# ZebraLight Mods



## Shorty66

Hey guys!
I have seen a lot of cool mods for Zebralights from different peoples around here and thought, that it would be quite cool to have one Thread which contains them all.

I suggest, that everyone who has made some Mods posts ONE post to this Thread containing all his Mods. 
I would like to keep this Thread clean, *so keep discussion to a minimum*.

I will start with the next post in this Thread and hopefully you all join me.


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## Shorty66

*Re: Zebralight Mods*

I have the H60, H501 and H51 and modded them all - here is a full list of every mod i did with Zebralights:

*H60*
_Headstrap mod - less bouncy (no pics)
Headstrap mod - lower bulk (no pics)_ _
Headstrap mod - added pocketclip


_ _

Headstrap mod - Zipka-style retractable headband_ _


_ _






Pocketclip mod - tiny permanently mounted clip_ _


_ _

Magnet mod - Glued on the Tailcap (no pics)_ *





H501* _
Headstrap mod - Zipkastyle retractable headband (see H60)
Headstrap mod - Plastic clipped headband
Headstrap mod - ultra low bulk fixed lenght EDC headband


_ _

Magnet mod - internal magnet in the tailcap between PCB and tailcap_ _


_ _







_*H51* _
Headstrap mod - ultra low bulk variable lenght EDC headband


_ _





_


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## davidt1

*Re: Zebralight Mods*

Thanks for starting this thread. I have posted many pictures of my H501, but they are scattered everywhere. It's good to have them in one place. This way when someone asks about ZL light mods, we can send them here.

Some background information first:

I adhere to the "the only useful tool is the one you have with you when you need it" philosophy. Imagine you are sitting on the toilet and the lights go out. At this point it's what you have with you that counts, not what's in your bag in the office or in the car. Thus, I try to carry my tools on me everywhere I go. 

The stock headband, clip and silicon light holder are a hair too bulky for on-person EDC. I have added magnets to the tail and replaced the headband with a much smaller adjustable lanyard, the clip with a much smaller Fenix clip, and the silicon holder with an elastic band, as shown below. A suction cup and a USB computer light add even more functions to the light. The USB light stays in the backpack while the lanyard, H501 and suction cup are on-person EDC.






Worn around the neck for a very discreet use in public when wearing a headband is not possible.










The same adjustable lanyard becomes the headband if needed.





The light can also be clipped to clothing for discreet use.





The magnets really make the light even more versatile: as overhead light.





As shower light





The magnet can also turn the H501 into a lighted magnetic pick-up tool.





The flexible USB computer light can turn the H501 into a pocket desk lamp.





Or even a book light.










The suction cup lets me attach the light to any smooth non-metallic surface. It can be very useful in public bathrooms.










With some elastic band attached to a hat, the H501 can become a hat light too.





How about a ceiling light with a pushpin and some dental floss?





The above uses don't mean much if I can't carry it with me. The modded H501 is so small that it can be carried discreetly in the pocket or on the belt. What other headlamps can you carry like this?





Here is the H501 in a small phone case along with MACE. Please note that the bulky stock clip wouldn't have fitted inside.





Update: I re-arranged some tools on the belt for a more symmetrical look.





The same setup when I workout.




That is all for now. I sincerely hope these mods will inspire other ZL light owners to come up with ideas to make their ZL lights even more useful.


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## paulr

*Re: Zebralight Mods*

Nice! What did you use for the retractable cord mechanism?


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## dyril

*Re: Zebralight Mods*

@davidt1: I saw your pics before, on EDCF; I especially like the belt, as that seems universally practical. Is it custom made?

I assume these mods use rare earth magnets? I'm already waiting on some from a couple of DealΕxtreme orders..


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## davidt1

*Re: Zebralight Mods*



dyril said:


> @davidt1: I saw your pics before, on EDCF; I especially like the belt, as that seems universally practical. Is it custom made?
> 
> I assume these mods use rare earth magnets? I'm already waiting on some from a couple of DealΕxtreme orders..



dyril,

No, the belt is not custom made. It's a strap that is available at walmart and other places. The sheaths are homemade. They are very easy to make.

I bought the magnets from DX too, but I am not sure what type they are though.


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## DaFABRICATA

*Re: Zebralight Mods*

Great ideas here guys!:thumbsup:

Way before the H31 was introduced, I made my own version using an H30 host along with an McR10 reflector and a Q3-5A XP-E.
Also shown is an H30 that I put a neutral XP-G in.
Next to them are an H30 direct from Zebralight with a Q3-5A XR-E and another with a Red XR-E.


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## davidt1

*Re: Zebralight Mods*

DaFABRICATA,

You are the man. Hats off to you.


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## nekomane

*Re: Zebralight Mods*






A mod done for the H30.
The stock ring/screws were replaced with thicker/longer ones to prevent 'pocket burn'.

Just ordered a H51 today BTW


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## Shorty66

*Re: Zebralight Mods*



paulr said:


> Nice! What did you use for the retractable cord mechanism?



Its an original Petzl part - the zipka mechanism. I added a tube-clip to hold the Zebralight.


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## SiliconCali

*Re: Zebralight Mods*

Very cool! Thanks for the ideas! :thumbsup:


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## davidt1

Here is another way to use your ZL light hand-free. You need 2 safety pins and some cloth or elastic stuff. Here I use the elastic stuff.










I am nuts about the magnets on my H501. You can use them to attach your ZL light to a lot of things for hand-free use. Say you are a student or traveler sitting in a dimly lit hallway or bus stop and want to do some reading. Sure you can use ZL light as a headlamp (too nerdy?), neck lamp (my favorite), or as a desk lamp (with the flexible wire attachment). 

Or you can just attach the light to your backpack like this.


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## Belstaff1464

Thanks for the ideas, guys !!!


@ davidt1, where did you get the lanyard attachment from ? Did you make that yourself ? Are the magnets attached to the outside of the light ?

Thanks ! You take the McGyver Award !! :twothumbs


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## davidt1

Belstaff1464 said:


> Thanks for the ideas, guys !!!
> 
> 
> @ davidt1, where did you get the lanyard attachment from ? Did you make that yourself ? Are the magnets attached to the outside of the light ?
> 
> Thanks ! You take the McGyver Award !! :twothumbs



Belstaff1464,

The lanyard attachment is homemade. It's real easy to make. If you own a Zl light, you definitely want to use it this way. I wasn't the first person to use it like this though. As best as I can tell CPF member uplite was the first person to wear his ZL light around his neck. I was skeptical at first. Then I tried a month later and was hooked on the convenience. Now I even wear my H501 around my neck when I sleep. The great thing about the lanyard is it is also the headband. There is no need to carry another headband.

Yes, the magnets are attached to the outside of the light.


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## jag-engr

Check out this *H50 setup by 0dBm on EDCF* - he hangs the H50 up-side down on a paracord lanyard and carries it around his neck. It limits the headlamp utility, but may be a good option for some.

I'm going to be getting an H51 soon - does anyone have any ideas for attaching a tritium vial? I'm considering removing the GITD o-ring and putting two or three in the o-ring groove.

Alternately, there are parts of the light thick enough to mill a slot, but I'm not that brave.


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## cistallus

davidt1 said:


> ... The lanyard attachment is homemade. It's real easy to make. If you own a Zl light, you definitely want to use it this way. ...


Could you provide more detail on how to make one? Materials, parts, lengths, methods? I can't quite figure out everything from the photos.


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## davidt1

cistallus said:


> Could you provide more detail on how to make one? Materials, parts, lengths, methods? I can't quite figure out everything from the photos.



Hi cistallus,

Thank you for asking this question because it gave me chance to make another headband, as I only made one the first time. The idea is really simple: you want something to hold the light in place on your head. The stock headband is too bulky for neck wear. If you want something smaller, you have to make it. Anyway, this one I just made consists of a cordlock, some elastic material, and a wide shoelace. All these materials can be purchased at Walmart. 

How to make it:

1. Cut enough elastic stuff to make a tight fit around the light and sew the ends together.

2. Put shoelace through elastic band and put the ends of shoelace through the cordlock.

I actually like this one better than the one I posted. My H501 provides light for this shot, by the way.


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## cistallus

Thanks for the info.

I think I'd just give myself acupuncture if I tried to sew, perhaps I'd glue or staple the elastic part.

How does the wide shoelace work when used as a headband instead of a neck lanyard? Most shoelaces aren't very elastic, wouldn't it slip off or have to be cinched up too tight on the head? All of the headbands I've seen have elastic for the headband part.

Also, where did you get that "Fenix clip", and did you modify it? - looks like it has heat shrink or something over the clip part, unless that's the way it arrived.


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## moses

Great Thread!

When the 501F arrives, I'd love to be able to mod it with a HIGH CRI Led. Anyone up to try it? So far, I think there are two manufacturers of high CRI LED. That would be the perfect wide angle beam for close up work, giving great color rendition and depth.

M


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## davidt1

cistallus said:


> Thanks for the info.
> 
> I think I'd just give myself acupuncture if I tried to sew, perhaps I'd glue or staple the elastic part.
> 
> How does the wide shoelace work when used as a headband instead of a neck lanyard? Most shoelaces aren't very elastic, wouldn't it slip off or have to be cinched up too tight on the head? All of the headbands I've seen have elastic for the headband part.
> 
> Also, where did you get that "Fenix clip", and did you modify it? - looks like it has heat shrink or something over the clip part, unless that's the way it arrived.



It doesn't matter how you do it. Just do it. You will be glad you did. But sewing is the best, I think. Once you start using your ZL as a neck lamp, you will rarely need to use it as a headlamp.


The wide shoelace is a little elastic. It works fine as a headband. Did I say I like it more than the elastic headband I posted previously?

I got the Fenix clip from Lighthound. I flattened it and put some heat shrink over the clip part. Unless you want to clip your ZL light to a shirt, there is no need for a clip. I bought the clip before I started using the light as a neck lamp. Now that I have been using it as a neck lamp, there is no need for the clip. It's there because it doesn't take up that much space.

Today I learned that wearing the light as close to the neck as possible is the best position. Now I can look up without having to use it as a headlamp. I can't believe it took months for me to realize this. Just before posting here, I used my H501 in this position to make a meal, ate it and brushed my teeth afterward. 

Shoelace headband in action. I ran a little to test it. It's very comfortable. It is always on my neck and has other uses. At work it carries my work ID. It's also a shoelace should I need one.


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## Sno4Life

I have had a 501w since they came out, and just picked up the H51. I absolutely love these lights, but carrying them in a pocket with the included clip never worked well because you have to take it off to put it on the headband. I picked up a couple of Rayovac Sportsman Xtreme flashlights andfound that the clip fits on both of my Zebralights, and they fit in the headband with the clip on! This also solves the unintentional rotation that happens when in the silicone headband holder.













I tried to find a link to a picture of the Rayovac lights, but the one I had appears to be an older 1w LED in what they now sell as the 3w 80lm version...

With the new pocket clip, my H51 is truly an all-purpose EDC. 

Zebralight: Find out who makes that clip for Rayovac, and include it with your lights - You will never look back!


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## Belstaff1464

That's a nice clip.I imagine that it probably won't fit in my H31 that's on order.


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## cistallus

That looks like a good clip. I assume it's from the Rayovac 2AA model, not the 3C model, part number I found is SELUX2AA3W-B - it's list at $47, current price $30 via Amazon. That's a lot of money to get a clip for my H501w! (Assuming it would fit the H501w like the H51). Of course if I already had it around it would be a good find.


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## Sno4Life

Its the 1w version - they have it at Menards (regional home repair store) for 13 bucks. I don't know if its discontinued- it isn't on the Rayovac site...

It does fit the 501w, by the way.


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## Changchung

*Re: Zebralight Mods*



DaFABRICATA said:


> Great ideas here guys!:thumbsup:
> 
> Way before the H31 was introduced, I made my own version using an H30 host along with an McR10 reflector and a Q3-5A XP-E.
> Also shown is an H30 that I put a neutral XP-G in.
> Next to them are an H30 direct from Zebralight with a Q3-5A XR-E and another with a Red XR-E.



Wow... How do you dissambled???


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## royi kien

Davidt1，
You play the zebra h501 incisively and vividly！:thumbsup:


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## cistallus

Full cache recovery of the rest of Page 1, and all of Page 2, of original thread:

Here's the last 3 posts from Page 1 of the original thread, as provided by Ja(me)s:

 *Re: ZebraLight Mods*
Written by *kengps* on 11-02-2010 10:08 AM GMT




Originally Posted by *Sno4Life* 

[quoted pictures from post #21 of this thread were here; left out of this cache repost]

Zebralight: Find out who makes that clip for Rayovac, and include it with your lights - You will never look back!


Agreed...that rubber clip my H31 comes with is bulky, ugly, and most of all wayyy too sticky to clip into a jeans pocket. It's the only thing I dislike about it. I think its good for extreme security, and would be good to Agreed...that rubber clip my H31 comes with is bulky, ugly, and most of all wayyy too sticky to clip into a jeans pocket. It's the only thing I dislike about it. I think its good for extreme security, and would be good to have. But for EDC it's just too difficult to clip/unclip from my pocket.



*Re: ZebraLight Mods*
Written by *davidt1* on 11-05-2010 10:57 AM GMT

Ihave decided to wear my H501 around my neck for good, because it's just too convenient to store and use this way.

Disappeared when stored, even in formal wear.







Ready to use anytime and anywhere, even when I am in church, at a wedding, or office meeting.









*Re: ZebraLight Mods*
Written by *psychbeat* on 11-05-2010 01:06 PM GMT

^^nice!

Ive been adding a cut down piece of plastic card

slipped under the silicone mount to keep the light from

bouncing around on my fullface helmet. Ive also used the

GITD holder (supplemented with some velcro) to mount a

C2 (w dual xpg module) on the side of the band.

it would be uncomfortable if it wasnt on my helmet. 

eventually Ill swap out the silicone holders for thick velcro

as it seems like its working out better stability wise for you

guys. the silicone is WAY too flexi IMO.



*Re: ZebraLight Mods*
Written by *RedForest UK* on 11-06-2010 02:31 PM GMT

I just left the stock clip on, cut the circular loops off of the GITD headband and cut some notches in the back. Then it clips/unclips onto the headband attachment great, itll still rotate easily enough for me, doesn't wobble at all due to the notches and rubber on rubber grip, and is easily removable. Plus the GITD backing looks great without those weird loopy things going round the light. ​ 



Here's Page 2 of the original thread as recovered from cache

*Re: ZebraLight Mods*
Written by *cambel* on 11-07-2010 08:24 PM GMT

Has anyone tried breaking these things down and making an h series an s series? Can this be easily done? Curious cause I would really like the have the h51 but it might be nice the have a straight up flashlight once in a while. The switch and lamp bezels appear to be the same size from the photos.


*Re: ZebraLight Mods*
Written by *Belstaff1464* on 11-07-2010 09:50 PM GMT



cambel said:


> Has anyone tried breaking these things down and making an h series an s series? Can this be easily done? Curious cause I would really like the have the h51 but it might be nice the have a straight up flashlight once in a while. The switch and lamp bezels appear to be the same size from the photos.


I would say that it would be very difficult and pointless. Why not just get the corresponding flashlight, i.e. the SC51 ? Such a mod will most certainly be irreversible and result in the destruction of your light. Even if you were successful, the cost of such a modification would probably cost as much as a new SC51 and you'll still only have the one light. IMO, it wouldn't be worth it to even try. I would say that it would be very difficult and pointless. Why not just get the corresponding flashlight, i.e. the SC51 ? Such a mod will most certainly be irreversible and result in the destruction of your light. Even if you were successful, the cost of such a modification would probably cost as much as a new SC51 and you'll still only have the one light. IMO, it wouldn't be worth it to even try.



*Re: ZebraLight Mods*
Written by *cambel* on 11-08-2010 03:44 PM GMT

The point of it would be to have two flashlights for the price of one. Most flashlights can be broken down and parts swapped and such. I was wondering if this was built the same way. For ease of manufacturing the h and the s seem the same from photos, but I guess by your response they must be glued together which would make it pointless and irriversible. Thanks


*Re: ZebraLight Mods*
Written by *Belstaff1464* on 11-09-2010 02:42 AM GMT

Hey All,

Thank you all for the great ideas. I'd like to reciprocate by sharing my clip solution for the H31. Firstly, I removed the GITD O-ring on the body. I then used the wire clip from my Leatherman Serac S3. The S3 has been relegated to glovebox duties and as such the clip isn't really require. The clip fits into the groove for the GITD almost like it was made for it. Check out some of the pics below:



























*Re: ZebraLight Mods*
Written by *NoFair* on 11-09-2010 02:53 AM GMT

Very nice!

Imho they should come with a clip like that instead of the current one.



*Re: ZebraLight Mods*
Written by *Cemoi* on 11-09-2010 10:02 AM GMT



RedForest UK said:


> I just left the stock clip on, cut the circular loops off of the GITD headband and cut some notches in the back. Then it clips/unclips onto the headband attachment great


Pictures would be welcome Pictures would be welcome 


*Re: ZebraLight Mods*
Written by *psychbeat* on 11-09-2010 03:20 PM GMT

^^^what he said..

tempting mod.



*Re: Zebralight Mods*
Written by *anyheck* on 11-10-2010 10:35 AM GMT



davidt1 said:


>


What is the pocket clip that you have on your light? What is the pocket clip that you have on your light? 

The one I received with my H501w was a much bulkier rubber thing similar to the headband rubber holder. Yours is much more compact.



*Re: ZebraLight Mods*
Written by *nekomane* on 11-13-2010 01:13 AM GMT



Belstaff1464 said:


> snip*I'd like to reciprocate by sharing my clip solution for the H31. Firstly, I removed the GITD O-ring on the body. I then used the wire clip from my Leatherman Serac S3.


The day after I read your post, I was in Portland OR. There were a bunch of flyers near the hotel front desk, and what do I see but one for the Leatherman Factory Store located 2 minutes drive away. The day after I read your post, I was in Portland OR. There were a bunch of flyers near the hotel front desk, and what do I see but one for the Leatherman Factory Store located 2 minutes drive away.

I dropped by to find the Serac S3 for a bargain price and got 2 of them just for the clip.

Expect to see a pair of clipless lights on BST 

Thanks for the great find Belstaff!



*Re: Zebralight Mods*
Written by *davidt1* on 11-13-2010 05:01 AM GMT



anyheck said:


> What is the pocket clip that you have on your light?
> 
> The one I received with my H501w was a much bulkier rubber thing similar to the headband rubber holder. Yours is much more compact.


It's this Fenix clip. It's sold online for about $5. It's this Fenix clip. It's sold online for about $5.







*Re: ZebraLight Mods*
Written by *SpacemanSpiff23* on 11-15-2010 12:02 AM GMT

Does that fenix clip fit on there without any modding?

This thread has convinced me to get a Zebralight. Thanks a lot guys. 


*Re: ZebraLight Mods*
Written by *Belstaff1464* on 11-15-2010 04:07 AM GMT



nekomane said:


> The day after I read your post, I was in Portland OR. There were a bunch of flyers near the hotel front desk, and what do I see but one for the Leatherman Factory Store located 2 minutes drive away.
> 
> I dropped by to find the Serac S3 for a bargain price and got 2 of them just for the clip.
> 
> Expect to see a pair of clipless lights on BST
> 
> Thanks for the great find Belstaff!


 
You're welcome. I'm looking for another S3 just for the clip. I snagged mine for $30 from eBay....



*Re: ZebraLight Mods*
Written by *davidt1* on 11-15-2010 11:06 AM GMT



SpacemanSpiff23 said:


> Does that fenix clip fit on there without any modding?
> 
> This thread has convinced me to get a Zebralight. Thanks a lot guys.


It fits the H501 without any modding. I modded mine for a darker color to match the light a little better. It fits the H501 without any modding. I modded mine for a darker color to match the light a little better.



*Re: ZebraLight Mods*
Written by *finefire* on 11-15-2010 11:03 PM GMT

Had an old leatherman in the console of the truck, just ran out to check and sure enough, its the correct clip. Now just waiting for the light to arrive!


*Re: ZebraLight Mods*
Written by *candlelight001* on 11-15-2010 11:48 PM GMT

What magnets do you use? Where exactly do you put them? How does it not mess up the electronics? Awesome mod, want to try it.


*Re: ZebraLight Mods*
Written by *davidt1* on 11-16-2010 10:41 AM GMT



candlelight001 said:


> What magnets do you use? Where exactly do you put them? How does it not mess up the electronics? Awesome mod, want to try it.


I bought the magnets from DX, not sure what kind they are though. I glue one on the outside of the tail cap and attach another one on it. No, they don't mess up the electronics. If you use magnets, just remember that they stick to other metals. It's best to keep the light in a sheath or something like that. I bought the magnets from DX, not sure what kind they are though. I glue one on the outside of the tail cap and attach another one on it. No, they don't mess up the electronics. If you use magnets, just remember that they stick to other metals. It's best to keep the light in a sheath or something like that. 

Here is one example why 2 magnet can be useful. I use the magnets to attach the light to the shirt to keep it from moving when I run or bend over.







*Re: ZebraLight Mods*
Written by *jag-engr* on 11-17-2010 12:53 PM GMT

Great news from Belstaff's thread about the S3 clip...



jag-engr said:


> Do you by any chance know if it will fit on the AA H51?





nekomane said:


> Yes it does.
> 
> Looks like the diameter where the clip attaches is the same.
> 
> I actually thought Belstaff1464's post in the Zebralight Mod thread was refering to the H51 until reading this thread.
> 
> Great find!


 


*Re: ZebraLight Mods*
Written by *davidt1* on 11-23-2010 12:38 PM GMT

Not a mod, but how useful a mod can be. I added two more speakers to my surround system and had to rewire a bunch of speakers in a tight spot. There are a few times when it is not an advantage to use my H501 as a headlamp, and this was one of those times. The magnets made the jobs easier.







*Re: ZebraLight Mods*
Written by *cistallus* on 01-09-2011 03:53 AM GMT

I finally made myself a "davidt1-style" H501w neck/headband (that I last mentioned in post #18 in this thread).

From the local drugstore I got a pair of flat black "Outdoor" shoelaces, Kiwi part number 915, 40" (102cm) (for 4-5 eyelets): http://www.kiwicare.com/kiwimcmssite...eavy-duty.html It's just a bit long - a 36" or 34" pair would have been slightly better. They are about 3/8" wide and slightly stretchy.

From my camping stuff I got a toggle (cord lock), like these: http://www.rei.com/product/611240 or http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001OPMGKM/?tag=cpf0b6-20

Instead of an elastic loop, I used two pieces of 3/4" wide double-sided Velcro tape. I've seen these available as precut strips, but I cut mine (about 4" long each) from a long roll of "One-Wrap" part number 90340: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000078CUB/?tag=cpf0b6-20 or http://www.velcro.com/index.php?page...ation-one-wrap and, putting the middle of the shoelace along the body of the light, wrapped each of these tightly around the middle of the body of the light. It's tight enough to hold it well yet lets me rotate the light up or down.

It works very well and comfortably as both a neck light and head light and is far more compact and pocketable than the ZebraLight-supplied headband.

Instead of magnets, I put two small safety pins on the lace near the body of the light, so if I have a need for extended use when bending over, I can pin it to my shirt so it doesn't swing around.

Thanks to davidt1 for a great idea!



*Re: ZebraLight Mods*
Written by *davidt1* on 01-09-2011 05:15 AM GMT

Cistallus,

Thanks for posting links to the stuff you use. I am always looking for ways to improve my setup. I am intrigued by your use of Velcro and safety pins. Can you post some pictures? Thanks.



*Re: ZebraLight Mods*
Written by *B0wz3r* on 01-14-2011 11:40 AM GMT

Hi all,

I've had my H51w for a few days now, and last night I got inspired and came up with some cool attachment/carry ideas for the new light. Here are some quick and dirty shot from my phone: 

6

With a small split ring through the clip.

5

4Sevens finger-holder is just right for this thing.

4

3

2

1

With a 4sevens lanyard clipped onto the split ring for around the neck carry.

The clip is fairly sturdy, so unless someone was going to grab the light itself and not the clip, and then yank pretty hard on it, it doesn't seem like it's going to go anywhere.



*Re: ZebraLight Mods*
Written by *davidt1* on 01-14-2011 12:01 PM GMT

Good mod!!!


*Re: ZebraLight Mods*
Written by *Bolster* on 01-14-2011 05:32 PM GMT

I often give lectures in darkened rooms (due to presentations running on a nearby screen), so this is a clamp I machined of aluminum that fits a small camera tripod. It sits, hangs, or grips the podium and I can see my notes.






I've toyed with the idea of fabricating these for sale. Curious if there's any interest.



*Re: ZebraLight Mods*
Written by *Bolster* on 01-14-2011 05:39 PM GMT

OT: Regarding clips. If you're willing to drill and tap two small holes, Spyderco knife clips are available a la carte from their factory store. They are very high quality and not much money. Not recommending this for a Zebralight mod, no room. Just general info.


*Re: ZebraLight Mods*
Written by *davidt1* on 02-03-2011 12:23 PM GMT

Just adding some hip-pop style use of a ZL light. That's all, yo.







*Re: ZebraLight Mods*
Written by *davidt1* on 02-05-2011 10:42 AM GMT

Shorty66, the thread starter, has the slimmest ZL setup here. His setup sets the standard for compactness, and one which I try to emulate.

Shorty66's ultra compact ZL setup.








http://img101.imageshack.us/i/pfheadband.jpg/

I have traded the shoelace headband for something a little thinner. The cord is just as comfortable as the shoelace to wear and leaves no mark.












*Re: ZebraLight Mods*
Written by *davidt1* on 02-18-2011 03:48 PM GMT

James Bond watch/headband mod:

The cord/shoelace headband is great for many tasks except for running because of the bouncing created by excess body movement. Any elastic headband not supported by a top strap suffers from the same problem because elastic materials stretch under pressure. For runners, a jockstrap headband offers the rigidness and stability needed to keep the headlamp from bouncing around. Jockstrap headbands are, unfortunately, bulky and unsuitable for on-person EDC. If you run and need a headband that doesn't stretch, a Velcro headband is a smaller alternate to bulky jockstrap headbands.

I know Velcro doesn't stretch and offers the stability needed to keep my ZL light from bouncing around during a run. But I need to be able to carry it on my-person discreetly. Below is a mod that would make James Bond proud. 

Citizen Eco-drive watch






Is also headband for headlamp/MP3 player/wound dressing/compression strap/etc. in James Bond fashion.







*Re: ZebraLight Mods*
Written by *B0wz3r* on 02-19-2011 01:17 PM GMT

I've come up with an interesting way of using my H51w... so much so that once I get my new Spark next week, I'm considering using the 51w this way all the time.

A picture is worth a thousand words, so I'll let a photo do the talking here.

Using a 4Sevens 'fingerloop' held in place by the clip of the H51w.

The advantage of this is it frees your entire hand for use; you're not holding the light inside your hand like you would have to with a regular type of flashlight. 

Notice that I've put the fingerloop under the clip, so the pressure from the clip keeps the light from rotating in the loop. To change the angle, simply slip the loop down into the clip to free it, rotate the light to the desire angle in the loop, then slide the loop up under the clip again. And, it puts light wherever you are reaching. So you get the hands free utility of the headlamp combined with the directionality and control of a flashlight. You also don't get tunnel vision this way either. 


*Re: ZebraLight Mods*
Written by *srfreddy* on 02-19-2011 02:32 PM GMT

davidt1, what kind of glue did you use? also, how thick and how wide of a magnet do you think could fit under the spring in the tailcap?


*Re: ZebraLight Mods*
Written by *davidt1* on 02-19-2011 05:16 PM GMT



srfreddy said:


> davidt1, what kind of glue did you use? also, how thick and how wide of a magnet do you think could fit under the spring in the tailcap?


I use Krazy glue because it's not the strongest because I want to be able to remove the magnet easily if I wanted to. If you want to glue the magnet there permanently, Locktite Universal Adhesive works well. I used it once and couldn't remove the magnet later. Had to grind the magnet away with a power tool. I use Krazy glue because it's not the strongest because I want to be able to remove the magnet easily if I wanted to. If you want to glue the magnet there permanently, Locktite Universal Adhesive works well. I used it once and couldn't remove the magnet later. Had to grind the magnet away with a power tool. 

I don't know the dimensions for a magnet that would fit inside the tail cap. Shorty66, the thread starter, did this mod. Perhaps he can answer your question.


----------



## Bolster

Big thanks to whomever saved this thread! Repost of this clamp because I changed hosting servers:


----------



## JA(me)S

cistallus,

I have page 1 cache - including posts 27-30. I'll try PMing it to you - I think you should be able to do a simple copy/paste back at the end of your #27...

- Jas.


----------



## cistallus

Bolster said:


> Big thanks to whomever saved this thread!



I was just lucky it was still in a cache when I looked recently for any thread where I posted.



JA(me)S said:


> cistallus,
> 
> I have page 1 cache - including posts 27-30. I'll try PMing it to you - I think you should be able to do a simple copy/paste back at the end of your #27...
> 
> - Jas.



Done - I put them at the front of my post so they are in order.


----------



## Changchung

Hi, can some one point me how to open a H60? I will like to replace the led for a xp-g


----------



## kevinm

I'd also like to how to open these (particularly, the H501 switch and the H51 lens).

Thanks,
Kevin


----------



## mellowman

I don't think it is possible to open and if you were able to would require special machine to close.


----------



## Bolster

*Re: ZebraLight Mods a la DavidT1*

You remember Davidt1's excellent accessory, the home-made, elastic-sleeve-with-round-the-neck holder? It just got one step easier to make...you can buy the elastic sleeve at your local Walgreen's pharmacy. It's for sprained fingers. They are called "Fingers TM Comforts Jammed & Sprained Fingers." In the first-aid section. Also found them online here: http://www.medco-athletics.com/Supply/Product.asp?Leaf_Id=39012

I found the Large size a little too loose for my H501s, but the Medium size is just right. Like Davidt1 says, this makes for a great alternate form of attachment, good for EDC carry on your person. I can see this coming in handy during travel...I always need a reading light when entering a taxi at night, but don't want to freak out the cabby by donning a headlamp. This will be ideal, just pull it from under the shirt and use it. Thanks DavidT1!!!

EDIT: Reread some of DavidT1's posts and added the cord lock he recommended. Now it can be easily and quickly adjusted for height if worn on the chest, or adjusted to fit as a makeshift headlamp, armlamp, wristlamp, or whatever. I think I will "upgrade" from cord to shoelace as it looks more comfortable.


----------



## DM51

*Re: ZebraLight Mods a la DavidT1*

An excellent thread, much of which was feared lost in the crash of Feb 2011, but which was thankfully rescued from cache copies made by cistallus and Ja(me)s.

I have added it to the Threads of Interest sticky.


----------



## Bolster

*Re: ZebraLight Mods a la DavidT1*

The "Rhino" double Zebralight helmet mount...


----------



## carhound

*Re: ZebraLight Mods a la DavidT1*

Has anyone made a removeable red filter for any of these lights?


----------



## Lite_me

*Re: ZebraLight Mods a la DavidT1*



Bolster said:


> The "Rhino" double Zebralight helmet mount...


Someone has some mad skills and tools. Nice!


----------



## davidt1

*Re: ZebraLight Mods a la DavidT1*



carhound said:


> Has anyone made a removeable red filter for any of these lights?



I have for my H501. I don't have much use for a red light. I was mod-happy and wanted to do one for fun. Don't have it any more.


----------



## davidt1

*Re: ZebraLight Mods a la DavidT1*



Bolster said:


> You remember Davidt1's excellent accessory, the home-made, elastic-sleeve-with-round-the-neck holder? It just got one step easier to make...you can buy the elastic sleeve at your local Walgreen's pharmacy. It's for sprained fingers. They are called "Fingers TM Comforts Jammed & Sprained Fingers." In the first-aid section. Also found them online here: http://www.medco-athletics.com/Supply/Product.asp?Leaf_Id=39012
> 
> I found the Large size a little too loose for my H501s, but the Medium size is just right. Like Davidt1 says, this makes for a great alternate form of attachment, good for EDC carry on your person. I can see this coming in handy during travel...I always need a reading light when entering a taxi at night, but don't want to freak out the cabby by donning a headlamp. This will be ideal, just pull it from under the shirt and use it. Thanks DavidT1!!!
> 
> EDIT: Reread some of DavidT1's posts and added the cord lock he recommended. Now it can be easily and quickly adjusted for height if worn on the chest, or adjusted to fit as a makeshift headlamp, armlamp, wristlamp, or whatever. I think I will "upgrade" from cord to shoelace as it looks more comfortable.



I am glad you find this mod useful. For me, this is what sets a ZL headlamp apart from the rest. I am wearing my H51w under my shirt while typing this in a public library right now. Talk about being ready for anything, anywhere and any time! But it's not just the discreet EDC that makes a ZL headlamp unique. It's the discreet use that counts as well. For most tasks you should be able to use the light worn around your neck at chest level. You simply can't do this with a bulky jockstrap headlamp (assuming you can carry one with you in the first place) I notice you don't have a clip on yours. I use the clip for two reasons: 1. it acts as a stabilizer of sort to reduce bouncing. 2. If I ever needed to clip my light in my pocket, having the clip already on the light makes the process quicker.

Sorry for the late response. I have been so happy with my H51w that I have no desire to even look at another light. Thus, my absence from CPF. The only light I am interested in is the H502w. It would have to be one amazing light to replace my H51w as an EDC light though.


----------



## carhound

*Re: ZebraLight Mods a la DavidT1*



davidt1 said:


> I have for my H501. I don't have much use for a red light. I was mod-happy and wanted to do one for fun. Don't have it any more.


 got any pics? What did you use for materials?


----------



## davidt1

*Re: ZebraLight Mods a la DavidT1*



carhound said:


> got any pics? What did you use for materials?



Sorry no more pictures. I posted them a long ago. Then deleted them. I used some webbing material cut from a strap.


----------



## scout24

*Re: ZebraLight Mods a la DavidT1*

Having been inspired by a lot of the awesome mods and ideas in this thread, I thought I'd throw in my $.02 worth... I think the pocketclip and magnets were fantastic ideas, and sought to combine the two. I used a stock Ra Clicky clip which gives a nice, deep carry that offers some more stability due to it's width, and a wide mounting point for the magnets. Some Dremel work as well as some bending work had a clip that fits well IMHO. Shrink wrap around the body, and then a layer over the clip holds nicely but allows the clip to rotate on the body as seen without much trouble. More than enough friction to hold the angle of your choosing, though. This has held up well through moderate carry and use so far. H501w, current programming with a lower low available... I wish this could be had with the same modes as my sc51w that has memory. Thanks for the inspiration folks!


----------



## davidt1

*Re: ZebraLight Mods a la DavidT1*

scout24,

Thanks for sharing your idea.


----------



## davidt1

A small but important part of the neck lanyard/headband for the H501 is the clip. It adds a bulge to the round body of the light and makes it harder for the light to rotate accidentally. It also gives the light some stability and helps reduce the bouncing. The clip I use is a $3 Fenix clip sold by BatteryJunction. It's the best clip for AAA and small AA lights I have found.

http://www.batteryjunction.com/fenix-fx-pc.html

H501 and H51w side-by-side






To adjust the angle of the beam, I hold the the clip with one hand while rotating the light with the other hand.





You are looking at the pinnacle of headlamp usefulness and EDC friendliness here. Worn all day. Tucked discreetly behind shirt when not in use. Put in front of shirt during use. Move to the head when used as headlamp. Ready for any any emergency anywhere and any time.


----------



## Bolster

I'm a *believer* in this carry style; I have seen the light! Until DavidT's neck carry option I'd not EDC'd a headlamp in public due to strap bulk and...well, call it "social awkwardness"...but I'm EDCing an H501w now (in bag, and if I think I'll need it, then around neck), _without_ the Zebralight headband. I have a setup similar to David's, using the Walgreen's 'Fingers' bandage/protector, but I don't own the clip yet. I went with the "flat & slightly stretchy boot shoelace" option which serves well as both headlamp strap and around-the-neck. 

The around-the-neck use is fantastic with a wide floody beam (wouldn't try it with any other type of beam though as you can't aim it as well). I have my "final" CERT test in a few days where they throw us into a dark room and make us sort through (pretend) injured bodies. I'll have my neck-light tucked under my shirt, and will be able to deploy and use BOTH hands while everyone else struggles with their clumsy and dim 2D flashlights and one hand. 

Love cheating on a test!! Anyway, if you haven't tried the DavidT Carry, try it! It's worth the effort of assembling the pieces the first time you need it:

- flat boot shoelace or paracord with "guts" removed (it flattens out then, still very strong)
- cord lock (mine from REI)
- elastic sleeve (Check Walgreen's first aid section for the Fingers bandage if you don't want to make your own)
- clip, as above. 
- Optional...an acrylic tube to carry it in, that's what I use when stored in my bag.


----------



## JA(me)S

*Re: ZebraLight Mods a la DavidT1*



davidt1 said:


> Sorry for the late response. I have been so happy with my H51w that I have no desire to even look at another light. Thus, my absence from CPF.


 Whew - thought we lost ya... but then I understand it's hard to improve when you've found your ideal. I do think the H502w will be a special light too, though. Good to see you back!

:thumbsup: - Jas.


----------



## davidt1

*Re: ZebraLight Mods a la DavidT1*



JA(me)S said:


> Whew - thought we lost ya... but then I understand it's hard to improve when you've found your ideal. I do think the H502w will be a special light too, though. Good to see you back!
> 
> :thumbsup: - Jas.



Yeah, I am eagerly waiting for the H502w. After getting that light, I will probably be done with buying lights for a long time.


----------



## davidt1

*Re: ZebraLight Mods a la DavidT1*

While the neck lanyard/headband is super convenient, it is not the most stable when used as a headband. This is because the lanyard is more or less a string. As I have posted in the previous page, a headband made of velcro is a good solution to reduce bouncing. It works because velcro doesn't stretch like elastic material. I use the one sold at Walmart because it is the thinnest I could find. When you EDC about 20 items on your person everyday, every ounce and inch you can shave off helps. I EDC both the neck lanyard and the velcro headband on my person at all times. The neck lanyard is used about 80% of the times. For those times when I run, or work in tight and awkward positions, the velcro headband is needed.

The thin material doesn't take up a lot space and allows for wrapping around my wrist. Not in the picture, but I normally wear my watch over it.





When needed, it becomes a headband stable enough for run



ning.





It also turns my ZL light into a wrist light, which is fantastic for running.





When I am dressed up and don't want to wear it on my wrist, there is always the ankle.





The velcro headband is just one more way to EDC and use these amazing ZL lights. It's a great item for everyday and emergency use too. I was helping someone move a few weeks ago. We needed to tie two items together. It took me seconds to remove the velcro from my wrist to secure the items while the guy I was helping looked around for some rope.


----------



## Bolster

*Re: ZebraLight Mods a la DavidT1*

Very interesting, tell me how wrist mount is fantastic for running? When I run I flail my arms back and forth quite a bit...


----------



## davidt1

*Re: ZebraLight Mods a la DavidT1*



Bolster said:


> Very interesting, tell me how wrist mount is fantastic for running? When I run I flail my arms back and forth quite a bit...



Then I suppose it won't be fantastic for you.


----------



## Chrisdm

Anybody disassembled a zebralight to have it refinished? I love everything about my zebras except for the cheesy gold finish

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk


----------



## Bolster

*Re: ZebraLight Mods a la DavidT1*



davidt1 said:


> Then I suppose it won't be fantastic for you.



LOL David. Yes I'm a spazz. On the other hand, I have this vision of you running without moving your arms...

Let's just admit that a running light needs a gyroscope mounted to it...!


----------



## davidt1

*Re: ZebraLight Mods a la DavidT1*



Bolster said:


> LOL David. Yes I'm a spazz. On the other hand, I have this vision of you running without moving your arms...
> 
> Let's just admit that a running light needs a gyroscope mounted to it...!



Just put it on your head when you run. I promise it won't bounce as much as the stock headband. A box of this velcro cost about $6 and can make 4 headbands. That's less than any retail velcro headband sold. Both the neck lanyard and the velcro headband take up less space than the stock headband and can be carried discreetly (along with your ZL light) on your person whether you are in a boardroom meeting, at a construction site, in a cave, in church, etc.

With the addition of this velcro headband, my UL, hand-free, on-person, ready-for-any-emergency, anywhere and any time, all-in-one light system is now complete.


----------



## g.p.

*Re: ZebraLight Mods a la DavidT1*

What type of glue are you guys using to attach the magnets to the tail caps?


----------



## Changchung

*Re: ZebraLight Mods a la DavidT1*



g.p. said:


> What type of glue are you guys using to attach the magnets to the tail caps?



I use the same glue to attach Leds, artic ceramic two parts.


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## varuscelli

I used some paracord and the extra holder that came with the H501w to put together this simple rig. I'll probably make this a bit neater and more permanent with some actual connectors or crimp sleeves or the like on the paracord (maybe)...and I might see if ZebraLight will sell me a couple of extra holders to experiment with. 

This doesn't move around much at all (wide and rubbery footprint), but I don't use it this way in too many situations where I'm worried about motion. Outside in the dark (or in the attic or wherever), I prefer the headband since I want the light to point where I'm looking. Even with a flood, it's pretty easy to look outside the zone of coverage if the light is stationary on my chest. On the flip side, this is much more convenient than the headband...and doesn't give me headband hair.


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## swingert

Nice idea, varuscelli. I imagine if you were to put a cord lock on the p-cord "lanyard" it could also be tightened up and used as a headband.


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## varuscelli

swingert said:


> Nice idea, varuscelli. I imagine if you were to put a cord lock on the p-cord "lanyard" it could also be tightened up and used as a headband.


 
Hey, that's a really good idea, swingert. You probably wouldn't want to wear it for long stretches like that (guessing that it might be a bit uncomfortable after a while compared to a wide headband...but with the light weight of these headlamps, you never know). In the very least it would be great for a quick switch to headband as needed for short stretches. It would also allow for any shortening and lengthening of the hanging length when worn around the neck, which can (I think) be desirable at times. Great thought.


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## varuscelli

swingert said:


> Nice idea, varuscelli. I imagine if you were to put a cord lock on the p-cord "lanyard" it could also be tightened up and used as a headband.


 
And here it is (minutes later) attached to a SureFire Z33 Lanyard Kit that I happened to have in my parts box. 

Brilliant idea, swingert. Looks this was the ideal missing ingredient for the terminal end. 

And as you suggested, it works just fine in "lanyard headband" mode as well as allowing it to be worn around the neck. Very cool -- and very versatile. 

Note: the reason I have looped the cord across the top/front of the holder is that if I let the cord just run through the two slots in the holder, it tends to make the holder "bunch" or squeeze together just a bit side to side (the downward weight of the light). So, I'm trying to figure out the best way to run the cord to prevent any squeezing or bunching of the holder (the "bunching" tends to keep the holder from sitting as flatly against the chest when the lanyard is worn around the neck). 

This would look really good using the black holder, too...but I've got that one on the actual ZebraLight headband.


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## swingert

That looks great, and amazing turnaround on producing the product and uploading the image! 

Please do let us know how it works in headband mode over longer periods of time. With the light weight of the light and if the cord is a little stretchy I'm thinking it could be quite comfortable.


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## varuscelli

swingert said:


> That looks great, and amazing turnaround on producing the product and uploading the image!
> 
> Please do let us know how it works in headband mode over longer periods of time. With the light weight of the light and if the cord is a little stretchy I'm thinking it could be quite comfortable.


 
The only thing I'm seeing that's not as desirable with the lanyard locks is the bulkiness of the locking end piece when worn around the neck. 

For instance, if the paracord is tied or uses a smaller connector, the cord itself can be easily slipped under a shirt collar and not be visible. The problem (although not a large problem) is that the end cord and lanyard locks stick out a bit awkwardly from the back of the neck. It might be that one of the flat/oval lanyard locks would work better for around-the-neck use -- or some other kind of lanyard locks that are less bulky than the ones I have on hand. It's not that is has to be worn under a shirt collar, but you do end up with an extended bit of cord/locks sticking out from the back of the neck.

Of course, I might be able to rig the lanyard and locks to work more like a bolo tie with the lock pushing up from the bottom (allowing adjustable height for the light on the chest)...but then the headband concept wouldn't work right (unless turning/flipping/reversing the holder on the fly -- relatively easily -- would be a workable option). 

On wearing the paracord lanyard as a headband, it works pretty well. The headlamp is definitely lightweight enough that it doesn't bear down uncomfortably on the thin paracord, and the paracord is actually pretty comfortable around the head. It's not as secure as a stretchy headband, but it's certainly workable. Tightening the locks against the back of the head is a bit awkward (a possible hair puller). It's almost as though the best way of tightening it is to cinch it up as close as possible to the back of the head, remove the lanyard briefly and cinch it up a slight bit more, then pull it down over the head. It's a bit difficult to explain, but cinching this particular lanyard lock snugly against the back of my head is a bit more difficult than it might seem. I can cinch it up close enough to stay in place, but not close enough to be as snugly fit as is probably desirable. 

This is a great step in usability overall. Just a couple of irregularities to figure out.


----------



## chanjyj

The magnets are really amazing. Great improvisation!


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## varuscelli

The ZebraLight H501w Bolo Tie


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## swingert

Too funny! I love it. I think you've created a new fashion.


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## varuscelli

swingert said:


> Too funny! I love it. I think you've created a new fashion.


 
Next formal event I attend...I'm wearing it. :naughty:


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## varuscelli

*Re: ZebraLight Mods (Separate Accessories)*

Note of Interest: I contacted ZebraLight about purchasing extra accessories and found that although they don't necessarily make ordering such items evident via the website they do make such things as extra headbands, headlamp holders and pocket clips available (at what seem to me to be very reasonably low prices with low shipping costs). 

I've ordered a some extra headlamp holders to experiment with (black and glow-in-the-dark) and they said they'd throw in a pocket clip for free with the order. The extra holders seem to be about $2.50 each and extra headbands only about $2 each (according to an earlier correspondence). Shipping on these items seems to run about $2.95 for small/lightweight items or a combination of small items.


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## [email protected]

it not seems the headlamp,but the application is very wide. the idea of application is very perfect


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## varuscelli

Here's some good FYI stuff for ZebraLight fans out there. 

I ordered two black holders and two GITD holders to use to play with different "holder mods" for my H501w. Cost for those items was $12.95 including shipping. 

I was told that I'd get a couple of extra goodies with my order. Here's what I received: 

Two black holders WITH headbands
Two GITD holders
One GITD holder with lanyard
One pocket clip
One set of o-rings. 

Talk about a lot of bang for the buck. Very happy here. 

Kudos to ZebraLight for excellent customer service and generosity. Not only are they winning me over with their lights but with their customer service as well. 

All my correspondence was with Lillian at ZebraLight (Irving, TX), so I'm pretty sure she's the one who set me up with all this neat stuff. Thank you, Lillian.


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## varuscelli

[email protected] said:


> it not seems the headlamp,but the application is very wide. the idea of application is very perfect


 
Yes -- there are some very creative people on this forum. I learn something new every time I visit. :thumbsup:


----------



## g.p.

*Re: ZebraLight Mods a la DavidT1*



Changchung said:


> I use the same glue to attach Leds, artic ceramic two parts.



I found some rare earth magnets on ebay that were the perfect size, but I couldn't find Artic Ceramic locally. After some reading I found out that JB Weld is used to attach magnets in high perfomance RC airplane motors. I figured if it could handle that type of enviroment that it would probably work for my flashlight. Gave it a try last night and it seems to have made a great bond.

Thanks for the magnet idea and all of the help!


----------



## margret green

*Re: Zebralight Mods*

when I SEE the post, I am facsinate with great innovation for putting some place you want. 
it is very creative.


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## Zenbaas

*Re: ZebraLight Mods a la DavidT1*



g.p. said:


> I found some rare earth magnets on ebay that were the perfect size, but I couldn't find Artic Ceramic locally. After some reading I found out that JB Weld is used to attach magnets in high perfomance RC airplane motors. I figured if it could handle that type of enviroment that it would probably work for my flashlight. Gave it a try last night and it seems to have made a great bond.
> 
> Thanks for the magnet idea and all of the help!


 
This may be a very delayed reply but thanks for the information in any case. A quick question for the guys who have their magnets on the outside of the light...why stick it to the light..? Shouldn't the magnetism be enough to keep it in place..? (I understand removing it from other metal object may present a problem if not glued in place).

Also is there any chance that the magnets can damage or interfere with the batteries or the light internal circuits...? (Same goes for things that may be carried close to the flashlight..ie. cellphone in pockets etc.)


----------



## davidt1

*Re: ZebraLight Mods a la DavidT1*

Zenbaas,

The body of the light is aluminum. There is really nothing for the magnet to attach to. That's why it needs to be glued in place.

The magnet does pull on the battery a little. I used 2 magnets on my H501 and they eventually pulled the battery away from the head enough to cause it to stop making contact. This happened after about 8 months. If you use only one magnet, there is nothing to worry about. For 2 magnets I suggest adding a spacer between the cap and first magnet. 

I have asked Zebralight (through CPF only) to use a thicker battery spring (like the one they use on the SC600) on their future lights. Hopefully, someone with better contact with them will pass the information along.

No the magnet does not hurt the internal circuit in any way.


----------



## Bolster

*Re: ZebraLight Mods a la DavidT1*



davidt1 said:


> I used 2 magnets on my H501 and they eventually pulled the battery away from the head enough to cause it to stop making contact. This happened after about 8 months. If you use only one magnet, there is nothing to worry about.



I have a friend with an H501 who had the spring compress over the course of about 3 months, and he used NO magnet. He stretched the spring back, no harm no foul. But the point is, the magnet may not be causing the spring compression. The spring is known to do that on its own.


----------



## davidt1

*Re: ZebraLight Mods a la DavidT1*

In my case, it was the magnets because once I took one of the magnets off everything worked again.


----------



## davidt1

*Re: ZebraLight Mods a la DavidT1*

To illustrate the pulling affect the magnets have on the battery:

I use 2 magnets here. One magnet won't hold the battery at all. There is absolutely nothing to worry about if you use one magnet.


----------



## Zenbaas

*Re: ZebraLight Mods a la DavidT1*

Thank you for the informative replies David. Appreciate it!  As the the body being aluminum...well what can I say but.... Doh! lol. The thought of glueing a magnet to my new light makes me want to cringe just a little bit although I know from experience that having something that can stick to a metal surface can prove to be invaluable when you really need it...!


----------



## Bolster

*Re: ZebraLight Mods a la DavidT1*



davidt1 said:


> In my case, it was the magnets because once I took one of the magnets off everything worked again.



Well, that's pretty indisputable, then! Thanks for the info.


----------



## EXCALIBUR1

I have always shied away from headlamps before. However, all these great mods and ideas have peaked my interest in going for a Zebralight H51. With respect to the magnet mod, I understand they can be attached with JB Weld. Q: Would someone please recommend what type, size, and where I could buy the magnets from? Thank you.:thumbsup:


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## davidt1

EXCALIBUR1 said:


> I have always shied away from headlamps before. However, all these great mods and ideas have peaked my interest in going for a Zebralight H51. With respect to the magnet mod, I understand they can be attached with JB Weld. Q: Would someone please recommend what type, size, and where I could buy the magnets from? Thank you.:thumbsup:



I bought 3 different sizes. I still don't know the size that's on my H51w.

*[Link deleted]*

Edit: By the way, I have the H51W. I use dc-fix to diffuse the beam further to my liking. Unless you know for sure you want the flashlight beam of the H51, don't overlook the H51F model. In my experience with flashlights and headlamps, for close-up use (I believe most ZL lights end up being used this way), a flood beam is the best.


----------



## EXCALIBUR1

davidt1,

Thanks for your reply. It was your neck lanyard mod, among other great ideas that gave me the headlamp bug. 

What size would you recommend? 

Yes, I am kind of on the fence between the H51 and H51F. (I prefer the cool white tint.) I would use the headlamp for mostly close and hands free purposes (using your neck lanyard mod). I'm thinking the H51F would make more sense? Your additional thoughts would be most welcome.


----------



## DM51

Google "neodymium magnets" and you will find plenty of places selling them in different sizes. 

5 mm diameter x 1 mm thick is a pretty useful size; if you need a thicker magnet, just stack 2 or 3 of them together.


----------



## davidt1

EXCALIBUR1 said:


> davidt1,
> 
> Thanks for your reply. It was your neck lanyard mod, among other great ideas that gave me the headlamp bug.
> 
> What size would you recommend?
> 
> Yes, I am kind of on the fence between the H51 and H51F. (I prefer the cool white tint.) I would use the headlamp for mostly close and hands free purposes (using your neck lanyard mod). I'm thinking the H51F would make more sense? Your additional thoughts would be most welcome.



For up-close use the H51F is the better choice.


----------



## g.p.

Got my magnets from Ebay. I just searched for "rare earth magnet" and found a bunch of sizes.


----------



## DIΩDΣ

I am wanting to do the magnet mod too. I am wondering, not wanting to attach with something as permanent as JB Weld how about some pure clear silicone? Should be pretty strong but able to be removed later if needed although sometimes silicone leaves enough residue on the surface that short of a scraper wont get it all off. I wonder if ZL sells extra tailcaps? 

This may be nit picking but when jogging or hiking every ounce matters and there wouldnt be any use for a magnet. An extra tailcap w/o magnet could be used in those situations where you would not need a magnet and weight matters.


----------



## Diablo_331

Give ZL a call and see what they can do for you.


----------



## EXCALIBUR1

Thanks everyone for all the great ideas and recommendations. Semper fi, carry on.


----------



## Zenbaas

DIΩDΣ;3755382 said:


> I am wanting to do the magnet mod too. I am wondering, not wanting to attach with something as permanent as JB Weld how about some pure clear silicone? Should be pretty strong but able to be removed later if needed although sometimes silicone leaves enough residue on the surface that short of a scraper wont get it all off. *I wonder if ZL sells extra tailcaps? *
> 
> This may be nit picking but when jogging or hiking every ounce matters and there wouldnt be any use for a magnet. An extra tailcap w/o magnet could be used in those situations where you would not need a magnet and weight matters.


 
Good Idea..! Please do report back if you manage to find out


----------



## varuscelli

DIΩDΣ;3755382 said:


> I wonder if ZL sells extra tailcaps?


 


Diablo_331 said:


> Give ZL a call and see what they can do for you.


 
I think you have to contact ZL via their website Contact Form (as far as I know that's the only way to contact them). I don't know if extra tailcaps would be available, but they've been very accommodating to my own requests for extra parts (headlamp holders, etc.) and I bet they'd be willing to sell you an extra tailcap at a reasonable cost, if they're actually available via the U.S. distributor.


----------



## davidt1

DIΩDΣ;3755382 said:


> I am wanting to do the magnet mod too. I am wondering, not wanting to attach with something as permanent as JB Weld how about some pure clear silicone? Should be pretty strong but able to be removed later if needed although sometimes silicone leaves enough residue on the surface that short of a scraper wont get it all off. I wonder if ZL sells extra tailcaps?
> 
> This may be nit picking but when jogging or hiking every ounce matters and there wouldnt be any use for a magnet. An extra tailcap w/o magnet could be used in those situations where you would not need a magnet and weight matters.



I used regular super glue. It comes off clean and easy.






Sometimes the right question will produce a solution. You asked the right question.
This is a removable magnet mod. Choose a cap that fits over the cap of your light. There wasn't any here. I had to grind the inside of two of these so they could fit.





After grinding to fit and adding a magnet.





Fit over cap of light. I am gonna show just one.





As overhead light in standard position.





Here is the best part about this mod. Well, make that two. The first is it is removable. The second is it is adjustable. As useful as my past magnet mod has been, one frustration remains: the beam can not be adjusted. With this mod, it can be. Pop the cap open and stick some paper in there to change the angle of the beam.





I am going to leave it on my light for few days to see if I can keep it attached permanently.


----------



## Diablo_331

Very nice Davidt1! Even better than the first.


----------



## shao.fu.tzer

Has anyone modded the electronic switch with a nice reliable mechanical one? Maybe I'd buy a Zebra then...


----------



## Lite_me

shao.fu.tzer said:


> Has anyone modded the electronic switch with a nice reliable mechanical one? Maybe I'd buy a Zebra then...


 The switch is already mechanical, only momentary. It's the switching that's electronic. If you were to put an on-off switch on it, you wouldn't be able to switch between modes or settings.

Edit to add: Actually, it would just cycle between modes, continuously. Like it does when holding the switch down now.


----------



## davidt1

Diablo_331 said:


> Very nice Davidt1! Even better than the first.



I am glad you like it. I hope it inspires you and others to say, "hey, that's nice, but I can make it better."

It turns out this mod works great for AAA and some AA flashlights as well. It should fit most AA flashlights without a clip or with some clearance in the back. The mod should fit the SC51 and SC80. Here I use the Fenix E05.


----------



## davidt1

Ever worried about your angle ZL light turning on by accidents? Just glue an 0-ring over the switch and no more worries. Yesterday I learned this mod from Lite_me.






More uses for the removable magnet mod. The upcoming H502 (or the H501) is a perfect match for this mod because it is shorter than the H51. Once you add the plastic cap it will be about the length of the H51 without the mod. It's just another reason I can't wait to get the H502W.

The mod easily turns my H51W and E05 into a desk lamp, great for studying, eating, etc.


----------



## Diablo_331

I learned about the oring trick yesterday as well. Very neat.


----------



## davidt1

Now that I have thought about it, the removable magnet mod should work even better on the H30, H31, SC30, and SC31 because CR123 lights are short in length.


----------



## robostudent5000

sort of as a follow up on gcb's red light Photon thread here, has anyone with the Zebra magnet mod tried to see if the magnet will hold a Photon/fauxton on to the Zebra's tail cap. i think there might be enough metal in the Photon/fauxton battery to stick to the magnet. if so, that would be a great red light option for a Zebra. if you have a magnetic tail cap, you can just stick an unmodded red Photon/ fauxton on the magnet for a optional red light.


----------



## varuscelli

Here's an H501w holder I made for a baseball cap visor. I probably wouldn't advise doing this with one of the heavier ZL headlamps, but the H501w is fairly light weight and works just fine. 

If you want to wear a baseball-style cap with a Zebralight (with the headband attached over the cap), the visor will generally get in the way of angling the lamp downward. If you wear the headband under the cap you can get some other hat fit issues and/or glare/vision issues. So, I wanted to set up a way to place the H501 on the cap visor. 

I took a spare ZL headlamp holder and trimmed off the ends and mounted that to a metal strike plate for a stereo cabinet glass door (those are typically available general hardware stores). If using the ZL holder in the laid-down flat position (as you would for a cap visor holder like I'm showing here), you have to trim off the protruding headband guides or they will block some of the light when the lamp is angled downward. 

The stereo cabinet glass door strikes (about $3 USD at a hardware store) are just about a perfect fit for the visor of a baseball cap (very snug, won't slip off). I roughed up the metal on one side of the door strike and the rubber on the bottom of the lamp holder and glued those together with Super Glue. On my first try, I used some PC-7 (two part epoxy paste) that I had on hand, and even though the epoxy paste worked great for the painted surface of the metal door strike, it wasn't very good for adhering to the rubber of the ZL lamp holder (many adhesives do NOT work well with rubber, but old fashion Super Glue is one of those that does, and it's relatively inexpensive). 

Note: In the photos the strike plate seems to look a lot heavier than it really is, but part of the thick appearance is because of the inner padding that holds it to whatever it's attached to. It actually weighs between 8 to 10 grams, but I didn't get an exact weight before I put it together. Here are a few of the weights I got when I checked after I got it set up (for what it's worth). 

H501w + Powerex Battery = 52 grams
H501w + Powerex Battery + Standard Silicon Holder = 58 grams
H501w + Powerex Battery + Trimmed Silicon Holder + Strike Plate = 66 grams

This setup would have worked really well using an inexpensive money clip, too...but I didn't have one of those on hand to experiment with. (A money clip version is coming up, though.) 

Update: See post 116 for the money clip hat visor holder. 

​


 






 






 




Attaches over or under a hat visor 



 






 



​I'm also playing around with adding a magnet to the bottom of the plate. The whole thing will still do a tailstand if removed from the visor, and if used with the magnet will give 360 degree rotation of the lamp either vertically or horizontally (or even diagonally), depending on how you place the magnet against the chosen surface. This thing is really versatile. I used a neodymium magnets, but I"m wondering if a and adhesive-backed flexible strip magnet would be better (if it were strong enough, that is). 





 

​


----------



## edc3

Brilliant varuscelli! I love the ingenuity in this thread.


----------



## varuscelli

Thanks, edc3. I toyed around with about a half dozen ways of doing that and finally decided on the strike plate thing. But, I updated my original post with the thought that it would have probably been better to use a cheap money clip, if I could have found one. I'll probably do one of those as well. And the magnet addition gives it even more potential uses, especially coupled with the trimmed down silicon holder for all the lamp rotation possibilities (360 degrees in vertical or horizontal or any chosen angle in between). I like the way it came together.


----------



## davidt1

I have good news for those who don't want to glue a magnet to your ZL headlamp. You can use magnets without gluing them to the tail cap, or without using a removable magnet mod. This is possible because of the ingenious swiveling clip.

Attach 1 magnet to the clip, then attach that magnet to another magnet. The angle of the beam can be adjusted by swiveling the clip/light.






















Because the wood is thick, 3 magnets were needed here: 1 on the clip and 2 on the inside.





Beam angle adjustment is much better with the new way.










My removable magnet mod, while unnecessary now, is not a total waste. I can store 2 magnets on it. There are instances where extending the light out has an advantage over the flat layout. However, the new way allows for a more precise control of the beam angle. In short, the new way is better than the old one without the hassle of gluing and making a mod. But you need a way to EDC some magnets.


----------



## perregrintuk

@varuscelli: The cap holder is such awesome! Love it...


----------



## varuscelli

perregrintuk said:


> @varuscelli: The cap holder is such awesome! Love it...



Thank you, perregrintuk...


----------



## EXCALIBUR1

I just received my H51F from GG using the ggcpf10 discount code. I'm lovin' it. Right now, I have my H51F set up with the GITD holder, black 550 paracord, and cord lock ala varuscelli. As we all know, this set up works well for neck and head wear when using the H51F.

I would like to thank davidt1, Bolster, varuscelli, et. al. for their contributions and mod ideas. I am now a CPF headlamp user.


varuscelli said:


>


----------



## davidt1

Congrats on your new H51F. Find a way to use the clip. With the clip and some magnets you can turn this light into all kind of other lights: desk lamp, over head light, night light, etc.


----------



## varuscelli

EXCALIBUR1 said:


> I just received my H51F from GG using the ggcpf10 discount code. I'm lovin' it. Right now, I have my H51F set up with the GITD holder, black 550 paracord, and cord lock ala varuscelli. As we all know, this set up works well for neck and head wear when using the H51F.
> 
> I would like to thank davidt1, Bolster, varuscelli, et. al. for their contributions and mod ideas. I am now a CPF headlamp user.



Very cool! But I think once you get one of these things, I think you're hooked. Of the different lights I own, I think the ZebraLight headlamp and SC600 are my favorite own/two punch with their compact size, power, versatility and bang for the buck.


----------



## EXCALIBUR1

davidt1 and varuscelli,

Thank you. It is an honor to be in the presence of such venerable flashaholics. I am finding more and more uses for my H51F. With the neck and head wear options afforded by the H51F, there is no more need to hold the flashlight in my mouth anymore. I am planning to buy some magnets next. I am still on the prowl for an elastic sleeve, but my local Wallygreens does not have them in stock. 

Please keep those mods and new ideas coming.


----------



## davidt1

Try Joan's fabric or walmart.


----------



## miyagi

David - Much thank you for your great ideas!! I think you should package a "Dave's Accessory" for like $20 payable via PayPal. :wave: This includes everything up to your last post in this thread. I definitely would be interested. 

The H502 and H502W are around the corner and quite hard to resist in getting H501 which has been out for a while!!!


----------



## davidt1

miyagi said:


> David - Much thank you for your great ideas!! I think you should package a "Dave's Accessory" for like $20 payable via PayPal. :wave: This includes everything up to your last post in this thread. I definitely would be interested.
> 
> The H502 and H502W are around the corner and quite hard to resist in getting H501 which has been out for a while!!!



Thanks for the kind words. A cord lock, shoelace, elastic sleeve and some magnets should cost you no more than $5 to put together by yourself. I can not believe I have spent months using the light with a magnet glued to the tail cap and not realizing sooner a better way to use magnets is through the rotating clip. Thanks must go to Zebralight for including this ever-so-useful clip. I hope they will update it to a beefier stainless steel one on their upcoming lights.

Since I lost my H501, I have a need for an all flood ZL light. The H502/H502W is the logical light to get in so many ways. The new light should be an improvement over both the H501 and H51F with more brightness and better efficiency over the H51F while retaining the true flood beam and size of the H501. I can't wait.


----------



## edc3

Okay creative geniuses, I've been wanting a removable diffuser for my Zebralight headlamps for a long time. A couple of weeks ago I ordered an 18mm UCL lens with Light Diffusion Film. My first attempt to make a holder for it (out of velcro) was partially successful. It spread the beam out pretty nicely and was easy to make - no sewing. The problem was that it is too bulky and not secure enough. I'm afraid the lens could pop out too easily. Anyone got any ideas for a holder for this lens? Also, I'm wondering if anyone has a source for plastic diffuser material like in the Surefire diffusers. 

Anyway, here are some pics:


----------



## LED_Thrift

The SC51 was near the top of my short list of favorite EDCs. It has a great UI, with easy to access high mode - too easy actually. The only thing keeping it from being at the top of my EDC list was the fact that it would come on in my pocket when it bumped up against a pocketknife, keys, my phone or whatever else was sharing space with it. To make matters worse, with the great UI it has it will come on in high mode with the kind of quick bump the switch gets when dancing with other objects in your pocket. Since the high is really high for a single AA light, it also means that the battery gets run down fast while lighting up the inside of your pocket. Twice when I needed to use my light, it had very little juice left. It used to come on accidentally about once a day. Until...






Since I did the mod over two weeks ago, it hasn't come on once by accident, yet turning it on isn't any harder than it was before, although I haven't tried it with gloves. It is now my favorite EDC, passing a D10 [ramping w shortcuts] and a Peak Rainier. The mod will be reversible, though I can't imagine why I might want to do that!

It wasn't that hard once I figured out where to get the raw material. I needed thin wall aluminum tube of just the right diameter.... SKI POLES. I had a few second string ones I had saved - always knew they would come in handy. They taper near the bottom, giving me variable diameters. 
Cut a thin slice, sand it a little, some carefully placed epoxy - problem solved!

Regards, 
Thrifty​


----------



## davidt1

LED Thrift,

Good stuff there! I am glad it worked out well for you.


edc3,

The Zebralight angle head is so hard to add any mod to because it's not circular and there is no protrusion to attach anything to. I use DC-fix on my H51w. The thin film fits right inside on top of the lens. This is the easiest way to diffuse a ZL light, IMO. I have come up with a mod that might work for you. For this mod, a keyring and some elastic material are needed.

Cut an elastic string to fit and sew both end to fit through keyring. Elastic string is removable and keyring of different sizes can be used.





Glue diffuser on top of keyring and attach to light. Here I used a magnet to illustrate. There is some light leakage on the side. It shouldn't be a problem, I don't think.





My H51w providing hand-free light for this mod.


----------



## varuscelli

*Re: ZebraLight Mods (Money Clip Visor Holder)*

Hey, as continuation from post 100 earlier in this thread, I've done the "money clip" version of a hat visor holder for the H501w. I found a black anodized aluminum money clip (very light weight for its size) and rigged it the same way as I did the glass door strike in the earlier thread with a trimmed down ZebraLight headlamp holder. Money clips are often overpriced, but this one was less than $5. 

Although the money clip version looks a lot longer/bigger than the glass door strike version, it weighs the same (they're within a gram of each other) and it will also allow the headlamp to do a tailstand while still in the holder even though it looks like it would be unbalanced. This version holds to the hat visor firmly and could also be rigged with a magnet if the magnet were glued into place. 

One of the photos below shows the door strike version next to the money clip version for perspective. As with the glass door strike version, I Super Glued the trimmed ZL lamp holder into place on the money clip and it seems to be holding firmly. 



 





 





 





 





 

​





​


----------



## edc3

Thanks davidt1! I think I'll try something like you did with the keyring. I've read that DC Fix is great, but I want something I can place and remove easily. Need to get some magnets too...


----------



## davidt1

Good news!!!

You can use rubber bands for this mod if you don't like sewing.

Made an orange and a blue filters.





Compact and thin.





These colors make for great traffic alert or night light. I really like the orange.


----------



## psychbeat

I might have to make one of these with the rubber bands and some scotch tape. 

Was thinking I could color it with a pen for different tints like swamp green 
Actually yellow highlighter might b nice.


----------



## davidt1

The Orange Glow.

It's so soothing to look at. I love it.


----------



## master_cn

the mod with the cap is really good, i tried it an it worked well!


----------



## davidt1

Made three more filters: red, green, and purple. I will EDC only the red and orange, as they seem to be popular colors for traffic/emergency signals.






There filters make a different nightlight every night. If you have small children, you can put on a different filter on your ZL light each night and use it as a nightlight for them.


----------



## davidt1

Made a red filter for the Fenix E05 and tested the red and orange. Fenix: 28lm; H51w: 26lm



.

Fenix with red filter





H51w with red filter





H51w with orange filter





The camera failed to capture what the human eyes can see. All filters are brighter than the camera can show. Orange is the brightest and still preserves night vision.


----------



## fixitman

varuscelli,
that money clip mod is pretty sweet. I wonder if there is a way to make the zebralight holder rotate on the money clip, then it would be great for also clipping other lights, and aiming.

Great stuff all! I especially like the mods for maximizing EDC use.
hmmm, I think I may need a new Zebralight! just sold my H501 to a friend, and my H51 now has a permanent place on my bump hat at work....


----------



## robostudent5000

davidt1 said:


> H51w with orange filter



the orange looks sweet! what did you use for the filters if you don't mind me asking?


----------



## varuscelli

fixitman said:


> varuscelli,
> that money clip mod is pretty sweet. I wonder if there is a way to make the zebralight holder rotate on the money clip, then it would be great for also clipping other lights, and aiming.



Thanks, fixitman. I was originally playing with the idea of mounting the rubber holder to the money clip with something other than glue, but did want anything for instance going through the rubber and possibly scratching the exterior of the lamp. Something could be countersunk, but I worried a bit about digging too far into the rubber and perhaps weakening it. There are quite a few variations on the theme that would work, but I just went with a couple of different ones for simplicity sake. 

Also, note that not all money clips would work for this kind of thing. Some are too tight to easily fit over something as thick as the visor of a baseball cap, but the aluminum one I found was nearly perfect in the amount of tension and gap (as was the stereo cabinet glass door strike).


----------



## Gordo

I'd like to try the O-ring bumper. After google-ing for about half an hour now, it occurred to me that someone already has the answers.

anyone have the size and type of o-ring? And was it secured with clear silicone or something else?


----------



## davidt1

Gordo said:


> I'd like to try the O-ring bumper. After google-ing for about half an hour now, it occurred to me that someone already has the answers.
> 
> anyone have the size and type of o-ring? And was it secured with clear silicone or something else?



Sorry I don't know the size. I just picked one that fit out of a box of dollar store O-ring I have. You just need to make sure that the O-ring is not touching the switch. You can use any glue you like. I used super glue gel.


----------



## davidt1

robostudent5000 said:


> the orange looks sweet! what did you use for the filters if you don't mind me asking?



I used dollar store binders and a food container for the red filter.


----------



## Lite_me

Gordo said:


> I'd like to try the O-ring bumper. After google-ing for about half an hour now, it occurred to me that someone already has the answers.
> 
> anyone have the size and type of o-ring? And was it secured with clear silicone or something else?


Start here and read down a few posts.
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...nally-get-it&p=3757533&highlight=#post3757533


----------



## scott

The O-ring is a #111. My local hardware store had them. Lowes did not.


----------



## Gordo

I finally got to Lowe's and found the exact size o-ring you recommend. 
the super glue gel worked like a charm. 

Thanks for the tips.


----------



## davidt1

Gordo said:


> I finally got to Lowe's and found the exact size o-ring you recommend.
> the super glue gel worked like a charm.
> 
> Thanks for the tips.



I am glad the fix works for you.


----------



## davidt1

Duct tape, or specifically Gorilla tape, is something everyone should EDC. It takes little space and can do so much. With some duct tape and a magnet you can turn your ZL headlamp into an overhead or utility light on any surface or wall.

Tear a small piece just enough to enclose the magnet





Apply tape to any surface you want and attach light






Note that the swiveling clip on the ZL light makes it possible to adjust the beam to any desired angle.


----------



## jonesy

I did the magnet mod to my H31FW. Just put a bit of super glue on the bottom and it works like a charm. For those wondering it's a 3/4" diameter magnet. It's also ridiculously strong. Here it is hanging on a clothes rack in a closet.


----------



## davidt1

jonesy,

Looking good! The mod that is.


----------



## varuscelli

jonesy said:


> I did the magnet mod to my H31FW. Just put a bit of super glue on the bottom and it works like a charm. For those wondering it's a 3/4" diameter magnet. It's also ridiculously strong. Here it is hanging on a clothes rack in a closet.



Just for an extra bit of consideration, take a look at posts number 74 to 79 in this thread where similar magnet use seemed to cause eventual problems. It might not happen with your light with the one magnet, but it's good stuff to keep in mind in case anything crops up. davidt1 should be able to elaborate better than I can, but the concern might have been with use of more than one magnet.


----------



## davidt1

I wouldn't worry about the battery being pulled away from the head with just one magnet. All of this doesn't mean anything to me now, as I don't glue a magnet to the tailcap anymore since I have discovered that the swiveling clip is a better medium for magnet attachment.


----------



## varuscelli

*Re: ZebraLight SC600 Wand*

Not a headlamp mod, but a film canister that's a perfect fit for the head of an SC600 as a diffuser wand. 

No modification of the canister needed -- just slip it on, and it's a very snug fit. 

This is a Fujifilm film canister. I haven't bought film in years, but I have a bunch of these left over from years of photography. Anyone who wants one of these canisters could probably easily pick up an empty one from any one-hour photo lab. Most of those places still process film (yeah, some people still do use film) and the person working the counter could likely easily pull one of these out of their trash or recycle bin for anybody looking for one.


----------



## g.p.

*Re: ZebraLight Mods a la DavidT1*

Nice!


----------



## varuscelli

davidt1 said:


> All of this doesn't mean anything to me now, as I don't glue a magnet to the tailcap anymore since I have discovered that the swiveling clip is a better medium for magnet attachment.



Hmmm...that seems like an oddly indifferent response given your previous enthusiasm about variations in styles of mods (I mean the "all of this doesn't mean anything to me now" part). 

But regarding the magnet on the clip as you've been showing it, are you gluing the magnet to the clip?


----------



## davidt1

I meant to say the magnet/battery thing doesn't apply to me anymore.

The clip is metal.


----------



## varuscelli

davidt1 said:


> I meant to say the magnet/battery thing doesn't apply to me anymore.
> 
> The clip is metal.



Yeah, I realize the clip is metal. 

I guess from the reply you're allowing the magnet to do the work rather than gluing it to the clip (which I of course understand as the easiest way to go about it). But I can also see relying on the magnetic attraction alone as causing potential problems in that the magnet might often choose to stay with the other surface rather than coming away with the clip when you make the move to separate the lamp from the surface to which the light is attached -- thus potentially making the magnet more prone to scratching the metal surface to which it's attached. This would especially be the case with the more powerful Neodymium magnets where there could potentially be a quite a bit of extra effort involved in removing the magnet from the other surface. The more I play with this kind of magnet attachment (especially with the Neodymium magnets), the more I feel that a solid attachment to the lamp holder (rather than just the magnetic attraction) is likely a better way to go. Of course, then you're stuck with having the magnet permanently attached...so finding the right balance that works for each of us is the thing that has to be done.


----------



## varuscelli

Borrowing a bit from davidt1's ingenuity (but with a twist) and adding to the SC600 with film canister diffuser wand and a 3/4-inch neodymium magnet, I was playing with this setup for a bit. The interesting thing is the 140 grams of weight the magnet is holding. I slipped the magnet beneath the clip on the SC600 to make it easier to pull away from the attachment point (and with a neodymium magnet, this can certainly be a bit of an issue at times). The magnet slips under the clip without any flexing of the clip (there's just the right space beneath the clip for the magnet to slide right under). This'll light a room like a light bulb with the diffuser attached.


----------



## tony613

varuscelli said:


> Borrowing a bit from davidt1's ingenuity (but with a twist) and adding to the SC600 with film canister diffuser wand and a 3/4-inch neodymium magnet, I was playing with this setup for a bit. The interesting thing is the 140 grams of weight the magnet is holding. I slipped the magnet beneath the clip on the SC600 to make it easier to pull away from the attachment point (and with a neodymium magnet, this can certainly be a bit of an issue at times). The magnet slips under the clip without any flexing of the clip (there's just the right space beneath the clip for the magnet to slide right under). This'll light a room like a light bulb with the diffuser attached.





varuscelli said:


> ​




Thanks varuscelli (and davidt1) for all of your posts, and for sharing your right brain thinking in a potentially left brain centric forum. My question to you now is, has your ingenuity made it that much more difficult to justify getting the ZL H600? I suppose since your SC600 is cool white, you _could_ justify it more easily by getting the H600w. Of course, that assumes the H600's ever become available to folks here in the U.S. (just kidding ZebraLight - you're in an enviable but difficult position, having so many people anxiously awaiting new products from your company). Come to think of it, ZebraLight is raiding our wallets similar to the way that Apple™ does.


----------



## varuscelli

tony613 said:


> My question to you now is, has your ingenuity made it that much more difficult to justify getting the ZL H600?



Well...for my part, I've been a pretty big headlamp fan for three or four years now, although I didn't get my first ZebraLight until this year. It's hard to beat the ability to use a light hands free, whether inside or outside, and the exceptional versatility of the ZebraLight headlamps seems to make them even more desirable than a lot of the more purely dedicated headlamps. 

I like to play with stuff like this makeshift diffuser wand for the SC600, but it doesn't really replace the broader functionality of a good headlamp. I'm not even that big a fan of diffuser wands since they tend to be a bit hard on the eyes when you look in their general direction, but you never know when something like this might come in handy (just knowing you can do it easily if you want to). But no -- it wouldn't get in the way of considering something like the H600. 

These 18650 headlamps (whichever brand appeals to you) just seem to open up so many possibilities for nice, bright, long-running and hands-free lighting. I hope the H600 ends up being a well-received headlamp (that it does what it should do and does it well, hopefully living up to reasonable expectations). I guess we'll know before too long.


----------



## michman

*Re: Zebralight Mods*

This is an awesome thread. I have been inspired to get an H51 over the SC51 due to its versatility and adaptability. The magnets and filters/diffusers are especially awesome.

I was not sure if I wanted to get a flood H51 or regular, but knowing that I can make a flood light easily I think my decision has been made.


----------



## TheExpert

This is good old fashion ingenuity all while being resourceful, I think we sometimes loose our creativity when we can just buy something all the time. Less encourage us to think. Very nice job!


----------



## davidt1

There is also the H502 if you can wait. It will have the small size and true flood beam and H501 and the brightness and efficiency of the X-ML emitter.


----------



## davidt1

For those who want to use a Velcro headband to minimize the bouncing when wearing your ZL headlamp, this product is excellent for the task. It's thinner, cheaper and more versatile than the Niteize headband. 

Cost little over $5 at Walmart and 4 headbands can be made out of it. It can be cut to the exact length you want and the rest can used for other tasks.





Made in the US


----------



## Outdoorsman5

*Re: ZebraLight Mods a la DavidT1*



varuscelli said:


> Not a headlamp mod, but a film canister that's a perfect fit for the head of an SC600 as a diffuser wand.



Varuscelli, this is genius, and can't wait to find one of these film canisters to try it out on my sc600. Thanks for the info!


----------



## varuscelli

*Re: ZebraLight SC600 Wand*



Outdoorsman5 said:


> Varuscelli, this is genius, and can't wait to find one of these film canisters to try it out on my sc600. Thanks for the info!



If by genius we can define it as "lucky guess while fooling around," then I accept the compliment. :nana:

There's actually a variation on this that uses reflective foil tape, which makes it a bit less blinding -- and that really helps if you're carrying the flashlight with the makeshift wand attached. My gripe with wands has always been that they send too much light right back into the eyes. I'll post a couple of pics later since I think it's an improvement on the concept for certain situations.


----------



## varuscelli

*Re: ZebraLight SC600 Wand*

These pictures don't really do justice to the effectiveness of this modification to the film cannister diffuser wand for the SC600, but adding some foil-backed tape to the interior of the cannister keeps the light from shining back into the user's eyes. The glare effect is more of a problem when carrying a flashlight with a wand on it. Personally, I don't like to use diffuser wands for just that reason (too much glare for me in most situations). 

To help reduce the glare problem, I cut a 1 and 5/8 inch x 1 and 5/8 inch square of the foil tape and placed it inside the cannister, covering about half of the cannister's circumference. (Note that you need to get the foil deep enough into the cannister that the SC600 head doesn't crimp the foil when the cannister is placed on the flashlight head...see the second photo.) The foil-backed tape is the hardware store version for home heating and air conditioning systems, sold in rolls like regular duct tape. I keep that stuff on hand, so it's what I used. I think regular aluminum foil could be used just as easily, as long as a bit of glue (maybe using a glue stick) was used to keep the foil in place. 

The foil tape both reflects more light outward and at the same time blocks the light from shining back in the user's eyes. 









I have the brightness set only to medium in these photos, so these images don't provide a good a representation of how much the foil tape helps ease the glare on the eyes, but in person (especially when using a higher setting on the SC600) this is really effective. 












There are probably times when you wouldn't want or need this foil mod, but I think it's a handy one to keep in mind.


----------



## Outdoorsman5

*Re: ZebraLight SC600 Wand*

I like it.....thanks again.


----------



## Zenbaas

*Re: ZebraLight SC600 Wand*



varuscelli said:


> These pictures don't really do justice to the effectiveness of this modification to the film cannister diffuser wand for the SC600, but adding some foil-backed tape to the interior of the cannister keeps the light from shining back into the user's eyes. The glare effect is more of a problem when carrying a flashlight with a wand on it. Personally, I don't like to use diffuser wands for just that reason (too much glare for me in most situations).
> 
> To help reduce the glare problem, I cut a 1 and 5/8 x 1 and 5/8 square of the foil tape and placed it inside the cannister. (Note that you need to get the foil deep enough into the cannister that the SC600 head doesn't crimp the foil when the cannister is placed on the flashlight head...see the second photo.) The foil-backed tape is the hardware store version for home heating and air conditioning systems, sold in rolls like regular duct tape. I keep that stuff on hand, so it's what I used. I think regular aluminum foil could be used just as easily, as long as a bit of glue (maybe using a glue stick) was used to keep the foil in place.
> 
> The foil tape both reflects more light outward and at the same time blocks the light from shining back in the user's eyes.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I have the brightness set only to medium in these photos, so these images don't provide a good a representation of how much the foil tape helps ease the glare on the eyes, but in person (especially when using a higher setting on the SC600) this is really effective.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> There are probably times when you wouldn't want or need this foil mod, but I think it's a handy one to keep in mind.


I agree. Great Idea. It's the simple things that make all the difference


----------



## varuscelli

*Re: ZebraLight SC600 Wand*

As a side note, I did one of these foil-backed diffuser wands for the Fenix MC11 that I got for my daughter (which I want to steal back from her, by the way), and because of the foil backed tape and the ability to tilt the head, it makes the best computer tower work light I've ever used. It diffuses and directs just about all the light up and outward toward the computer's interior components (lighting up the entire case interior) and sends almost no glare light back into my eyes. But that's a Fenix mod.


----------



## Outdoorsman5

*Re: ZebraLight SC600 Wand*

Hey varuscelli, I picked up a few film canisters from my local pharmacy yesterday, and these things really do work very well as a lamp shade. I didn't even notice much of a loss in lumens when using it which was a surprise. Anyway, the SC600 just got better....Thanks again.


----------



## varuscelli

*Re: ZebraLight SC600 Wand*



Outdoorsman5 said:


> Hey varuscelli, I picked up a few film canisters from my local pharmacy yesterday, and these things really do work very well as a lamp shade. I didn't even notice much of a loss in lumens when using it which was a surprise. Anyway, the SC600 just got better....Thanks again.



Great -- I'm glad you were able to find some of the cannisters (which I didn't really think would be a problem, but you never know who's going to have a few on hand or not). A super-easy mod (if you can even call is a "mod"). 

If you get the time or inclination, give the foil backing a try (even kitchen aluminum foil should work just fine). If you're holding the SC600 with the diffuser attached and walking around, the foil makes a huge difference in reducing light directed back toward the eyes, and I'm pretty sure it helps to reflect even more light forward and outward. With the SC600 on one of the higher levels, it'll light up a lot of space diffusion style. 

But even just using the cannister as a diffuser wand (lamp style) is a pretty cool addition to the tool bag even without the foil (but do one of each if you've got some extras to work with).


----------



## nguyet16

IMAG0237-1 by seadragon286, on Flickr. Hi guys,I usually EDC a bandana,so here is my zebra h51 headband mod with ranger bands and bandana.Hope the image upload correctly,thank you all for the great ideas on this awesome forum.

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk


----------



## DM51

^ ?? Can't make out what that is, LOL


----------



## varuscelli

I have to guess that's what happens when you do a full resolution image post from your smartphone...or something along those lines.


----------



## nguyet16

Yep...good guess....sorry for that guys,I tried to upload from my computer but can only post url of the image.I guess I don't have enough posts for that or something,I'm still new at this 
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk


----------



## varuscelli

It looks like you did it right, but probably need to size the image down to something in the 800x600 pixel range and re-post. You can always go back to your original post, click "Edit Post" at the bottom of the post, and re-link the image (after you've sized it down).


----------



## DM51

nguyet16 said:


> I tried to upload from my computer but can only post url of the image.I guess I don't have enough posts for that or something, I'm still new at this


You can post photos. There are "how to" sticky threads on this:

How to post Images from Google Picasa Web 
How to post images from Flickr 
Cant post photos


----------



## nguyet16

got it!!! Thanks a bunch!!! you guys are awesome!:thumbsup:


----------



## varuscelli

nguyet16 said:


> got it!!! Thanks a bunch!!! you guys are awesome!:thumbsup:



Cool! It views like a charm and a great idea for someone who EDCs a bandana. Yet another useful mod. :thumbsup:


----------



## michman

That is a really good mod/adaptation.


----------



## varuscelli

H600 lanyard neckwear (got some extra holders from ZebraLight to play around with...including GITD).


----------



## varuscelli

Another interesting thing that can be done with ZebraLight headlamp holders is that that can be attached to the back strap of a lot of different caps. One of the complaints about ZebraLight headlamps is that they don't work with cap visors because you can't wear the lamp above the hat visor and angle it downward. This is a variation that might work for some. You just flip your hat around backwards and there's no issue with the visor. I've got the rather large H600 holder on this one (the largest of all of them), but I think this would work great with the smaller lamps/smaller holders. This won't work with all cap straps, but with some it's a remarkably easy attachment.


----------



## psychbeat

I like that!^^^

I've been using an old style rubber n wire zebra clip to hold my Qmini123
hiCRI to my meshcap while doing trail work. 

That way I can leave my more powerful light on my helmet. 

I've also made a solid metal t shaped holder which would work for a zebra. 
It attaches under the helmet visor using the visors thumb screw. 

I'll post pics soon.


----------



## varuscelli

A few more pics of the baseball cap strap attachment of a ZL headlamp holder. With a smaller headlamp like this H501w, when I flip it around with the visor up front, I'm not even aware of the weight of the light in back (the cap distributes the weight so well that the weight of the lamp is barely noticeable). For certain work situations for guys who like to wear caps and need to use a headlamp, this could be ideal for occasional flip-around use. 

















A little closer look at the attachment on this cap (for what it's worth, since there are dozens of different ways these caps work in terms of the adjustment strap in back). This particular cap has a quick-release clip that's perfect for a ZL headlamp holder (takes just a few seconds to attach or remove it). Velcro straps also work pretty well, but it varies depending on the length of the strap overlaps.


----------



## DM51

varuscelli said:


>


Wearing it in that configuration (on the back of your head) might be quite useful when visiting the outhouse at night, so you could see where you were... _going_ (if you get my meaning).


----------



## varuscelli

DM51 said:


> Wearing it in that configuration (on the back of your head) might be quite useful when visiting the outhouse at night, so you could see where you were... _going_ (if you get my meaning).



In my case, I'd obviously need a bit of a trim to keep from blocking the effective light. I'd hate to make any mistakes in a crucial part of the process... :nana:


----------



## michman

I must say that these comments are a bit _below the belt_.... :duh2:


----------



## DM51

michman said:


> I must say that these comments are a bit _below the belt_.... :duh2:


That would be quite difficult. In those circumstances, his belt would be down around his ankles. LOL


----------



## michman

DM51 said:


> That would be quite difficult. In those circumstances, his belt would be down around his ankles. LOL



I needed a good chuckle. Thanks. Point scored.


----------



## Outdoorsman5

Hey Varuscelli,
Once again brilliant. I love the hat idea, and can't wait to get home & try it out with my new H600 or one of my other ZL's. 
Thanks for the idea.


----------



## varuscelli

psychbeat said:


> I like that!^^^





Outdoorsman5 said:


> Hey Varuscelli,
> Once again brilliant. I love the hat idea, and can't wait to get home & try it out with my new H600 or one of my other ZL's.
> Thanks for the idea.



Thanks, guys. I was hoping I wasn't the only one who saw some potential in the idea, but with the occasional frustration some have with wearing the ZL headband while wearing a cap and placing the headband over the visor or under the visor, this seemed like one of those easy-to-overlook solutions (for some situations, in any case). 

Personally, this is something I want to use while fishing our local ponds. Our trips occasionally start before daybreak or stretch to after dark. During the day, I want the visor over my face, but before sunrise or after sunset I like easy hands-free access to a light, and this looks like a very workable solution for that situation.


----------



## scott

cistallus said:


> *Re: ZebraLight Mods*
> Written by *RedForest UK* on 11-06-2010 02:31 PM GMT
> 
> I just left the stock clip on, cut the circular loops off of the GITD headband and cut some notches in the back. Then it clips/unclips onto the headband attachment great, itll still rotate easily enough for me, doesn't wobble at all due to the notches and rubber on rubber grip, and is easily removable. Plus the GITD backing looks great without those weird loopy things going round the light.  [/INDENT]




The above appeared on the first page of this thread, but no one has seemed to take advantage of it (based on any of the photos on the rest of the thread.) I thought I might repost it it here, and tell how great it is. I cut the loops off of the silicone part of the headband yesterday. I did not cut notches, but simply ran the clip through the headband slots. It holds perfectly. I don't have to remove the clip to use the headband, and the whole thing is much less bulky. Those loops are completely unnecessary.


----------



## varuscelli

scott said:


> The above appeared on the first page of this thread, but no one has seemed to take advantage of it (based on any of the photos on the rest of the thread.) I thought I might repost it it here, and tell how great it is. I cut the loops off of the silicone part of the headband yesterday. I did not cut notches, but simply ran the clip through the headband slots. It holds perfectly. I don't have to remove the clip to use the headband, and the whole thing is much less bulky. Those loops are completely unnecessary.



I can pretty easily envision what you're describing, but do you have a way to post an pic or two? I don't think the original poster (cistallus) ever posted any images, either...but the visuals seem to add a lot to the thread (in my mind). Also, what lamp are you using? One with a fully metal clip or the metal+rubber clip like on the H501? I think cistallus was probably using something like the H501 based on his description of the clip (mentioning the "rubber on rubber grip").


----------



## scott

I won't be able to post pics until at least next Tuesday. In the meantime, I'm using a H51W. I'll try again with the description, too. Take a knife or scissors to the silicone part of the headband and cut away the loops/rings that normally hold the light. You'll be left with a silicone rectangle with slots at each end. That's it. To attach the light, simply slide the light's clip into one of the slots. It holds the light perfectly. 

To you, and to the others that have been posting in this thread—THANK YOU ALL. Thanks to this thread, I now have the H51W and am amazed how useful and versatile it can be.


----------



## DIΩDΣ

Scott that sounds like a simple solution... and my black holder came defective with the two loops sliced anyhow. They werent sliced completely through but half way and trying to put the light it just made the cut go all the way through the first time I tried. I think I saved it, if I can find it I'll try it. Probably the biggest reason I use the Nite-Ize is because I can leave the clip on. But I find the stock stretch headband and silicon holder much more comfortable than hard non elastic nylon.


----------



## tony613

This really isn't a mod at all but more of a use case. Below is the H600 mounted on bicycle handle bars. The light is in its supplied silicon holder and attached with an old shoe lace. The head and switch are oriented toward the center of the bike so that my thumb can activate it and change modes while my hands stay in a natural riding position, much less require an awkward reach for the switch. The last picture shows the light is mounted slightly below the top of the handle bars which keeps it mostly out of the way, and it is still able to be rotated up or down if needed. 






..........








..........


----------



## reppans

^^ love the bike light.

Business card diffuser/lantern for ZL( or cylindrical):


----------



## varuscelli

Hey, davidt1: Have you happened to notice than none of your Photobucket images for mods show in this thread anymore? Seems to have been that way for a while now (I dunno, maybe a couple of weeks or so). 

With the level of detail you provided in your posts and the fact that the photos were so critical to illustrate your mods (dozens of photos, it looks like), it's too bad they no longer show.


----------



## davidt1

varuscelli said:


> Hey, davidt1: Have you happened to notice than none of your Photobucket images for mods show in this thread anymore? Seems to have been that way for a while now (I dunno, maybe a couple of weeks or so).
> 
> With the level of detail you provided in your posts and the fact that the photos were so critical to illustrate your mods (dozens of photos, it looks like), it's too bad they no longer show.



I did some cleaning recently. Those pictures had been on here a long time and, I hope, had served their purpose.


----------



## varuscelli

davidt1 said:


> I did some cleaning recently. Those pictures had been on here a long time and, I hope, had served their purpose.



It might be pointless for me to state my thought on this, but I'm going to anyway. While I understand that it's certainly your choice and prerogative to remove your own images, at the same time I have to say that I disagree with the reasoning behind removal. 

Like other similar threads, I see this thread as both a current and historical reference thread for those who might have interest in all the included posts. It was even "stickied" as a thread of interest by a moderator. 

The way I see it is that there probably shouldn't be a time limit for a reference thread such as this one. It seems to me that removal of reference points like photos basically renders anything posted by that particular member useless to anyone from the point of removal onward in time...and given the sheer number of useful images posted by you, that's a shame. 

My guess is that the vast majority of folks who currently refer to this thread (and those who might like to do so in the future) would agree that removal of photos lessens the usefulness of the thread. I'm personally sorry to see that you've chosen to go that route. I actually wanted to refer another member who had a question about potential ZebraLight diffusers in different thread to one of your examples in this thread, but after viewing the posts with removed photos, I guess my reference to this thread wouldn't help them at this point (another loss to the forum). 

Ahh, well -- I just wanted to express my point of view. I hope you end up changing your mind at some point and perhaps consider re-inserting your very useful images.


----------



## g.p.

That's exactly why I wish that you could upload photos to this site.


----------



## varuscelli

g.p. said:


> That's exactly why I wish that you could upload photos to this site.



Yeah, you're absolutely right. If the site had a built-in way to preserve the uploaded photos, it would certainly solve the problem of random disappearances of images from threads. I realize it takes more space and perhaps entails other site logistical concerns, but I belong to other forums where photo uploads are preserved as part of the site -- and it sure helps for long-term preservation of thread integrity. In most cases, they limit the size of attachments or attachments are automatically resized...but that's certainly better than the alternative.


----------



## TEEJ

Well, I think I've gotten an aspherical SC600W now....here's a beam shot:



















(How to make it)



That's a 30x22 mm Loupe in front of the SC600W lens


----------



## Bwang

I'm into ultralight backpacking so I'm trying to cut some weight from the standard ZL headlamp strap setup. I strung a shock cord through a GITD holder. With an Energizer L91 my brand new 502 tips my scales at 57grams. I could probably lose a gram or two by omitting the mini cord lock. It is surprisingly comfortable once I figured out that the cord should be threaded as shown. With a fleece hat, which I usually wear after the sun goes down, it is nearly as comfortable as the ZL strap.





[/URL] IMG_2076 by billwangphoto, on Flickr[/IMG]


----------



## davidt1

Bwang,

Good job there!


----------



## Outdoorsman5

Bwang, I like the looks of that....will have to rig one up. Thanks.


----------



## Bwang

I could probably cut off a few more grams by cutting off the strap loops and just stringing the cord through the light holder loops. I'll order another holder from ZL and try that soon.


----------



## UTV2TiVo

Bwang said:


> I'm into ultralight backpacking so I'm trying to cut some weight from the standard ZL headlamp strap setup. I strung a shock cord through a GITD holder. With an Energizer L91 my brand new 502 tips my scales at 57grams. I could probably lose a gram or two by omitting the mini cord lock. It is surprisingly comfortable once I figured out that the cord should be threaded as shown. With a fleece hat, which I usually wear after the sun goes down, it is nearly as comfortable as the ZL strap.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> [/URL] IMG_2076 by billwangphoto, on Flickr[/IMG]



Does that cord hurt your head after awhile?
Or do you wear a hat under it?


----------



## Julian Holtz

*Better clip for SC51W*

Hi!

I did not like the clip of my SC51W, so I made a new one from a stainless steel bicycle spoke.


----------



## Bwang

UTV2TiVo - I have pretty thick hair, so it only touches directly to skin about an inch on my forehead on either side of the holder. If you get the tension right it is pretty comfy even w/o a hat.


----------



## davidt1

Hi Julian Holtz,

Great mod!


----------



## lmorrison17

I just ordered my first zebra an H31.
I haven't gotten it yet but after I ordered i was looking up some more info on the light and found this thread.
Id like to thank *varuscelli* for the paracord necklanyard and ball cap ideas,I think those will be very useful for me.
I too wish davidt1 still had his photos up.
Thanks to all of the contributors to this thread.

Larry


----------



## Bolster

*Re: Better clip for SC51W*



Julian Holtz said:


> Hi! I did not like the clip of my SC51W, so I made a new one from a stainless steel bicycle spoke.



Righteous. Would love to know your technique so I can make one.


----------



## five.

My first post! (Been lurking for quite awhile and trying to curb any pending addictions by not joining.)

I have a H51 that I have been using at work and while running. I have been using it for about 6 months. Just yesterday a H600 and SC600 (my first 18650 lights). Now I'm second-guessing myself. The headlamp versions seem so much more versatile and I love handsfree. I thought of the idea of losing my leatherman / flashlight holster and just clipping the H600 directly to my belt, then I could use a smaller leatherman holster. Thanks a lot guys. I'm thinking I should have went H600 and H600f now. Oh well, maybe I will try a trade or swap.

All of these great mods have given me a lot of ideas. Wish all of the pictures were still active. A newb like me, I'd love to see everything.

Once I get converted over to the 600 series lights, I may try some pocketbook mod for my wife with the H51. So she will have a decent hands-free light on her all the time.


----------



## Bolster

A concept idea for reducing the beam spread of an H502, and adding a bit of protection by way of a bumper. This o-ring of 17mm OD limits the beam spread to about 85 degrees (down from 120). I have not glued it on, but would probably try rubber cement since that's reversible. I'm not the guy to actually use this mod since I like the 120 beam spread, but it's just a concept idea for those of you who would prefer a narrower beam. Many enthusiasts liked the 80 degree beam of the H501, so here's a way to get it back on your new H502.


----------



## Bobpuvel

What I think the best way to prevent the silicon mount from bunching up and allowing the light to bounce around. I took two pieces of ripstop nylon (half inch thick and about two inches long), looped them around the piece of silicon that goes between the strap and your head, stitched them to the band on the outsides of the silicon. Then, when the band is stretched, the nylon pulls those two pieces of silicon away from eachother, thus pulling the light closest to your head. 

Only con is that it's not as comfortable against the forehead and you can't take it off without unstitching it.


----------



## davidt1

This is an improved version of an old suction cup mod. Found the best suction cup I have tried. It's called LeafFrog. This thing will stick to just about anything: wood, metal, glass, dry wall, cement, tile, etc.


----------



## Subie J

Lot's of cool ideas, great thread.


----------



## Pretbek

davidt1 said:


> This is an improved version of an old suction cup mod. Found the best suction cup I have tried. It's called LeafFrog. This thing will stick to just about anything: wood, metal, glass, dry wall, cement, tile, etc.



In the last two photos, is the ZL held on with a magnet? I don't see Velcro like in the first photo.


----------



## davidt1

Yes, the light is held in place by a magnet. The magnet is attached to the genius swiveling clip which allows for unlimited beam angle adjustment.


----------



## Pretbek

Davidt1, do you have a link to the LeafFrog suction cup? My Google-Fu on my phone is weak tonight, I did not find it.


----------



## davidt1

Sorry, I got the name wrong. It's called Frogsfeet. I got it from Amazon. Linking, I believe, is not allowed here. You can search on Amazon.


----------



## kaichu dento

So many cool mods here, but I keep coming back and hoping to find anyone who's figured out how to swap emitters. Doubt it'll happen anytime soon, but maybe, so I keep looking...


----------



## Mooreshire

kaichu dento said:


> So many cool mods here, but I keep coming back and hoping to find anyone who's figured out how to swap emitters. Doubt it'll happen anytime soon, but maybe, so I keep looking...



Forum member Match did it two weeks ago and posted photos on this thread.


----------



## kaichu dento

Mooreshire said:


> Forum member Match did it two weeks ago and posted photos on this thread.


This is some pretty good news, because it brings the possibility of freedom from having to just live with the emitter that happened to land in the light at the factory, instead of being able to swap to our own personal favorite, as we've become accustomed to over the past few years now.


----------



## tobrien

Such phenomenal ideas!!!


----------



## PocketBeam

Several things... first, I couldn't find the frogsfeet suction cups. Are links really prohibited in this case?

Is there a post or thread, no pun intended, that discusses the best way to make the cord/string headband that can be wrapped around the light? I saw some pictures but not details on what to use or how to tie it.

Is there something small that can attach to the light, and then itself can attach to various things at different angles. I am looking for something that can attach to the light then can grab a hold of things like shirts, baseball caps, seat belts, small bars, etc. So in various situations you could find something to attach the light to that is in the area. And the smaller the better.

Btw, I have a H50, H51, and SC52.


----------



## nopar

Maybe not specific to the zebra but on my fenix 32UE the bayer asprin bottle works awesome as a lamp. the 100 count yeloow bottle actually fits right on top and and the inside lip of the bottle "srews down over the first lip of the light. Yellow color is awesome. I just leave the items inside the bottle. I have some spare thread and orings I usually carry in the bottle.


----------



## davidt1

PocketBeam said:


> Several things... first, I couldn't find the frogsfeet suction cups. Are links really prohibited in this case?
> 
> Is there a post or thread, no pun intended, that discusses the best way to make the cord/string headband that can be wrapped around the light? I saw some pictures but not details on what to use or how to tie it.
> 
> Is there something small that can attach to the light, and then itself can attach to various things at different angles. I am looking for something that can attach to the light then can grab a hold of things like shirts, baseball caps, seat belts, small bars, etc. So in various situations you could find something to attach the light to that is in the area. And the smaller the better.
> 
> Btw, I have a H50, H51, and SC52.



Frogsfeet suction cups are sold on Amazon.

Small and useful accessories for ZL headlamps are magnets, safety pins, duct/masking tape, and Velcro strips. With these, I can attach my H51w to anything or any surface.


----------



## PocketBeam

I tried www.amazon.com and searched for "frogsfeet" and didn't find them. I then tried another country, www.amazon.co.uk, still nothing. Is there a better search term?


----------



## stp

PocketBeam said:


> I tried www.amazon.com and searched for "frogsfeet" and didn't find them. I then tried another country, www.amazon.co.uk, still nothing. Is there a better search term?




They are unavailable, here is the link (just correct the stars): ama**n.com/FrogsFeet-Large-Suction-Hooks-4-Pack/dp/B00725E9KS/ref=pd_sim_sbs_lg_1


----------



## PocketBeam

stp said:


> They are unavailable, here is the link (just correct the stars): ama**n.com/FrogsFeet-Large-Suction-Hooks-4-Pack/dp/B00725E9KS/ref=pd_sim_sbs_lg_1



Thanks, I will keep my eye out for them.


----------



## kosPap

someone made a clip on diffuser or the H51 & H600s

http://www.randonner-leger.org/forum/viewtopic.php?id=19679


----------



## Beacon of Light

David does the magnet just hang loose inside of the stuck on suction cup to the wall and then just graqbs the ZL clip or did you permanently glue the magnet to the suction cup??


----------



## Kevin1322

I really wish they put an XM-L in the H51, or kept the H502 longer with the deeper reflector. I know the pure flood has it's followers, but I have found the H51 much more usable than the H502. I wish they would make a AA version headlamp with XM-L and the deeper reflector, but from what I can tell they are not planning to. Has anyone put an XM-L in a H51 or know of one that was done? I'm thinking about having it done, but I have no idea how it would work with the UI and driver built to go with the XP-G. Anyone?


----------



## PocketBeam

The SC52 just came out with XML. You could use that in a head band, as is on the side of the head or with a small mirror to shoot the beam sideways. Maybe within six months the H52 will be out, although it hasn't been announced.


----------



## davidt1

Beacon of Light said:


> David does the magnet just hang loose inside of the stuck on suction cup to the wall and then just graqbs the ZL clip or did you permanently glue the magnet to the suction cup??



The magnet is loose and attaches to a metal disk that is glued to the suction cup.


----------



## Kevin1322

PocketBeam said:


> The SC52 just came out with XML. You could use that in a head band, as is on the side of the head or with a small mirror to shoot the beam sideways. Maybe within six months the H52 will be out, although it hasn't been announced.


Thanks for the info. I'm glad they are making H52, but I am headed to work in Alaska in May, so I'd like to have it before that. I do have a headband that allows me to put a light on either side and on top of my head. However, with my glasses, the light shines right into them when on the side, and when on the top it tends to flop around a bit. I just can't seem to make it tight enough while still being comfortable. The mirror seems like it would be a pain. Thanks for all the ideas and imput though.


----------



## atlr

I noticed FrogsFeet are available again on Amazon. Did another search and discovered FrogsFeet is the sole product of a small business with a web site of the same name. heehah ... sole product ... making puns when I'm half asleep


----------



## davidt1

My H51w had been my EDC light for over 3 years until it was replaced by an even better light -- the H52w. It has been such a versatile light that I haven't looked at a traditional handheld flashlight in a long time. The small size and angled head design lends itself to so many uses -- handheld, headlamp, necklamp, utility light, etc. Here are some ideas I use to make the most of my H51w/Hh52w headlamps. These are not new ideas, just update of old ones.

The all elastic stock headband is bouncy and bulky. I have replaced it with an all velcro headband that is much smaller and does not bounce around when I run.






The stock headband is significantly bulkier than the velcro headband, and the clip has to be removed. The clip, on the other hand, stays on the light with the smaller velcro headband. 





Another view. How inconvenient to have to remove the clip and shove the light through the light holder every time you want to use the light as a headlamp!
Also, having the clip on the light adds stability as a headlamp.





With some magnets attached to the clip, the light can be mounted just about anywhere.
The clips also allows the beam angle to rotate to any desired position.





The velcro headband is very EDC friendly. Here the headband is attached to the belt and the light is clipped to the pocket.
The light can be used as a flashlight, utility light, or headlamp in seconds. Try this with the stock headband.





And last but not least -- my favorite way to carry and use my H52w -- the necklamp with a shoelace headband. Believe it or not, this shoelace headband does
not bounce as much as the stock headband. There are other advantages of using my light this way. The light is farther away from my eyes and closer to the ground.
This means less glare. I can talk to the people next to me without turning the light off. I can tuck it behind my shirt when it's not needed. Talk about EDC friendly.


----------



## DIΩDΣ

Nice work like always David. :thumbsup:

EDC'ing mine just as a handheld has been fine for me but seing the much smaller size of the velcro headband does interest me enough to try it. What is the inner surface? Is it double sided velcro or smooth nylon or ? And the part that wraps around the light, is that velcro too? Personally I think the stock ZL headband is already super minimalist, I mean looking at other hiking style headlamps the ZL is basically not even there! But I'm always looking at ways to shave a couple grams here and there.


----------



## davidt1

One side sticks to the other side, so I guess it's double side velcro. The whole thing is velcro. You can flip around, and it's still velcro.


----------



## psychbeat

I stole this idea a while ago for my H60w & H501w & have been using em almost daily for a couple of years now. 













Thanks for the idea!


----------



## davidt1

Thank you for posting your pictures, as my last picture didn't show the complete lanyard headband with the cord lock and everything.


----------



## KITROBASKIN

Thanks for the interesting ideas put forth on this thread. 

Pak-Lite (you know those 9 volt minimalist flashlights) sells a nifty, simple elastic headstrap with 3 elastic sleeves that will hold an H600.


----------



## jlewisiii

davidt1 said:


> Yes, the light is held in place by a magnet. The magnet is attached to the genius swiveling clip which allows for unlimited beam angle adjustment.



Hi - 

Was wondering how you did the mod to the suction cup? Did you mod a piece of metal to go around the clear "nub" of the cup, or did you find a piece pre-made for a suction cup? If you made it yourself, what metal type did you end up going with? Looking to re-create myself with as little hassle as possible!

thx!

~jim


----------



## davidt1

jlewisiii said:


> Hi -
> 
> Was wondering how you did the mod to the suction cup? Did you mod a piece of metal to go around the clear "nub" of the cup, or did you find a piece pre-made for a suction cup? If you made it yourself, what metal type did you end up going with? Looking to re-create myself with as little hassle as possible!
> 
> thx!
> 
> ~jim



Hello Jim,

I cut a piece of metal from an old brake pad an glued it to the suction cup. Sorry I don't have any picture of the suction cup, since I have abandoned that idea for a more EDC friendly method with magnet and duct tape. 

The suction cup was a single purpose thingy and a bit large for on-person EDC. Since I already EDC duct tape and magnets for other uses, it just makes sense to use them on the H52w too.

Shown here is a piece of brake pad metal glued to the tail of my H52w. Also shown are stuff I already EDC -- magnets, earplugs, backup headband, and duct tape -- all contained in a container pen that is shorter than a writing pen.





Close-up view of duct tape, magnet, and backup headband.





With duct tape and magnet, the light can be attached to any surface including dry wall, glass, tile, etc.
Note that the magnet attaches to the rotating clip. Tail cap attachment is not recommended.


----------



## Srargaz

Do Zebra lights have potted electronics ?


----------



## DaFABRICATA

Kind of ironic this thread got bumped today since I did a Zebralight mod just a few hours ago.

Today an SC60c came in the mail that I had picked up for a good deal in the marketplace.
I didn't need it but it was cheap so...
The bezel ring was just slightly sticking up above the top, enough for me to get leverage with the edge of a razor blade and SLOWLY work it around and out. An acetylene torch also helped a bit.
After the bezel ring, window and reflector are removed, the emitter is easily accessed.
Removing the power and 2 ground wires, the screws holding the board in place are taken out and the board drops out. No thermal paste or anything.
I used my hot air reflow station to remove the old XP-G and replaced it with a high CRI XP-G2 (2900k).
It looks like an incandecent with partially depleted batteries now....Lol! 

Probably going to remove that emitter later tonight and replace it with either a neutral XP-G2(5000k) or a Nichia 219.

I'll try to post a few pictures later when I can use my laptop.
It's too bad Zebralight doesn't use screw in bezel rings.
























.


----------



## Srargaz

I just got the zebra light mark 2 and I was wondering if it is us made ?


----------



## DaFABRICATA

Srargaz said:


> Do Zebra lights have potted electronics ?




Zebralight uses some type of grey silicon rubbery compound to coat thier electronics. (shown in a few posts below)
Some of the older H30's that I've modified had the entire cavity filled.
It's easily removable with a toothpick and being gentle.

The SC52 I opened only had a thin layer on it's driver/emitter board


----------



## Srargaz

Thanks


----------



## KITROBASKIN

DaFabricata, What is an SC60c please? Is it more easily modified than other ZL models?


----------



## DaFABRICATA

KITROBASKIN said:


> DaFabricata, What is an SC60c please? Is it more easily modified than other ZL models?





It's an older 18650 model that uses an XP-G. 
This also uses the standard zebralight press-fit bezel ring and is not easily opened.
From what I understand, the 1st generation SC600's have a screw on bezel with an easily accessible emitter.
I had to chuck my SC52 up in the mill vise and remove the aluminum around everything to open it without ruining the driver/window/reflector. All I wanted were those parts so the host being lost to aquire them without risking damage to those parts was worth it...to me.
The SC52 also has the emitter mounted directly to the driver board, making it even harder to do an emitter swap. There are components on both sides of the board.
I'll try to post a picture of that driver as well so you can see.

EDIT TO ADD: you can see some of the grey thermal silicone? on the driver components.













.


----------



## KITROBASKIN

You are the one that made a lovely host for the ZL innards? Nice torch. Any pics you can post of this sc60c would be interesting. What does the c stand for? High CRI?


----------



## DaFABRICATA

I am and thank you!:wave:

There are now pictures of the SC60 modification a few posts back.
The "C" stands for cool. The original XP-G had what looked to be a burnt spot on one corner and cool isn't really my flavor.

I guess a picture of the flashlight I made would apply to this thread as it is a highly modified SC52.















.


----------



## KITROBASKIN

An absolute stunner. And so cool to have ZL UI in such a brass beast. I am guessing heat transfer is pretty good with brass? Did you focus construction to have good heat transfer?

Where you got that SC60c: Was it a great price? Might it be feasible to get ZL UI AND a nice high CRI tint with, say 5000Kelvin? Something that shines white on a white wall and renders colors pretty well along with substantial lumens? Maybe Vihnh if not you could modify it?


----------



## DaFABRICATA

Thank you, and yes heat transfer was taken into consideration.
I made an aluminum heatsink that has a nice tight fit to the brass host and it does it's job nicely.

Here's the heatsink I made to allow maximun heat transfer.







The SC60 was picked up for $30 lightly used. The high CRI XP-G2 is a bit warm for my liking but will remain there over night to see if it ends up growing on me.

As for swapping the XM-L on the SC52 driver....I actually don't mind the cool on it since it's very white with not much green as others have complained about. Vihn would likely be the first person I'd contact to attempt that type of emitter swap.


----------



## KITROBASKIN

I remember seeing that picture now; of that heat sink. Great stuff. 

Vihnh will not do SC52 mods. It is not cost effective for him to buy ZL lights for improvement, I gather. He did that bigger one SC6330 (?) and was pleased that he could do it but time consuming.

I was hoping to get a torch as I had described; have had poor luck with green SC52 and brownish yellow H600w L2.

Thanks for your posts.


----------



## DIΩDΣ

Excellent workDaFABRICATA. Looks like a little light saber, and I'd usually crack some kind of joke about your Jedi skills being complete... :thumbsup:

I've wanted a lathe/mill setup for a while but just can't invest that kind of money for personal hobby. But still, my mind is always picturing what could be done if one started from stock. Curious though, why did you keep the press-fit type bezel instead of fabbing a screw in bezel? I suppose it might take a bit more time, but would make swapping emitters again much easier I'd think.


----------



## darwin

A lot of these mods look very cool. Based on a few of the threads complaining about leaky Zebralights... Has anyone come up with a mod to make them more reliably waterproof? I'd like to consider buying one of the headlamps, but the high failure rate when they even LOOK at water concerns me. Sounds like the problem focuses around the press-fit lens. Short of having a machine shop... Anyone have any thoughts or suggestions?

I'd consider a nice marine epoxy (west system) or sealant (5200 comes to mind) but I'm not sure how well those would hold up to heat.


----------



## neutralwhite

hi I want to flame grill the titanium clip blue to match the cool white of my sc600mkII L2, but worried i may over toast it.
not sure what colours it goes through, and when to stop!. lol.


----------



## LlF

Here's my "mod":

I shrink wrapped two hard drive magnets with the clip.

it's much stronger than the bottle opener. 

Since I never clip it on clothe, I chose to cut the wrap shorter so there's no extra pressure on the clip.


----------



## lampeDépêche

LlF said:


> Here's my "mod":
> 
> I shrink wrapped two hard drive magnets with the clip.



Nice! That looks really handy!


----------



## tobrien

lampeDépêche said:


> Nice! That looks really handy!



i agree. that's a very clever mod, especially to use HDD magnets which are quite strong. nice!


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## davidt1

Thanks for the idea, LIF. I removed some magnets from a broken laptop hard drive and glued them to the clip of my H52w.
Having the magnets always on the clip saves me time from having to take a magnet from my pocket. 





For those who find this thread while looking for info on headlamps and have no idea why a headlamp would need a clip and why some people would put magnets on the clip -- the swiveling clip with magnet allows the light to be used as a utility light, desk lamp, etc.


----------



## tobrien

are y'all using the magnets from the center spindle area of the HDDs?

also, does it appear to affect the functioning of the ZL light's driver at all?


----------



## davidt1

tobrien said:


> are y'all using the magnets from the center spindle area of the HDDs?
> 
> also, does it appear to affect the functioning of the ZL light's driver at all?



I am not familiar with hard drive parts, so I can't answer the first question precisely. I basically took all the magnets there were on a broken 2.5'' hard drive.

I have been using magnets on my H51w for about 3 years now without any problem. I don't expect any problem with using magnets on the H52w either.


----------



## neutralwhite

is there someone who can make these for specific fit to a ZL / flashlight?.
would be good . 
thanks.


----------



## kosPap

well this is not a Zebra specific mod, but still...






The battery holder is made out of 5cm elastic band in the front, and webbing at the back.
(the battery is pulled out for demonstration purposes, but it is not covered in the ends)
And right when i finished it, I found a way to make a "break open" version....


----------



## trojansteel

Has anyone been able to swap the rubber button for a metal one?


----------



## netprince

kosPap said:


> well this is not a Zebra specific mod, but still...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The battery holder is made out of 5cm elastic band in the front, and webbing at the back.
> (the battery is pulled out for demonstration purposes, but it is not covered in the ends)
> And right when i finished it, I found a way to make a "break open" version....


That is a pretty sweet mod.


----------



## depeche77

Only works with headlamps and accompanying GID mount. Here's how to make an emergency strobe diffuser without any spare parts. Viewing angles of the strobe source are tremendously increased this way. Cheers!


----------



## Beacon of Light

davidt1 said:


> My H51w had been my EDC light for over 3 years until it was replaced by an even better light -- the H52w. It has been such a versatile light that I haven't looked at a traditional handheld flashlight in a long time. The small size and angled head design lends itself to so many uses -- handheld, headlamp, necklamp, utility light, etc. Here are some ideas I use to make the most of my H51w/Hh52w headlamps. These are not new ideas, just update of old ones.
> 
> The all elastic stock headband is bouncy and bulky. I have replaced it with an all velcro headband that is much smaller and does not bounce around when I run.



What size is this Velcro? I am looking on Amazon right now and the ones they are selling that say .5 inches wide in reality looks like .25 inches and it has a slit on one end where it loops through. Yours just looks like a continuous roll of 8 inches by 1 inch.


----------



## davidt1

Beacon of Light said:


> What size is this Velcro? I am looking on Amazon right now and the ones they are selling that say .5 inches wide in reality looks like .25 inches and it has a slit on one end where it loops through. Yours just looks like a continuous roll of 8 inches by 1 inch.



The box has 4 straps (3ft x 1in). Bought it at Walmart.


----------



## Beacon of Light

Thanks Davidt1. Can you explain the process of the headband part? Is it necessary to have the second velcro piece wrapping around the headlamp (over the clip)? I would think the velcro that wraps around your head will attach to itself and thread under the clip so the second piece is not necessary, no? Also how comfortable is it with the hook portion of the velcro strap wrapped around your head feel? I would think cinched up it would feel like 100,000 tiny teeth biting into your skin.


----------



## Bonginator

varuscelli said:


> Here's an H501w holder I made for a baseball cap visor. I probably wouldn't advise doing this with one of the heavier ZL headlamps, but the H501w is fairly light weight and works just fine.
> 
> If you want to wear a baseball-style cap with a Zebralight (with the headband attached over the cap), the visor will generally get in the way of angling the lamp downward. If you wear the headband under the cap you can get some other hat fit issues and/or glare/vision issues. So, I wanted to set up a way to place the H501 on the cap visor.
> 
> I took a spare ZL headlamp holder and trimmed off the ends and mounted that to a metal strike plate for a stereo cabinet glass door (those are typically available general hardware stores). If using the ZL holder in the laid-down flat position (as you would for a cap visor holder like I'm showing here), you have to trim off the protruding headband guides or they will block some of the light when the lamp is angled downward.
> 
> The stereo cabinet glass door strikes (about $3 USD at a hardware store) are just about a perfect fit for the visor of a baseball cap (very snug, won't slip off). I roughed up the metal on one side of the door strike and the rubber on the bottom of the lamp holder and glued those together with Super Glue. On my first try, I used some PC-7 (two part epoxy paste) that I had on hand, and even though the epoxy paste worked great for the painted surface of the metal door strike, it wasn't very good for adhering to the rubber of the ZL lamp holder (many adhesives do NOT work well with rubber, but old fashion Super Glue is one of those that does, and it's relatively inexpensive).
> 
> Note: In the photos the strike plate seems to look a lot heavier than it really is, but part of the thick appearance is because of the inner padding that holds it to whatever it's attached to. It actually weighs between 8 to 10 grams, but I didn't get an exact weight before I put it together. Here are a few of the weights I got when I checked after I got it set up (for what it's worth).
> 
> H501w + Powerex Battery = 52 grams
> H501w + Powerex Battery + Standard Silicon Holder = 58 grams
> H501w + Powerex Battery + Trimmed Silicon Holder + Strike Plate = 66 grams
> 
> This setup would have worked really well using an inexpensive money clip, too...but I didn't have one of those on hand to experiment with. (A money clip version is coming up, though.)
> 
> Update: See post 116 for the money clip hat visor holder.
> 
> ​
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Attaches over or under a hat visor
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ​I'm also playing around with adding a magnet to the bottom of the plate. The whole thing will still do a tailstand if removed from the visor, and if used with the magnet will give 360 degree rotation of the lamp either vertically or horizontally (or even diagonally), depending on how you place the magnet against the chosen surface. This thing is really versatile. I used a neodymium magnets, but I"m wondering if a and adhesive-backed flexible strip magnet would be better (if it were strong enough, that is).
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ​



Thank you! This is exactly what I was looking for. I fly fish and this is perfect!


----------



## colight

*Re: Zebralight Mods*

[That is all for now. I sincerely hope these mods will inspire other ZL light owners to come up with ideas to make their ZL lights even more useful.[/QUOTE]

The pictures are not available.


----------



## mobi

*Re: Zebralight Mods*

This discussion has become an important Zebra mod thread of record, so for completeness I'm cross-posting this nicklas_m diffuser mod here: Diffuser clip for H51

I've been experimenting with parafilm to diffuse. Parafilm can be applied/removed/re-applied for numerous cycles. PM me your mailing address if you'd like to try some.


----------



## survivaledc

Sorry if this has already been posted, but I haven't found it yet with my searching skills:
What pocket clips fit best on the zebralight h600 MKII? Sc600? Different manufacturers? Thanks for all the tips and tricks in this thread. Very valuable information!


----------



## survivaledc

Still looking for a good pocket clip for the H600. I know some of you must have found a solution for me. Thanks.
Also, any good recommendations for a place to purchase additional H600 headlamp holders? I need an additional one for my mtn bike helmet.


----------



## davidt1

Beacon of Light said:


> Thanks Davidt1. Can you explain the process of the headband part? Is it necessary to have the second velcro piece wrapping around the headlamp (over the clip)? I would think the velcro that wraps around your head will attach to itself and thread under the clip so the second piece is not necessary, no? Also how comfortable is it with the hook portion of the velcro strap wrapped around your head feel? I would think cinched up it would feel like 100,000 tiny teeth biting into your skin.



1. Yeah, I need the second velcro to hold the light in place.

2. It never bothers me. If it helps, this particular velcro has a smooth side and a slightly more grainy side.


----------



## davidt1

survivaledc said:


> Still looking for a good pocket clip for the H600. I know some of you must have found a solution for me. Thanks.
> Also, any good recommendations for a place to purchase additional H600 headlamp holders? I need an additional one for my mtn bike helmet.



I have read somewhere that the H52 clip will fit the H600 headlamp.

Also, you might be able to use Fenix clips. The PD20/PD30 clip looks like it would fit the H600. Search "Fenix flashlight clips."


----------



## nightshade

survivaledc said:


> Still looking for a good pocket clip for the H600. I know some of you must have found a solution for me. Thanks.
> Also, any good recommendations for a place to purchase additional H600 headlamp holders? I need an additional one for my mtn bike helmet.



Survivaledc 

Take a look at this thread for a pic and info on a 4-Sevens clip that works well on the H600. 
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...or-H600-MKII&p=4325266&highlight=#post4325266

Also, thanks to everyone who has contributed to this thread, many wonderful mod ideas.


----------



## survivaledc

Thanks davidt1 and nightshade. Will look into these potential solutions.


----------



## davidt1

I would ask Zebralight why a clip isn't included for a light that cost $89 when their competitors provide clips for their lights.


----------



## survivaledc

In just happy that it's smaller and lighter than the sc600 and includes a headband. Clip would be nice though. My h502d came with one after all.


----------



## davidt1

Post some pictures when you get your clip. 

I love my H52w, but the run time (on high) is limited by AA size battery. It's time for me to try one of the 18650 lights for more brightness and run time. 

I have been looking at the ones that have a clip or can take one, as I consider a swiveling clip a must-have for the way I use my angle lights. I have looked at the Spark SG6/SD6, Army Tek Wizard Pro, Zebralight H600w. Of these lights, the H600w is the only one that doesn't come with a clip, nor was it designed to accommodate one -- no groove for a clip that I could see. 

I am still a fan of the Zebralight UI and small size. Unless a suitable clip can be found and properly mounted on a H600w, I will most likely buy a 18650 light from one of the other companies because their lights come with a clip.


----------



## survivaledc

Well, the H600w MKII came yesterday. Made a quick unboxing video yesterday, but haven't uploaded it yet. Loving the light so far. 
One of the first things I did was try the pocket clip from the h502d on it. 


IT FITS!!!

Actually fits very well and is tight to the point where I am not worried about it falling off at all. 




^clip on first groove from tail cap. 





^clip on dedicated headlamp holder groove


----------



## davidt1

Thanks for posting those pictures. I knew I read somewhere that the clip for the smaller H lights would work. 

If I do get a H600w, I would have to put the clip in the middle like you did in the second picture.

Glad you like your new H600w. Do a user review/impression in the H600 thread.


----------



## survivaledc

davidt1 said:


> Thanks for posting those pictures. I knew I read somewhere that the clip for the smaller H lights would work.
> 
> If I do get a H600w, I would have to put the clip in the middle like you did in the second picture.
> 
> Glad you like your new H600w. Do a user review/impression in the H600 thread.



You're welcome David. Although the clip looks better on the middle, you have to pry it up a little to get it up over the edge of your pocket because the tip of the clip sits under the rounded area on the bottom of the light head. After experimenting with position a little more, the second groove away from the tail cap seems like the goldilocks position for me. It's nice that all the grooves feel very secure and allow options for deepest carry, best balance, etc. 

I definitely plan to do a full review and comparison with the AA size headlamp. It's interesting how the neutral white compares to the luxeon bulb in the h502d. I plan to start a new YouTube channel for gear, edc philosophy, and outdoor adventures very soon where these topics concerning the zebralights will be addressed. I have been planning the YouTube channel for a while now and have a decent amount of ideas for other topics. Now to find the time to record and edit.


----------



## davidt1

LlF said:


> Here's my "mod":
> 
> I shrink wrapped two hard drive magnets with the clip.
> 
> it's much stronger than the bottle opener.
> 
> Since I never clip it on clothe, I chose to cut the wrap shorter so there's no extra pressure on the clip.



As stated previously, I was inspired by your mod so I glued some magnets to my H52w clip. While it worked, it didn't look good and one of the magnets eventually came off. Now I have done it the right way with shrink tubing and better magnets.





Using what I consider standard EDC items -- duct tape and safety pin -- my H52w can be attached to any surface for hand-free use of the light.















When I saw a picture of an 11'' Mikwaukee work light posted in another forum, I was all smile and thinking to myself, "my 3'' H52w can do all this and it fits in my pocket."


----------



## davidt1

My H502w came today. I wanted shave off as many mm and ounces as possible. Makes a difference when you wear your light around the neck.





The inconsistencies among ZL lights frustrate me like crazy. The tail caps fit both lights but the spring of the H52w is beefier. It's like they hire different sweatshops for different lights.


----------



## mcs101

Cool mods! 😄. I'll need to break out a few of my Z's and get to work on them as the only thing I've done is add small strips of industrial-grade glow tape around them!


----------



## DIΩDΣ

nightshade said:


> Survivaledc
> 
> Take a look at this thread for a pic and info on a 4-Sevens clip that works well on the H600.
> http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...or-H600-MKII&p=4325266&highlight=#post4325266
> 
> Also, thanks to everyone who has contributed to this thread, many wonderful mod ideas.



I tried both the standard and deep carry ones from 4-Sevens and neither worked for crap. Useless. Clip would come off with fairly minimal pressure, and wouldn't even secure the light in my pocket anyhow - there was actually a gap between the clip end and the flashlight body, big enough that it could freely slide out of the pocket of my pants when I sit down. The part that wraps around the flashlight body was so thin that you could rock it back and forth slightly. Its thin since on 4-sevens lights it goes into a grove and the tailcap or head actually screws down over top of it to secure it. By itself its not nearly robust enough.



davidt1 said:


> I would ask Zebralight why a clip isn't included for a light that cost $89 when their competitors provide clips for their lights.


Yeah that^ but in ZL defense its more of a headlamp than a flashlight. What other headlamp competitors provide clips?



survivaledc said:


> One of the first things I did was try the pocket clip from the h502d on it.
> 
> 
> IT FITS!!!
> 
> Actually fits very well and is tight to the point where I am not worried about it falling off at all.



Hmm I thought I tried one of my other AA ZL clips and wasn't happy with it. Will have to try again. Though I seem to keep loosing them, down to one thats on my H52w right now and I need the clip more for that... guess I need to put in an order!


----------



## davidt1

Spark SG6 and Armytek Wizard come with clips. Be careful with using the H52 clip. One person reported on another forum that his H52 clip popped out of his H600. Was that person you? I would add some duct tape or shrink tubing around the clip to secure it in place.


----------



## turkeylord

I carry my H600w MKII often, and find the angled head to be quite useful. If there's something to set it on at the right height you can tailstand it and direct the light, or you can lay it down, but on a hard surface it'll roll so the light is near flat to the surface.

So I came up with this, made from some scrap plastic & built whilst on hold with IBM. I made it business card size, though it could be much smaller or even a one sided "kickstand" if you wish.












Now I have all of the angles.


----------



## moses

BRILLIANT! Some of the finest solutions are the simplest. Wow!

Mo




turkeylord said:


> I carry my H600w MKII often, and find the angled head to be quite useful. If there's something to set it on at the right height you can tailstand it and direct the light, or you can lay it down, but on a hard surface it'll roll so the light is near flat to the surface.
> 
> So I came up with this, made from some scrap plastic & built whilst on hold with IBM. I made it business card size, though it could be much smaller or even a one sided "kickstand" if you wish.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Now I have all of the angles.


----------



## Knifeguyyy

Hey guys ,,, long time lurker finally registered and ready to share. 


I can't seem to find the original post I saw that had a bunch of Zebralight headlight combo ideas, such as one on each side and so forth. Well if someone knows the post please feel free to move this post there as a reply. 


My idea wasn't there yet and I thought you guys would appreciate the idea which you can probably already do if you have an extra zebralight strap and or soilicone carrier. I have an H602fw and had bought an extra strap with the glow in the dark silicone. I decided to see if my sc600wiiL2 or my sc62w would fit in the silicone and they both do. You mount your extra silicone on your top strap and this allows for both nice throw and crazy flood. You can easily slide the top strap light up or down to adjust where your throw is going. This setup is solid and secure and I'm surprised no one had posted it yet. I can't add pics but maybe one of you guys could try it and show it as a reply. 

It it works great and I hope this helps someone. Thanks for a great forum where I've found great discussions and ideas.


----------



## varuscelli

Knifeguyyy said:


> Hey guys ,,, long time lurker finally registered and ready to share.
> 
> 
> I can't seem to find the original post I saw that had a bunch of Zebralight headlight combo ideas, such as one on each side and so forth. Well if someone knows the post please feel free to move this post there as a reply.
> 
> 
> My idea wasn't there yet and I thought you guys would appreciate the idea which you can probably already do if you have an extra zebralight strap and or soilicone carrier. I have an H602fw and had bought an extra strap with the glow in the dark silicone. I decided to see if my sc600wiiL2 or my sc62w would fit in the silicone and they both do. You mount your extra silicone on your top strap and this allows for both nice throw and crazy flood. You can easily slide the top strap light up or down to adjust where your throw is going. This setup is solid and secure and I'm surprised no one had posted it yet. I can't add pics but maybe one of you guys could try it and show it as a reply.
> 
> It it works great and I hope this helps someone. Thanks for a great forum where I've found great discussions and ideas.




Maybe you mean this one, Knifeguyyy: 




Fenix Headband + Throw Light + ZebraLight Flood 

There used to be a lot more useful suggestions in this very thread (ZebraLight Mods), but certain posters didn't seem to get the idea that a Sticky thread has most of its value in longer-term preservation of its contents and ideas. Short-sightedness on their part, I suppose.


----------



## markr6

davidt1 said:


> As stated previously, I was inspired by your mod so I glued some magnets to my H52w clip. While it worked, it didn't look good and one of the magnets eventually came off. Now I have done it the right way with shrink tubing and better magnets.



Details on how to turn my zebra into a kitten please!!


----------



## Swede74

It's not pretty, but the thumb of a size 8 vinyl glove works quite well as a diffuser.


----------



## varuscelli

varuscelli said:


> Hey, davidt1: Have you happened to notice than none of your Photobucket images for mods show in this thread anymore? Seems to have been that way for a while now (I dunno, maybe a couple of weeks or so).
> 
> With the level of detail you provided in your posts and the fact that the photos were so critical to illustrate your mods (dozens of photos, it looks like), it's too bad they no longer show.





davidt1 said:


> I did some cleaning recently. Those pictures had been on here a long time and, I hope, had served their purpose.





varuscelli said:


> It might be pointless for me to state my thought on this, but I'm going to anyway. While I understand that it's certainly your choice and prerogative to remove your own images, at the same time I have to say that I disagree with the reasoning behind removal.
> 
> Like other similar threads, I see this thread as both a current and historical reference thread for those who might have interest in all the included posts. It was even "stickied" as a thread of interest by a moderator.
> 
> The way I see it is that there probably shouldn't be a time limit for a reference thread such as this one. It seems to me that removal of reference points like photos basically renders anything posted by that particular member useless to anyone from the point of removal onward in time...and given the sheer number of useful images posted by you, that's a shame.
> 
> My guess is that the vast majority of folks who currently refer to this thread (and those who might like to do so in the future) would agree that removal of photos lessens the usefulness of the thread. I'm personally sorry to see that you've chosen to go that route. I actually wanted to refer another member who had a question about potential ZebraLight diffusers in different thread to one of your examples in this thread, but after viewing the posts with removed photos, I guess my reference to this thread wouldn't help them at this point (another loss to the forum).
> 
> Ahh, well -- I just wanted to express my point of view. I hope you end up changing your mind at some point and perhaps consider re-inserting your very useful images.





davidt1 said:


> As stated previously, I was inspired by your mod so I glued some magnets to my H52w clip. While it worked, it didn't look good and one of the magnets eventually came off. Now I have done it the right way with shrink tubing and better magnets.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Using what I consider standard EDC items -- duct tape and safety pin -- my H52w can be attached to any surface for hand-free use of the light.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> When I saw a picture of an 11'' Mikwaukee work light posted in another forum, I was all smile and thinking to myself, "my 3'' H52w can do all this and it fits in my pocket."





markr6 said:


> Details on how to turn my zebra into a kitten please!!



The post by davidt1 as quoted by markr6 above is a perfect (and sad) example of reference points in a stickied thread like this being rendered useless by unthinking/careless removal (for "cleaning" purposes, as davidt1 put it) of the very images that made this a useful thread in the first place. 

As I mentioned two or three years back, if you have taken the trouble to contribute to a thread like this in the first place, the purposeful removal of your own photo contributions does a disservice to those who might like to use the info as good reference points in the future. 

Half of those reference points in this thread now lead to dead ends with no visual reference based on the thinking that such images have already served their purpose and have no future reference value (misguided thinking, indeed). 

OK...I'll hop off the podium and away from the lectern now.


----------



## psychbeat

Word.

This thread inspired me to use some shock cord & toggle as a more compact headband that could also be wrapped around body when not in use. 

I don't have a better pic right now.


----------



## kaichu dento

markr6 said:


> Details on how to turn my zebra into a kitten please!!


Perfect!


----------



## markr6

varuscelli said:


> The post by davidt1 as quoted by markr6 above is a perfect (and sad) example of reference points in a stickied thread like this being rendered useless by unthinking/careless removal (for "cleaning" purposes, as davidt1 put it) of the very images that made this a useful thread in the first place.
> 
> As I mentioned two or three years back, if you have taken the trouble to contribute to a thread like this in the first place, the purposeful removal of your own photo contributions does a disservice to those who might like to use the info as good reference points in the future.
> 
> Half of those reference points in this thread now lead to dead ends with no visual reference based on the thinking that such images have already served their purpose and have no future reference value (misguided thinking, indeed).
> 
> OK...I'll hop off the podium and away from the lectern now.



Well put. But I'll admit I am guilty of that on occasion...maybe not on this forum, though. I stopped hosting my website and the photos I had parked there are 

I prefer dropbox anyway, so I plan on keeping all the pics there.


----------



## waxing twilight

This thread inspired me to try my h51 on a lanyard and ended up using a section of rope/para cord, made adjustable by using double fisherman's knots, and a modified lark's head knot around the light.





[/IMG]
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_F0LbI2A1S7LTA3VkFfWE1uNnM/view?usp=docslist_api
Hmm, I may have to find another way to upload/link the image app is not cooperating.


----------



## Djonah Inc.

Ok, 
Here are my mods for omniuse:
- scotchtape mod for frosted, or when wanted no frost
- turk head knot with the 2 ends molten together and tucked back in the turk head (3-4 crossings far for strength)
- slip knot (stopper knot) on the loop
- a pocket dangler from edcgear (fleabay, only 1 dollar or something) tucked under 6 crossings (doesn't move a bit) wit some heatshrink and neodinium magnets.

This setup lets you wear the light on your head by usage of the stopper knot (when tightened well, it doesn't move unwanted), lets you wear it on your neck, or you can put in anywhere on a metallic surface.
The turk head is not really tight, that way you can easily swivel the light and aim the beam as wanted.

Edit: 
- end of the turk head's loop is run under everything to the other side of the turk head. this ensures that the light is nice and horizontal when on your neck/head
- the stopperknot's loop is on the "up" side and serves as a stop for the turk head loop so that you can't pull the loop through the knot

edit 2: weight:
- 67grams for the h52w with eagletac 14500
- 106 grams for the h600W with keeppower 3400


H600w on the left, h52w on the right


----------



## psychbeat

Djonah Inc. said:


>



Whoa! That's way slicker than my shock cord 

Thanks for posting - I'll have to look up how to do a Turk Head Knot. 
Awesome u posted the weights too.


----------



## Djonah Inc.

psychbeat said:


> Whoa! That's way slicker than my shock cord
> 
> Thanks for posting - I'll have to look up how to do a Turk Head Knot.
> Awesome u posted the weights too.



just a heads up, it's a 3 bight 4 lead (I think) so best check ashleys book of knots how to get going (or youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXi7C8IVTRE).
weight could be reduced by not making 3 passes (there's like 8ft of paracord in this knot, but in survival situations, this might be usefull) and the neck loop is enjoyably long. 
The reason I went for a wide turk head over weight is that the light has NO wobble side to side and is nice and balanced. (width of the knot is even wider than the stock holder) You could still strip the paracord from it's inner strand and save weight that way.
I like the way it looks, how it feels and how usefull this setup is. ;-)


----------



## HorizontalHunter

markr6 said:


> Details on how to turn my zebra into a kitten please!!



Conversion complete:







Very nice Djonah. I really like what you did with the paracord. Very practical.

bob


----------



## gangstead

Used a washer to turn my SC32 into a keychain.  The electrical tape was pre-keychain and served to make it a "biter" when I needed both hands free.


----------



## eh4

I took the advice of some here and ordered H model clips from Zebralight (H51, H502, etc.) 
They do indeed fit the H600 and H602. 
To make them secure I used marine grade 3/4" heat shrink tubing,  cut a slit in it for the clip to stick out through,  and then carefully stretched the ring of tubing so I could fiddle it onto the light with the clip already through the slit.  
A few seconds with a lighter and the clip is permanently affixed.  It can still rotate, and you can use the clip to orient the light when clipped or lying on a surface.  
I've had my H600w II riding clipped in my front pocket now for 6+ months,  it might as well be permanently affixed,  the clip would bend well before it could come off of the light.

Getting it on: 



It's on, shrunk with a Bic:  



It will not come off without breaking the clip or cutting the heat shrink, 



 
-or perhaps it'd come loose if you yanked the clip hard enough while the light was hot enough from H1, non issue to me.


----------



## eh4




----------



## HB 88

ZL H52w 
Added a neodymium ring magnet, and filled the hole with glow powder and optical epoxy
Great "glow-cator" on the nightstand.


----------



## eh4

That's a good idea to put the magnet on the Outside, stronger that way. How's it holding up to chipping?


----------



## HB 88

The brittle neo magnet has held up much better than I expected with minimal chipping, considering the abuse it receives.
Easy to remove and replace with a boiling water dip, if required. Also, there are the rubber coated magnets, if one doesn't want the glow dot, that would work wonderfully for this duty.


----------



## Djonah Inc.

I chose not to put the magnet on the bottom but on the clip. that way you can point the light in every possible direction (check my pic in post 295 : http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...raLight-Mods&p=4819528&viewfull=1#post4819528 )


----------



## cavtruper

*I created a thread about this elsewhere but came across this thread and feel it should be posted here*

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...unting-Solutions-*NOW-WITH-SOLUTION-PICTURES*

Took some scrap metal from an electrical panel, cut four rectangles out (2 different sizes, smaller for top, bigger for bottom)

Grinded down two pieces of steel to conform to the strap slots. The thickness of steel was the same thickness as silicone mount.

Got two rare-earth magnets and JB welded it all together. 

Took some extreme double stick foam tape and placed two more rare-earth magnets and stuck them underneath the brim in the appropriate spot....

and whallah!

You have an easily removable and reinstalled Zebralight!

It holds well as you can see with the pic of it holding a full squirt bottle and doesn't shift. Also, you can remove it and stick it to metal equipment but is a PITA to remove from metal due to the strength of the magnets (I have a piece of herculite stored in my hard hat to put between the mount and metal equipment so when I remove it, I pull on the herculite instead of mount). This option also makes it easy to replace the silicone mount later down the road. 

I made the mount two separate pieces so I can wear it on a variety of different contour hard hats as I switch from a hat style to full brim when I am working in the AZ sun. This also allows change of contour to stick to flat metal surfaces. Also, with two more magnets I use it on regular ball caps but doing this does allow it to be shifted when bumped but doesn't happen often.

Just need to paint it to prevent rust.

Hope this helps someone else looking for a solution like I have been for a LOOOONG time and through the trial of different options. Hope you all enjoy! 



[/URL][/IMG]



[/URL][/IMG]



[/URL][/IMG]



[/URL][/IMG]



[/URL][/IMG]



[/URL][/IMG]


----------



## mobi

This is a description of an unintentional mod.

I busted the frosted glass on a floody Zebralight. Accidentally.

In my experience, Zebralights are hardy headlamps. A car ran over over one and it continued to work perfectly for years till I negligently ruined it by getting water inside it. So, I was kind of shocked that I managed to crack the lens on one.

According to Tachead, commenting here and here, Zebralight lenses are high quality. So, I'm attributing the break to just the culmination of a series of drops and other rough behavior on my part over the course of two years or so of daily use. Tachead also mentions that Zebralight will fix the glass. And there's the possibility the light that broke was from a batch from several years ago he refers to that had a glass that was more perceptible to cracking.

However, instead of sending the light back, I took the opportunity to stick some parafilm into the cavity formed by the reflector. After a little experimentation, I ended up with a great beam profile. At least great for me. A very smooth transition from the hotspot to the spill, and the perception of more spill than I had with the frosted lens. Hard to tell for sure since I can't do a side by side comparison at the moment.

In the past, when I added parafilm over the glass, some of the light got "caught" on the edges of the film and then found its way towards my face. This was distracting. But with the film inside the light, this artifact is eliminated.

The down side, of course, is that the light is susceptible now to water getting in. Plus dirt getting into the reflector and emitter. Moreover, when the light is on high, the heat shrinks the parafilm. Parafilm is sold in rolls, and replacing the parafilm diffuser is the work of a few moments. Well worth it for the results.

I'm planning on getting another floody Zebralight to handle the elements. But the modded "air lens" model will continue to be put to regular use for the time being.


----------



## MX421

mobi said:


> This is a description of an unintentional mod.
> 
> I busted the frosted glass on a floody Zebralight. Accidentally.
> 
> In my experience, Zebralights are hardy headlamps. A car ran over over one and it continued to work perfectly for years till I negligently ruined it by getting water inside it. So, I was kind of shocked that I managed to crack the lens on one.
> 
> According to Tachead, commenting here and here, Zebralight lenses are high quality. So, I'm attributing the break to just the culmination of a series of drops and other rough behavior on my part over the course of two years or so of daily use. Tachead also mentions that Zebralight will fix the glass. And there's the possibility the light that broke was from a batch from several years ago he refers to that had a glass that was more perceptible to cracking..



The thread Tachead and I were referring on the "bad batch" is here:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?407314-ZL-Inexplicable-breakage-of-frosted-lens
Just FYI and hence my reluctance to get a frosted lens so far.


----------



## Tachead

MX421 said:


> The thread Tachead and I were referring on the "bad batch" is here:
> http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?407314-ZL-Inexplicable-breakage-of-frosted-lens
> Just FYI and hence my reluctance to get a frosted lens so far.



Just want to point out again that that thread is from 2015 so, every light in it had the old standard glass. They now use Gorilla Glass 3 which is one of the strongest and most scratch resistant types of glass available. 

Plus, I don't think a few reports of broken lenses warrants much concern(even if they didn't change the glass type) when thousands of other users over the years before and since haven't had an issue with their frosted lenses. All glass can break guys, just be careful with your lights, and replace as necessary if an unfortunate accident does happen.

Did I mention I once saw a video on Youtube where a guy broke the glass screen on his cell phone? Because of that I will never buy a cell phone! .

Disclaimer: I typed this on my cell phone.


----------



## likethevegetable

Here's my mod: high strength magnet clip! Allows you to point the light anywhere in a hemisphere.


----------



## psychbeat

cavtruper said:


> *I created a thread about this elsewhere but came across this thread and feel it should be posted here*
> 
> http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...unting-Solutions-*NOW-WITH-SOLUTION-PICTURES*
> 
> Took some scrap metal from an electrical panel, cut four rectangles out (2 different sizes, smaller for top, bigger for bottom)
> 
> Grinded down two pieces of steel to conform to the strap slots. The thickness of steel was the same thickness as silicone mount.
> 
> Got two rare-earth magnets and JB welded it all together.
> 
> Took some extreme double stick foam tape and placed two more rare-earth magnets and stuck them underneath the brim in the appropriate spot....
> 
> and whallah!
> 
> You have an easily removable and reinstalled Zebralight!
> 
> It holds well as you can see with the pic of it holding a full squirt bottle and doesn't shift. Also, you can remove it and stick it to metal equipment but is a PITA to remove from metal due to the strength of the magnets (I have a piece of herculite stored in my hard hat to put between the mount and metal equipment so when I remove it, I pull on the herculite instead of mount). This option also makes it easy to replace the silicone mount later down the road.
> 
> I made the mount two separate pieces so I can wear it on a variety of different contour hard hats as I switch from a hat style to full brim when I am working in the AZ sun. This also allows html"][]



Super cool!

I need to try some magnetic mounts for my H600fc


----------



## turkeylord

Might have already been mentioned, but the Olight clips fit great! S1A clip on H52FW.


----------



## gogdog

Thats cool that the Olight clip fits. But...does anybody know of a clip that will fit the new h53 series of lights in the reverse position? (Like pictured above). The h52 has a reversible clip but the h53 doesn't...the "ring" where it would go is smaller. But perhaps some other clip might work?


----------



## gogdog

likethevegetable said:


> Here's my mod: high strength magnet clip! Allows you to point the light anywhere in a hemisphere.



Do you happen to know which size magnets you used on the clip? 5mm x 1mm, or 2mm, 4, etc? And how many disks did you use?


----------



## likethevegetable

gogdog said:


> Do you happen to know which size magnets you used on the clip? 5mm x 1mm, or 2mm, 4, etc? And how many disks did you use?



4x 10x5x3 mm bar magnets. I believe they are N52 grade - very magnetic but also very brittle. The shrink wrap helps soften the contact.

The photograph shows that I used magnets all the way down to the tip of the clip, I've since removed some of those magnets (they weren't glued before) and now I only use "horizontal" magnets near the the tailcap.

Here is what it currently (with my Fenix HL50 mount) looks like:


----------



## gogdog

Whoa... Good thing I asked. I was about to get either 3mmx1mm disc or 4mmx2mm discs from banggood and thinking I would only need 2 or so.

So in your cut down version there are still 4 of the bar Magnets or are you now only using 2?

I also need to verify if the cheap Magnets from China are also n52 grade or not..


----------



## likethevegetable

gogdog said:


> Whoa... Good thing I asked. I was about to get either 3mmx1mm disc or 4mmx2mm discs from banggood and thinking I would only need 2 or so.
> 
> So in your cut down version there are still 4 of the bar Magnets or are you now only using 2?
> 
> I also need to verify if the cheap Magnets from China are also n52 grade or not..



My previous version had six magnets total, if the light was on it's side they would be arranged like this: --||||, I removed two and now it's arranged like this: ||||.

I got the magnets from Aliexpress, and they've held up well and are very strong - I could dangle this light with a NiMH from a screw! I've also added 4 of them on my BLF A6 and they can support it's weight with an 18650.


----------



## gogdog

Perfect...thanks for letting me know. I'll get those magnets ordered. And yeah...I can definitely now see why you used 10x5x3 mm bar magnets....there is a 6mm or so gap in the clip that I didn't know about ->





And, I like the look of that fenix mount. But...its probably made of....stainless steel or something? Is there not a good chance of the mount scratching the anodizing on the zebralight?


----------



## likethevegetable

The Fenix clip is stainless steel. It does make a bit of a scratching sound, but I have not seen any scratches due to it. It is not overly tight either as the Fenix's tube is wider.

Can be purchased here: 
http://www.fenixtactical.com/fenix-tactical-parts.php 

If you look at the photo, you'll see a big scratch in the middle of the light. That was from bozo me putting an AT Wizard Pro clip and rotating it. Wabi Sabi, it was bound to scratched up in use anyway...


----------



## gogdog

OH...I thought the armytek headbands were supposed to be a great replacement for the ZL ones? ->

https://www.armytek.com/products/ac...for-armytek-wizard-with-a-plastic-holder.html

So...that plastic holder scratched your anodizing? I'm surprised plastic would do that...


----------



## likethevegetable

gogdog said:


> OH...I thought the armytek headbands were supposed to be a great replacement for the ZL ones? ->
> 
> https://www.armytek.com/products/ac...for-armytek-wizard-with-a-plastic-holder.html
> 
> So...that plastic holder scratched your anodizing? I'm surprised plastic would do that...



Sorry it was the AT Wizard **pocket** clip, not the headband mount. 

The AT Wizard plastic headband mount works with the H600 series only.


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## gogdog

Ok, here is my attachment system for camping. Just a very simple piece of thicker grosgrain sewed like a sleeve. My zebralight's h64Fw clip isn't super tight so rotating the beam is pretty easy. 












I did experiment with using the sleeve and a 1.5" elastic grosgrain loop, which is harder to slip the light into, but does make it nice and secure (beam is still fully adjustable) ->









I ultimately just went with the sleeve because of the ease of use and...a AA headlamp "loop" was stuck out quite a bit when not in use that it seemed weird to wear around (unlike the aaa headlamp loop I also have on the beanie which is quite a bit smaller.


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## nollij

gogdog said:


> Ok, here is my attachment system for camping. Just a very simple piece of thicker grosgrain sewed like a sleeve. My zebralight's h64Fw clip isn't super tight so rotating the beam is pretty easy.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I did experiment with using the sleeve and a 1.5" elastic grosgrain loop, which is harder to slip the light into, but does make it nice and secure (beam is still fully adjustable) ->
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I ultimately just went with the sleeve because of the ease of use and...a AA headlamp "loop" was stuck out quite a bit when not in use that it seemed weird to wear around (unlike the aaa headlamp loop I also have on the beanie which is quite a bit smaller.



Just wondering if you could elaborate: what is grosgrain?


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## Nuppet

likethevegetable said:


> The Fenix clip is stainless steel. It does make a bit of a scratching sound, but I have not seen any scratches due to it. It is not overly tight either as the Fenix's tube is wider.
> 
> Can be purchased here:
> http://www.fenixtactical.com/fenix-tactical-parts.php
> 
> If you look at the photo, you'll see a big scratch in the middle of the light. That was from bozo me putting an AT Wizard Pro clip and rotating it. Wabi Sabi, it was bound to scratched up in use anyway...



I was pleasantly surprised that my H600Fc Mk IV came with a pocket clip, and the new pocket clip for H60x models is available on the Zebralight homepage.


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## Keitho

Ha! Not the most intricate mod, but the realization that my favorite EDC light will take a deep carry clip from my favorite EDC blade, the Spyderco Delica, made me really, really happy today.

https://imgur.com/gallery/86POB


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## AEDe

My moded H60.
I have found it using metal detector in very bad condition.




Now 






It have constant current driver and nichia 219c 4000K 90cri.


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## leezg

My first Zebralight is on the way, a H600fc IV
Has anyone fitted a magnet in the tailcap who can tell me the dimension, or even better a eBay link. So I can order it right away.


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## leezg

No one knows the size magnet that fits on the tailcap of the H600fc IV under the spring?


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## nollij

leezg said:


> No one knows the size magnet that fits on the tailcap of the H600fc IV under the spring?



I think the thread has been pretty inactive for a long time. I still refer back to it now and again to see if there are any new interesting mods.


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## dwong

Thanks for the info, looking for those bar magnets now on eBay.
Just got a H502pr. 

Oh, that metal clip looks good too, any place sell those alone?



likethevegetable said:


> 4x 10x5x3 mm bar magnets. I believe they are N52 grade - very magnetic but also very brittle. The shrink wrap helps soften the contact.
> 
> The photograph shows that I used magnets all the way down to the tip of the clip, I've since removed some of those magnets (they weren't glued before) and now I only use "horizontal" magnets near the the tailcap.
> 
> Here is what it currently (with my Fenix HL50 mount) looks like:


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## Mr. LED

Has anybody found a solution to attach permanently a clip to the H600Fw Mk IV and similar models? The original pops out too easily, and it has already dented the aluminum in the clip groove


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## likethevegetable

Here's my solution.

I use the ArmyTek Wizard Pro Pocket Clip and headband mount. The clip 'clamps' need to be grinded down with a bench grinder and bent wider with pliers. It's ridiculously tight, to the point where I can only take the clip off by using another pocket clip to pull it off. 

As for the headband mount, it fits very snugly and works perfectly without the pocket clip on, but actually still holds, albeit not perfectly in the grooves, if the clip is still attached. I added the elastic band around for extra security, but I doubt it would actually pop out unless I hit my head on something..

Also note that I added five 10x5x2 N50 magnets on the pocket clip and put some shrink tube around it. 

Makes for an excellent utility light.


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## Mr. LED

Thanks for the tips, I’ll look into this clip. Since it’s so tight, did you notice if it scratches the anodizing when inserting?


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## likethevegetable

If you grind it down properly and bend it enough, it shouldn't leave a scratch. But if you want it in tightly, a scratch may be unavoidable. I've seen people put plastic straws or heat shrunk over the clamps to avoid scratching. I tried to place the clip on before grinding it down and it scratched up the ano pretty good... lol


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## Mr. LED

I’ll grind, sand and polish, just in case.


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## STREAMHAWAII

Where can I get a frosted lens for a [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]H600F? I want it to be the "120º FLOOD". Just parts in general.[/FONT]


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## mobi

STREAMHAWAII said:


> Where can I get a frosted lens for a [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]H600F? I want it to be the "120º FLOOD". Just parts in general.[/FONT]



I'm not sure there is such a part. Besides which, Zebralights don't really have any straightforward way to attach parts.

Most of us jimmyrig parts and experiment with attaching them. Someone 3-d printed a snap on filter holder for a Zebra light. So sometimes it can get pretty sophisticated. I use a simpler method, just using some parafilm to diffuse the beam. Diffusing the beam smoothes out any remnant of a hotspot left after the light goes through the Zebralight floody lens. The diffusing film also spreads out the beam.

You can buy a roll of parafilm that will last a lifetime on Amazon. Or PM me your address and I'll send you some. Others diffuse using a tape called DC Fix.


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## zarko550

Hi, 
For all who want have a tail magnet on H604 you can see what I did with some epoxy resin and a magnet. You can find more info here https://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?456594-Zebralight-H604-disk-magnet-for-tailcap&p=5350507&viewfull=1#post5350507


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## noboneshotdog

Nice magnet mod. I did something similar to one of my lights but used a rubber coated disc magnet from SuperMagnetMan. The magnet easily powers through the rubber and keeps the magnet protected nicely.


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## zarko550

noboneshotdog said:


> Nice magnet mod. I did something similar to one of my lights but used a rubber coated disc magnet from SuperMagnetMan. The magnet easily powers through the rubber and keeps the magnet protected nicely.



The N52 magnets are really strong so it easily holds the ZL even when encased in epoxy. And yes I had store-bought epoxy coated magnet but the epoxy film was too thin and it scratched away easily, so I had to make my own casing.


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## noboneshotdog

zarko550 said:


> The N52 magnets are really strong so it easily holds the ZL even when encased in epoxy. And yes I had store-bought epoxy coated magnet but the epoxy film was too thin and it scratched away easily, so I had to make my own casing.



I bought the store applied epoxy counted magnets as well. They do scratch too easily. If you find that the ones you did start scratching as well, at least you have another option with the rubber coated. Mine hasn't torn or scuffed at all and it gets used hard daily at work.

Like you, I love a light with a magnetic tailcap. Nice work!


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## bbltint

Emisar is selling magnetic tailcaps as an option to their smaller flashlights,
ZL should do the same.
I'm not a biggest fan of magnetic tailcaps, but sometimes it's unbeatable solution.

DIY clip magnets are probably even more unbeatable 
Thank you, masters!


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## aeongen

Thinking of making a magnetic charging tailcap dock. Will share the files once it's done. Probably a month minimum until a finished prototype.

The thing is, I don't know if the tailcap have any special circuitry to it. From basic inspection it appears to only bridge the negative of the battery and the exposed non anodized aluminum portion of the body.

Anybody know if the flashlight will work if you connect the neg of battery to the body? Will it complete the circuit? I don't want to mess up my new $89 flashlight lol.


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## likethevegetable

While I appreciate the effort and attempt, I doubt this will work. The tailcap almost certainly does not have any special circuitry, and you could definitely make a tailcap to access the negative terminal of the battery, but how do you plan on accessing the positive end? You need both terminals to charge. The negative terminal of the battery is indeed connected to the body of the light - the body is used to complete the circuit.



aeongen said:


> Thinking of making a magnetic charging tailcap dock. Will share the files once it's done. Probably a month minimum until a finished prototype.
> 
> The thing is, I don't know if the tailcap have any special circuitry to it. From basic inspection it appears to only bridge the negative of the battery and the exposed non anodized aluminum portion of the body.
> 
> Anybody know if the flashlight will work if you connect the neg of battery to the body? Will it complete the circuit? I don't want to mess up my new $89 flashlight lol.


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## Netter1283

I have a ZL H53Fc which I love. I do not love the headband; the two rubber pieces give me dents and a slight headache. I tried rerouting the band a couple different ways but that creates other problems.

I have an Olight H1 which is a great light and I love the headband. The silicone bands are just a little too big for the ZL. The Olight diameter is .72" and the ZL is .67". Any recommendations to create a tight fit? I was thinking of wrapping (electrical?) tape around the two spots where the bands attach to bring it up to the right diameter. Not sure how the tape would do if it got wet. Other ideas? I did order the Nite Ize headband so that me be an option too.


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## Keitho

On a similar light holder, I routed the headband through the same opening where the light fits. Since there's extra material inside the silicone bands, the fit is tighter. But, that might not work for comfort, since the silicone part would then be right against your head.


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## Lou Minescence

Netter1283 said:


> I have a ZL H53Fc which I love. I do not love the headband; the two rubber pieces give me dents and a slight headache. I tried rerouting the band a couple different ways but that creates other problems.
> QUOTE]
> 
> I put a piece of adhesive Velcro ( soft ) on the back side of the silicone holder. No more marks on my forehead.


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## Spaceexplorer

Lou Minescence said:


> Netter1283 said:
> 
> 
> 
> I have a ZL H53Fc which I love. I do not love the headband; the two rubber pieces give me dents and a slight headache. I tried rerouting the band a couple different ways but that creates other problems.
> QUOTE]
> 
> I put a piece of adhesive Velcro ( soft ) on the back side of the silicone holder. No more marks on my forehead.
> 
> 
> 
> I’m gonna have to try this, out of all my headlamps the ZL headbands sucks the worse. I wish ZL would fix this.
Click to expand...


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## alpg88

designed and printed holders for wider band,


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## Cemoi

Hi all,
I have a ZL H51F and would like to add a magnet at the tail.
Unfortunately the photobucket images in this thread are no longer visible, but I understand davidt1 put his magnet on the outside of the tailcap, gluing it.
What about putting one inside the tailcap? There seems to be room under the spring for a 6 to 7mm diameter magnet, 1 or 2 mm thick.
But I wonder whether such a magnet would be powerful enough to act through the tailcap material, what do you think?

Although it is quite smart, I am not interested in the clip solution, because I have removed the clip on my ZL for easier inserting of the light in the headband silicone holder.


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## Secateurs

People used to recommend Armytek headbands to replace the ZL one. Is this still a good way to go? I have 18650 ZLs. Which Armytak one is the right size? Are there other brands of bands and holders to consider? The holders and bands really let the ZLs down. The holders break and dig into one's forehead, and the bands stretch. Neither last nearly as long as the light itself. Most annoying.

Sent from my BV9600Pro using Tapatalk


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## alpg88

what is wrong with ZL oem bands? i have half a dozen of different headlamps and their bands\holders, are no better than ZL. they all stretch over time, and all leave a mark on a forehead. the more you tighten them the more they dig in, regardless of brand. one can say they are all equally crappy. the whole reason i'm making my own, with wider band, and rigid holders, they sit on the head firmer, even thou the bands do not have to be tight, and stiff holder minimizes light's wobbling during walking\running.


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## markr6

alpg88 said:


> what is wrong with ZL oem bands? i have half a dozen of different headlamps and their bands\holders, are no better than ZL. they all stretch over time, and all leave a mark on a forehead. the more you tighten them the more they dig in, regardless of brand. one can say they are all equally crappy. the whole reason i'm making my own, with wider band, and rigid holders, they sit on the head firmer, even thou the bands do not have to be tight, and stiff holder minimizes light's wobbling during walking\running.




I love the older ones. The new ones are junk. Hard, crispy type material with weak stretch. And you can no longer simply slide the plastic buckle to adjust; you have to grab that and then a piece of the band and pull it awkwardly.


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## alpg88

markr6 said:


> I love the older ones. The new ones are junk. Hard, crispy type material with weak stretch. And you can no longer simply slide the plastic buckle to adjust; you have to grab that and then a piece of the band and pull it awkwardly.



i kind of see your point, my first holder was a black rubber one, and pretty soft, when it broke, i ordered a replacement, it was gitd type, it was not as soft, which i found to be an advantage, cuz it would cause less wobble, but i did rip one while putting the band in. 

if you have a 3d printer, i can give you a file for the holders i printed , pic in a post above, they are made to work with 35-40mm rubber bands, you can get those at hobby stores, craft supplies, or internet, since i made them for my self i did not need to make them adjustable, tried several bands, with different stiffness, now i only use wide bands, and rigid holders, to me the difference is huge, i remove thin oem bands from every headlamp i buy, and make my own, unfortunately my printer broke, and i can't print anymore, i just got new ylp gekko, it is the only light i have that still has oem band.


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## markr6

Sorry I was referring to the elastic band being hard and coarse material. Not the rubber holder. I'm not sure if that changed since I didn't look closely at that. The old band was more elastic and easier to adjust. And I'm betting it will last longer. The new one feels really cheap.


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## Secateurs

Well I just bought my first ZL since 2018 and was pleased to find that the band has been changed to a new material. Yes it is stiffer but I was hopeful that it would last longer, as I always wear out the band. How long have they been doing the new style bands for and can anyone tell me, do they actually last longer?

Sent from my Armor 9 using Tapatalk


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## markr6

My old band is 8 years old now and I use this all the time. Works/looks like new. The new one is cheap elastic with much less rebound. Darn seatbelt. It could last, but I'll need to wait a while to know.

I know for sure it changed 2018 like you said, but not sure how much earlier.


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## Lou Minescence

The Armytek headbands are the same material as the Zebralight ones now too 
Must be made at same factory


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## markr6

I have a few off-brand replacements on my list at Amazon just in case...but luckily the original ZL band shows no signs of giving up.


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