leave it on for 4-5 hours, only with breaks to change the cells.



SilentK,

I imagine the H501 would a great desklight for the quality of its light and long runtime; and wish I could also use mine for that purpose. I find however that the broad beam, while great for most applications, often gets in my eyes when I try using it for deskwork.

May I ask how you position yours to get around this? 

Thanks.


----------



## SilentK

kiwicrunch said:


> SilentK,
> 
> I imagine the H501 would a great desklight for the quality of its light and long runtime; and wish I could also use mine for that purpose. I find however that the broad beam, while great for most applications, often gets in my eyes when I try using it for deskwork.
> 
> May I ask how you position yours to get around this?
> 
> Thanks.



My desk has on of those sliding things, where the keyboard slides out, and i just lay it on the desk above, so it is hanging over the keyboard. Before i traded my logitech g15 (illuminated keys) i put the light in the cd storage area above my monitor, so it lit up my entire desk. However, not enough light gets to a standard keyboard that way.


----------



## davidt1

I clip my H501 to the shirt pocket and use it in that position. This is how I use it most of the times whether I am sitting on the toilet, in front of the desk, in the car, or standing up. I attach it to my belt or waistband when I walk because walking creates too much movement for the shirt pocket. It goes inside the pocket when not being used, of course. Zebra lights truly change my perspective on how useful a flashlight can be.


----------



## bhds

davidt1 said:


> I ...... whether I am sitting on the toilet,.....


:ironic: Now, thats a flashaholic.


----------



## davidt1

After about 1 month of use on the same e2 battery, the high on my H501 is now just a bit brighter than medium. It seems that I don't have a problem with the light abruptly turning off on high like cave dave had. I haven't used any battery other than the one e2 so I don't know for sure if it's the battery or the light.


----------



## SilentK

It is the battery. How can you get by on one cell for a month? i go through 2-3 eneloops _every day._


----------



## davidt1

By using it for short durations each time and not using the high mode as much as possible. This was an experiment with the e2 battery to test reliability for long term use. When the e2 battery dies, I will switch to eneloop AAs and only use e2 as a backup battery.


----------



## AusKipper

My Zebralight H501 does all sorts of weird stuff when its battery is nearly dead... wont turn off, wont turn on, wont change modes.... 

Then I put a new battery in and all is well..

It really makes no sence to my why it behaves so strangely when the battery is low, surely it should still turn off when i tell it to....


----------



## davidt1

I think it's the fancy multi-mode circuitry that causes these problems. Makes me wish for one-mode lights sometimes.


----------



## SilentK

i dont have problems with turning off, but if it quits or i turn it off, it will not come back on for a few minutes. but a good reason to have a spare battery or two


----------



## Alan B

The problem is likely the microprocessor not getting enough power to operate correctly.


----------



## davidt1

Just added a magnetic disc. This makes the light even more versatile than before.


















Replacing the clip is something I want to do soon. I think the clip on those Energizer AA flashlights that Target was selling would fit perfectly, but those are no longer available. If anybody knows where to buy these lights inexpensively, please let me know. I will buy the light just for the clip.


----------



## kramer5150

H501 IN DA' HOUSE!!! 
thanks bigchellis for the sweet deal!!

I've been wanting a Zebralight for several months. Last weekends CPF night-hike was the nail in the wallet, several members had them. I marveled at how easy they are to use. The practical/simplicity of the design while in-field is really something to marvel at. Some initial impressions...

-Smooth satin type III finish.

-Solid feel and heft, yet still very light weight. Much lighter weight than they appear.

-Tailstands

-AA versatility.

-Super-tiny, even for an AA light.

-The polycarbonate lens is recessed and protected more than I thought.

-I dont think the lens is just a dome window (someone please correct me). I think its a small refracting optic that refracts 180 degrees of light into an 80 degree beam... hence its ability to retain as many Lumens as the old version over a narrower beam. This is a bit of a surprise, as I thought it just used a recessed mounted LED to block light and narrow the field of view.

-Tailcap locks out with ~5-10 degrees of rotation. I kid you not its very firm and instantaneous. Not a mushy, or "gradual" feeling engagement at all.

-Superb UI. No need for last mode memory (something I am more accustomed to with my DIY builds). Just 1x click for high, 2x click for med, 3x click for low. Hold at any time to mode cycle from L/M/H.

-Nice belt clip, headband and extra O-rings.

.... More impressions to follow, still to much light out for me to comment on tint, but mines the Q5-WD emitter version...

QUESTIONS:

Does this light have a slow drain?... I thought I read somewhere that all the Zebralights do.


----------



## Mikellen

I contacted Zebralight to inquire if the H501 or the H50 has a "parasitic drain". I was informed that the H501 does but it can be eliminated by locking out the tailcap. The H50 does not have a "parasitic drain".


----------



## wapkil

I tried to measure the parasitic drain for the H501 and my DMM shown 1.5 uA for a NiMH battery. ZebraLights doesn't tell in the specification what the value should be for the H501 but they claim <1uA for H60 so my result are probably close to correct. 

You can lock out the tailcap but if you forget you may end up with a discharged battery. After some 150 years :nana:


----------



## vali

wapkil said:


> I tried to measure the parasitic drain for the H501 and my DMM shown 1.5 uA for a NiMH battery. ZebraLights doesn't tell in the specification what the value should be for the H501 but they claim <1uA for H60 so my result are probably close to correct.
> 
> You can lock out the tailcap but if you forget you may end up with a discharged battery. After some 150 years :nana:



Then we only need a VVLSD batt (very very low self discharge, if you ask).


----------



## davidt1

e2 battery died about 2 hrs ago. There is still enough juice in it to work in a Husky AA light. The brightness is still about that of the Fenix E01 -- not super bright but enough to get around in the dark. Yeah, the fancy circuit of the H501 needs some power to operate. The best battery to use in this light is a rechargeable type such as the Eneloop. Other batteries will have a premature death in the H501.


----------



## SilentK

davidt1 said:


> e2 battery died about 2 hrs ago. There is still enough juice in it to work in a Husky AA light. The brightness is still about that of the Fenix E01 -- not super bright but enough to get around in the dark. Yeah, the fancy circuit of the H501 needs some power to operate. The best battery to use in this light is a rechargeable type such as the Eneloop. Other batteries will have a premature death in the H501.



Does anyone know how much of a difference a sanyo 2700 makes compared to an eneloop? because i am getting tired of having to change the batteries so often. last night, i went through *6* batteries troughout the night. :tired: the light stayed on for around 11 hours straight, while i played call of duty. (i should not have traded my illuminated keyboard)


----------



## nick-nack

*Zebralight H501*

Hey,

I bought a H501 about a month back but about a week back I started having some problems.
I had not used it for about a week or so and when I took it back out it didn't turn on. So I thought the battery must of died or maybe I left it on. (even though I did lock out the tailcap) So I put in a fresh battery and it worked fine for a few minutes but then it started cycling through the modes by itself. I had to click it hard to switch it off. I cleaned the contact points and threads and that seemed to fix it. But last week it just didn't turn on anymore. Fresh batteries and everything.
The only rough use I would say it has gone through is on my head while walking the dog. I got caught out in the rain, not torrential, but enough to soak my shoulders and chest.

I've already sent an email to Zebralight but I was wondering if there's anything I could do to check for any problems. I need this light for a trip on the 28th this month. I would be pushing it to send it back in and get one back on time.

Help!!!

Nick


----------



## davidt1

*Re: Zebralight H501*

AuSkipper did a water test and said the light is waterproof. However, if water got inside your light somehow, it would take a while to dry. I once dropped an mp3 player in a hot spa. It stopped working for weeks. I really don't know what to tell you. Maybe you can remove the tail and battery and sun-dry the light for a few days. See if that helps.


----------



## dudu84

SilentK said:


> Does anyone know how much of a difference a sanyo 2700 makes compared to an eneloop? because i am getting tired of having to change the batteries so often. last night, i went through *6* batteries troughout the night. :tired: the light stayed on for around 11 hours straight, while i played call of duty. (i should not have traded my illuminated keyboard)



Isn't it easier to just switch on the light in your room if you play for so long? 
You put the light on MAX? Was it an overkill?


----------



## DM51

*Re: Zebralight H501*

I'm merging this with the main Zebralight H501 thread.


----------



## [email protected]

dudu84 said:


> Isn't it easier to just switch on the light in your room if you play for so long?
> You put the light on MAX? Was it an overkill?



he's a flashaholic... What's an overkill?


----------



## davidt1

Desk illumination. I love this light.


----------



## Mikellen

wapkil said:


> I tried to measure the parasitic drain for the H501 and my DMM shown 1.5 uA for a NiMH battery. ZebraLights doesn't tell in the specification what the value should be for the H501 but they claim <1uA for H60 so my result are probably close to correct.
> 
> You can lock out the tailcap but if you forget you may end up with a discharged battery. After some 150 years :nana:


 
Is the "parasitic drain" really that low where it won't really matter if I lock out the tailcap or not? I plan on using either a Lithium or alkaline battery. Does anyone know how the H501's measurement of the parasitic current draw compares with the drains of the LiteFlux, NiteCore PD, and RA brands? The NiteCore D10's drain is from .1 to .4 ma with .2 being typical as stated in 4sevens website. How does 1.5 uA compare with .2 ma?


----------



## SilentK

dudu84 said:


> Isn't it easier to just switch on the light in your room if you play for so long?
> You put the light on MAX? Was it an overkill?



My excuse is that i am to poor to pay the electric bill when i turn on my 20 watt cfls.  actually, i clipped it to one of my celing fan blades so my entire room got illumination.  i like how it does not illuminate my room brightly, yet i can still read and things. just right. :tinfoil: i should have turned the fan on and see what it looked like then.  it is amazing what 5 monsters will make you think, even more so if you are a *gasp* _flashoholic!_ lovecpf


----------



## Alan B

Mikellen said:


> Is the "parasitic drain" really that low where it won't really matter if I lock out the tailcap or not? I plan on using either a Lithium or alkaline battery. Does anyone know how the H501's measurement of the parasitic current draw compares with the drains of the LiteFlux, NiteCore PD, and RA brands? The NiteCore D10's drain is from .1 to .4 ma with .2 being typical as stated in 4sevens website. How does 1.5 uA compare with .2 ma?



About 100 times less (1,000 uA = 1 mA).


----------



## dudu84

SilentK said:


> My excuse is that i am to poor to pay the electric bill when i turn on my 20 watt cfls.  actually, i clipped it to one of my celing fan blades so my entire room got illumination.  i like how it does not illuminate my room brightly, yet i can still read and things. just right. :tinfoil: i should have turned the fan on and see what it looked like then.


Thank you sir, for reducing the green house gas emissions


----------



## cave dave

SilentK said:


> Does anyone know how much of a difference a sanyo 2700 makes compared to an eneloop? because i am getting tired of having to change the batteries so often. last night, i went through *6* batteries troughout the night. :tired: the light stayed on for around 11 hours straight, while i played call of duty. (i should not have traded my illuminated keyboard)


Runtime will increase by about a half hour. So you might manage only 5 battery changes.
I think you are using the wrong tool for the job though. 

When the battery was near depletion did it just go out or did you notice the dimming enough to grab another battery?


----------



## moses

OK, is there a list somewhere as to which dealer in the USA stocks the 501? My fav dealer 4 Sevens is apparently not going to stock this for some reason. 

Thanks,
Moses


----------



## SilentK

cave dave said:


> Runtime will increase by about a half hour. So you might manage only 5 battery changes.
> I think you are using the wrong tool for the job though.
> 
> When the battery was near depletion did it just go out or did you notice the dimming enough to grab another battery?



Ehh, a bit of both. Well it never actually shut off, but it went into the strobe thing that lets you know your battery is low. I use this thing WAY to much. i perfer to use it than turn the lights in my room on most of the time. I think after my quark gets here, i shnould get a h60 for more brightness and better runtime.


----------



## wapkil

moses said:


> OK, is there a list somewhere as to which dealer in the USA stocks the 501? My fav dealer 4 Sevens is apparently not going to stock this for some reason.



Strange, since they have other models listed. I've heard only about GoingGear (you could find him also in the MP, I think there was a discount code for CPF-ers ).


----------



## kiwicrunch

moses said:


> OK, is there a list somewhere as to which dealer in the USA stocks the 501? My fav dealer 4 Sevens is apparently not going to stock this for some reason.
> 
> Thanks,
> Moses



It sounds like they may be setting up their own US distribution out of Texas? I'm not sure, but this thread seems to indicate that possibility. 

In post #3 of the following thread: 

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/234095


----------



## davidt1

I put the depleted e2 battery in the Akoray K-106. It still puts out light in low mode -- I am guessing between 10-15 lumens. The K-106, like the H501, is a multi-mode light. It seems that the circuit in the H501 is not that efficient after all. Don't throw away the depleted non-rechargeable battery that you used in your H501. Use it in another light.


----------



## vali

How about using 2 "depleted" cells in a 2xAA flashlight that can run 1xAA too? 

If the light has a (lets say) 0.8 V cut-off, can you drain each AA to 0.4?


----------



## Marduke

Using unmatched, and especially dead cells together is just asking for trouble.


----------



## wapkil

wapkil said:


> I tried to measure the parasitic drain for the H501 and my DMM shown 1.5 uA for a NiMH battery. ZebraLights doesn't tell in the specification what the value should be for the H501 but they claim <1uA for H60 so my result are probably close to correct.
> 
> You can lock out the tailcap but if you forget you may end up with a discharged battery. After some 150 years :nana:



For those interested, the zebra's parasitic drain is discussed in this thread now.


----------



## Mikellen

davidt1 said:


> I put the depleted e2 battery in the Akoray K-106. It still puts out light in low mode -- I am guessing between 10-15 lumens. The K-106, like the H501, is a multi-mode light. It seems that the circuit in the H501 is not that efficient after all. Don't throw away the depleted non-rechargeable battery that you used in your H501. Use it in another light.


 

Anyone know what happens with the H50 when the battery starts to get depleted? 
Can you still use low mode for an extended period of time? If you turn the flashlight off, then back on again, will it light up as compared to the H501 not lighting up?


----------



## davidt1

Mikellen said:


> What happens with the H50 when the battery starts to get depleted?
> Can you still use low mode for an extended period of time? If you turn the flashlight off, then back on again, will it light up as compared to the H501 not lighting up?



I don't have a H50.


----------



## drmaxx

Mikellen said:


> Anyone know what happens with the H50 when the battery starts to get depleted?
> Can you still use low mode for an extended period of time? If you turn the flashlight off, then back on again, will it light up as compared to the H501 not lighting up?



I never run the H50 for extended times on depleted batteries (I operate with NiMH only). But what I saw so far is, that with low batteries it always turns on, but the brightest mode does not kick in.


----------



## Woods Walker

drmaxx said:


> I never run the H50 for extended times on depleted batteries (I operate with NiMH only). But what I saw so far is, that with low batteries it always turns on, but the brightest mode does not kick in.


 
Same is true for the H501. But like you I never ran the NiMH batteries to zero.


----------



## Foxx510

Got my replacement today, seems fine so far. Bit sad about the tint on this one though, it's somewhat green on low whereas the other one was pretty neutral/yellow. Guess I'll have to get used to it.


----------



## Foxx510

Is it possible to pull a H501 apart without destroying it? I'm guessing it's pressed together. I realise the warranty would be void, but this green tint is far from great and I'd consider changing the emitter if I could get in there.


----------



## trvonder

Marko said:


>



The first thing I thought when first used the headlight was that I would lose the clip in a week.

I modified mine the same way based on your post. Thanks for the idea. 

I didn't flatten the clip and I don't notice any different feel or have divots in my head.

It is nice that I have the extra rubber holder to fall back on if I want to. I left the black one as is, and modified the glow in the dark one as it felt softer and more forgiving when having a clip in there as well.


----------



## f22shift

Foxx510 said:


> Is it possible to pull a H501 apart without destroying it? I'm guessing it's pressed together. I realise the warranty would be void, but this green tint is far from great and I'd consider changing the emitter if I could get in there.


 
i wouldn't. i think it'll be easier to sell and rebuy it. i think the resale is pretty good.


----------



## Foxx510

I'm not sure I'd get much for the greenish tint that this has. Maybe others aren't as fussy as me though.


----------



## Foxx510

Here it is compared to a luxeon modded maglite:


----------



## Foxx510

Edit. It's probably not faulty, just a semi discharged battery, which works fine in other lights. Ugh.


----------



## Foxx510

Well I realise that I'm posting waaay to many times in here, and for that I apoligise. It seems that my replacement is indeed faulty though. I first thought it was just a low battery, but now with a fully charged battery I'm still having issues. The problem is that intermittently high mode is not as high as it should be. Low and med are fine, but sometimes high will only pull 445mA, then you cycle through the modes and it comes up to full brightness next time at 1120mA. It's not a battery contact issue either, and the battery is a fully charged Eneloop. 

Again, sorry for all the posts, it's just a bit frustrating !


----------



## davidt1

The same happened with an Eneloop battery. Started on high until the light went dead. Put the "dead" battery in the K-106. It worked like a sun with 3 brightness levels. Either I have a defective H501 or the circuit requires too much power to work.

OK, if I let the "dead" battery sit for 5 minutes, it will work again in the H501 in low mode for about 15 minutes. Weird!


----------



## DHart

Zebralight finally got to me... ordered a 501W from Flashcrazy (N. California retailer/member of CPF) this morning. Looks like I might have gotten the last one in stock. Should be receiving it in just a couple of days to Washington State. Thinking I'll run it on AW 14500s mostly. Eneloops and L91 as backup/emergency.

This 501W will be my first headlight!


----------



## Egsise

davidt1 said:


> The same happened with an Eneloop battery. Started on high until the light went dead. Put the "dead" battery in the K-106. It worked like a sun with 3 brightness levels. Either I have a defective H501 or the circuit requires too much power to work.
> 
> OK, if I let the "dead" battery sit for 5 minutes, it will work again in the H501 in low mode for about 15 minutes. Weird!


Overdischarge protection.
K-106 it's 0.7V, normally it's higher 0.9-1.0V


----------



## Lite_me

DHart said:


> This 501W will be my first headlight!


 I think you'll love it! I know I do mine. No other light I have can do what it does. When I need both hands for something, which is often, or for close-up intricate work, out comes the Zebralight. I even have to leave it out where the wife can find it cause she likes using it too! I wished I had this _years_ ago!


----------



## DHart

Lite_me said:


> I think you'll love it! I know I do mine. No other light I have can do what it does. When I need both hands for something, which is often, or for close-up intricate work, out comes the Zebralight. I even have to leave it out where the wife can find it cause she likes using it too! I wished I had this _years_ ago!



Cool! I'm looking forward to discovering what so many here are raving about!


----------



## kaichu dento

Just got my H501w and am split between being glad I waited for warm tint, and bummed I didn't go ahead and get one sooner! I hate turning it off at night, it just adds a little 'through the window from the streetlights' type of glow to the room that is very addictive!

DHart, you're in for a nice surprise! :thumbsup:


----------



## DHart

kaichu dento said:


> DHart, you're in for a nice surprise! :thumbsup:



:twothumbs


----------



## Foxx510

Any chance some other warm tint H501 users could post a pic of theirs on low shining on a white surface? I would be interested to see how the tint compares to the one I have here. I used the daylight white balance setting on the camera.


----------



## davidt1

Deleted. My bad.


----------



## davidt1

Tips for using the magnet:

Use a second magnet to secure your H501 to your clothing, tent, etc. Here I use a spare battery and it works just fine. A magnet is even better. Keep the second magnet attached to the light at all times so you always have it. Slide them apart when you detach. Don't pull.






It's very secure when a second magnet is used to attach the light to your clothing. Here only a spare battery is used because I can't find my other magnet. Because it's secure, you can rotate the light to shine where you want and it will stay put.


----------



## Marko

davidt1 said:


>



What is that (belt)clip that You're using, its not the original one?


----------



## davidt1

No, it's not the original clip. I am using a Fenix clip.


----------



## bansuri

DHart said:


> Zebralight finally got to me... ordered a 501W from Flashcrazy (N. California retailer/member of CPF) this morning. Looks like I might have gotten the last one in stock. Should be receiving it in just a couple of days to Washington State. Thinking I'll run it on AW 14500s mostly. Eneloops and L91 as backup/emergency.
> 
> This 501W will be my first headlight!


Welcome to the wonderful world of headlamps! 
You may find the interface limiting compared to the Liteflux but the utility will blow you away.
I've got the 501 and H50, both are just awesome. The lack of any hotspot may feel odd at first compared to your handhelds, but if you ever work on computers, cars, appliances, etc. you will love it, no blinding beam bouncing off of every reflective surface. Of course they're also great for outdoors use, the wide pattern will make you forget that it's pitch black outside. Also, light enough to forget you're wearing it and after you've taken it off you'll check to see if it's still there. 


It comes with a spare light holder that you could wear on the side to hold your LF2XT if you needed some extra throw.

DHart, it was this headlamps forum that introduced me to CPF, lots of good info in here from folks who use the heck out of their lights, just like on the LED Flashlights forum. Hope you like it!


----------



## DHart

I had an opportunity to use the light a little tonight and I can see that when working on a project where you need your hands free... this IS the hot ticket! My need for this type of light is very limited, but I'm glad to have it for those times when I need it! Nice quality light.


----------



## Lite_me

Should you ever loose power someday, this will become you're most useful light. Indispensable. Slip it on, and where ever you go, there will be light. You can even ceiling bounce it when wearing it indoors and it will light up the room without causing glare for others. Love it!


----------



## DHart

Lite_me said:


> Should you ever loose power someday, this will become you're most useful light. Indispensable. Slip it on, and where ever you go, there will be light. You can even ceiling bounce it when wearing it indoors and it will light up the room without causing glare for others. Love it!



I'm really glad to have this light around.... no doubt there will be times when it will step up to justify it's existence among my other lights!


----------



## davidt1

Lite_me said:


> Should you ever loose power someday, this will become you're most useful light. Indispensable. Slip it on, and where ever you go, there will be light. You can even ceiling bounce it when wearing it indoors and it will light up the room without causing glare for others. Love it!



+1

I carry it to work everyday in case there is a power outage. I end up using it at home more than all my other lights combined. I come home from working late at night and I use it to look at the keyhole before I even get inside the house. Then I use it to prepare a light meal and many times take out the trash. I have used it to sew, fix things, etc. In short, it's an indispensable hand-free task light.


----------



## applevision

Okay... I'm pulling trigger!

I'm getting the Warm tint and this is also my first headlamp!

Thanks guys!

lovecpf


----------



## kaichu dento

applevision said:


> Okay... I'm pulling trigger!
> 
> I'm getting the Warm tint and this is also my first headlamp!
> 
> Thanks guys!
> 
> lovecpf


Apple, I just got mine a couple weeks ago and it's not my first headlamp, but it's the only one I'm keeping! Rather than looking like a flashlight, it's like there is always an open window behind you flooding everything with light!


----------



## davidt1

Put a 14500 battery in mine today. It's bright on high. I think the 14500 battery will be the main battery instead of Eneloop from now on.


----------



## Foxx510

The runtime on a 14500 won't be so great, but yes it is brighter at the higher voltage.

Edit: Maybe it's more efficient on the higher voltage. Will measure current draw when I get my replacement.


----------



## davidt1

What if I just want to run it on medium and low? Wouldn't the 14500 battery be better than Eneloop?


----------



## Foxx510

I'll do some measurements when I get my replacement. The 14500 you have is ~700 mAh right?


----------



## davidt1

I think so.


----------



## MattInTheCouv

quick question on this lights UI. is there a 'momentary' or 'half' or 'light' press on the button that you could use to press on, and then release to turn off the light? also, if you press and hold does it go low, med, high ... and then stop? or does it keep cycling through them over and over if you keep holding the button down? thanks =0)


----------



## wapkil

MattInTheCouv said:


> quick question on this lights UI. is there a 'momentary' or 'half' or 'light' press on the button that you could use to press on, and then release to turn off the light?



Nope.



MattInTheCouv said:


> also, if you press and hold does it go low, med, high ... and then stop? or does it keep cycling through them over and over if you keep holding the button down?



It keeps cycling.


----------



## davidt1

I wore my H501 clipped horizontally to the shirt in public yesterday to check people's reaction. No one batted an eye, which is a good thing cos I want to be discreet with my tools. Might have been a different reaction had I worn it on a headband. I love my new Maratac aaa light, but the H501 is still the champ for versatility.


----------



## f22shift

like a tie clip?


----------



## LowBat

f22shift said:


> like a tie clip?


LOL


----------



## Swedpat

Hi!

So many posts in this matter, and I just don't have the energy to read through everything. Please excuse me if my question already is answered in some of the previous posts: do anyone know if the regulation is as good with the new H501 as with it's predecessor H50?
http://www.light-reviews.com/zebralight_h50/

Regards, Patric


----------



## Egsise

Swedpat said:


> Hi!
> 
> So many posts in this matter, and I just don't have the energy to read through everything. Please excuse me if my question already is answered in some of the previous posts: do anyone know if the regulation is as good with the new H501 as with it's predecessor H50?
> http://www.light-reviews.com/zebralight_h50/
> 
> Regards, Patric


Yes it is, the H501 regulation, runtime and output levels are very close to H50 numbers.
Lightbox readings:


----------



## wapkil

Swedpat said:


> do anyone know if the regulation is as good with the new H501 as with it's predecessor H50?



I haven't compared in detail with H50 but I think it is similar. You can check my runtime graphs in this thread.


----------



## Swedpat

Thank you very much for your replies!

I see that the regulation of H501 is very good! 
Also I saw at another thread that the beam profile of H501 is more of my liking than H50. 

H501 will soon be placed in the shopping cart! :twothumbs

Regards, Patric


----------



## davidt1

I did some house electrical work and went through 2 Eneloops today. I didn't check the times but I don't think they lasted money than 2 hours each. I noticed what others have mentioned. The light started flashing before the battery went out. That's the first warning. I was thinking maybe I turned on the strobe mode by accident, cos it was flashing that fast. So I turned off the light and tried to turn it back on. No light! That's the second warning that it was time to change the battery. This warning system is very useful indeed.


----------



## Foxx510

Just a heads up that Trustfire protected 14500 cells don't fit in the H501, they are too long.


----------



## davidt1

The H501 has a spring which would depress to accommodate slightly long battery. I have 2 of those batteries. One is fatter than the other and would not fit through the H501 tube.


----------



## Woods Walker

Foxx510 said:


> Just a heads up that Trustfire protected 14500 cells don't fit in the H501, they are too long.


 

Are there any pros to using these over Lithium primary or NiMH? Not the ones that don't fit but more a general question.


----------



## Foxx510

Woods Walker said:


> Are there any pros to using these over Lithium primary or NiMH? Not the ones that don't fit but more a general question.



Not that I can see off hand, but you do get a different set of runtimes and brightness levels. 
(Assuming my faulty light isn't giving dud measurements) High(~150mA) is much dimmer than High on a NiMH. Med draws 65mA and low draws 11mA. I could only run mine without the cap though, there is no way I could screw it on without damaging something, the battery neg is pretty much flush with the end of the barrel. 

I bought these 14500s for an Akoray light, so I'm not worried that they don't fit. I was just interested in the current draws.


----------



## kevinm

Egsise said:


> Yes it is, the H501 regulation, runtime and output levels are very close to H50 numbers.
> Lightbox readings:



So are Zebra Light's lumen numbers wrong on the H50 or the H501? I am interested in the H50b, but the 66 lumens on high is pretty low compared to the 96 of the H501.


----------



## Woods Walker

*So are Zebra Light's lumen numbers wrong on the H50 or the H501? I am interested in the H50b, but the 66 lumens on high is pretty low compared to the 96 of the H501.* 

I have both the H501-Q5 and the H50-Q5 and is a bit hard to tell. The reason for this is the beam and tint. My H50 is warmer (kinda green on low) and the H501-Q5 is white. The beam of the H50 is pure flood and the H501 is 80-degree flood that projects a little farther. The lumens listed 66 and 96 are not a great deal more to the human eye or at least mine. All that being said I would say the H501-Q5 does seem brighter to me. On the H501w 80 ish lumens it also seems brighter but my eyes like warm tint in the woods. In my house I can't tell. I do like the twisty of the H50 so if this is your cup of tea I wouldn't worry about the extra lumens. Also the tints on the newer ZLs (H50b too I guess) are better for the Q5 these days as they pick nicer tinted groups. Also I think Lux and lumens are not the same thing but no expert on that.


----------



## Egsise

Those numbers are *lightbox* lux.


----------



## davidt1

f22shift said:


> like a tie clip?



Attaching a magnet to the tail makes the light much more versatile. Well that and replacing the clip and making your own headband. Here I use 2 DX magnets -- one glue to the light and the other just attaches to the one glued to the light. The 2 magnets let me rotate the light securely to any position.

Upper chest position: I use it in this position for reading in bed, cooking, etc. It's better to read in bed with the light on your chest than on your head because the newspaper, magazine, etc. you are reading blocks much of the light and thus bothers the person next to you less. 






Lower chest position: I use it in this position to walk outside. I can see where I am going without shining the light in the faces of other people.





The benefits of using the magnets don't stop there. Here the light is attached to the shower door using the magnets.






Of course there are times when a headband is absolutely needed. But what good is it if you don't have it with you? By replacing the bulky clip with a thinner one I could make a thinner headband and EDC it in the shirt pocket. Here is my pocket light setup.






As you can see, it makes sense to modify and make your Zebra lights more versatile.


----------



## uplite

davidt1 said:


> Attaching a magnet to the tail makes the light much more versatile. Well that and replacing the clip and making your own headband. Here I use 2 DX magnets -- one glue to the light and the other just attaches to the one glued to the light.


Cool idea & pix! :thumbsup:

I suppose you have to choose the magnet carefully. If you use a very strong magnet, it will pull the battery into the spring, possibly giving you a poor/intermittent contact between the battery and head. 

Me, I just pull the headstrap down around my neck. IMO this is even better than chest-mounting. You have to rotate the light down more to see the same spot, so it is even less likely to shine in someone else's eyes. Plus you don't have to wear a button-down shirt. Heck, you can wear it naked this way. 

-Jeff


----------



## davidt1

uplite said:


> Cool idea & pix! :thumbsup:
> 
> I suppose you have to choose the magnet carefully. If you use a very strong magnet, it will pull the battery into the spring, possibly giving you a poor/intermittent contact between the battery and head.
> 
> Me, I just pull the headstrap down around my neck. IMO this is even better than chest-mounting. You have to rotate the light down more to see the same spot, so it is even less likely to shine in someone else's eyes. Plus you don't have to wear a button-down shirt. Heck, you can wear it naked this way.
> 
> -Jeff



Been using the magnets for months. Never had a problem with poor battery contact.

If you have something to contribute, please post pictures so people know what you are talking about.


----------



## uplite

davidt1 said:


> Been using the magnets for months. Never had a problem with poor battery contact.


I'm sure your magnets work fine. Just mentioning that _stronger_ magnets could pull the battery away from the head contact. For example, this *N52-grade 1/4" disc*, with almost 20 lbs of pull force, is probably too strong. I'd guess that a magnet with a pull force of just 1-2 pounds will do the job. Like this *N42-grade 1/32" disc*. Or the magnets that you got from DX, obviously. 

No pictures yet, but I can imagine using this to stick my zebralight all over a vehicle:
- under the hood, illuminating the engine
- on a fender, while changing a tire
- on the back of a pickup cab, lighting up the bed

It's a really cool idea. :thumbsup:

Sorry if my other post was confusing. I just wear the ZL headband around my neck to keep the light out of people's eyes. I love that the ZL rotates to any angle! :twothumbs:

-Jeff


----------



## damn_hammer

Thanks for the link uplite, and the idea davidt1. I was just about to order this one http://www.kjmagnetics.com/proddetail.asp?prod=DA01 but shipping is $7.11 on a 55 cent magnet.


----------



## uplite

Yeah, it's funny...they pack an itty bitty magnet in the middle of a box. If they put it in an envelope, it would probably stick to a mail sorting machine or bin or truck or even another package... :duh2:

I keep meaning to order a bunch of different magnets from that site to make it worthwhile. Hmm...what could I do with a hook magnet that lifts 360 pounds... :thinking:

-Jeff


----------



## damn_hammer

I went ahead and got 5 magnets, I'll find a use for the "spares". Any suggestions on the best method of attaching it to the outside of the H501 tailcap? Wonder if the magnet is strong enough to effect the magnetic strips on the cards in my wallet, or the periodic flash drive?


----------



## uplite

I'd get a few different strengths to experiment with. Though I guess you can always stack a couple of 1/32" discs if you want it stronger. Best to start small and build it up.

That site has a FAQ with lots of useful info about adhesives, proximity to electronics/flash drives, etc.

-Jeff


----------



## davidt1

damn_hammer said:


> I went ahead and got 5 magnets, I'll find a use for the "spares". Any suggestions on the best method of attaching it to the outside of the H501 tailcap? Wonder if the magnet is strong enough to effect the magnetic strips on the cards in my wallet, or the periodic flash drive?



I bought magnets from DX. It took a while but the shipping was free. I think I bought all the sizes they have. The cost was around $10 or something like that. I use Gorilla super glue to the attach magnet to the tail cap. It's very strong and removable. If you end up using 2 magnets, slide them apart when you remove them. Don't pull on them. Stick them together the same way. This way they don't break on you. I am glad you decided to try the magnets. I think you will find that they make the light more versatile. Even if you don't like using them afterwards, at least unlike some people you will have some actual experience with the magnets and will know what you are talking about.


----------



## uplite

I _like_ your magnet idea. :grouphug:


----------



## mbiraman

Thanks to all you folks talking about the H501 i pulled the trigger yesterday. Now just three more weeks, )-;


----------



## davidt1

mbiraman said:


> Thanks to all you folks talking about the H501 i pulled the trigger yesterday. Now just three more weeks, )-;



When you get the light I suggest you dip it in water to test for waterproofness at home just in case you are unlucky and get one that is not waterproof. That way you can return it right away and don't have to find out when you are on the job or in the field. I think you will like this light. Once you go hand-free, you will wonder why you waited so long to do it. Once you go hand-free with a ZB light, everything else will seem big.


----------



## mbiraman

davidt1 said:


> When you get the light I suggest you dip it in water to test for waterproofness at home just in case you are unlucky and get one that is not waterproof. That way you can return it right away and don't have to find down when you are on the job or in the field. I think you will like this light. Once you go hand-free, you will wonder why you waited so long to do it. Once you go hand-free with a ZB light, everything else will seem big.



thanks for the tip , i'll do that. I'll let you know how it goes.


----------



## davidt1

Went to the dollar store and bought a phone case for my H501.

Next to a phone for size comparison.






Both light and headband fit like a glove.





The best thing: the light works right from the case.





How about some ceiling bounce.


----------



## Haz

looks like a very handy pouch for the light


----------



## Flying Turtle

Nice idea, david. I've seen some of those dollar store cases. That level looks familiar, too. I got one of those from the dollar store.

Geoff


----------



## DM51

Now that is a very neat idea indeed!


----------



## Owen

GREAT idea with the case. 
I've been thinking of buying a H501w as a gift, and will start looking at cases to go with it. Maybe something a little thicker, so the light can stay on the headband, but be still used handheld or freestanding while in the case...or is that one on the band with a more compact clip arrangement?


----------



## davidt1

Owen said:


> GREAT idea with the case.
> I've been thinking of buying a H501w as a gift, and will start looking at cases to go with it. Maybe something a little thicker, so the light can stay on the headband, but be still used handheld or freestanding while in the case...or is that one on the band with a more compact clip arrangement?



To achieve the compactness that you see in my H501 pictures, I had to make my own headband and replaced the bulky stock clip with a Fenix clip designed for their AAA lights. 

Here it is next to the gigantic stock clip.






Just went outside and used the light inside the case clipped to the belt. It is a nice way to use the light because you wear it just like a phone case and there is light with just one click. This arrangement is ideal for people who have to dress up for work and want to be discreet. It's totally cool to have 90 lumens of light shooting out your cell phone case.


----------



## firclodul

Thanks 4 sharing,bros
__________________

Cheap used tennis ball machine for sale - Little Prince, Tennis twist, Lobster, Wilson and Playmate reviews


----------



## davidt1

The phone case idea is nice, but what if you already have a phone case on your belt? Carrying two phone cases on the belt might be a bit much for some people. An even more discreet approach is simply to attach the light to the belt horizontally by using an elastic band. This approach has some advantages and one disadvantage. 

The advantages: smaller size and less weight since a case isn't required; a very discreet look because there is no case; horizontal placement lets the user rotate the light up and down for precise aiming; horizontal placement does not get in the way like vertical placement does.

The disadvantage: the headband can not be stored next to the light.

Here is the light on the belt with the lens rotated all the way down for a very discreet carry. The two magnets on mine stand out just a bit. Lights with no magnets would probably disappear on the belt.





To use the light simply center it a little, turn on and rotate lens to desired angle. This position is great for walking and even running. I have tried both.


----------



## Mikellen

davidt1 said:


> To achieve the compactness that you see in my H501 pictures, I had to make my own headband and replaced the bulky stock clip with a Fenix clip designed for their AAA lights.
> 
> Here it is next to the gigantic stock clip.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Just went outside and used the light inside the case clipped to the belt. It is a nice way to use the light because you wear it just like a phone case and there is light with just one click. This arrangement is ideal for people who have to dress up for work and want to be discreet. It's totally cool to have 90 lumens of light shooting out your cell phone case.


 
Where can I get the kind of clip (black) that you have on the Zebralight H501?

Thanks.


----------



## davidt1

Mikellen,

It's the Fenix clip in the picture.


----------



## Mikellen

Thanks davidt1, I saw the Fenix AAA sized silver pocket clip in your picture and didn't realize that the clip on the H501 was also a Fenix AAA sized clip.
Too bad they don't sell them separately. I just received my H501W yesterday and I wish it came with a slimmer pocket clip.


----------



## uplite

Try a maglite AA clip. Lots of stores sell the accessory kit for 5 bucks. Or try a drugstore or dollar store for a cheap light that already has a clip. Same idea...bend the wings, maybe wrap some tape, heat shrink it it you want, and you're good to go! :thumbsup:

-Jeff


----------



## davidt1

Mikellen said:


> Thanks davidt1, I saw the Fenix AAA sized silver pocket clip in your picture and didn't realize that the clip on the H501 was also a Fenix AAA sized clip.
> Too bad they don't sell them separately. I just received my H501W yesterday and I wish it came with a slimmer pocket clip.



A lot of places sell the Fenix clip, but you don't have to use that exact clip. Just find one with a similar design. Here is a picture of two different designs, and one is better for this light than the other. The front clip is a design similar to the Maglite clip. The back clip is the Fenix clip. 

The front clip is best for long lights where gravity works to pull the light down and keep it in place. It is not suitable for short lights such as the H501. It is designed merely as a hook to hang the light. The back clip is the design that holds the light in place a little better, and it is best for short lights.







This is why the Fenix type clip is better for short lights. Note how it is flush with the paper.





I am still hoping that someone else will come up with something better than what I have by posting some real work.


----------



## bernards

I just received my 501 after a bit of a wait. First thing I did was pop in a brand new pair of AW 14500. I wasn't quite impressed with the lumens. I decided to try an Eneloop. Wah. It's much brighter. 

I searched the forums and found a handful of remarks, but nothing concrete. I understand that the light has got fancy regulation. But why does it perform so poorly on a 3.7v as opposed to a 1.2v? Is this normal behaviour? Should I contact Zebralight for an exchange?


----------



## davidt1

bernards said:


> I just received my 501 after a bit of a wait. First thing I did was pop in a brand new pair of AW 14500. I wasn't quite impressed with the lumens. I decided to try an Eneloop. Wah. It's much brighter.
> 
> I searched the forums and found a handful of remarks, but nothing concrete. I understand that the light has got fancy regulation. But why does it perform so poorly on a 3.7v as opposed to a 1.2v? Is this normal behaviour? Should I contact Zebralight for an exchange?



Test it with a fresh Eneloop and a L91. The light should be good if you get consistent outputs (bright). I have tried 14500 and it was bright. But other people have said otherwise.


----------



## Foxx510

Decreased output with a 14500 is normal. The converter circuit is primarily a boost converter, but with limited functionality as a buck converter, apparently.


----------



## bernards

Ah. Many thanks guys. The light works great with all other batteries.


----------



## davidt1

H501 used headband-free and hand-free in car. Attached to shirt at lower chest with lens angled down. This kind of discreet usage is almost necessary when other people are nearby. This is how I use the light when I leave the house for work in the early morning when it's still dark.

High level





Medium level


----------



## Shorty66

Im also not quite impressed with the performance on 14500s.

Zebralight stated somewhere here that they could use a better driver which would get more of the 14500s but it would make the light about 2mm longer.
I would reallly like that better driver - 2mm are okay for that for sure.


----------



## davidt1

H501 shower light. I sure am glad the headband is removable.






About the use of 14500 battery. Here is the H501 next to the Akoray K-106, a light known for being bright with 14500 battery use. The Akoray is significantly larger than the H501. It gets uncomfortably hot after a few minutes of 14500 battery usage. How hot do you think the H501 will get being much smaller with less heatsink area?


----------



## bernards

I guess it's sensible. A light like the 501 is more likely to be run for hours. A five mintues to meltdown behaviour will cause more pain than be useful.


----------



## Foxx510

My understanding is that the reason for the reduced output on a 14500 was not due to heat, but due to circuit design. Done properly with an efficient converter I think it would be fine as far as heat dissipation goes given the same emitter current. 

Davidt1 you might like to measure the current draw at the tailcap on your K106, there are a few faulty ones that draw more current than they should and get really hot really quickly. My K106 is functioning properly and only gets moderately warm after 10mins use on high using a 14500.


----------



## davidt1

It's possible to get decent throw with no hot spot. Check out this light:

http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?t=201703

This beam and throw in a H501 body would be my dream light.


----------



## davidt1

I truly believe you are missing out if you leave your H501 in your bag because you can't EDC with it you because the clip and the headband are too bulky. I realized that within a few days of owning the H501, so I changed the clip and made my own headband. Now I can EDC my H501 everywhere I go. This setup came in handy 3 times already. We had brief power outages at work, and I had H501 on my head within seconds. Since this thing is so cheap and easy to make, I will post some how-to pictures here. Actually, there is not really any how-to to this thing because it's so simple.

I made both an adjustable and non-adjustable headbands. The elastic stuff is sold at any fabric store. So is the buckle. I used the wallet sewing kit to do everything. How is that for simple?






The 3 elastic pieces let me carry the light and additional stuff such as extra batteries.





The headband folds neatly into a tiny mass that can be stored in a shirt pocket.






Here are the H501 and Maratac AAA in shirt pocket ready for use anytime and anywhere. 






There you have it. There is just no reason for you not to enjoy this wonderful light everywhere. And I mean everywhere -- work, home, school, church, the park, etc.


----------



## Marko

^ How comfortable Your headband is to wear? Seems like the shape of H501 would make it a bit rough for Your forehead, at least if You wear it longer than 5 minutes? :ironic: Even the original headband is a bit uncomfortable to use, since its not smooth.


----------



## davidt1

I have worn it for 4-hour stretches without any issue. I think proper evaluation of products can only come from actual experience.


----------



## Foxx510

I'm just realising how annoying the H501 regulator is. It needs some warning before shutting down and leaving you in complete darkness. My other lights all go to a low mode leaving you with at least some light. With the H501 I have to wait a good 5 mins before it will allow you to switch back on to low mode. 

Something to work on, Zebralight.


----------



## Woods Walker

Foxx510 said:


> I'm just realising how annoying the H501 regulator is. It needs some warning before shutting down and leaving you in complete darkness. My other lights all go to a low mode leaving you with at least some light. With the H501 I have to wait a good 5 mins before it will allow you to switch back on to low mode.
> 
> Something to work on, Zebralight.


 
My H501w seems to drop the higher level first and works on one level when the battery is going. I am using a Duraloop if that matters. So like the rest of my lights it goes into a low mode. I will have to mess around with the H501-Q5 to see if that works the same with other battery types.


----------



## Foxx510

So if yours is on high it doesn't just go out when the battery goes flat? It switches to a lower mode by itself?


----------



## Woods Walker

Foxx510 said:


> So if yours is on high it doesn't just go out when the battery goes flat? It switches to a lower mode by itself?


 

Well here is what happened. Keep in mind that the lights were used in the woods so there was no true controlled test. The first shut down was my H501-Q5. I used it as an area light hung from a tree. Went out to pump some water maybe 1/4 a mile from camp. Was running late so didn't do this first. Came back maybe 1/2 an hour later and the light was out. It was running on a 2650 NiMH. The second was with the H501W. Used it for a 26 mile 3 day trip. Accessed all the modes but often used medium. When going into my camping hammock I noticed that the light would only work with one mode. It was higher than low but lower than medium. Turned it on and off a few times and got the same results. Went out to take a **** during the night and it still turned on with the same mode. Now I don't remember the light turning off like a switch but around camp I often change modes and turn on or off the headlamp depending on need. No point in using a headlamp resting by the camp fire. So it is possible that these do turn off when on high and the battery (2000 mAh Duraloop in this case) needs to rest for a few minutes. Just too much stuff going on to be sure, but it seemed to me much like what happens to my EOS. I will have to mess around with it when the batteries next get low. I tend not to run down my rechargables so this is a rare occurrence. 

Edit:

Both lights returned to proper working order once I replaced the batteries so based on time of use and that it was dead batteries.


----------



## Woods Walker

There is one aspect to this that I have not worked out. The Q5 was on medium all the time and the warm was used on multiple modes during the trip. The Q5 was totally dead. It wouldn’t turn on until the battery was replaced. The warm Q3 operated on the funky mode long enough for all my night bed time duties but this could not have been more than 15 minutes total until the Duraloop was replaced in the AM and it never shut down. Being that the drivers are the same the only differences are the use and batteries. Standard NiMH vs. LSD and multiple mode with on and off use vs. single mode in this case medium on consistently.


----------



## Foxx510

I've got 3 and they are all weird so that doesn't surprise me....


----------



## Woods Walker

Funky stuff happens to all my regulated headlamps once they can’t support the regulation. The APEX will always flash and then drop modes after which a DD run. The EOS will flash but there are a few times when this went un noticed or didn’t happen. After that it sometimes falls down to a regulated mode just a bit above the 6 lumen low and then fall into the low for some time and then it seems to go into a longer DD. The ZL do seem to work on near perfect regulation for the advertized times and I knew going into the deal that the cost was very little DD or even a possible total cut off. I can’t say what happens when someone uses low only as I don’t have 3 days to mess around with that. So basically I got what was expected and paid for. I am thinking there is no free lunch. If someone wants a total flat runtime for the life of the battery then the possibility of sudden death can’t be unexpected. If people are looking for a mix than they would get a longer direct drive at the expense of regulation I think but no expert on any of this. Now my preference would be for the vast majority regulated with maybe 20% direct drive. But this would have to be advertized as such for its non occurrence to be a disappointment. I do wonder being that clearly the ZL are nearly all regulation if the nature of its use has an effect on what little direct drive offered by the electronics? Same goes for the batteries used?


----------



## Foxx510

I'd just like it to drop to low at the last 2-3% of capactity.


----------



## Woods Walker

What heppens with your 3 lights once the batteries are run down?


----------



## Foxx510

They just switch off and won't come back until the battery has had a 5 min or so rest to get the voltage back up. That's from High mode anyway, not sure about the other modes. Sometimes I get a fast flickering before it switches off, but it doesn't last long.


----------



## Woods Walker

What mode do they turn back on to after the rest? Do you still get all 3 modes or just one like I did.


----------



## Foxx510

I assume just low mode, it's the only one I tried.


----------



## uplite

After 2 months using my h501w:

- It dims when it drops out of regulation on a nimh cell (high becomes a flickery medium).

- It simply dies when a lithium primary has run down. No warning.

There is a slim chance that I ran the last lithium down _almost_ to the end, then left it on parasitic drain for a couple of days, then found it dead. I'm pretty sure I always lock out the tailcap though. And 2 days should not make a big difference anyway, right?

Not a big deal. I always have a spare battery handy.

-Jeff


----------



## Cemoi

As I didn't get a reply through this thread, I'm trying in the dedicated H501 thread:

Could somebody please measure precisely the diameter of:
The tailcap
The body (narrower part)
The head (widest part)

Thanks in advance.


----------



## uplite

With cheap dial calipers at hand:

.734" tailcap
.647" body narrow (.685"/.686" top/bottom shoulders)
.835" head widest (.744" across, .705" front-to-back)

Thanks for asking. I love my ZL, but had never _closely_ admired the detailed beauty of the sculpted head until now. Now I love it even more. :thumbsup:

What's this for? EDIT: Nevermind, read your other post. 

-Jeff


----------



## Swedpat

I see I have missed to tell that I received Zebralight H501 some month ago. 
This is a great light for close distance illumination. Small and lightweight with good options of brightness levels. Unfortunately the warm white version wasn't then available at Fenixstore, so I had to take the cool white. Anyway it's yet very good.

Regards, Patric


----------



## Cemoi

Thanks uplite. This converts to mm as follows:

18.6 mm tailcap
16.4 mm body narrow
21.2 mm head widest (18.9 across, 17.9 front-to-back)

Since my handlebar internal diameter is 0.78" = 19.8 mm, it should fit nicely.

Now another question for H501 experts: can the emitter be easily swapped for a more efficient bin in the future?


----------



## russthetoolman

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/posts/2821597#post2821597


----------



## russthetoolman

Cemoi said:


> Thanks uplite. This converts to mm as follows:
> 
> 18.6 mm tailcap
> 16.4 mm body narrow
> 21.2 mm head widest (18.9 across, 17.9 front-to-back)
> 
> Since my handlebar internal diameter is 0.78" = 19.8 mm, it should fit nicely.
> 
> Now another question for H501 experts: can the emitter be easily swapped for a more efficient bin in the future?


https://www.candlepowerforums.com/posts/2821597#post2821597


----------



## davidt1

Cemoi said:


> Thanks uplite. This converts to mm as follows:
> 
> 18.6 mm tailcap
> 16.4 mm body narrow
> 21.2 mm head widest (18.9 across, 17.9 front-to-back)
> 
> Since my handlebar internal diameter is 0.78" = 19.8 mm, it should fit nicely.
> 
> Now another question for H501 experts: can the emitter be easily swapped for a more efficient bin in the future?



I used my H501 for bike riding a few times. It just barely did the job because of the limited throw. Zebralight is coming out with a new headlamp with a reflector which will give more throw. I think the new light will be a better option for bike riding.

Never mind. I just read your original thread. This light is for drivers behind you, right?


----------



## dracodoc

I just ordered a H501. I start counting days.


----------



## Cemoi

davidt1 said:


> This light is for drivers behind you, right?


Yes, it would be a "be seen" light.


----------



## davidt1

dracodoc said:


> I just ordered a H501. I start counting days.



I think you will like it.


----------



## Cemoi

According to this post, the white emitter of a white H501 can be swapped for a red emitter without the lower Vf modifying the driver behaviour.
Would the opposite work, i.e. putting a white emitter in a red H501?

In other words, do the red and white H501 use the same driver circuit?


----------



## ZebraLight

Cemoi said:


> According to this post, the white emitter of a white H501 can be swapped for a red emitter without the lower Vf modifying the driver behaviour.
> Would the opposite work, i.e. putting a white emitter in a red H501?
> 
> In other words, do the red and white H501 use the same driver circuit?



The H501 driver won't work with a red emitter. We tried.

The H501 and H501R use different driver circuits.


----------



## Shorty66

Will the zebralights of the future use the same UI as the H501r (two strobe modes etc)?


----------



## Cemoi

Thanks ZL for answering.



ZebraLight said:


> The H501 driver won't work with a red emitter. We tried.


So how come the "surgeon" in the post I mentioned concludes with "_I had been a little worried if it would work due to the lower Vf of the red LED. It was a shot in the dark if the circuitry could compensate. But it seems to be working fine. And the reletive brightness of the low/med/hi seem about the same as the original white LED. Only time will tell if it will hold up as well as the unmodified lights._"?
Maybe the difference in Vf between different red LEDs models? For example, there is more than 0.5V Vf difference between red Crees or Seoul on the one hand, and Luxeon I on the other hand.



> The H501 and H501R use different driver circuits.


Looks like I'll have to buy both versions


----------



## uplite

Cemoi said:


> Looks like I'll have to buy both versions


That is _much_ more practical than spending hours to tear apart and mod your light, each time you want to switch between white and red. 

Sounds like what you _really_ want is a zebralight with an MCE RGBW emitter, and a slightly smarter driver/UI to switch between the different Vfs. :thinking:

-Jeff


----------



## davidt1

More H501 at work pictures:

Installing speaker cables






Reading light





Closet light


----------



## dracodoc

I just opened my package, it's so small even I knew it would be small!
Thanks illuminationgear.com, the shipping is fast, and there is a tiny keychain light as a free gift, what a surprise! I recommend this site to any people looking for a Zebralight, you get a H501 for $59 (need pm him for cpf discount), same day shipping with priority.

I like the UI, one click H, double click M, and strobe can be accessed easily while not in your way.
The only "issue" is the tint, it looks a little bit purple/blue compared to my D20 which is a warm white.
I'll put some Scotch vinyl tape over the clip to avoid scratches.


----------



## dracodoc

H501 and Nitecore D20





D20, Jetbeam CLE, H501










Beamshots:
Jetbeam CLE, Nitecore D20





Jetbeam CLE, H501





Or you can check my album
http://picasaweb.google.com/dracodoc/Flashlights#

I tried to put some Scotch vinyrl tape over the clip to avoid scratch, but they become loose later. Maybe I need to find some string to coil on it?


----------



## dracodoc

I must say this UI is very smart.
Tod at illuminationgear.com just told me that if I press and hold for a second starts it in low mode. Actually I noticed that when clicked to turn on high, the light turned from a lower brightness to high. So basically I just need to hold the switch a little longer but before it turn to high. Very easy, the switch feel very good. Although it is so light I need to turn the light away from my eyes when installing clip --- I turned it on several times accidentally.

So now I can access L,M,H all in one action, great!


----------



## uplite

You can also double-click from Off to jump straight to Medium.

Or double-click from High to make yourself highly visible.

Smart UI indeed! 

-Jeff


----------



## dracodoc

Yes, I knew that, that's why I said I can access them in ONE action 
I coiled some string around the clip, but can't do it again on second spot, so just used some duck tape to wrap around the clip. Zebralight should put some heat shrink tube around the clip. And the rubber part of the clip is rather weak -- I already have one place broken.


----------



## Cemoi

dracodoc said:


> Thanks illuminationgear.com, the shipping is fast, (...) I recommend this site to any people looking for a Zebralight, you get a H501 for $59 (need pm him for cpf discount), same day shipping with priority


Thank for the link, this amounts to the same as ordering directly from ZL, i.e. a very good price.
International shipping is also similarly priced (although there are two different prices on this page with no apparent difference between both options), but ZL ships via registered airmail whereas illuminationgear probably uses USPS without insurance.


----------



## dracodoc

You can also check other dealers if you need international shipping and want other choices, I listed some in this post
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/posts/3146063&postcount=15


----------



## davidt1

Hey Cemoi,

Your post about a "be seen light" got me thinking that it wouldn't be too hard to make something red that can be seen by drivers behind me. I think this works. It doesn't blind me if I stare directly into it, and it looks red.


----------



## evgeniy

Can I buy tuned variant of Zebra 501 with 3 levels, 18, 30-40 (instead of 18) and 96 lm ?

or simply 30-40 and 96 ?

Or how can I tune it ?

change 1 resistor ?


----------



## dracodoc

evgeniy said:


> Can I buy tuned variant of Zebra 501 with 3 levels, 18, 30-40 (instead of 18) and 96 lm ?
> 
> or simply 30-40 and 96 ?
> 
> Or how can I tune it ?
> 
> change 1 resistor ?



I don't think it's possible. Maybe you should look for some light with variable brightness settings, then add a diffuser on it.


----------



## dracodoc

davidt1, I saw there are 2 magnets on the bottom of your H501. Does that mean you don't have to glue them, just use the magnetic force to keep them on? Or maybe you are just stack 2 to get more force?

Besides, how do you guys wear the headband? This is the first time I wear one, no matter what position and tightness I adjust, it always not so comfortable to me. I felt that my head was tightened...


----------



## dracodoc

davidt1 said:


> Hey Cemoi,
> 
> Your post about a "be seen light" got me thinking that it wouldn't be too hard to make something red that can be seen by drivers behind me. I think this works. It doesn't blind me if I stare directly into it, and it looks red.



It's still too bright to me, maybe a lens from car/bike taillight will be ideal for this.


----------



## davidt1

dracodoc said:


> davidt1, I saw there are 2 magnets on the bottom of your H501. Does that mean you don't have to glue them, just use the magnetic force to keep them on? Or maybe you are just stack 2 to get more force?
> 
> Besides, how do you guys wear the headband? This is the first time I wear one, no matter what position and tightness I adjust, it always not so comfortable to me. I felt that my head was tightened...



Look at my H501 shower light on the previous page and you will know why I use two magnets. The inside magnet is glued to the tail cap. 

As far as head comfort, loosen the headband, give your head times to adjust. I don't know.


----------



## Cemoi

davidt1 said:


> Your post about a "be seen light" got me thinking that it wouldn't be too hard to make something red


This is an option. What did you use, red tape?

I wonder though what would be brighter: a red LED, or a white LED + a red filter (which completely blocks the blue part of the spectrum that make up a great part of the light produced by a white LED).


----------



## Cemoi

I was ready to order a H501w but I've just realized that it is fitted with a *Q3* 5A Cree XR-E, whereas *Q4* flux bins are available either in 5A (dereelight) or the slightly warmer 5C tint (cutter).
@Zebralight: any chance that the H501w be soon available with this slightly brighter flux bin?


----------



## Woods Walker

For the most part I can't tell if my Q3-5A is less bright than the Q5 cooler tint. I wouldn't worry about it.


----------



## davidt1

H501 overhead light. I have posted the H501 used this way being attached to an overhead fan with the magnet. What if there is no metal to attach the magnet to? Here I used dental floss and a push pin, items I EDC with me at all times. On high it's bright enough to read (just barely) if I am directly under the light. Brighter is always better. George of ZL, if you are reading this. Find ways to make your new lights even brighter.


----------



## supes

Am I cursed to not have a working Zebralight after less than 6 months of use? My old now dead H50 crapped out of me multiple times, now I have my H501w go dead on me after some erratic switching behavior in less then 2 months. I use exclusively Sanyo Eneloops. Now I have to waste more freakin cash to send it back to warranty services.


----------



## Woods Walker

What happend to your H50?


----------



## supes

No idea. It would just stop working after some use. It never touched water or was abused. Exclusive use of Eneloops. Sent it in 2 or 3 times into warranty services. One time all the way back to Shanghai. They took care of me, but its a bit discouraging to have it fail over and over again. 

Now my H50 is sitting next to my shelf of lights, collecting dust. I shouldn't have said "now", in my last post, its been dead for a long time.


----------



## Marko

davidt1 said:


> Here I used dental floss and a push pin, items I EDC with me at all times.



:thinking: Really? What kind of survivalpack-EDC You have?


----------



## davidt1

Marko said:


> :thinking: Really? What kind of survivalpack-EDC You have?



Nothing special. I use a 10 year old laptop backpack to carry stuff. Some I carry in the wallet.


----------



## evgeniy

Zebralight wrote, that it can make 
customized version of the 501 flashlight for additional price.

I think, that 3 levels:
15-18, 45-50 and 96 lm will be good for me.



dracodoc said:


> I don't think it's possible. Maybe you should look for some light with variable brightness settings, then add a diffuser on it.


----------



## davidt1

H501 as lighted magnetic pick-up tool.






Some situations are just impossible to get the light into and still be hand-free. This is where the magnets come in, as they allow for nearly unlimited positioning of the light. They are a must for people who work in tight spaces. My H501 would be half the light it is without them.


----------



## Marko

davidt1 said:


> Some situations are just impossible to get the light into and still be hand-free. This is where the magnets come in, as they allow for nearly unlimited positioning of the light.



I put one in my H501 too, it is indispensable - very useful behind the audio rack, needed it there yesterday. :thumbsup:


----------



## Cemoi

davidt1 said:


> This is where the magnets come in, as they allow for nearly unlimited positioning of the light. They are a must for people who work in tight spaces.


Which magnets do you use, and how do you attach them to the H501?


----------



## davidt1

Any magnet that fits will do. I use DX magnets. Gorilla super glue.


----------



## evgeniy

Is anyone try powered Z501 by 2 AA NiMH / batteries (external box) ?
Its run with full 96 lm output from 2.4 / 3V ?

( At forum I read messages about 2 times decreased brightless, when 501 powered by 14500 Li-Ion 3.7V.)


----------



## evgeniy

Zebralight 501 have problems with waterproof, as Z 60 ?

z60:
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/posts/3021089&postcount=317


----------



## davidt1

Used the H501 for about 5 hours today to put together a 5.1 sound system with on-wall speakers. Thanks to the local $.99 store, I found two small belt cases that fit the H501 and Leatherman Juice S2 just right. Oh, I added the red filter to the headband for use as a be-seen light.





Worn horizontally, they disappear on the belt. I can use the light right on the belt while in the case.


----------



## Andrey

davidt1 said:


> Oh, I added the red filter to the headband for use as a be-seen light.



How do you attach red filter to the light?


----------



## davidt1

Andrey said:


> How do you attach red filter to the light?



The red part is attached to a piece of elastic band. I slide the whole thing over the head of the light.


----------



## Andrey

davidt1 said:


> The red part is attached to a piece of elastic band. I slide the whole thing over the head of the light.



Could you post a picture?

Check out my H60 setup.


Andrey


----------



## davidt1

Andrey said:


> Could you post a picture?
> 
> Check out my H60 setup.
> 
> 
> Andrey



Sure thing.


----------



## Andrey

Very nice! What kind of red webbing is that?

I tried using a red air balloon in the same fashion. But it was absorbing most of the light making the setup unusable as headlamp. So I turned to more transparent plexiglas.

Andrey


----------



## davidt1

Andrey said:


> Very nice! What kind of red webbing is that?
> 
> I tried using a red air balloon in the same fashion. But it was absorbing most of the light making the setup unusable as headlamp. So I turned to more transparent plexiglas.
> 
> Andrey



The red material is cut from a neck strap. It's the first and only thing I tried. I might try other materials to get some idea how this compares. 
I like what you have done. Looks like a lot work was put into it.


----------



## xevious

It would be great if ZebraLight would craft an H30/H50 head cover with red lens built into it. Something you could just slide the cover piece over the head when you need red illumination.

I'm definitely going to get an H501. This is such a versatile design!


----------



## davidt1

Man, I left the black swimming shorts pictured above at the gym and lost them. I put in at least 2 hours sewing (by hand) the belt loops, the belt and the elastic bands for the two belt cases :mecry:. 

The good news is I have backups. And thanks to the dollar store again, I found some cases that can be used to carry batteries. The case can carry either 3 AAAs or 2 AAs. My belt EDC is now complete.


----------



## davidt1

Sometimes it can take a few tries to get things right. I repositioned the battery pouches, and now the H501 can be used at waist level -- a great position for walking because the beam is angled down and more powerful because it is closer to the ground. Waist level beats head level for walking.


----------



## davidt1

H501 on wall as overhead light





Worn on shirts without buttons





As tactical light


----------



## Egsise

FREEZE OR I'LL REWIND YOU!


----------



## gsxrac

Davidt1 that last pic is priceless!!!


----------



## davidt1

By posting pictures of my H501 used in ways other than as a headlamp, my hope is people will realize that a ZL light is much more than a headlamp when it is used with some imagination. As the pictures show, my H501 can be used as a tool in numerous ways. And more importantly, it is small enough that I can carry both the headband and the light in a shirt pocket. I can't say enough how important it is to have a tool with you when you need it. I can and have used my H501 in the car, in the bathroom, in the wood, at work, at school, in the kitchen, in the workshop, etc. I can do this because I have it with me nearly 24/7. Some work, however, was required to get my H501 as small as it currently is. I had to replace to bulky factory clip with a smaller clip and the factory headband with my own.

Here are the light and the headband in the left dress shirt pocket.


----------



## davidt1

Used my H501 to change a flat tire last night. I always have the light on the belt and the headband in shirt pocket, so whipping it out was second nature. I have used this light over a thousand times since I got it, but have only used it in a few emergencies. It felt great. So far my uses for the H501 has been:

1. Light attached to shirt: reading, cooking, cleaning dishes, walking, etc. (activities at below chest level where little body and head movements are required)

2. Light on the headband: activities when lots of body and head movements are involved. 

3. Light attached to wall: in the bathroom and closet as overhead and shower light using the magnets.

4. Light on the floor or table: a quick way to look at something

I hardly turn on the lights in the kitchen and bathroom anymore.


----------



## dracodoc

I suggest Zebralight give davidt1 a "Honor customer" title and one free new Zebralight for his contributions.


----------



## davidt1

dracodoc said:


> I suggest Zebralight give davidt1 a "Honor customer" title and one free new Zebralight for his contributions.



I like your suggestion.

Haven't heard from you for a while. Welcome back.

I can't help it. Here is the glorious floody beam providing wide, even illumination for doing useful things hand-free.


----------



## TDUYC

man you guys got me ordering one. h501w out of stock though I guess i'll go for the regular


----------



## Woods Walker

davidt1 said:


> H501 on wall as overhead light
> 
> Worn on shirts without buttons


 
That shirt idea is kinda cool. I wonder if there is any glare from the floody beam? I am more thinking of an attachment to my pack's sternum strap along those same lines.


----------



## davidt1

Woods Walker said:


> That shirt idea is kinda cool. I wonder if there is any glare from the floody beam? I am more thinking of an attachment to my pack's sternum strap along those same lines.



It's just one of many practical and convenient ways to use this light. You can rotate/angle the head down, as pictured. So glare is not a problem for the user. 

Here is one more shot of the H501 replacing the bathroom light -- providing light for brushing teeth.


----------



## davidt1

Introducing the ultimate flashlight bending tool: The Snake. 

Seriously, two threads on CPF inspired this little tool. A while back a member posted a picture of his H501 used as a desk lamp. Then I thought to myself, "a pocket version of this would be nice." In another thread, one person asked where he could find a tiny reading light that can be attached to his electronic reader. I said to myself, "I can use the lights I have to do this." Now this thing is not 100% done, but here comes the pictures anyway.

H501 pocket desklamp





Can be used with any small light such as the Maratac AAA





Can be used in just about any way.






Small enough to fit in a pocket


----------



## davidt1

More pictures....

Pocket desk lamp in use





The shiny metal part on the end of the snake are 3 small magnets that can be used as a pick-up tool.





Inside a small pocket.


----------



## davidt1

Using the magnets on the H501 for attachment is a better way.


----------



## yowzer

On another topic, how does the 501 get ~30 more lumens than the H50 on high, with the same run time? Both use the same LED, same battery...


----------



## Egsise

yowzer said:


> On another topic, how does the 501 get ~30 more lumens than the H50 on high, with the same run time? Both use the same LED, same battery...


False marketing, H50 and H501 output are very much the same.

See this thread


----------



## Woods Walker

I have looked at my H501w/H501/H50-Q5 at the same time and seems like the H501-Q5 has maybe a little more output but darn hard to tell and with the tint/optics of each this is more so. I still prefer the w as the tint is nice even if the Q5 has a bit more output. Unless side by side your would NEVER know it and even then like I said it's hard to tell.


----------



## yowzer

Woods Walker said:


> I have looked at my H501w/H501/H50-Q5 at the same time and seems like the H501-Q5 has maybe a little more output but darn hard to tell and with the tint/optics of each this is more so. I still prefer the w as the tint is nice even if the Q5 has a bit more output. Unless side by side your would NEVER know it and even then like I said it's hard to tell.



Doing some Mk. 1 Eyeball tests using my 50 and 501w to light up a room, the 50 appears brighter on high. On low, the 501w seems brighter when it comes to things like reading using it. I think the different beam shapes explain both observations... more diffused for area lighting versus higher lux for more directed illumination.


----------



## Egsise

yowzer said:


> Doing some Mk. 1 Eyeball tests using my 50 and 501w to light up a room, the 50 appears brighter on high. On low, the 501w seems brighter when it comes to things like reading using it. I think the different beam shapes explain both observations... more diffused for area lighting versus higher lux for more directed illumination.


Well yes, same sort of thing was in that link that i posted.


----------



## davidt1

H501 desk lamp providing light for working on my belt cases. This thing is more useful than I originally hoped for. It's now a regular pocket EDC.







Thanks to lengendcpf for the idea. Here is his Zebralight desk lamp thread.

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/245425


----------



## tbenedict

Just got my H501W for Christmas. Been waiting for quite a while.

Mine does seem quite as warm as some of pics I saw in part 1. It is definitely neutral, just not as warm as I expected. It does seem to have good color rendition inside.


----------



## MarkW

Thinking seriously about buying the h501, and wondering if any of you wizards have perfected a hat clip or a hat clipping technique for it?

There was a thread on this topic last summer, but after reading it I am not convinced that the factory provided slide-on clip is ideal for the front end of a ball cap. Seems to me the clip really needs to be perpendicular rather than parallel to the light for ease of use. (Local Definition: "Ease of use": gets one off the mountain after dark, in freezing rain, through brush and bear trails, while carrying a rifle and a heavy pack full of meat-- aka bear food-- with no hands or patience or energy to spare for the purpose of frequently adjusting or otherwise babysitting a fussy light.) (Yes, there is a back-up hand-held. It lives in the coat pocket, and when needed, goes in the mouth.)

Anyone with useful experience/ideas/solutions/photos/ etc? All offerings welcome.


----------



## davidt1

MarkW, 

That sounds like a real easy job. It shouldn't take more than 10 minutes to sew/glue some elastic band to the hat for holding the light.


More on cases:

A while back a member started a thread about his H501 case. I had no interest in that because I was carrying my H501 in the shirt pocket. As I began to carry more stuff, the idea of belt EDC became more appealing. I went to the dollar store and bought some cases for the light and spare batteries (picture posted already). Unfortunately, those cases are of poor quality and began to break. Then I bought a bunch of Mace spray cases. These are higher quality than the dollar store stuff, and look more tactical (if you like that. I don't). In fact I find them a bit too tactical and thick. The only choice left was to make the cases myself. It wasn't to hard to do, and the cost was less than the dollar store cases. The satisfaction of making them yourself is priceless.

Old and new from left to right (dollar store stuff, Modified Mace cases, and homemade cases)





So small and discreet, they nearly disappear on the belt





A thought just occured to me as I typed this post. Zebralight headlamps are just about the only headlamps that people can carry discreetly in their pocket or belt. That old saying just keeps coming back to me: "the only useful tool is the one you have with you when you need it."


----------



## tbenedict

I wish there was an easy way to attach the magnets to the bottom of the light with out glue. I hate to damage the nice finish.


----------



## Shorty66

you could use one 1mm thick magnet with small enough diaeter to fit on the inside of the tailcap.
Just pull on the spring inside the tailcap to pull out the circuit bord the spring sits on.
put in the magnet and glue it all back together.
The light should still work although you might not be able to completly screw the tailcap down.
That might be an issue with waterproofing.


----------



## davidt1

tbenedict said:


> I wish there was an easy way to attach the magnets to the bottom of the light with out glue. I hate to damage the nice finish.



I wouldn't worry too much about. It's a tough, tough finish. I dropped my H501 about 6 times on concrete, and the glued magnet came off 3 of those times. I cleaned and re-glued each time. I didn't see any damage to the finish.


----------



## Shorty66

I agree that the finish is super tough and i wouldn`t worry about it.
If you use a suluable glue you could always clean the finish with the right solvent. 

I think a solution with the magnet inside the casing is nice though, as the magnet wont come of and is "invisible". 
Ill wait until i have my h51 to try the idea stated above with my h501...


----------



## Macilaci457

Hi! 

Maybe not the right topic to ask but definitely lots of users here so...

I receiwed my H501w today and tried ... works great... fantastic... etc.

But i have some run out batteries and was wondering what the light does with it, and notices some weird behaviour in medium mode:
(to mention again -- run out batteries)

on low - its ok, lights low
on middle - like strobe mode, very bright maybe 1/10 sec strobe
on high - not as bright as middle, seems fine and expected
double click on high - flashes once, maybe 2 sec later flashes again, then turns off.

Did You notice i have a weird very bright strobe on middle?

Is it how it supposed to behave to low batteries? Or i have defected light.

To mention it, with new batteries it does what it have to perfectly.


----------



## Macilaci457

Macilaci457 said:


> Hi!
> 
> Maybe not the right topic to ask but definitely lots of users here so...
> 
> I receiwed my H501w today and tried ... works great... fantastic... etc.
> 
> But i have some run out batteries and was wondering what the light does with it, and notices some weird behaviour in medium mode:
> (to mention again -- run out batteries)
> 
> on low - its ok, lights low
> on middle - like strobe mode, very bright maybe 1/10 sec strobe
> on high - not as bright as middle, seems fine and expected
> double click on high - flashes once, maybe 2 sec later flashes again, then turns off.
> 
> Did You notice i have a weird very bright strobe on middle?
> 
> Is it how it supposed to behave to low batteries? Or i have defected light.
> 
> To mention it, with new batteries it does what it have to perfectly.



So many months and no answer?? :candle:


----------



## Foxx510

Yeah they go a bit crazy on a low battery, it's perfectly "normal".


----------



## BWX

Mine does the same thing. It's normal.


----------



## davidt1

More headband mods for the H501 and soon H51.

Some background first:

The silicon holders that come with the light, while appealing to those who like glowing things, are not necessary and add more mass to headband --making it too big to carry in the pocket and thereby killing the whole EDC concept. The fix for this is easy. Remove it and use an elastic band instead to hold the light. This makes the headband small enough to fit in the pocket. With this simple mod, you can now EDC the light and headband with you and enjoy all the wonderful features that makes this light unlike any other headlamps. 

Making the headband itself smaller might appeal to those who need as much EDC space as possible. This idea didn't appeal to me until I decided to carry MACE on the belt, but there just isn't any space left. At first, I carried the H501 in its own little sheath on the belt and I carried the headband in the pocket (as pictured above). Then I carried both the light and the headband in a phone case. Now I have to put the MACE and the light in the same phone case. That means the headband has to go somewhere else. I thought if I make one small enough maybe I could wear it on my neck. And that's what I did.

Here is a picture of the various headband mods for my H501. From the left: the original Zebralight headband, an elastic headband, a small, non-adjustable elastic headband, and a small adjustable elastic headband. Also shown is the phone case that houses the MACE and the H501. I am wearing the adjustable headband on my neck as I type this. I should mention that the small headband is for use around town only. I use the large headbands for outdoor activities that involve a lot of movement. By the way, the idea for the small elastic headbands came from seeing those crude tie-a-string-on-my-head-and-cut-off-the-blood-flow-to-the-brain DIY headbands.


----------



## Shorty66

Just to complement your post:






A non elastic, fixed lenght headband. Works pretty well and is super compact.






A zipka-stile Headband for the h60 / h501 alike.
This picture also shows the h60 with a tiny permanent pocket clip installed.

Also i know i alread mentioned it i just have to post thios further picture:




You can see the h501 with the non elastic fixed lenght headband here. Additionally it hangs from its *internal magnet* i put into the battery compartment.


By the way: which glue did you use to glue the magnet to your H501 davidt1?
I would really like the h501 to have a tiny pocketclip like my h60 but i dont want to drill into the body. Perhaps i could glue it to the body...


----------



## red02

The Fenix E01 pocket clip fits the H501. The LD10+ clip may fit as well, but I have nothing to base that on...


----------



## Shorty66

Thank you, i will try those.
Do you have a picture of the h501 with the E01 pocketclip?


----------



## red02

Unfortunately I do not. The E01 was a gift and I no longer have the light or the clip.

If your not sure you can measure the diameter of 501 and compare that to the diameter of the clip.

From what I remember, the fit was ok but the E01 clip felt soft and never impressed me. The problem with this set up is that you have to remove the clip to use the headband. Seemed like a much better idea to keep using the clip that was included to avoid scratching the anodizing.


----------



## Shorty66

I think i am going to make my own clip and screwing i to the battery cap.
I hope the magnet will work with that clip in between...


----------



## davidt1

I posted pictures of my H501 with the Fenix clip months ago. Was it you or some else who asked me about that? Somebody did ask and I showed pictures. Look at the picture above and you will the Fenix clip on the light. No, this clip does not have to be removed when the light is used as a headlamp -- if you dump the silicon holder and use an elastic band instead. The clip actually makes the light fit better on the headband because the bulge makes it harder for the light to rotate by accident. I can't believe there are people who still use the silicon holder despite the bulk and the long time it takes to put on/remove the light from the headband. Man sometimes I feel like I am wasting time posting all the mods that make this light easier to carry and use. It's like talking to a wall.


----------



## Shorty66

sry, i might have missed the pictures or i just forgot about it.

edit: your pictures have been deleted by photobucket. Could you reupload them?


----------



## davidt1

There is really not much to this mod. I just took the Fenix clip, flattened the end, put some shrink tubing over it, and put it on the light.


----------



## Shorty66

I know its no big deal, i just wanted to see the fit and how it looks. actually im quite impressed how well it fits the light.

Is it the E01 clip?
I will order some of those... hopefully they will match the h51 too.


----------



## jonesy

I did a search, so pardon me for asking, but is there an update imminent for this light? I am considering buying two warm zebralights, the H501W and SC50W for EDC. I'd hate to buy one and then have a newer version come out in a month. 

Thanks for any info!


----------



## davidt1

jonesy said:


> I did a search, so pardon me for asking, but is there an update imminent for this light? I am considering buying two warm zebralights, the H501W and SC50W for EDC. I'd hate to buy one and then have a newer version come out in a month.
> 
> Thanks for any info!



The best thing to do is email Zebralight and ask them directly. We know that H501 is supposed to have a new UI. The new lights will have XP-G. I doubt they will come in warm at first.


----------



## jonesy

davidt1 said:


> The best thing to do is email Zebralight and ask them directly. We know that H501 is supposed to have a new UI. The new lights will have XP-G. I doubt they will come in warm at first.




Thanks for the advice. The reason I decided to ask you all here is that the one time I emailed Zebralight about updates to their H30 (can you tell I want a new floody light?) they sent me back an email that essentially said nothing at all, so I thought I would check with you guys. 

XPG and new UI sounds nice to me, I think I'll be able to wait a bit longer before I buy a new model. Thanks for the info!


----------



## FroggyTaco

jonesy said:


> I did a search, so pardon me for asking, but is there an update imminent for this light? I am considering buying two warm zebralights, the H501W and SC50W for EDC. I'd hate to buy one and then have a newer version come out in a month.
> 
> Thanks for any info!



The SC50w just came out about 1-2 months ago so i wouldn't worry about that one getting any real significant updates.


----------



## BWX

What BS! My H501 DIED 1Year and 4 days after I ordered it.. JUST long enough for the warranty to run out! I thought this thing was super high quality and would last at least 2 or 3 years.. 

With shipping time I probably didn't even actually have it for an entire year. Oh it will destroy rechargable AA cells if you leave one in there still- even though the light doesn't work- I thought that was strange.

I wrote to ZL via their website- am I SOL? Or will they help me out? I made the purchase 5/20/09 and it died like 5 days ago.. just checked the website today as I have been busy and distracted, my dad just got diagnosed with stage 4 cancer.. I'm having a great F'ing couple of weeks. I really liked the flashlight- used it all the time, pretty expensive for only lasting ONE YEAR though!! I'm pissed, $65 down the toilet!! Now I have to buy another one and cross my fingers.. unless there are alternatives out ther from different companies, is there? It seems like a pretty unique design and I haven't seen anything like it.


----------



## Beacon of Light

Sorry about your dad and his battle with cancer. My friend died in February from liver cancer. He went misdiagnosed and the Dr. told him to take Prilosec for his stomach ache and that nothing was wrong with his liver. Around Christmas he went to the emergency room from stomach pains. Turns out he had stage 4 cancer of the liver and nobody diagnosed that months and months before when he was having problems due to his eye surgery when he had cancer removed from there leaving one eye mostly blind.

Sorry about your Zebralight. I think they will still honor the warranty as it sounds like a factory flaw for it to drain batteries like that even though there isn't supposed to be much of a parasitic drain.


----------



## BWX

Thanks, yeah cancer his a nasty thing.. anyway- whats weird is that the light doesnt work at all and still drains a battery dead- but when it was working, it shut off at 1.01volts (or whatever it was set for) and did what it was supposed to do.. 


Hope ZL reply with good news.. :-(


----------



## davidt1

Shorty66 said:


> I know its no big deal, i just wanted to see the fit and how it looks. actually im quite impressed how well it fits the light.
> 
> Is it the E01 clip?
> I will order some of those... hopefully they will match the h51 too.



Yes, it's the clip for the E01. I have looked all over for a clip that can fit the H501, and so far it's the only one I found. I should mention that the only reason I need a clip is to use the H501 as a shirt light. There are times when I want to be super discreet and don't want to have anything on my head. Reading in a car or on a plane when other people sit right next to you is such a time. I hope it fits the H51 too. Otherwise, I will be poop out of luck trying to use it as a shirt light. You can use the bulky stock clip but you then you can't EDC it like below.

I had to take the shirt off to show what's on the belt.


----------



## Shorty66

Thats definitly a nice rack you got there.
I like to be rather discreet with my gear and dont want to have anything dangling from my belt.

I carry my stuff this way:





The modded skeletool fits in my pocket via the clip, the phone and wallet go in the front pockets of my jeans.

The wallet contains loads of useful stuff at about 240g weight:





And finally the modded skeletool now also has scissors and a t-shank holder to use jigsaw blades and the leatherman diamond file for the LM Surge. Its also a lot smaller since i got rid of the carabiner:


----------



## davidt1

Nice work on the Leatherman!

I have stuff in the front pockets too -- small and rarely used stuff when sitting down. Removing the phone from the pocket to answer it when you are sitting down in a tight spot is no fun. Belt-carry allows me to carry the same setup when I workout in the gym, run on trail. And it's very discreet because the shirt covers up everything.


----------



## davidt1

And speaking of shirt light, if you haven't used your ZL headlamp this way, you haven't used the most of it at all. Notice that the area in front of my head is dark. Yet I can still read what's in front and below me. This is the kind of discreet use needed when you sit next to other people in a car or on a plane.


----------



## FroggyTaco

davidt1 said:


> And speaking of shirt light, if you haven't used your ZL headlamp this way, you haven't used the most of it at all. Notice that the area in front of my head is dark. Yet I can still read what's in front and below me. This is the kind of discreet use needed when you sit next to other people in a car or on a plane.



But most of us wouldn't be able read it that way due to the shadow our belly's would cast on the paper!


----------



## BWX

an uptade if anyone cares what zebralight said-- They said if I send it to Shanghai China they will fix it. That's pretty cool, and I think they will do it for free, although they didn't say either way I imagine if there was a charge they would make that clear. 

The only problem is that it seems like sending a package from upstate NY to China might be very expensive. I remember when I bought it that it was shipped "airmail", but I'm not sure how to go about doing that- does anyone out there know the best (cheapest) way to send this flashlight back to China?


----------



## Shorty66

They will do it for free. Zebralight is extremely kind in that respect.
They wont charge you anything if they didn`t mention it in their first mail.

You will just have to pay the shipping to china. 

Shipping from china to the usa via Airmail is quite cheap - the other way round isnt. 
I would choose the cheapest shipment method you can get if you have the time to wait for the boat.


----------



## Woods Walker

BWX said:


> The only problem is that it seems like sending a package from upstate NY to China might be very expensive.


 
Go to your local post office and ask. I don't think it will be all that much.


----------



## FroggyTaco

Plus remember you are only shipping the light, not the headband & what not. Makes for a much smaller package, which of course in theory is more easily lost.


----------



## BWX

Thanks for replies... 
Good news! They e-mailed me back after I supplied them with my order # and date of purchase. 

"Hi ******, Do you live in the US. If you do, please use "USPS First Class Mail" to return the defective light only(without any accessories) to:ZebraLight, Inc.Attn RMA (*********)8320 Sterling St.Irving, TX 75063U.S.A.

We will repair or replace the light. Please include a copy of this email and your shipping address in your returned package. Sorry about the problem.Thanks and regards, ****** **"

So they are really hooking me up! I'm Impressed, they could have easily said that it was technically out of warranty and they would have had every right to do that.. but nope, they are definitely "taking care of the customer." This should be good news for all ZebraLight customers!


----------



## davidt1

I think Zebralight should provide an additional clip (like the E01 clip only better) for an extra charge. The E01 clips works but it could be better. I, for one, would be willing to pay extra money to make my ZL lights as useful and as EDC friendly as possible.


----------



## Shorty66

I would pay for that clip aswell.
Have you written an email to ZL regarding the clip?


----------



## davidt1

I haven't, but you can contact them too. 

Right now I am dreaming of H51 and H51F with warm XP-G. 

Surprise us, Zebralight.


----------



## davidt1

Cleaning the dishes in the kitchen using my H501 for light.







10 minutes later in the public library





I am able to use the H501 anywhere, anytime because I carry with me at all time. The small headband is worn on the neck like a necklace and the light is kept in the phone case on the belt. I just love this light.


----------



## Beacon of Light

Cool headband. Is it from some other headlamp we would know or is it a custom made one?


----------



## davidt1

Beacon of Light said:


> Cool headband. Is it from some other headlamp we would know or is it a custom made one?



It's homemade from materials bought at Walmart. That headband cost about $.50 to make.


----------



## Beacon of Light

Would be a cool thread in itself: "The DIY headband for $.50 thread".


----------



## davidt1

Since I EDC a folding hat in the back pocket, I figure I can use it to hold my H501 for hand-free use as a backup for the necklace headband. Now I have two things to hold the H501 for hand-free use. And I have the option to let some else have one (on the field) if needed.










folding hat and folding bag in back pocket


----------



## CaNo

davidt1 said:


> Since I EDC a folding hat in the back pocket, I figure I can use it to hold my H501 for hand-free use as a backup for the necklace headband. Now I have two things to hold the H501 for hand-free use. And I have the option to let some else have one (on the field) if needed.



Now that is using the ol' noodle! Very creative davidt!


----------



## noddy43

Everywhere seems to be out of stock of the H501, then i found this thread and now i know why!


----------



## FroggyTaco

noddy43 said:


> Everywhere seems to be out of stock of the H501, then i found this thread and now i know why!




http://www.illuminationgear.com/39729.html

Illumination Gear: 8% discount to active CPF members (PM lebox97 for discount info)


----------



## noddy43

FroggyTaco said:


> http://www.illuminationgear.com/39729.html
> 
> Illumination Gear: 8% discount to active CPF members (PM lebox97 for discount info)



Hey thanks Froggy

Was going to wait for zebralights to get some in stock cause they go free deliver internationally but that link you provided wit the discount would work out to be the same and they have stock! I am so tempted to get the h501 and a h31! they seem to have different throws of light and thinking about having the two on one headband so i can just use each one for different situations.


----------



## davidt1

It appears that only the cool H501 has the new UI, not the warm. This doesn't make sense. 

Hopefully, Zebralight will make the new lights H51 and H51F (if there is such a thing) in a way that they don't turn on by accident so that the users don't have to lockout the tail cap to prevent it.


----------



## CaNo

Oh the many uses of 550 paracord...

Zebralight H501w off...





Zebralight H501w on moonlight mode...


----------



## CaNo

davidt1 said:


> (Above picture)



David, what kind of magnet did you place under your H501? Strong enough not to glue I would assume?


----------



## davidt1

CaNo said:


> David, what kind of magnet did you place under your H501? Strong enough not to glue I would assume?



CaNo,

Great work with the paracord!

I bought the magnets from DX. I don't really know the kind, but they are super strong. I glue one to the tail cap. It came off a couple of times when I dropped the light on concrete. I just glued it back every time it came off. I have no problem doing that because the magnets, IMO, make the light even more versatile. 

Does your H501w have the new UI? I ask because Zebralight website doesn't indicate so. 

Your pictures inspire me to post this round-the-neck H501 wear. The light is attached to the small headband which I wear on my neck as a lanyard. It's super convenient and easy to change from headlamp to necklamp. Wearing it horizontally allows me the rotate the beam to any desire angle. If I am too lazy to put it back in the phone case on my belt, I just put it behind the shirt and wear it like that all day.





uplite brought up the idea of wearing his H501 around his neck a while back. I was skeptical if it would work. Now I am a believer in using the light this way. It's like using it as a shirt light but more convenient because you don't have to clip the light on and take it off. Plus the headband is always there for headlamp use.


----------



## red02

davidt1 said:


> It appears that only the cool H501 has the new UI, not the warm. This doesn't make sense.
> 
> Hopefully, Zebralight will make the new lights H51 and H51F (if there is such a thing) in a way that they don't turn on by accident so that the users don't have to lockout the tail cap to prevent it.



Both versions of the H501 have the new UI. Its no really worth it as the only new level is about a 1/8 of a step dimmer than the 3lm low. The 2-click short cut from low-high is lost as well.


----------



## CaNo

davidt1 said:


> CaNo,
> 
> Great work with the paracord!
> 
> I bought the magnets from DX. I don't really know the kind, but they are super strong. I glue one to the tail cap. It came off a couple of times when I dropped the light on concrete. I just glued it back every time it came off. I have no problem doing that because the magnets, IMO, make the light even more versatile.
> 
> Does your H501w have the new UI? I ask because Zebralight website doesn't indicate so.
> 
> Your pictures inspire me to post this round-the-neck H501 wear. The light is attached to the small headband which I wear on my neck as a lanyard. It's super convenient and easy to change from headlamp to necklamp. Wearing it horizontally allows me the rotate the beam to any desire angle. If I am too lazy to put it back in the phone case on my belt, I just put it behind the shirt and wear like it that all day.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> uplite brought up the idea of wearing his H501 around his neck a while back. I was skeptical if it would work. Now I am a believer in using the light this way. It's like using it as a shirt light but more convenient because you don't have to clip the light on and off. Plus the headband is always there for headlamp use.





red02 said:


> Both versions of the H501 have the new UI. Its no really worth it as the only new level is about a 1/8 of a step dimmer than the 3lm low. The 2-click short cut from low-high is lost as well.



Yes, if the new UI you are pertaining to has the lower "moonlight" mode by double clicking on the lowest setting, the slower strobe on the middle setting, and the faster strobe on the brightest setting. 

I enjoy wearing the light like this, because using the constrictor knot, it is nice and secure, and easy to take off in a hurry. Plus, I've seen some lights that people carry on their necks that just look plain ridiculous and dorky, the H501 is not one of those lights. I actually like the look and do not mind being seen in public with it... just not as a day to day thing though if you know what i mean lol


----------



## davidt1

Deleted


----------



## DM51

davidt1... I have looked back over your last ~100 posts, and I can only see 3 that were not directly related to Zebralight products. I do not recall seeing such an extensive record of single-issue posting before.

It is quite unusual for a member to reach the substantial number of posts you have done without a commercial affiliation becoming obvious to other members. 

I'm therefore giving you the benefit of the doubt, but at the same time I am now asking you to provide full details of your relationship with Zebralight. You may reply to me by PM if you prefer.



davidt1 said:


> Hey gangs,
> 
> There is a poll here https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/279454 where CPF members get to nominate their favorite lights. If you like the H501, please take a moment to add it to the list. Six of us already voted. I know there are more H501 owners than that. I have feeling that not many people have been exposed to Zebralight's uniquely useful products, particularly the H501. I think if more people know about it, they might just like it as much as we do.
> 
> uplite, where are you?
> 
> Thanks.


----------



## davidt1

DM51 said:


> davidt1... I have looked back over your last ~100 posts, and I can only see 3 that were not directly related to Zebralight products. I do not recall seeing such an extensive record of single-issue posting before.
> 
> It is quite unusual for a member to reach the substantial number of posts you have done without a commercial affiliation becoming obvious to other members.
> 
> I'm therefore giving you the benefit of the doubt, but at the same time I am now asking you to provide full details of your relationship with Zebralight. You may reply to me by PM if you prefer.



I have no commercial relationship with Zebralight. You think someone with a commercial relationship with Zebralight would openly criticize design problems of their products such as accidental activation of the light, useless silicon holders for the light, etc., etc.? Please read posts asking for headlamp recommendations. Chances are you won't you find me recommending Zebralight headlamps in them? 

Did you happen to catch this post by me asking for help with a broken spring on my H501? You think someone with a "relationship" with Zebralight would bring attention to a problem with one their lights on the forum? 

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/264664

I hope you don't have a problem with me posting about the H501 in a thread titled "Zebralight H501" Almost all of my posts in this thread are about mods designed to make the original product better. Does it still sound to you like a "commercial relationship" with Zebralight?

Did my post asking H501 owners to vote in the same poll that you participated in bother you? I will try right now to see if can delete it.


----------



## LowBat

Thanks for the link david1. I added my nominations as well.


----------



## CaNo

More pictures on another way to carry the Zebralight H501. I'm sure people have done this before, but it def is an another effective way of carrying the light effectively. The Paracord is perfect material to to use as a necklace band, and the GITD bracket keeps it still in place to the direction you want the beam to face, while still giving it enough give to twist the light within the bracket without frustration. Please excuse the mirror lol


----------



## davidt1

CaNo,

Nice pictures! Good use for the silicon holder!

I don't use it because it because the extra bulk makes it impossible for me to EDC the light in the phone case..... if I want to leave it in the holder permanently. If I don't want to leave it in the holder permanently, the long time it takes to install and remove the light from the holder makes it equally unappealingly. And I have store the thing somewhere when it's not used.

But it's great that it works for you, and I can see why. The mass and the non-skid surface of the silicon holder keep the light stable. However, the light would still move away from your chest when you lean forward.


----------



## CaNo

davidt1 said:


> CaNo,
> 
> Nice pictures! Good use for the silicon holder!
> 
> I don't use it because it because the extra bulk makes it impossible for me to EDC the light in the phone case..... if I want to leave it in the holder permanently. If I don't want to leave it in the holder permanently, the long time it takes to install and remove the light from the holder makes it equally unappealingly. And I have store the thing somewhere when it's not used.
> 
> But it's great that it works for you, and I can see why. The mass and the non-skid surface of the silicon holder keep the light stable. However, the light would still move away from your chest when you lean forward.



You take it like everything else, with a grain of salt. I hate the look of a headband, and the annoying fact that it does mess up your hair lol Not to mention, you look very suspicious with it on around your neighborhood. But this setup is extremely useful when you are laying in bed reading. The bracket, while laying on your chest, makes it extremely convenient to keep the light still and aimed at your reading material :thumbsup:


----------



## Batou00159

davidt1 said:


> H501 overhead light. I have posted the H501 used this way being attached to an overhead fan with the magnet. What if there is no metal to attach the magnet to? Here I used dental floss and a push pin, items I EDC with me at all times. On high it's bright enough to read (just barely) if I am directly under the light. Brighter is always better. George of ZL, if you are reading this. Find ways to make your new lights even brighter.



use a h60:naughty:


----------



## pae77

Can anyone suggest a good place to purchase some of that nice looking paracord?

Thanks.


----------



## CaNo

pae77 said:


> Can anyone suggest a good place to purchase some of that nice looking paracord?
> 
> Thanks.



I went to a Military/Police Supply shop near my house. But Amazon has the same pricing as the place I bought em from. It is called "550 Paracord" since it can support 550lbs of weight because it has 7-10 strands of white rope intertwined inside for durability and strength.


----------



## pae77

Thanks for the info.


----------



## DM51

davidt1 said:


> I have no commercial relationship with Zebralight.


Thank you for your assurance on this, which I am happy to accept. I have also received independent confirmation of this in a PM from another member, which was very helpful. 

My apologies for raising the matter in the first place, but I hope you will understand why I did so. Absolutely no offense was intended.


----------



## davidt1

DM51 said:


> Thank you for your assurance on this, which I am happy to accept. I have also received independent confirmation of this in a PM from another member, which was very helpful.
> 
> My apologies for raising the matter in the first place, but I hope you will understand why I did so. Absolutely no offense was intended.



No apologies needed. I am good. Thanks.


----------



## pteam

Just wanted to let you guys know I have had 4 different h60 zebralights fail on me with the 18650 batteries. They have fixed one or two of them for me over the last year and those have failed also. I only have 1 left working. The last one I sent back for repair got returned back to me from the post office. Their customer service never responeded to me after several attempts. Yes I said that correctly I have 4 failed h60 zebralights and only 1 left working. 


Are you guys having these problems with the H50s? Any other recommendations? We are using these in a mechanics garage to work on cars. thanks!


----------



## davidt1

DM51 said:


> Thank you for your assurance on this, which I am happy to accept. I have also received independent confirmation of this in a PM from another member, which was very helpful.
> 
> My apologies for raising the matter in the first place, but I hope you will understand why I did so. Absolutely no offense was intended.



No apologies are needed. Thanks for your response though.


----------



## Shorty66

pteam said:


> Just wanted to let you guys know I have had 4 different h60 zebralights fail on me with the 18650 batteries. They have fixed one or two of them for me over the last year and those have failed also. I only have 1 left working. The last one I sent back for repair got returned back to me from the post office. Their customer service never responeded to me after several attempts. Yes I said that correctly I have 4 failed h60 zebralights and only 1 left working.
> 
> 
> Are you guys having these problems with the H50s? Any other recommendations? We are using these in a mechanics garage to work on cars. thanks!



Wow, that sounds ugly.
I have had two H60s (one for a friend), four h501 (a cool one for me, one cool for a friend and to warm for a friend) and never got any issues with any of those lights except one H501w deas on arrival which was replaced in no time at ZLs costs.

To me ZL has always been very kind. You did try to send an eMail?
Zebralight is pretty fast in responding to emails to my experience...

Hope everythings clears up for you.


----------



## Illumination

I wrote ZebraLight to clarify some confusion out there about their models including the update to the UI. This is their posted response:

User/Date	Message
Customer
6/22/2010 9:23:59 PM	Can you please answer a few questions:

Is the H501w available with the new UI (with the moon mode)? 

Has the bug been fixed?

When will the H51F be available?

Staff (Administrator)
6/24/2010 8:17:52 AM	Hi David,

The H501w currently in stock are not with the new UI, only the H501 in stock are with the new UI. 
The H501/H501w have been bug free for a loooong while.
The H51F will be released in about 3-4 weeks.

Best regards,
Lillian Xu


----------



## pae77

That may be true regarding ZL's stock, but I recently got an H501w with the new UI from Tod at IlluminationGear.com so some were made and may still be available.

The so called "moon mode" could come in pretty handy if one ever found oneself in a situation where really extended runtime was needed. I like having that option. Also, it's nice, imo, to have a slow strobe or beacon mode as the second mode in the medium level, although I suppose I would have been equally happy to have a lower (or higher) medium level instead. Yeah, now that I think about it, I would have preferred to have the choices be the same as on the SC50w, i.e., with a slow beacon as the alternate choice on the high level, and then the two light level choices available for both the medium and low modes.

I would really love to see ZL incorporate a UI that is somewhat similar to the Liteflux CUI user mode with the user selectable ramping middle mode that is automatically memorized. And it would be nice to have the voltage readout function as well. These additions would make a great light even better, imo.


----------



## Beacon of Light

+1 for the voltage readout of the Liteflux. Wish more companies had this but then that's why we pay more for the Liteflux.


----------



## pae77

Aluminum LF2XT @ $62 was actually pretty close in price to most of the Zebralights @ about $59 or so, iirc.


----------



## Beacon of Light

Too bad Liteflux didn't get into the headlamp biz


----------



## yowzer

Illumination said:


> I wrote ZebraLight to clarify some confusion out there about their models including the update to the UI. This is their posted response:
> 
> The H51F will be released in about 3-4 weeks.





Hopefully that means the normal H51 will be out in the same time frame, if not sooner. And with a neutral white version, of course.


----------



## davidt1

Sometimes people ask why I need two magnets on my H501. The short answer is: to make my H501 even more versatile. Two magnets are needed to attach the light to a non metal surface. 

Installing speaker wires. Hanging upside down from the glass shelf.






Another view.


----------



## ky70

DM51 said:


> davidt1... I have looked back over your last ~100 posts, and I can only see 3 that were not directly related to Zebralight products. I do not recall seeing such an extensive record of single-issue posting before.
> 
> It is quite unusual for a member to reach the substantial number of posts you have done without a commercial affiliation becoming obvious to other members.
> 
> I'm therefore giving you the benefit of the doubt, but at the same time I am now asking you to provide full details of your relationship with Zebralight. You may reply to me by PM if you prefer.


This type of discussion should be handled via pm, privately. I see no benefit in having this talk about unsubstantiated suspicions out in the open...and the conclusion in this case (that David has no affiliation) is an example of why somethings do not need to be discussed out in the open.


----------



## davidt1

I forgot to add that the magnets can turn your H501 into a lighted pick-up tool also. Man, I can't think of another headlamp or flashlight that can do so many things. My H501 makes my other lights almost irrelevant.


----------



## yowzer

Man, I've got to get some of those magnets.


----------



## DM51

ky70 said:


> This type of discussion should be handled via pm, privately. I see no benefit in having this talk about unsubstantiated suspicions out in the open...and the conclusion in this case (that David has no affiliation) is an example of why somethings do not need to be discussed out in the open.


Well, that is where you are wrong. The matter had been raised with me by others, and it was therefore a matter already being debated in private by other members. It was correct to raise it in public, and no-one was more delighted than I was when it was possible to post a firm and unequivocal public statement that were were no grounds for the suspicion. The fact that it was made public has cleared the air completely in favor of the member concerned.

Your post, on the other hand, *IS* a matter which should have been handled by PM. In fact, you are in direct violation of Rule 8 for posting about it. *Read the Rule -* and don't break it again, or you will be suspended.


----------



## Shorty66

Same question again: When will we get pics and specs of the H51?


----------



## LowBat

yowzer said:


> Man, I've got to get some of those magnets.


I wonder if a neodymium magnet would fit under the spring inside the tailcap.


----------



## pae77

I just keep two (size like in the photos above) magnetically attached to the outside of the base of the battery cap. They seem to adhere pretty well (attracted to the battery I guess) right through the aluminum exterior. 

Anyway, they do come in handy on occasion.


----------



## BWX

pteam said:


> Just wanted to let you guys know I have had 4 different h60 zebralights fail on me with the 18650 batteries. They have fixed one or two of them for me over the last year and those have failed also. I only have 1 left working. The last one I sent back for repair got returned back to me from the post office. Their customer service never responeded to me after several attempts. Yes I said that correctly I have 4 failed h60 zebralights and only 1 left working.
> 
> 
> Are you guys having these problems with the H50s? Any other recommendations? We are using these in a mechanics garage to work on cars. thanks!



Well I thought my H501 I bought a little more than a year ago was bullet proof, and then, just about exactly a year after the purchase, it died for no apparent reason. 

I finally got it replaced under warranty. I got the replacement H501 (I THink it was an H501w) started acting strange right out of the box. I would constantly flash for about 1/20 sec. all the time without being touched, or when holding it and not touching the switch, or when very slightly touching the switch. It also would produce an irregular strobe, sometimes nomal like my first one and sometimes slower. 

I sent them an e-mail through their website and after about 4 days it was answered, telling me to send it back to them, they said nothing about my questioning if it was an H501w, when my first one was an H501 regular. I want the regular cool white model with more light output- I can tell the difference. I'm sending it out tomorrow.

Oh, here's the kicker, since I got the e-mail back from them, my light died completely, just exactly like my first one. Before this replacement light died I would have recommended a Zebra light to a friend, now I'm not so sure.. 

BTW it seemed like forever getting my replacement light back after sending mine in.. and mine was delivered to them with confirmation via USPS-- hope the next one doesn't take as long... sorry for long post :-/


----------



## Beacon of Light

BWX said:


> Well I thought my H501 I bought a little more than a year ago was bullet proof, and then, just about exactly a year after the purchase, it died for no apparent reason.
> 
> I finally got it replaced under warranty. I got the replacement H501 (I THink it was an H501w) started acting strange right out of the box. I would constantly flash for about 1/20 sec. all the time without being touched, or when holding it and not touching the switch, or when very slightly touching the switch. It also would produce an irregular strobe, sometimes nomal like my first one and sometimes slower.
> 
> I sent them an e-mail through their website and after about 4 days it was answered, telling me to send it back to them, they said nothing about my questioning if it was an H501w, when my first one was an H501 regular. I want the regular cool white model with more light output- I can tell the difference. I'm sending it out tomorrow.
> 
> Oh, here's the kicker, since I got the e-mail back from them, my light died completely, just exactly like my first one. Before this replacement light died I would have recommended a Zebra light to a friend, now I'm not so sure..
> 
> BTW it seemed like forever getting my replacement light back after sending mine in.. and mine was delivered to them with confirmation via USPS-- hope the next one doesn't take as long... sorry for long post :-/



your signature may not be accurate then now is it?


----------



## BWX

Beacon of Light said:


> your signature may not be accurate then now is it?



LOL, I still love the light. I just wish it was of better quality construction, or quality control, or whatever the problem is. 

I have a feeling after I get the second replacement light, that it will not last very long. If it works as the first one did, I imagine it won't work for more than a year or so. It's too bad since it is a great little light.


----------



## e1sbaer

BWX said:


> Well I thought my H501 I bought a little more than a year ago was bullet proof, and then, just about exactly a year after the purchase, it died for no apparent reason.
> 
> I finally got it replaced under warranty. I got the replacement H501 (I THink it was an H501w) started acting strange right out of the box. I would constantly flash for about 1/20 sec. all the time without being touched, or when holding it and not touching the switch, or when very slightly touching the switch. It also would produce an irregular strobe, sometimes nomal like my first one and sometimes slower.
> 
> I sent them an e-mail through their website and after about 4 days it was answered, telling me to send it back to them, they said nothing about my questioning if it was an H501w, when my first one was an H501 regular. I want the regular cool white model with more light output- I can tell the difference. I'm sending it out tomorrow.
> 
> Oh, here's the kicker, since I got the e-mail back from them, my light died completely, just exactly like my first one. Before this replacement light died I would have recommended a Zebra light to a friend, now I'm not so sure..
> 
> BTW it seemed like forever getting my replacement light back after sending mine in.. and mine was delivered to them with confirmation via USPS-- hope the next one doesn't take as long... sorry for long post :-/



I'm really curious whether they will share with you what went wrong with the light...


----------



## BWX

e1sbaer said:


> I'm really curious whether they will share with you what went wrong with the light...



I doubt it, they never said what was wrong with the first defective one. My guess? The control electronics. The switch felt the same - with both lights, before and after they quit. I am curious though.


----------



## Trancersteve

I think I may have finally decided on the H501 as my first headlamp. I keep swaying with thoughts of do I need such a totally floody headlamp.. and I think I do. 

I emailed Zebralight asking when to expect the H501W with new UI the prompt reply I got was ~3 weeks.


----------



## davidt1

Trancersteve said:


> I think I may have finally decided on the H501 as my first headlamp. I keep swaying with thoughts of do I need such a totally floody headlamp.. and I think I do.
> 
> I emailed Zebralight asking when to expect the H501W with new UI the prompt reply I got was ~3 weeks.



It's much more than just a headlamp. If it's only a headlamp, then my H501 would be tossed in the backpack and only used occasionally. 

Ask them about the H51F also. If it's an improved H501, then it's definitely worth waiting for.


----------



## red02

Illuminationgear already has them instock, you should ask for it specifically though.


----------



## pae77

Yeah, I already got an H501w with the updated interface from illuminationgear. 

I'm also very interested to see what the H51f is going to be like. It sounds like that should be a true successor to the H501.


----------



## davidt1

pae77 said:


> Yeah, I already got an H501w with the updated interface from illuminationgear.
> 
> I'm also very interested to see what the H51f is going to be like. It sounds like that should be a true successor to the H501.



What I would like to see in the H51F:

1. a smaller and more recessed switch to prevent accidental activation.

2. a 60 degree all flood beam with twice the throw of the H501.

3. Boost circuit for 14500 battery.

4. XP-G emitter in various tints.

5. New UI with moon mode and slow emergency mode

6. a stronger spring for magnet attachments.

I am looking forward to the sale of this light.


----------



## red02

davidt1 said:


> 2. a 60 degree all flood beam with twice the throw of the H501.


Didn't ZL already say that their frosted lens will get a larger flood than the 501?

the XPG is better, but I don't think its that much better to get 2x throw with 1.2 - 1.5x larger flood...


----------



## davidt1

red02 said:


> Didn't ZL already say that their frosted lens will get a larger flood than the 501?
> 
> the XPG is better, but I don't think its that much better to get 2x throw with 1.2 - 1.5x larger flood...



I missed what ZL said about their frosted lens. One of the unfair complains the H501 receives is that it has no throw. I say unfair because the light is tiny and was designed for flood, not throw. Could a compromise be reached? How do you give it some throw and still remain all flood? The H31/H51 are not really the solution for those who want a true all flood light. I figure if you make the beam narrower, then the throw should increase. That's why I like a 60 degree all flood beam.

I hope the H51F won't have a larger flood than the H501 because the larger flood would make it harder to use the light discreetly around other people.


----------



## FroggyTaco

red02 said:


> Didn't ZL already say that their frosted lens will get a larger flood than the 501?
> 
> the XPG is better, but I don't think its that much better to get 2x throw with 1.2 - 1.5x larger flood...



The H501 has a 80 degree flood beam, so with a potentially reduced area an increase in throw seems logical. It all depends on the optic/reflector that gets used.


----------



## pae77

I think the 80 degree flood of the H501 is one of its very useful features, the way it allows one to just place the light somewhere and point it in the direction one needs and get such a big spread of light. Not sure 60 degrees would be as useful, although of course more throw would be nice.

Another thing I really really like about the current H501w (both old or new UI) is the tint. I've seen two H501w's and both had the same great tint, so I don't think my perception of it is due to getting lucky with the tint lottery. I haven't seen such a nice tint on any other light, including the two SC50w's I've seen. I haven't yet experienced any XPG lights but I hope that emitter is available in a tint that is the same or very close to what comes out of the current H501w and, if so, that ZL chooses to use it.


----------



## red02

davidt1 said:


> I missed what ZL said about their frosted lens. One of the unfair complains the H501 receives is that it has no throw. I say unfair because the light is tiny and was designed for flood, not throw. Could a compromise be reached? How do you give it some throw and still remain all flood? The H31/H51 are not really the solution for those who want a true all flood light. I figure if you make the beam narrower, then the throw should increase. That's why I like a 60 degree all flood beam.
> 
> I hope the H51F won't have a larger flood than the H501 because the larger flood would make it harder to use the light discreetly around other people.



For a task light its fine, however I think the criticism is valid since its completely true and some people may need to see beyond 2m when caving, etc.

I remember asking ZL and their response was that it will be a wider beam. I could be wrong, but this exact thing was discussed in the H51F thread with the same conclusion based on the fact that frosted glass instead of an optic was used.


----------



## davidt1

Yeah, that's as valid as buying a Toyota Prius for fuel economy then complain it doesn't drive as fast as a Corvette.


----------



## davidt1

The magnet broke off once more for about the 7th time. I have been using Krazy glue. I will try liquid nail tomorrow. Hopefully that will hold better.


----------



## red02

I epoxied a magnet on the bottom of my ZL. Then decided this wasn't for me and had to remove it with pick and chisel(read: hammer and screwdriver), the best part is that now you can't tell that anything was done to the bottom of the ZL. I guess thats a testament to how good the ano is.


----------



## yowzer

davidt1 said:


> I hope the H51F won't have a larger flood than the H501 because the larger flood would make it harder to use the light discreetly around other people.



I'd be surprised if it did. Consider the H50 with its 120 degree beam. Personally, I like it better than the 501 when it comes to putting it down somewhere to light up a room (And the 501 better when it's on my head), but, based on CPF's reactions, the 501 is more popular... to the point where most ZL dealers don't even stock the H50, though you can still get it from the company store.


----------



## red02

yowzer said:


> I'd be surprised if it did. Consider the H50 with its 120 degree beam. Personally, I like it better than the 501 when it comes to putting it down somewhere to light up a room (And the 501 better when it's on my head), but, based on CPF's reactions, the 501 is more popular... to the point where most ZL dealers don't even stock the H50, though you can still get it from the company store.



I hope so too, but what ZL says doesn't inspire confidence. 

Its already been confirmed that the H51F will be the H51 (reflectored) with a ground glass instead of a clear one. The reason why the H501 was special was because of a specialized optic. The ground glass will just defuse the light and spread it in all directions. Just looking at a picture of ground glass gives that impression, it has the consistency of tape. You can get an even flood by taping up the lens...


----------



## davidt1

Sounds good to me. Those homemade diffusers (tape, bottle cap) reduce brightness considerably. Sounds like their new ground glass gives us both throw and flood.


----------



## yowzer

davidt1 said:


> Sounds good to me. Those homemade diffusers (tape, bottle cap) reduce brightness considerably. Sounds like their new ground glass gives us both throw and flood.



If so, that would be ideal. A budget version of the SF Saint would make me (And my wallet) very happy.


----------



## Spypro

Is there a way to buy a H501w with the new UI ? Only the cold tint is available for the H501 on ZL website


----------



## davidt1

Spypro said:


> Is there a way to buy a H501w with the new UI ? Only the cold tint is available for the H501 on ZL website



Read post #516 and #517.


----------



## Incidentalist

I purchased a H501W from the ZL store just a week ago and it shipped with the new UI.



Spypro said:


> Is there a way to buy a H501w with the new UI ? Only the cold tint is available for the H501 on ZL website


----------



## Harry999

Incidentalist said:


> I purchased a H501W from the ZL store just a week ago and it shipped with the new UI.



That gives me hope. I ordered a week ago and am waiting for it to arrive in the UK now. I have ordered the H501w specifically as a reading light so a low low mode would be great first thing in the morning!


----------



## dodge_911

Incidentalist said:


> I purchased a H501W from the ZL store just a week ago and it shipped with the new UI.


Same here...
Since I have taken delivery, about 5 days ago, I already burned through 5 eneloops using it 
Really really like the UI, activating the secondary functions using the double clicks. Havent used the strobe modes, but the moonlight, low and high modes are being used very much.
It's already proved it's worth, lighting an emergency camera repair, in the backstage area of a big party I was shooting.
I also use it quite a lot when I'm wandering about around the house, not using the houselights, because they're almost all incan or halogen and they generate heat, something that I can't really have in this heatwave we're going though over here right now 
Absolutely LOVE the warm tint. Compared to my Olight Infinitum I-25 R2 it looks slightly warmer. I've compared to my other lights as well, but those are almost all Q5's so they don't look as warm...


----------



## davidt1

dodge_911 said:


> Same here...
> Since I have taken delivery, about 5 days ago, I already burned through 5 eneloops using it
> Really really like the UI, activating the secondary functions using the double clicks. Havent used the strobe modes, but the moonlight, low and high modes are being used very much.
> It's already proved it's worth, lighting an emergency camera repair, in the backstage area of a big party I was shooting.
> I also use it quite a lot when I'm wandering about around the house, not using the houselights, because they're almost all incan or halogen and they generate heat, something that I can't really have in this heatwave we're going though over here right now
> Absolutely LOVE the warm tint. Compared to my Olight Infinitum I-25 R2 it looks slightly warmer. I've compared to my other lights as well, but those are almost all Q5's so they don't look as warm...



I am glad this light works for you. I sure like mine. I use it to keep the house cool and to save electricity everyday.


----------



## manitoe

Incidentalist said:


> I purchased a H501W from the ZL store just a week ago and it shipped with the new UI.



I can confirm that, my H501w arrived 3 days ago and it also has the new UI.


----------



## Harry999

My ZL H501w and H501r have not arrived yet (ordered 30/06). I think Customs have them.


----------



## pae77

What are the main uses for the red version?


----------



## Beacon of Light

reading maps? Preserving night vision?


----------



## davidt1

Sad news: my H501 died. Sent it to TX. According to Zebralight, they will ship defective lights to China this week for repair. Then there is a 4 week wait to get it back. And here I was hoping a replacement from TX. Oh, well.

Can't complain much though because the light is about 1.5 year old (and heavily used). Zebralight was nice enough to take it back for repair. Not many companies would do this. Meanwhile my Maratac AAA is taking over the role of the H501 surprising well. But the wait is killing me.

Let's hope Zebralight has figured out what's wrong and make the H51/H51F more reliable.


----------



## red02

davidt1 said:


> Sad news: my H501 died. Sent it to TX. According to Zebralight, they will ship defective lights to China this week for repair. Then there is a 4 week wait to get it back. And here I was hoping a replacement from TX. Oh, well.
> 
> Can't complain much though because the light is about 1.5 year old (and heavily used). Zebralight was nice enough to take it back for repair. Not many companies would do this. Meanwhile my Maratac AAA is taking over the role of the H501 surprising well. But the wait is killing me.
> 
> Let's hope Zebralight has figured out what's wrong and make the H51/H51F more reliable.



Its very nice of them to honor their warranty 6mo after it expired. My 501 took about 2-3 weeks door to door when I sent it to TX. Let us know if they tell you what the problem was. I suspect mine failed due to the switch. If thats the case, maybe you should consider the H50b. Its the same as the 501, but uses the twist action to change levels.


----------



## davidt1

They have a bunch of blemished lights in their TX office that they don't want to send back to China. They could have sent me one of those. But then what would they do with the light I sent them?


----------



## BWX

I got my second replacement a couple days ago, first two failed. I think this second replacement is just the one I sent back to them, but repaired. 

It has an inconsistent strobe though, sometimes fast like my original H501, but very often it slows down to a very strange looking pulse-like strobe. Does anyone else have that problem? I wonder if the electronics are defective? Strobe only seems "normal" when light is very warm.


----------



## sORe-EyEz

hmmm, my H501 does not seem to like half depleted cells. often refuses to get to high, & the strobe seem like a weak pulse... somehow there is no issues with a brand new cell. :shrug:

a fussy little light? :duh2:


----------



## pae77

I think it has some kind of over discharge protection built in that prevents it from being used on high when the cell is depleted beyond a certain amount. This is a good thing, imo.


----------



## sORe-EyEz

if its not a defect then i'll not be sending it for repairs or replacement. i dun really fancy my lights leaving for weeks... 

no issues with brand new cells. i could live with that. 

thanks. :thumbsup:


----------



## davidt1

Still no repaired H501. I miss that wide, even beam and the smart UI. Twist and more twists on the Maratac is getting to me.


----------



## Beacon of Light

My ZLs are the best headlamps IMO. Once you're used to them everything seems to pale in comparison. Can't wait for the H51F and H31F


----------



## sORe-EyEz

not sure if this has been posted before... :candle:

H501 on the back of my hand.







H501 on my palm.




picture showing thumb activating the switch. 



http://i459.photobucket.com/albums/qq315/DERegistERed/016.jpg


all i added was webbing, with the option of using cinch or side release buckles to adjust the fit onto the palm/hand. the same method can be used to attach the H501 to shoulder straps on backpack. :twothumbs


----------



## pae77

What's the white stuff (tape, I assume?) for?


----------



## sORe-EyEz

the white stuff is actually GITD tape.


----------



## pae77

Oh I see. . . Cool.:twothumbs


----------



## jhc37013

I got the updated H501 today from Illumination Gear the new low-low is great I just wish it would memorize it instead of always going back to the standard low mode and on level 2 the sub level is a beacon instead of a constant mode. It's still very nice to have that low-low available and to let the poor 501 I have been using for over a year now non stop take a break, even though it still performs like it is brand new.


----------



## davidt1

sORe-EyEz,

Cool way to use the light! Move it up further around the fingers and you have weapon light good for punching a bad guy while blinding him. LOL


----------



## sORe-EyEz

hi Davidt1,

no way i will be that black sheep that gets such a useful light :banned: where i'm at. let the autorities deal with bad guys. 

i have a belt attachment made for the H501 clip so the light can be tilted forward instead of slightly sideways, but i realise some folks here have already posted their pictures (& removed them... :sigh.


cheers.


----------



## davidt1

http://edcforums.com/showthread.php/75472-123A-v.-AA-Myths-and-Reality/page3

This was posted over at EDCforum. A light and exposed AA batteries are submerged under water. Everything works fine because:

1. Apparently AA batteries don't care about being wet.

2. The light is potted. 

Does anyone know if ZL lights are potted? The above example demonstrate the robustness of potted lights.


----------



## red02

Skimmed the thread and it has a very interesting hypothesis. While I've heard that resistor based lights, or direct drive lights do not care about being wet and can operate just fine underwater. Its funny that they mention Li cells, since it was the photon II microlights that those tests were conducted on...

I would like to know if this was tap water or if it was distilled. I ask since pure water would definitely not be a problem as it is not a conductor.

Another thing is that it might not be a problem when your not in the water with the light, where the risk of electrocution is highest.


----------



## red02

What are you guys going to do with your H501s once the H51(F) comes out?


----------



## jhc37013

red02 said:


> What are you guys going to do with your H501s once the H51(F) comes out?



If I find the H51F does what the H501 does and does it better I will still keep them I have a few and encase of emergency I can let the wife and others use the H501. I don't think I will ever consider selling or trading all them, maybe I will let one go to another CPF member who would like to give Zebra a try and let him catch the ZL bug like me.

I want to keep one because just like light's like the Inova X5 and Fenix L1T that really started my addiction the H501 has revolutionized the way I think of headlamps and the way I use them, so they kind of have a bit of sentimental value. Let's not jump to far ahead of ourselves though the H51F still has to better the H501.


----------



## davidt1

Mine will go in the backpack for backup. I have been without my H501 for 3 weeks now. It would be great to have a backup.


----------



## Woods Walker

red02 said:


> What are you guys going to do with your H501s once the H51(F) comes out?


 
I am going to keep on using them as money is a bit tight and don't know if I need 4 floody headlamps (have a H50 too) even if another maybe better on paper. It does the same job today as when first came out though this logic isn't the CPF way. :laughing:

I am looking at the new AA with more throw though.


----------



## Woods Walker

davidt1 said:


> I have been without my H501 for 3 weeks now.


Sorry to hear that. I tend to carry backups in the woods of any gear item within reason. Still I wonder what the issue with yours was?


----------



## yowzer

red02 said:


> What are you guys going to do with your H501s once the H51(F) comes out?



Keep using it? I'm going to get a H51w for night hiking (I'd have just gotten an H31 already but I try to standardize as many of my lights as possible on AA), but the H501w works so well for what I use it for that I have no real plan to get a H51Fw until/unless something happens to the 501.


----------



## pae77

According to the ZL website, the H51 doesn't take 14500's so a major reason I was considering upgrading from the H501 has been eliminated. The H51 seems a lot less compelling to me now, but of course, I'll be waiting to read reviews and user reports before I decide whether I'll be getting one.


----------



## dracodoc

My H501 start to develop a flickering in low mode after 6 months. They suggested me to send it to Shanghai Office directly, said it will be much quicker.
I sent it in July.20, still no update today. The tracking of USPS is useless, only said it left NY on July.22.

It have been 2 weeks without H501, I have to use my nitecore D20.



davidt1 said:


> Sad news: my H501 died. Sent it to TX. According to Zebralight, they will ship defective lights to China this week for repair. Then there is a 4 week wait to get it back. And here I was hoping a replacement from TX. Oh, well.
> 
> Can't complain much though because the light is about 1.5 year old (and heavily used). Zebralight was nice enough to take it back for repair. Not many companies would do this. Meanwhile my Maratac AAA is taking over the role of the H501 surprising well. But the wait is killing me.
> 
> Let's hope Zebralight has figured out what's wrong and make the H51/H51F more reliable.


----------



## jhc37013

dracodoc said:


> My H501 start to develop a flickering in low mode after 6 months. They suggested me to send it to Shanghai Office directly, said it will be much quicker.



Does it flicker with Nimh only, how about on alky's or lithium. The reason I ask is I have a older 501 I have used for countless hours probably 5-6hrs/day since their release and sometimes when using NiMh it will flicker on low mode. I guess this started about a month ago and the flicker is hardly noticeable I have to be looking at paper or my laptop keyboard to notice it. It's a bit weird mine will work fine with some NiMh battery's but not with others, I have to mark the battery's that it flickers with a permanent marker. I have tried it with a few lithium primary's and was not able to reproduce the flickering so I guess it could be something about the voltage of the NiMh.

I have recently received one with the new UI with the low-low and have not seen any flickering as of yet.


----------



## qtaco

My H50 seemed to have developed a flickering fault, but it was just dirty contacts (silicon on the -ve thread contact, and oxidation on the +ve contact). My theory is that combined these two poor contacts caused the light to flicker as the resistance in the contacts fluctuated between high and low values.

Perhaps the problem presents due to the differing length of NiMH batteries, which in turn affects the quality of the +ve contact?


----------



## dracodoc

I have been using Nimh for most time. Last time I used alkaline(a used battery), the battery voltage was so low that the light can only operate in low mode.

I tried cleaning contact, other battery after I found the flickering. The contact was not dirty, but after the cleaning the flickering seemed gone for a while then come back later. It's a intermittent problem, but I'd never have this problem in the first 5 months.


----------



## Shorty66

pae77 said:


> According to the ZL website, the H51 doesn't take 14500's so a major reason I was considering upgrading from the H501 has been eliminated. The H51 seems a lot less compelling to me now, but of course, I'll be waiting to read reviews and user reports before I decide whether I'll be getting one.



I thought alike at first too, but with the light output which is stated at ZL page for a single Eneloop a 14500 isnt needed anymore.
I would have used 14500s only to have the option of 200lm but as this seems to be possible now with eneloops (if we can trust zebralight) i dont think that 14500s offer any advantage anymore.

Sure, in comparison to normal Alkalines 14500s are a lot more cold resistant but this dosn`t go for eneloops.
The only advantage would be a slightly lighter weight but that is neglible in my opinion.


----------



## pae77

Shorty66 said:


> I thought alike at first too, but with the light output which is stated at ZL page for a single Eneloop a 14500 isnt needed anymore.
> I would have used 14500s only to have the option of 200lm but as this seems to be possible now with eneloops (if we can trust zebralight) i dont think that 14500s offer any advantage anymore.
> 
> Sure, in comparison to normal Alkalines 14500s are a lot more cold resistant but this dosn`t go for eneloops.
> The only advantage would be a slightly lighter weight but that is neglible in my opinion.


Good points but my thinking was that if it achieves that performance from an Eneloop, then imagine what it could have achieved from a 14500. But your point is certainly a valid one. 

I will wait though to see what people say about how other aspects of the light (beam, tint, etc) are before making a final decision about getting one for myself. If it's significantly better than the H501w, I might go for one. (I'm a bit more intrigued by the SC60 atm, lusting after a small sized 18650 light, assuming they eventually make one with a neutral tint.)


----------



## Shorty66

I dont think that the performance with 14500s would be that much better. Keep in mind, that it only reaches that performance with eneloops because it only supports eneloops and can be totally optimised in that direction.
If youd use a driver which accomodates a wide voltage range needed for support of 14500s AND Eneloops a lot of loss will be in the driver. At least you would not get 200lm with a less specialised driver out of an Eneloop.

If you like Litium-Ion batteries, just use the H31 instead.


----------



## jhc37013

I'm sitting here reading over some more of this thread and still just amazed we are talking 200lm from a single AA light in the H51. Is this not really cool or what? A year ago..no scratch that actually before I read the specs on the H51 I did not believe such a thing was possible.

I remember just not to long ago a few years I guess I thought how bright my Fenix L1T was. The H51 is still yet to be released and the incredible specs have yet to be tested by anyone here on CPF anyway so let's just wait and see, but isn't it a great time to be a flashaholic enjoy it, I sure as heck am.


----------



## Illumination

With the H51 and H51F coming out, is there any reason to get an H501? I've been on the sidelines waiting for the H501w to come out with the new UI; now that it is available I'm having trouble justifying buying it. 


The only reasons that I can think of are:
- H51 series has no warm version now
- wider angle on H501 series with even lighting and no hot spot
- lithium rechargeable capability on H501
- H501 cheaper by a few bucks

however...
- H51 much brighter and more efficient
- same updated UI

Am I mssing something? Can the 501 series survive?


----------



## jhc37013

Illumination said:


> The only reasons that I can think of are:
> - H51 series has no warm version now
> *- wider angle on H501 series with even lighting and no hot spot*
> - lithium rechargeable capability on H501
> - H501 cheaper by a few bucks



I'm getting a H51F but the wide angle is enough reason to me to get the H501. The H501 is nearly wide enough to light up my whole front yard and when I have been camping it did a nice job of lighting up the camp area.

One other thing is I use the H501 frequently and I like the switch is not recessed like my H31, it's just a little more easier to access.

About the 14500 support I have not looked at the runtimes lately but I remember the H501 did not do very well with them, IIRC the 501 had better output and runtimes with NiMh.


----------



## pae77

Yes, I would remove 14500 support as a reason to get the H501w since it does not really support them properly.

If it was me, at this point in time I would just wait and see what the H51's turn out to be like before making a decision about getting an H501w. Also, it seems more likely than not that there will be a warm version soon.


----------



## Illumination

Updated per comments above. 



Illumination said:


> With the H51 and H51F coming out, is there any reason to get an H501? I've been on the sidelines waiting for the H501w to come out with the new UI; now that it is available I'm having trouble justifying buying it.
> 
> 
> The only reasons that I can think of are:
> - H51 series has no warm version now
> - wider angle on H501 series with even lighting and no hot spot - not better worse; just different
> - H501 cheaper by a few bucks
> 
> however...
> - H51 much brighter and more efficient
> - same updated UI
> 
> Am I mssing something? Can the 501 series survive?


----------



## ryanandty

Hi, I'm a flashlight newbie, but I've been lurking for about two weeks to get a feel for what type of light I should buy. I ended up with a ZL h501w and I am impressed! I was hoping that this solution for the sub par clip could be of use to other owners (if it's been used before, my bad. SOOO much material here!).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My bad, the pictures are tricky to publish. So, I'm a newbie and I wanted to share my clip solution with everyone else. Maybe it's been done, but there's so much info on here that I didn't see it. Mods feel free to delete previous post 












I bent the clip with the pliers in the area shown in the top picture, then I placed a black zip tie in the indented area of the clip, zipped as tight as I could get it by hand. This makes the clip function so well that I could hang it from a thin shoelace and swing it around my head without the light coming off. Which I did  Remember to round the piece of remaining zip tie off (the remainder of the long strip you would cut off) with some sort of file or it will scratch you.


----------



## davidt1

Got my repaired light from Zebralight after a month of waiting. I received a different light back. I like the tint (a hint of yellow) better than the one on my old light (snow white). It took just one use to realize why this light is my most used and important light. My faith in Zebraliight has been restored.


----------



## pae77

davidt1 said:


> Got my repaired light from Zebralight after a month of waiting. I received a different light back. I like the tint (a hint of yellow) better than the one on my old light (snow white). It took just one use to realize why this light is my most used and important light. My faith in Zebraliight has been restored.


Glad to hear it worked out well for you (in the end).

I also am awaiting replacement of a returned ZL (different model, SC50w). I was advised by Lillian that mine shipped yesterday. So I'm hoping I will soon be as satisfied with the replacement as you are.


----------



## davidt1

pae77 said:


> Glad to hear it worked out well for you (in the end).
> 
> I also am awaiting replacement of a returned ZL (different model, SC50w). I was advised by Lillian that mine shipped yesterday. So I'm hoping I will soon be as satisfied with the replacement as you are.



Thanks. I got it back just in time too. The ceiling lights at work didn't work for about 2 hours yesterday. As always, I have the H501 worn around my neck. While everyone else was moaning about how it's too dark to work, I turned on my H501 and worked like nothing happened. It was an awesome feeling.

Zebralight can count on me to be a repeat customer. I am pretty sure I will get the H51F and the SC51. I might get the H51 down the road.


----------



## Shorty66

I second that. Zebralight is just great - nice support and superb lights.
No one even gets close in light design - i have yet to come by a more useful light than my h501.
I hope my h51 to come will be that light but it will have a hard time


----------



## applevision

Illumination said:


> The only reasons that I can think of are:
> - H51 series has no warm version now
> - wider angle on H501 series with even lighting and no hot spot - not better worse; just different
> - H501 cheaper by a few bucks
> 
> however...
> - H51 much brighter and more efficient
> - same updated UI



Agreed. As proud owner of an H501w and the new H51, I can say that the H51 has not replaced my H501w and really seems designed for looking much farther ahead. For all those cavers/runners/bikers who felt the flood of the H501 was not ideal, then the H51 is the light for them!

I am excited about the idea of an H51Fw (flood and warm)... this could then replace the H501 I think by being more efficient, brighter, but just as floody and with the possibility for warm tint...


----------



## Shorty66

I would be really excited if the flood lens of the H51w would be avaible as an add-on accessory for the normal H51(w).

That way we could have the best of both worlds in one light.

There hasnt been any confirmation that the h51f will only add a glass lens to the reflectorized H51. 
I wouldnt be too surprised if the h51f would not only use a glass lens but have no reflector.


----------



## davidt1

I have one more mod to add. I read about the idea of using a suction cup to attach the light to a surface from fixitman. So the credit goes to him. 

I am a big fan of using magnets to attach the lights to walls for hand-free use. But magnets need a metal surface to work. How do you attach the light to a non-metal surface? Well, by using a suction cup in combination with magnets. I bought a package of 2 from Wally world for $2.50.

My H501 always have 2 magnets already. I just glued a washer to the suction cup. This thing is small, and at less than 1/2 of an inch thick, it can be carried in the pocket.







How does it work? Very well, when the surface is smooth like the wall in the shower.





Or a speaker.






I began EDCing the suction cup today. It's just one small little thing to carry to make this versatile light even more versatile.


----------



## ninemm

davidt1 said:


> I have one more mod to add. I read about the idea of using a suction cup to attach the light to a surface from fixitman. So the credit goes to him.
> *
> I began EDCing the suction cup today.* It's just one small little thing to carry to make this versatile light even more versatile.



The bolded line above is something I never thought I'd read.  It definitely adds another ability to the list! How do you attach the magnets to the base of the H501?


----------



## davidt1

ninemm said:


> The bolded line above is something I never thought I'd read.  It definitely adds another ability to the list! How do you attach the magnets to the base of the H501?



I use super glue.


----------



## pae77

I like the suction cup idea.

I use 3 magnets and find it is not even necessary to glue them to the H501. They seem to stick strongly enough to the base of the H501 (or rather to the battery through the tail cap).


----------



## dracodoc

Good for you! I've been waiting for my light for almost 1 month. I sent it to their Shanghai office directly on 7.20 because they said it will be much quicker than send it to TX. But I have not heard any update until now -- last time they checked on 8.4, they didn't receive it.

Maybe I should sent it to their TX office, then at least I'm sure the light will arrive to their hands...



davidt1 said:


> Got my repaired light from Zebralight after a month of waiting. I received a different light back. I like the tint (a hint of yellow) better than the one on my old light (snow white). It took just one use to realize why this light is my most used and important light. My faith in Zebraliight has been restored.


----------



## pae77

Got my replacement SC50w+ from Texas for the one I exchanged. The whole thing took about 2 weeks from when I mailed it till I received the replacement. I did follow up with emails during the process though, which I think helped to keep it moving along.


----------



## davidt1

Been testing the suction cup at public showers and restrooms. It works as long as there is a smooth surface to attach to. This morning I needed to switch some speaker cables. Used my H501 and suction cup for lightning.

Just one more way to use this great light hand-free.


----------



## davidt1

The new ZL lights are great no doubt, but the H501 is still the best, IMO. Zebralight can make it better by using an XP-G emitter for more runtime, not brightness. Imagine an H501 that can run at 80lm for 3 hours. I think that's possible with the XP-G emitter. I know there will be the H51F, but that light will be bigger. Zebralight should not forget that one of the key features of the H501 is the small size. 

Also, retain at least one emergency mode. Zebralight can learn a thing or two from 4Sevens here. That company finds a way to keep a complete suites of emergency mode in their new lights. I have yet to hear any whining about the emergency modes on the ever popular Quark Mini AA. 

There is a poll on the general forum (not a perfect one because most people list their entire light collection and their brother's and sister's). Nonetheless, the H501 is in second place. Zebralight would do well not to abandon this wonderful light.


----------



## pae77

Another great thing about the H501w at least, imo, is the tint. They got the tint as close to perfect as I have seen on that one. The XPG is brighter and more efficient but I have yet to see one that has as nice a tint.


----------



## FroggyTaco

Have you seen the post by Zebralight that stated that they were unable to replicate the smooth beam of the 501 using the XP-G emitter?

It was a few months back.

Travis



davidt1 said:


> The new ZL lights are great no doubt, but the H501 is still the best, IMO. Zebralight can make it better by using an XP-G emitter for more runtime, not brightness. Imagine an H501 that can run at 80lm for 3 hours. I think that's possible with the XP-G emitter. I know there will be the H51F, but that light will be bigger. Zebralight should not forget that one of the key features of the H501 is the small size.
> 
> Also, retain at least one emergency mode. Zebralight can learn a thing or two from 4Sevens here. That company finds a way to keep a complete suites of emergency mode in their new lights. I have yet to hear any whining about the emergency modes on the ever popular Quark Mini AA.
> 
> There is a poll on the general forum (not a perfect one because most people list their entire light collection and their brother's and sister's). Nonetheless, the H501 is in second place. Zebralight would do well not to abandon this wonderful light.


----------



## BWX

I sent my third defective H501 back to them about 2 weeks ago. I swear that every single H501 I will ever get won't work for more than 6 months and then it will die. I got lucky with the last two H501s, they both died quickly so I could return them. If the next one lasts 6 months I won't be able to return it becuase my original defective H501 was purchased over a year ago. It really sucks that so many are defective. For being such an expensive little light you'd think they'd be of higher quality. :-/


----------



## davidt1

FroggyTaco said:


> Have you seen the post by Zebralight that stated that they were unable to replicate the smooth beam of the 501 using the XP-G emitter?
> 
> It was a few months back.
> 
> Travis



Yeah, they said they are using a new ground glass with the XP-G emitter for their next light, the H51F. Apparently they can make it work. Now put the ground glass and XP-G emitter in the H501. If they optimize it for runtime, not brightness, then they don't need to make the light bigger to handle the heat. 

And please keep at least one emergency mode, well hidden, of course. Think of the emergency modes as an insurance like your house insurance. You know there is a good chance you will never have to use it, but you still have to have it because it's gonna save your butts when you need it.


----------



## red02

BWX said:


> I sent my third defective H501 back to them about 2 weeks ago. I swear that every single H501 I will ever get won't work for more than 6 months and then it will die. I got lucky with the last two H501s, they both died quickly so I could return them. If the next one lasts 6 months I won't be able to return it becuase my original defective H501 was purchased over a year ago. It really sucks that so many are defective. For being such an expensive little light you'd think they'd be of higher quality. :-/



I hear ya. I lost my first 501 after about 2+ mo. The replacement I bought died after 4mo. of frequent use,, no warning, no nothing. The replacement for that one now sits in the corner collecting dust. Can't really bring myself to trust it again. Everytime I go to turn it on, part of me expects it to not work again.


----------



## Shorty66

davidt1 said:


> Yeah, they said they are using a new ground glass with the XP-G emitter for their next light, the H51F. Apparently they can make it work. Now put the ground glass and XP-G emitter in the H501. If they optimize it for runtime, not brightness, then they don't need to make the light bigger to handle the heat.



I second that.
For a flood-light the most im portant thing is runtime. And for an EDC-light the most important thing is low bulk.

So please keep the new flood lights as small as possible and with great runtimes.


----------



## NoFair

I'd love a H301W running a cr123/16340 flood like the H501W and using the XP-G for longer runtimes. 

Thinking about a H31W, but I want small size and flood..


----------



## Shorty66

I already did some tests with my h51 and a Petzl tikka xp diffusor:
It works but the output is reduced a lot and the angle is far from the h501`s 80°.
I decided to keep the h51 as is and use my h501 for pure flood needs.

@davidt: Sry, i wasnt abl to do beamshots... but i will soon when i get back home again.


----------



## BWX

red02 said:


> I hear ya. I lost my first 501 after about 2+ mo. The replacement I bought died after 4mo. of frequent use,, no warning, no nothing. The replacement for that one now sits in the corner collecting dust. Can't really bring myself to trust it again. Everytime I go to turn it on, part of me expects it to not work again.



Exactly! Does anyone have one that's lasted more than 2 years? I would highly doubt it.


----------



## Shorty66

I`d too doubt that as the h501 didn`t been avaible two years ago 

I ordered mine a few days after it where avaible along with two others for some friends. One of them was deas on arrival but has been replaced in no time and those working three are still going strong despite beeing used frequently.

My H60 was ordered when it was anounced on their website and it still works like on the first day.

Perhaps you guys with ZL-Problems got some gremlins or so... :nana:


----------



## davidt1

Shorty66 said:


> I already did some tests with my h51 and a Petzl tikka xp diffusor:
> It works but the output is reduced a lot and the angle is far from the h501`s 80°.
> I decided to keep the h51 as is and use my h501 for pure flood needs.
> 
> @davidt: Sry, i wasnt abl to do beamshots... but i will soon when i get back home again.



I am hooked on the 80 degree flood beam, so I will most likely buy the H51F even if it's a little bigger than the H501. As for the H51 and SC51, as much as I like the side click (SC51) and UI, the lack of an emergency mode might keep me from buying them.

I am looking forward to the beamshots.


----------



## BWX

Shorty66 said:


> I`d too doubt that as the h501 didn`t been avaible two years ago
> 
> I ordered mine a few days after it where avaible along with two others for some friends. One of them was deas on arrival but has been replaced in no time and those working three are still going strong despite beeing used frequently
> 
> Perhaps you guys with ZL-Problems got some gremlins or so... :nana:




LOL- I bought my h501 like 1 year and 4 months ago (or close to that) so I figured they must have been out longer. What date did they come out?
Iuse mine just about every single day. I would consider it heavy use, but it's never abused.. I wonder if that has something to do with it dying so fast? 

First H501: 11 months 
Second H501: 2 months 
Third H501: 1 month (it was second one sent to China and repaired)
Fourth H501: will get it in mail in a week I hope- been gone for 2 weeks already.


----------



## LowBat

Checking my records and a previous thread I ordered my Zebralight H501 at 4 am on March 16, 2009, which was three hours after Zebralight started accepting orders for them. That means the longest anyone could have owned this light (except for a pre-production) is 18 months.

I'm happy to say that my 18 month old H501 has performed flawlessly on numerous night hikes clipped to my shoulder strap. It has also seen service hanging upside down push pinned to trees while lighting up picnic tables on several camping trips. Come to think of it I've also used this little wonder standing on it's tail, clipped to my shirt, attached to a frig with a magnet, hanging off a tree branch, and even under water on one occasion. Oddly enough about the only way I haven't used the H501 is strapped to my head.


----------



## davidt1

LowBat said:


> Checking my records and a previous thread I ordered my Zebralight H501 at 4 am on March 16, 2009, which was three hours after Zebralight started accepting orders for them. That means the longest anyone could have owned this light (except for a pre-production) is 18 months.
> 
> I'm happy to say that my 18 month old H501 has performed flawlessly on numerous night hikes clipped to my shoulder strap. It has also seen service hanging upside down push pinned to trees while lighting up picnic tables on several camping trips. Come to think of it I've also used this little wonder standing on it's tail, clipped to my shirt, attached to a frig with a magnet, hanging off a tree branch, and even under water on one occasion. Oddly enough about the only way I haven't used the H501 is strapped to my head.



I was one of the first to buy one too. Mine died after about 18 months of heavy use, and I mean heavy use -- 3 hours a day and switched on and off a dozen times a day.

It's just a wild guess, but I think the heat might be the cause. Zebralight was kind enough to send me a repaired replacement, which is still working.


----------



## BWX

I just got my 4th replacement H501. This one has the moonlight mode double-clicking from low, another flashing mode double-clicking from medium and a slow strobe double-clicking from high.

Yeah I think it might be the heat that's eventually killing these lights, or it could be the electronics or both.. I used all the ones I had every single day, using indoors at night instead of turning overhead lights on and off while walking through the house. I use it for chores like vacuuming too, and have attached it to the handlebars of my bike. 

There are times when using it and leaving it on high for 1/2 hour at a time, it would tend to get pretty warm. I wouldn't say it ever gets hot, but maybe over time being "very warm" for many extended periods of time slowly takes its toll? It seems as though it should be able to handle that though. 

I just wish it was more durable- I don't think a year from now that I will own a working H501, and eventually Zebralight are going to quit sending me replacements. I won't buy any more Zebralight products even though I really like them, it's just not worth the price considering they only last for me, on average, about 5 months. :-(


----------



## davidt1

Nah, I don't worry about it. I am very sure Zebralight does not like losing money by sending out replacements. Companies learn and improve. Their SC series have been out for a while now. There have been very few reports of problems. The H series now have a larger body to handle the heat better.


----------



## Gusto

Hello, guys. I'm really considering the H501w, myself. What exactly happened to your lights? Did it just not turn on anymore?


----------



## davidt1

Gusto said:


> Hello, guys. I'm really considering the H501w, myself. What exactly happened to your lights? Did it just not turn on anymore?



I don't know for why my H501 (after 18 months of heavy use) failed. The important thing is Zebralight took care of me and sent me a replacement. I am thinking of getting an H501w myself. I have heard good things about the neutral tint.

By the way, I like your idea of a compact light combo for throw and flood.


----------



## davidt1

davidt1 said:


> I don't know for why my H501 (after 18 months of heavy use) failed. The important thing is Zebralight took care of me and sent me a replacement. I am thinking of getting an H501w myself. I have heard good things about the neutral tint.



wrong quote. never mind. can't delete for some reason.


----------



## pae77

davidt1 said:


> . . . I am thinking of getting an H501w myself. I have heard good things about the neutral tint.
> . . . .


I have had two different H501w's and both of them had what I consider to be the best tint I have yet seen on an LED light. Unlike the SC50w, they were not at all yellow and not too warm either. Both examples were really a perfect neutral white tint, imo. The only other tint I've seen that came close to what I consider a true neutral white was the neutral white tint of my LF2XT. Anyway, the light and tint made by the H501w is very pleasant, imo.


----------



## FroggyTaco

Yeah it's too bad the XP-E & XP-G are so efficient. 

The XR-E in the H501w is a really nice emitter.


----------



## dracodoc

They never received the package. And there is no way to add insurance to USPS first class international, so my H501 is just lost.
So there is a lesson learned in the hard way:

If you ever need to mail your light to Zebralight for exchange or repair, don't ship it to China directly. 

What can I do now?



dracodoc said:


> My H501 start to develop a flickering in low mode after 6 months. They suggested me to send it to Shanghai Office directly, said it will be much quicker.
> I sent it in July.20, still no update today. The tracking of USPS is useless, only said it left NY on July.22.
> 
> It have been 2 weeks without H501, I have to use my nitecore D20.


----------



## pae77

That is very unfortunate and I'm sorry for your loss.

However, the lesson is not necessarily to not ship to China directly, although I would think in most cases it's better, faster and cheaper to ship to ZL's offices in the US (Texas, iirc). The lesson should be, if you are going to ship to China, use a more expensive method then international first class that includes tracking.

It might still be worth contacting ZL and telling them what happened. Perhaps, if you can show proof of purchase, and maybe even some kind of proof of mailing, they might take pity on you and send you a replacement unit anyway.

In the future, if sending a unit direct to China, it also couldn't hurt to take a few digital photos of the light and the package with the label before and after sealing it up for mailing. Might come in handy in situations like this.


----------



## Woods Walker

pae77 said:


> I have had two different H501w's and both of them had what I consider to be the best tint I have yet seen on an LED light. Unlike the SC50w, they were not at all yellow and not too warm either. Both examples were really a perfect neutral white tint, imo. The only other tint I've seen that came close to what I consider a true neutral white was the neutral white tint of my LF2XT. Anyway, the light and tint made by the H501w is very pleasant, imo.


 
The tint on my H501w is nice but then again the standard H501 isn't all that bad too. I prefer using the H501w over the H501.


----------



## kiwicrunch

BWX said:


> LOL- I bought my h501 like 1 year and 4 months ago (or close to that) so I figured they must have been out longer. What date did they come out?
> Iuse mine just about every single day. I would consider it heavy use, but it's never abused.. I wonder if that has something to do with it dying so fast?
> 
> First H501: 11 months
> Second H501: 2 months
> Third H501: 1 month (it was second one sent to China and repaired)
> Fourth H501: will get it in mail in a week I hope- been gone for 2 weeks already.



I'm surprised to hear this. I bought my H501w in May 2009 (17 months ago) and use it every day. So far it's given me nothing but faithful service and beautiful light- except once with dirty contacts (which isn't really the fault of ZL, and is easily remedied).


----------



## dracodoc

Thanks for the suggestions. The next step shipping method will be much more expensive compared to first class, especially for a package that only weight about 2 oz.
The reason I shipped the light to China directly by first class was because I was told that way the light would arrive faster, but I didn't expect the possible problem with USPS. Otherwise I'll just send it to TX - instead of expensive international shipping or take pictures to be prepared for lost package, I'd rather wait for some time.

I contacted Zebralight for this 2 days before, but I'm not holding much hope.




pae77 said:


> That is very unfortunate and I'm sorry for your loss.
> 
> However, the lesson is not necessarily to not ship to China directly, although I would think in most cases it's better, faster and cheaper to ship to ZL's offices in the US (Texas, iirc). The lesson should be, if you are going to ship to China, use a more expensive method then international first class that includes tracking.
> 
> It might still be worth contacting ZL and telling them what happened. Perhaps, if you can show proof of purchase, and maybe even some kind of proof of mailing, they might take pity on you and send you a replacement unit anyway.
> 
> In the future, if sending a unit direct to China, it also couldn't hurt to take a few digital photos of the light and the package with the label before and after sealing it up for mailing. Might come in handy in situations like this.


----------



## ASheep

Well after all that bad news about Zebralight failures, I have a happy story :twothumbs
I arrived home today to find a notice that I had a package at the post office, I raced there before they closed to receive my new H501w. Prompt shipping from China, Less than 2 weeks to Australia is very good for free shipping!

I opened the package, very good minimalist recyclable packaging, and fired up my new light. It's absolutely great! I honestly didn't expect the pure flood to be so perfect! Now I know why this bad boy is number two on the must have list! After 2 minutes I was accustomed to the UI, I can now switch straight to moonmode without blinding myself. :twothumbs

I also discovered that the iTP A2 EOS fits perfectly in the ZL headlamp holder, So I now have a floody ZL and a throwier A2 EOS on my head, The perfect mix for camping/hiking! When camping I always have a proper thrower holstered, for the off chance I need that, but the A2+ZL seems to be able to cover most of my bases!

I hope it will prove as reliable as some of my other lights...

So a question after this excited rant: What other lights fit into the ZL headband loops?


----------



## davidt1

Velcro or elastic material should work better than the stock silicon holder because they can accommodate different sizes.


----------



## JA(me)S

Below are all cached posts from November 2 2010 through to the end of February 2011.
This represents original posts sequentially from #621-627.
No information was lost in this thread when the lights went out at CPF.
*



Re: Zebralight H501 Part 2*
Written by *dracodoc* on 12-04-2010 09:46 PM GMT

Looks like Zebralight just ignored me. My inquiries on Oct.5, Nov.27 don't have any response.

It has been more than 4 months after I sent the light.

I can understand Zebralight don't want to, don't have to take responsibility for lost package.

But I don't think just ignore me or "wait for the package" are good customer service.

I was thinking a possible solution is Zebralight offering a small discount on another H501, maybe refurbished. I'm not sure how much discount should it be, and I'm not expect much.

However, I may want to stay away from them now.



dracodoc said:


> Thanks for the suggestions. The next step shipping method will be much more expensive compared to first class, especially for a package that only weight about 2 oz.
> 
> The reason I shipped the light to China directly by first class was because I was told that way the light would arrive faster, but I didn't expect the possible problem with USPS. Otherwise I'll just send it to TX - instead of expensive international shipping or take pictures to be prepared for lost package, I'd rather wait for some time.
> 
> I contacted Zebralight for this 2 days before, but I'm not holding much hope.






*Re: Zebralight H501 Part 2*
Written by *BWX* on 12-05-2010 01:04 PM GMT



dracodoc said:


> Looks like Zebralight just ignored me. My inquiries on Oct.5, Nov.27 don't have any response.
> 
> It has been more than 4 months after I sent the light.
> 
> I can understand Zebralight don't want to, don't have to take responsibility for lost package.
> 
> But I don't think just ignore me or "wait for the package" are good customer service.
> 
> I was thinking a possible solution is Zebralight offering a small discount on another H501, maybe refurbished. I'm not sure how much discount should it be, and I'm not expect much.
> 
> However, I may want to stay away from them now.


Well I am on my FOURTH H501, and it is just starting to do the same things the other three did before they died. I have had this latest one for about 4 or 5 months or so.. They all start to flash once in a while, while turned off, and touched or disturbed in some way. A slight bump or actually picking up the flashlight. Then pretty soon they start acting really strangely with fresh batteries (like they always do with drained batteries), then they just fail to switch on.. Well I am on my FOURTH H501, and it is just starting to do the same things the other three did before they died. I have had this latest one for about 4 or 5 months or so.. They all start to flash once in a while, while turned off, and touched or disturbed in some way. A slight bump or actually picking up the flashlight. Then pretty soon they start acting really strangely with fresh batteries (like they always do with drained batteries), then they just fail to switch on.. 

That is what has happened to every single H501 I have had. The first one lasted about a year and ZL replaced it, the second replacement lasted a couple months, the third lasted less than two weeks, and this one has lasted 4 or 5 as stated above. I would not bet on it lasting more than a year. I do not recommend these flashlights to people only because I KNOW they will eventually die, way before they should. Maybe the newer models have a better track record? I don't know. ZL have been good about replacing the defective lights so far, but even the last three I got were well beyond the one year warranty, so I do not expect them to replace this one if it (when) it dies. Every time I got a replacement it took a very long time, I think on average about 4 to 8 weeks. I just wish they were better designed or built or whatever so they lasted longer, then I could feel good about recommending them to people. I also would have more of them. Oh well.




*Re: Zebralight H501 Part 2*
Written by *Harry999* on 12-05-2010 05:19 PM GMT



davidt1 said:


> Nah, I don't worry about it. I am very sure Zebralight does not like losing money by sending out replacements. Companies learn and improve. Their SC series have been out for a while now. There have been very few reports of problems. The H series now have a larger body to handle the heat better.


I think this is a very good point and why I am eagerly looking forward to the H51F. I have the SC51 and have found it very reliable. I have 3 H501s with the old UI and one H501w with the new UI plus a H501r. I had one H501 fail two days after receipt and it was replaced by the local dealer. I think this is a very good point and why I am eagerly looking forward to the H51F. I have the SC51 and have found it very reliable. I have 3 H501s with the old UI and one H501w with the new UI plus a H501r. I had one H501 fail two days after receipt and it was replaced by the local dealer.

I was considering ordering another H501w but will now wait until the H51F and H51Fw are available because I think the increased size will aid durability and longevity. I am used to using the H60 so the extra weight will not restrict the use of the H51s as reading lamps.




*Re: Zebralight H501 Part 2*
Written by *NoFair* on 12-06-2010 12:53 AM GMT



concept0 said:


> Don't laugh, this was my first attempt at a beamshot. The ZL is on the left, a Regalight EDC modded with Q3-5A is on the right. The Regalight looks pinker/redder to me, though I don't know how well that shows up in the picture. Now that I look at it, the ZL does look a tiny bit green.


The ZL looks a bit like a 5B tint (more yellow, less pink than a 5A). The ZL looks a bit like a 5B tint (more yellow, less pink than a 5A).




*Re: Zebralight H501 Part 2*
Written by *dracodoc* on 12-17-2010 02:33 PM GMT

Zebralight contacted me on 12/05, and they said they will ship a replacement light for me. Today I just received the light! It's still the old version with old UI, just like the one I had. After 5 months, I had my H501 again!

And there is H51F available for preorder now...




*Re: Zebralight H501 Part 2*
Written by *damn_hammer* on 12-21-2010 07:27 AM GMT

In preparation for a night hike yesterday I meticulously cleaned, and lubed 5 lights. As the last step I washed them under a medium stream of warm water from the kitchen faucet with a small amount of dish soap. When I was done, every light worked perfectly except the ZL H501. The H501 stayed constantly on, scrolling through the levels ... low, medium, high, etc. Looking closer I could see where water was coming out of the switch side of the emitter dome when I clicked the rubber boot. So it seems water got past the boot seal. Waterproof, not. So I had no headlamp for the hike.

The H501 now resides in a sealed glass jar filled with rice. Fingers crossed it will work again. Very disappointed, as it has only seen light use since I got it in spring of 09'. This is making me think about whether or not I should keep my H51w pre-order. I'll give the rice a chance to work for a week, and if it doesn't I'll contact ZL to see how they handle it to decide.

Further digging found this thread: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/...ight=h501+boot




*Re: Zebralight H501 Part 2*
Written by *pae77* on 12-21-2010 11:46 AM GMT

After hearing experiences like that, I've basically decided to treat my H501w as if it is not waterproof. So I mostly use it as a task light indoors and it is superb for that type of application. So far, so good, after about a year.

It's too bad that they are not sealed better against water getting in. I hope my ZL SC50w+ is better in that regard, but I'm afraid to test it to find out.



Above are all cached posts from November 2 2010 through to the end of February 2011.
This represents original posts sequentially from #621-627.
No information was lost in this thread when the lights went out at CPF.


----------



## Bolster

Thanks for resurrecting this info. For the record I received an email from ZebraLight on Jan 21, 2011 where Lillian Xu addressed the H501 reliability issue documented in this thread: "First few batches of H501 and H60 had problems with leaking switch caps and lens, causing malfuntions of the lights. They have been addressed long time ago with revised/modified machining and assembly process."


----------



## BWX

Now my FIFTH replacement H501 is dying the exact same way all the others did.. It starts shutting itself off while using it on high. I only use fully charged eneloops.. About 3 months after it was new it started acting a little funny the exact same way all the other ones did as well- it would flash if you just barely touched it after it was sitting for any length of time. Very strange that they all die the exact same way! This last one is the new version with moonlight mode and the different sub levels.. I would never buy another H501 unless I only planned on using it once a month or something, and never if I planned on actually depending on it or leaving it on high for any length of time. I think that is what kills it- even though it never gets hot- it gets warm, but never hot and it still dies. 

I just sent ZL another customer request telling them my replacement H501 died again- and let them know it was the 5th one that die the exact same way. The original purchase was well over a year ago, I wonder if they'll give me one more. 

I really want to get an H51 aa, but damn, do they self destruct after 6 months too? have they even been out long enough to be tested like that?


----------



## pae77

I use my H501w every night as a task light for hours on medium level and it has been going strong for over 6 months with zero problems so far. Seems very reliable to me, at least so far . . . 



BWX said:


> Now my FIFTH replacement H501 is dying the exact same way all the others did.. It starts shutting itself off while using it on high. I only use fully charged eneloops.. About 3 months after it was new it started acting a little funny the exact same way all the other ones did as well- it would flash if you just barely touched it after it was sitting for any length of time. Very strange that they all die the exact same way! This last one is the new version with moonlight mode and the different sub levels.. I would never buy another H501 unless I only planned on using it once a month or something, and never if I planned on actually depending on it or leaving it on high for any length of time. I think that is what kills it- even though it never gets hot- it gets warm, but never hot and it still dies.
> 
> I just sent ZL another customer request telling them my replacement H501 died again- and let them know it was the 5th one that die the exact same way. The original purchase was well over a year ago, I wonder if they'll give me one more.
> 
> I really want to get an H51 aa, but damn, do they self destruct after 6 months too? have they even been out long enough to be tested like that?


----------



## BWX

pae77 said:


> I use my H501w every night as a task light for hours on medium level and it has been going strong for over 6 months with zero problems so far. Seems very reliable to me, at least so far . . .


 
Yeah I am thinking use on the high level output is what kills it..


----------



## Woods Walker

BWX said:


> Yeah I am thinking use on the high level output is what kills it..


This may sound silly but did you try another battery aka not the same one recharged? Maybe a primary? Also the regulation will sometimes cut the light off without a warning or step down a mode near the end of the battery life. My H50 (I have three ZLs) also did this in a NiMH fully charged but the battery was shot.


----------



## BWX

Woods Walker said:


> This may sound silly but did you try another battery aka not the same one recharged? Maybe a primary? Also the regulation will sometimes cut the light off without a warning or step down a mode near the end of the battery life. My H50 (I have three ZLs) also did this in a NiMH fully charged but the battery was shot.


 
Yeah it acts like it has a dead battery in it when it has a fresh battery in it. That's how it acts before it dies completely. I have over 60 rechargeable aa cells.. about 30 new eneloops with 8 more coming in the mail.. 

It does the same with any battery. All previous 4 or 5 H501s that died on me did the exact same thing before they died. Some died within a month, some lasted almost a year.. this 5th replacement lasted 6 months. I think all H501s are defective and will eventually die prematurely with enough use.. not overuse or abuse.

Most people probably don't use them every single day like me with occasional heavy use on high for extended periods. I never misused or abused them though.. but they all were defective- admitted by Zebralight, not just me saying that.


----------



## Glock27

BWX said:


> I think all H501s are defective and will eventually die prematurely with enough use.. not overuse or abuse.
> 
> Most people probably don't use them every single day like me with occasional heavy use on high for extended periods. I never misused or abused them though.. but they all were defective- admitted by Zebralight, not just me saying that.


 
I use an H50 5 days a week+ for work. I've had it for 2 years. I use an H501w every evening. I have an H501R that has months of burn time logged. I've run them all on high countless hours (thousands) over the time I've had them and they're doing fine. 
Some must have incredibly bad luck or bad chargers.
The only problem I've had with the 12 ZebraLights that I have bought is a cracked lens on a 501w.


----------



## BWX

Glock27 said:


> I use an H50 5 days a week+ for work. I've had it for 2 years. I use an H501w every evening. I have an H501R that has months of burn time logged. I've run them all on high countless hours (thousands) over the time I've had them and they're doing fine.
> Some must have incredibly bad luck or bad chargers.
> The only problem I've had with the 12 ZebraLights that I have bought is a cracked lens on a 501w.


 
Bad chargers? What does that mean.. battery chargers? I use a La Cross BC 9009. I have a multimeter and other flashlights- no bad charger here, or bad batteries.


----------



## ASheep

My H501w is 7 months old and gets fairly heavy use, I often use it instead of house lighting, I also use it frequently at work and it's been with me on camping trips where it was dropped in the mud. It has even helped me pack up a campsite at 3am in the middle of a huge storm, where it ran on high for 2.5 hours (multiple eneloops) in driving rain. I'm hoping it will last far into the future, as it is one of my favourite lights.



BWX said:


> I think that is what kills it- even though it never gets hot- it gets warm, but never hot and it still dies.



That is interesting, as whenever I use my H501w on high, it gets VERY hot fairly quickly, and not just around the head, the entire body gets uncomfortably hot to touch, and the head is burning hot. I take that to mean the light is dissipating the heat away from the LED fairly well, even given the small thermal mass of the light. 

Cheers,
Alex


----------



## Bolster

Hm. Regular use on my two H50's and two H501w's and two more I gave as gifts...six total...no issues. 

Had the H50s since Dec 2007, the H501s are only 4 months old.


----------



## BWX

ASheep said:


> My H501w is 7 months old and gets fairly heavy use, I often use it instead of house lighting, I also use it frequently at work and it's been with me on camping trips where it was dropped in the mud. It has even helped me pack up a campsite at 3am in the middle of a huge storm, where it ran on high for 2.5 hours (multiple eneloops) in driving rain. I'm hoping it will last far into the future, as it is one of my favourite lights.
> 
> 
> 
> That is interesting, as whenever I use my H501w on high, it gets VERY hot fairly quickl, and not just around the head, the entire body gets uncomfortably hot to touch, and the head is burning hot. I take that to mean the light is dissipating the heat away from the LED fairly well, even given the small thermal mass of the light.
> 
> Cheers,
> Alex


 The fact that mine is cool to the touch or jus warm might mean it is not conducting heat properly. Another theory is that these replacement H501s are all lights people sent back in and then they got tested and fixed or stamped as passed and something is still wrong with them. They send it to me as a replacement and it eventually dies again, I dunno. 

I know the second replacement I got went bad within 6 weeks, completely dead- they took it back and sent it to China for repairs. That took about 6 weeks. I got the exact same light as my third replacement H501 and it died within a couple months. 

Maybe they are sending me out questionable lights as replacements and I just use them heavily and whatever flaws they have are the weak points and they die.

I just put a fresh eneloop in this H501, set it on a table on high.. it lasted 7 minutes and shut itself off. It was cool to the touch and seemed much dimmer than new . I put in another fresh battery, turn it on high and it changes level down to medium. It will not stay on high after it's warmed up (even though it is cool to touch). So it is on now for 15 minutes on medium, cool to touch. It will shut off and never come back on soon I predict. That's how they all die.


----------



## Bolster

I'd recommend you contact Lillian Xu and ask her what's up with this string of failures you've experienced. 

[email protected]

Does anyone have a phone number?


----------



## Glock27

I just finished draining 2 Sanyo 2700's each in both an H50 and H501w. Both on High. Neither got more than luke warm. What would cause some lights to run hot?

This whole QC discussion makes no sense. How could some people get multiple failures while others have multiple lights with no failures? 5 bad H501's to one person doesn't seem plausible.
G27


----------



## BWX

Bolster said:


> Put the heat to the meat...by which I mean, contact Lillian Xu and ask her what's up with this string of failures you've experienced.
> 
> [email protected]
> 
> Does anyone have a phone number?


 
I did fill out a customer request form at the website. Waiting for a response. 

Update on 5th failing H501- It stopped staying on high mode after 7 minutes or so as described above so I got it into high strobe. It stayed on high strobe mode from about 5:20pm to 2am. The strobe was very inconsistent, going in seemingly random patterns and for the last few hours was more like a medium (light output) strobe mixed with intermittent random flashes. Strange stuff


----------



## Gregozedobe

BWX said:


> The fact that mine is cool to the touch or jus warm might mean it is not conducting heat properly.
> 
> I just put a fresh eneloop in this H501, set it on a table on high.. it lasted 7 minutes and shut itself off. It was cool to the touch and seemed much dimmer than new . I put in another fresh battery, turn it on high and it changes level down to medium. It will not stay on high after it's warmed up (even though it is cool to touch). So it is on now for 15 minutes on medium, cool to touch. It will shut off and never come back on soon I predict. That's how they all die.


 
There is definitely something strange going on here.

I have run my H501 on Hi for some hundreds of hours (often for 4-5 hours at atime) - it gets fairly warm but never so hot it is unpleasant to touch, let alone painful. It does seem odd that yours isn't even getting warm on Hi. When the battery voltage drops my light sometimes flashes strangely, and then won't switch on to Hi (but Med and Lo still work OK).

It would seem quite unlikely that you could get so many faulty lights from ZL (unless they are returning the same light every time without ever fixing the underlying fault), so suspicion has to point towards a problem with your rechargeable batteries and/or charger. 

If I was trouble shooting this latest light I'd be measuring the voltage on the battery you used at the point where the light switched off from Hi. I'd also try that battery (without recharging) in another (non-ZL) light that uses a fairly high current and see how much longer it lasts in a different light. I'd be interested in trying out a lithium primary battery (ie 1.5v AA) in the ZL to see what happens then.

Another thing to try out is to put the light (without battery) into your freezer for a couple of hours, then try it out to see if it lasts a bit longer before failing. If it does, that indicates that it is having problems with excess heat (driver and/or LED).

All in all, it seems very odd ........ But if you do try my suggestions, please let us know what results you get.


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## FroggyTaco

I also have a H501 with the new UI that I received last April that I use daily for 15 min to several hours. Mostly low & med but there have been extended uses on high. It does do a rapid strobe when the battery voltage gets too low but that is it.

I do have one Nimh cell that is really OLD ie: it's labeled as a 19maH cell. It won't run my H501 on high for more than a few minutes max. Whereas my dura-loops will run high till the cell is drained.

Travis


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## BWX

Gregozedobe said:


> There is definitely something strange going on here.
> 
> I have run my H501 on Hi for some hundreds of hours (often for 4-5 hours at atime) - it gets fairly warm but never so hot it is unpleasant to touch, let alone painful. It does seem odd that yours isn't even getting warm on Hi. When the battery voltage drops my light sometimes flashes strangely, and then won't switch on to Hi (but Med and Lo still work OK).
> 
> It would seem quite unlikely that you could get so many faulty lights from ZL (unless they are returning the same light every time without ever fixing the underlying fault), so suspicion has to point towards a problem with your rechargeable batteries and/or charger.
> 
> If I was trouble shooting this latest light I'd be measuring the voltage on the battery you used at the point where the light switched off from Hi. I'd also try that battery (without recharging) in another (non-ZL) light that uses a fairly high current and see how much longer it lasts in a different light. I'd be interested in trying out a lithium primary battery (ie 1.5v AA) in the ZL to see what happens then.
> 
> Another thing to try out is to put the light (without battery) into your freezer for a couple of hours, then try it out to see if it lasts a bit longer before failing. If it does, that indicates that it is having problems with excess heat (driver and/or LED).
> 
> All in all, it seems very odd ........ But if you do try my suggestions, please let us know what results you get.


I looked inside to see if maybe a light cleaning with alcohol might at least help. My lights are a spotless though.. no dirt anywhere. Anyway I look in the tube and see what appears to be liquid dripping down the inside of the tube.. I get a swab with some alcohol on it and clean it out. It looks deep red in color, like some sort of assembly lube. The stuff is all over the PCB at the end of the tube, like it's leaking out from behind it. 

Yeah.. and all my batteries and chargers and multimeter are not defective, OK? I test them in other flashlights and I have another La Cross charger too. The eneloops are all new, they work in my TK45 and LD20 just fine. It's a problem with these lights, not all of my batteries and chargers. I measurd the voltage when it switches from hight to medium.. if the light is already wamed up it's the same voltage as fresh, it happens instantly. The first time it took 7 minutes so the voltage was around 1.29v.. Freshly charged they are anywhere fron 1.49v to 1.35v depending on how long they've been off the charger. EDIT- after my last experiment using high strobe the light would get slightly warm if left in a certain position laying down and close to things on one side.. anyway, point is after it finally gave up the battery was at 1.01v.. same as it should be when it shuts itself off. High mode is just not working at all. Otherwise this H501 is fine. It's wothless though because it will die soon.

I bet they just keep sending me defective lights.. that makes the most sense. I only bought one new H501 and that lasted about a year, but died the exact same way all others have. The replacement H501s all died much faster though. I think it's a problem with the electronics.. The LED works, the switch works.


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## Gregozedobe

Hmmm, I don't know what the red stuff is - shouldn't be any lube right down inside the tube near the head.

Unfortunately, as they both take multiple batteries neither the TK45 or the LD20 lights are suitable for testing the ability of a single AA battery to produce the current required to run a H501 on Hi. 

Do you have any *single* AA lights that have a fairly high output you could try ? That was why I also suggested you try a lithium primary in your H501. 

All of the symptoms you have described could be caused by battery problems. I'm not saying they are, but if it was me I would like to be 100% certain I have eliminated all possible causes. Sometimes rechargeable batteries can seem to have OK voltage when tested without load, but under load they suffer quite bad "voltage sag" when asked to deliver significant current ( I have thrown away a number of NiMh AA batteries because of this). This could explain what is going on with your H501.

Until you do some more thorough tests (as I suggested) to be 100% sure it isn't the batteries at fault then you can't be certain it is the light at fault. I don't mean to offend you, but as a disinterested observer I like to work through all possible issues logically. Sometimes people can get one explanation fixed in their mind and dismiss other possible explanations, but a jog from a different set of eyes can sometimes help. 

Another possibility is a poor elecrical contact somewhere (often tailcap and/or spring in the tailcap). If there is resistance this can reduce the current/voltage at the driver, which gives similar symptoms to a faulty battery.

Just trying to help in what is obviously a frustrating situation.


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## Woods Walker

Why not just test an Energizer L91 or other primary battery?


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## Gregozedobe

Woods Walker said:


> Why not just test an Energizer L91 or other primary battery?


 


gregozedobe said:


> That was why I also suggested you try a lithium primary in your H501.


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## BWX

I have some aa duracells and a couple lithiums.. As of yesterday I have 28 new eneloops, most the 1500 cycle "new" ones. 

The fact that it drops down INSTANTLY with any bran new battery after it's warmed up should say it's not the batteries. I've also done more testing than what I wtite down here. In fact I have already tried alkalines the first day it started doing this. It did the same thing but that was a few days ago. 

I guess I could try it again.. I did clean a lot of that grease out of there.. BTW, WTF is up with red grease leaking out? That boggles my mind, LOL. Maybe that did do something though. *Testing now*

EDIT
Damn just lost a post- typec on PS3 controller. 

Tested with new dracell.. went 15 minutes in 71F degree room and got really warm.. borderline hot, sitting upright on table. I went to pick it up and it shut off. WTF? I didn't hit the switch, still that's what happened. 

Immediately checked voltage - it was 1.30v. So I let it cool for a minute. Try a freshly charged eneloop at 1.37v, it goes for about 10 minutes and blinks, then shuts off. I instantly check voltage of eneloop, it's 1.30v. I try an experiment- I put a bran new duracell in there while it's warm.. it shuts right off. The voltage of that duracell is 1.5v. 

I think something on the control board is fried. It acts like it can't tell the voltage of the battery correctly or consistently once it warms up. That red mystery grease oozing out around pcb cannot be helping either.


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## Gregozedobe

OK, not the batteries then.

The red goop sounds quite strange. Has any more oozed out since you cleaned it ?

From the info you have provided I'm now more inclined to suspect something in the driver might be overheating and causing weird symptoms. Try my suggestion above re freezing the light (but not the battery) and see how what happens.

In any case the light needs to go back to ZL, but the more info you can provide on the symptoms the more likely they will be able to find the cause. Hopefully they will replace it with a completely different light and you can get to enjoy how good a ZL can be.


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## BWX

Gregozedobe said:


> OK, not the batteries then.
> 
> The red goop sounds quite strange. Has any more oozed out since you cleaned it ?
> 
> From the info you have provided I'm now more inclined to suspect something in the driver might be overheating and causing weird symptoms. Try my suggestion above re freezing the light (but not the battery) and see how what happens.
> 
> In any case the light needs to go back to ZL, but the more info you can provide on the symptoms the more likely they will be able to find the cause. Hopefully they will replace it with a completely different light and you can get to enjoy how good a ZL can be.


 Well they are ignoring my request so far. I doubt they will do anything, but we'll see. I got this last replacement Sept 2010, but it was the 4th or 5th replacement light. Original purchase was way over a year ago.. I think they just figured I got my $70 buck worth out of the 5 or 6 defective or reconditioned lights I got. I won't be buying another ZebraLight or recommending them to anyone. 

No more red grease, but it is still surrounding the pcb at the end of the tube, no way to get behind there and clean it all out w/o taking whole thing apart. I don't even know if that's possible.




EDIT-
Just checked, it was 3/22/2011 3:57:56 PM when I submitted last request. No answer, not looking good.


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## Gregozedobe

I don't think any of the ZL lights are designed to be pulled apart. Have you tried putting your light in the freezer yet ?


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## BWX

Gregozedobe said:


> I don't think any of the ZL lights are designed to be pulled apart. Have you tried putting your light in the freezer yet ?


 
Not yet..


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