# Zebralight Red Headlamp H502r soon to be



## bsharp5utk (May 18, 2014)

Just thought I'd post this for some others that might have been in search of one Zebralight's highly coveted H51r's. I messaged their sales department inquiring about ways in which I could buy one and the reply I got was that they would be releasing the H502r red led headlamp in the next couple of weeks.


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## markr6 (May 19, 2014)

I have a feeling they sold very very few of the colored lamps (red and blue). But it's good to hear they still have them in the works for those that use them.


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## kkeyser (May 19, 2014)

Yaaay, I will now mark my calendar...lessee...December 2017...

Ok, I now await with eager anticipation.


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## Mr Floppy (May 21, 2014)

Oh nice. I picked up the H51r on clearance. It is great but would have loved a floody version. I wonder if they will use an XB-D RED rather than an XP-E? Would be awesome if they used a XM-L multi colour!


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## Dr.444 (Jun 14, 2014)

Zebralight H502r In Stock now on their site !!!!


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## kkeyser (Jun 15, 2014)

Dr.444 said:


> Zebralight H502r In Stock now on their site !!!!



Well I guess that's me eating crow.

Well done, zebralight!


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## Beacon of Light (Jun 15, 2014)

Are these XP-E2 emitters? Just wonder if they are bog standard XP-E leds then why is the efficiecy so high compared to when XP-Es were new like some 10 years ago...


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## Beacon of Light (Jun 15, 2014)

Anyone know if these have the new ribbed body design or the old style like it is pictured with?


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## Dr.444 (Jun 15, 2014)

Beacon of Light said:


> Are these XP-E2 emitters? Just wonder if they are bog standard XP-E leds then why is the efficiecy so high compared to when XP-Es were new like some 10 years ago...



it's XP-E not XP-E2 -_-



Beacon of Light said:


> Anyone know if these have the new ribbed body design or the old style like it is pictured with?



looks like it's the old design -_-


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## Mr Floppy (Jun 16, 2014)

Dr.444 said:


> it's XP-E not XP-E2



You can't trust the Zebralight specs, they are a bit slow in updating it and usually they copy it from one of the other lights. 

For a start, you won't get 172 lumen from a red XP-E. Driving it at the max of 700mA over the LED would get you about 140 from the highest available red XP-E and I don't think the XP-E2 is that much more efficient. 

Given that it is for a floody light though, I am wondering if they may use an XB-D for a bit more flood?


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## Dr.444 (Jun 16, 2014)

Mr Floppy said:


> You can't trust the Zebralight specs, they are a bit slow in updating it and usually they copy it from one of the other lights.
> 
> For a start, you won't get 172 lumen from a red XP-E. Driving it at the max of 700mA over the LED would get you about 140 from the highest available red XP-E and I don't think the XP-E2 is that much more efficient.
> 
> Given that it is for a floody light though, I am wondering if they may use an XB-D for a bit more flood?



They just updated the specs ...

it's XP-E @ 100 Lumens not 170 

& it's the new design :twothumbs


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## Mr Floppy (Jun 16, 2014)

Dr.444 said:


> They just updated the specs ...
> 
> it's XP-E @ 100 Lumens not 170
> 
> & it's the new design :twothumbs



In the spreadsheet, still 172 on the website.

Like I said, I don't think there is much advantage in the coloured LED's going from XP-E to XP-E2. 100 lumen is pretty bright, I have the H51r @ 100 lumen so the driver is probably the same and that is really bright. I have to use medium when on my bike.

edit: I should say, there isn't much more to XP-E2 at the currents we are talking about. Over 1A is where the advantage comes in but that is over driving the LED.


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## pblanch (Jun 16, 2014)

Floody red light. From ZL.

I am in.


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## lampeDépêche (Jun 17, 2014)

via their contact page, I asked about output and run-times for the strobe. 
Answer:

"The max output is about the same as the H51r. Runtime for the strobe mode is about 1 hour 50min."

Not altogether clear to me whether this is a good fit for biking. Maybe I'll have to try one to be sure....


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## Mr Floppy (Jun 17, 2014)

lampeDépêche said:


> Not altogether clear to me whether this is a good fit for biking. Maybe I'll have to try one to be sure....



It is no worse than some of the rear lights I've seen on the bikes over here. Some have a cluster of 5mm LED's and are barely visible at 50m (the regulation is must be visible at a minimum of 50m here). With the H51r, medium is better than anything I have seen bar a few wired oned. The problem perhaps with the single LED is the glare but that also the case with the H51r. I actually put it inside a frosted plastic tube and the effect is a long bright tail light.


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## lampeDépêche (Jun 17, 2014)

Mr Floppy said:


> ...(the regulation is must be visible at a minimum of 50m here)....



Where do you live? Sounds like a good regulation to me! (Although 50m visibility in bright daylight is a very different thing from 50m at night, of course).

I think what I had in mind above is that I wish it would last a bit longer. I like to go on rides of 6, 8, even 10 hours sometimes, and it is a pain to carry 5 AA batteries along. But if the quality of the light is good--nice and bright and covering a wide area--then it may be worth it.


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## moshow9 (Jun 17, 2014)

I hope they come out with an H502Fr version. I still use both my H501r and H51Fr when I go out for a ride, daytime or night.


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## pblanch (Jun 17, 2014)

http://www.zebralight.com/H502r-Red-AA-Flood-Headlamp_p_124.html

The spec's say Flood.


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## moshow9 (Jun 17, 2014)

True it is flood, though I would prefer the output to be frosted due to glare as Mr. Floppy mentioned above.


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## lampeDépêche (Jun 18, 2014)

moshow9 said:


> ...I would prefer the output to be frosted....



If they want to offer both a plain lens and a frosted lens, that is fine with me--more options for us!

But to my mind, this is a case where DC Fix does everything I would want from a frosted lens, and is removable, so I get both options with one light.

I have an H602 on my front handle-bars with DC Fix on the lens both to diffuse the light and to widen the cone a bit. Seems to work.

I will say that I'm a bit disappointed that they are still using the XP-E, because it does not seem to be a very efficient emitter for red light. I had a Quark RGB with a four-die MCE, and it put out a lot of red light for a long time. The XP-E has a very small die, so it is still good for making small lights (like AAA format lights) throwier than they would be with a larger die. But in a pure flood light, the small-die emitter is no advantage. Isn't there some other emitter, with any size die, that would give better efficiency for red light?


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## Mr Floppy (Jun 18, 2014)

lampeDépêche said:


> If they want to offer both a plain lens and a frosted lens, that is fine with me--more options for us!
> 
> But to my mind, this is a case where DC Fix does everything I would want from a frosted lens, and is removable, so I get both options with one light.



In a similar way, a piece of Fresnel lens can do a pretty good job too. One of those credit card sized magnifiers, trim it to size. Not the right focal length to be a tight spot though but disperses the light quite well. 



lampeDépêche said:


> I will say that I'm a bit disappointed that they are still using the XP-E, because it does not seem to be a very efficient emitter for red light. I had a Quark RGB with a four-die MCE, and it put out a lot of red light for a long time. The XP-E has a very small die, so it is still good for making small lights (like AAA format lights) throwier than they would be with a larger die. But in a pure flood light, the small-die emitter is no advantage. Isn't there some other emitter, with any size die, that would give better efficiency for red light?



From Cree, basically not really. You have the XP-E, XP-E2 but there is very little difference there until you overdrive it. Then you have XB-D and XQ-E which at the drive levels we are talking about, are no better.The MC-E and XM-L colour has even less flux in red. In terms of getting more flood, the XB-D has a 140 degree viewing angle. Not sure about the XP-E, it is less but not by much.


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## lampeDépêche (Jun 18, 2014)

Thanks for your reply, Mr. Floppy!



Mr Floppy said:


> The MC-E and XM-L colour has even less flux in red.



That means: fewer lumens per milliwatt? Is that because of a difference in spectrum (e.g. 620nm vs. 660nm), or holding the color constant?

What puzzles me is that I have several other bike-lights which seem to produce a lot of red light, and do it on very little power. I have a Cygolite Hotspot which puts out a very intense red beam, and lasts for 12-15 hours on a built-in lithium that cannot be more than 500mAh at the most. I have PDW Radbots and Danger Zones which put out a lot of light, and get over 12 hours from a pair of AAA's. All of them *seem* to be more efficient, and to give more red light for longer run-times, from smaller-capacity cells.

Is it an illusion? I.e., are they really putting out far less light?


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## Mr Floppy (Jun 19, 2014)

lampeDépêche said:


> That means: fewer lumens per milliwatt? Is that because of a difference in spectrum (e.g. 620nm vs. 660nm), or holding the color constant?


Basically that is the magical Lumen number at a certain temperature and current. Cree still rates the coloured LED's at 25 degrees Celsius, so it isn't that useful for real world use. 



lampeDépêche said:


> What puzzles me is that I have several other bike-lights which seem to produce a lot of red light, and do it on very little power. I have a Cygolite Hotspot which puts out a very intense red beam, and lasts for 12-15 hours on a built-in lithium that cannot be more than 500mAh at the most. I have PDW Radbots and Danger Zones which put out a lot of light, and get over 12 hours from a pair of AAA's. All of them *seem* to be more efficient, and to give more red light for longer run-times, from smaller-capacity cells.
> 
> Is it an illusion? I.e., are they really putting out far less light?



One of our members here did a video comparing the radbot 1000 to the Zebralight H51r. The difference was very noticeable. If you get the Zebralight to run at the same output, it would run for a very long time too. The Zebralight probably drives the LED the hardest out of every red light that I've come across, including the Cygolite, which is quite bright at around 60 lumen but the ZL is brighter on high. The high 2 mode of the ZL is around the level of the Cygolite but of course run-times will not be as good. Even if the battery is 500mAh, you only need 2V for a red LED, where as you still need to boost an AA battery. 

Probably get around 2 hours on the flashing mode on the ZL but flashing mode is about 80 lumen I recall. In any case, I run the ZL on constant medium 1, which is around the output level of the radbot. It's was a 30 minute commute for me and I maybe have to swap the battery every two weeks? Mostly out of habit as I don't want to be caught out without a tail light. The unfortunate thing with the ZL light is that they don't drop down to lower levels when the battery can't keep up so all of a sudden you are left without a light.

As for the illusion of red appearing brighter, there's a prof who used to visit these fora who could enlighten you more.


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## DaFABRICATA (Jun 19, 2014)

Placed an order for the H502R 2 days ago and got shipping confirmation today. I'll be sure to give you all an update when it comes in.

I too am a rider and have been riding a bike as my only form a transportation for almost 14 years. Most of that time I rode without lights. Since joining CPF so many years ago, I've been using a ZL H30r and an H31r as my tail lights.
The H30r was usually only set to low or medium as high was too bright. It uses the XR-E.
The H31r that replaced it is usually set to medium 1 or M2 depending on traffic. The H2 blinky mode is just way too bright in my opinion.
The H502r with it's 36lm blinky should be much better. The fact it runs on easily found AA's is appealing to me for when/if I forget spares.

Here they are in action along with the H602w mounted to the bars and the H600w mounted to the helmet. They look MUCH warmer in the picture than they really are.


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## Mr Floppy (Jun 19, 2014)

DaFABRICATA said:


> The H502r with it's 36lm blinky should be much better.



Oh brilliant! Even though I hate the strobe mode both as a rider and someone following a rider, it is good to hear that there is a lower level strobe. Some inside information I presume?


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## DaFABRICATA (Jun 19, 2014)

Mr Floppy said:


> Oh brilliant! Even though I hate the strobe mode both as a rider and someone following a rider, it is good to hear that there is a lower level strobe. Some inside information I presume?




Ooops...I was off by 2 lumens. Should be 38lm at 4HZ strobe

It's stated on ZLs website specs.


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## lampeDépêche (Jun 19, 2014)

DaFABRICATA said:


> Ooops...I was off by 2 lumens. Should be 38lm at 4HZ strobe
> 
> It's stated on ZLs website specs.



DaFABRICATA, are you referring to this line in ZL's spec sheet:

"High: H1 *100* Lm (0.9 hrs) or H2 *61* Lm (1.9 hrs) / *38* Lm (3.3 hrs) / 4Hz Strobe"

Because I read that differently: I thought it was saying that you could set the H2 to any of three different options:

either: steady 61 Lm 
or: steady 38 Lm
or: 4HZ strobe 

Maybe I'm wrong about that, but compare the line for the L2 settings, which also gives three options:

"L2 *0.13* Lm (2.8 weeks) / *0.02 *Lm (1.8 months) / *0.003 *Lm (2.8 months)"

As I said above in this thread, in post #14, I wrote to ask them about the strobe's runtime and output, and ZL wrote back saying:

"The max output is about the same as the H51r. Runtime for the strobe mode is about 1 hour 50min."

So if that is right, the 4HZ strobe is putting out something more like 100Lm. Which also fits with the relatively short run-time of 2 hours.

Will that be too bright for bike use? I don't know: the difference between the H51r spot and the H502r total flood is going to be a big, big factor in its perceived brightness. Tangent of 60 (for a 120 degree beam) is about 16 times as big as Tangent of 6 (for a 12 degree hotspot), and when you square it for an area, it is a factor of 256. So the H502r's incident illuminance on a surface (say a car-driver's eye) will be several hundred times *dimmer* than the H51r's, even at the same lumen output.

Which is why I had to buy one to find out! Got my shipping notice on Tuesday....


By the way--I love your light set up on the bike. I too ride with an H600w on front.


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## Mayor (Jun 19, 2014)

This probably would have been a great light for them to implement their three-clicks to "beacon strobe mode" on. And could have given a variety of strobes (output and flash pattern) to choose from.

On a somewhat related note, I never understood why their AA powered lights with this feature (triple click to strobe) had fewer options to choose from versus their 18650 powered lights with this option. Guess I'm missing something.

Looking forward to hearing some first hand impressions of this light. It looks interesting for some uses.


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## Mr Floppy (Jun 19, 2014)

DaFABRICATA said:


> It's stated on ZLs website specs.



Got it, still had a cached page ... 



lampeDépêche said:


> Will that be too bright for bike use? I don't know: the difference between the H51r spot and the H502r total flood is going to be a big, big factor in its perceived brightness. Tangent of 60 (for a 120 degree beam) is about 16 times as big as Tangent of 6 (for a 12 degree hotspot), and when you square it for an area, it is a factor of 256. So the H502r's incident illuminance on a surface (say a car-driver's eye) will be several hundred times *dimmer* than the H51r's, even at the same lumen output.



It's staring into that bare LED that is harsh. As a rear light, I really recommend some kind of diffusion if possible.


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## lampeDépêche (Jun 20, 2014)

My new light arrived today! 

First impressions: very small, very bright. The 502 format is always startlingly small.

The strobe is definitely running at something close to full power, i.e. up to 100 lumens at its peak. (That's an impression by eye, of course. I don't have any measuring equipment).

I wish they had used the updated UI with triple-click for strobe, but that's not a major problem.

Yeah, I can see using this on the back of the bike at either M1 (19 Lumens) or H2.2 (38 Lumens). 

On the whole, I like it.


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## Dr.444 (Jun 20, 2014)

lampeDépêche said:


> My new light arrived today!
> 
> First impressions: very small, very bright. The 502 format is always startlingly small.
> 
> ...



Congratulations Bro :naughty:

Please post some beamshots & pics for it


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## pblanch (Jun 21, 2014)

Damn.

I ordered mine on the 17th and still haven't gotten a shipping confirmation.

I am Jealous.


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## lampeDépêche (Jun 21, 2014)

Beamshots? I can't do photographs, unfortunately, but you can have your own beamshot very easily.

Look at the largest wall in the room in front of you. Now imagine it all red. That's what a beamshot would look like.

It's a nice red, too--I think it must be red 620-630 rather than the orange-red 610-620. I have a Photon with a 5mm red led in it, and it looks very orange when they are side by side. Yes, the orange-red XP-E would have put out a few more lumens, but I'm glad it's closer to a real red.


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## pblanch (Jun 22, 2014)

lampeDépêche said:


> Look at the largest wall in the room in front of you. Now imagine it all red. That's what a beamshot would look like.



LOL.

Well played sir, well played.


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## Dr.444 (Jun 22, 2014)

lampeDépêche said:


> Look at the largest wall in the room in front of you. Now imagine it all red. That's what a beamshot would look like.


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## lampeDépêche (Jun 22, 2014)

So now I have used my new H502r on several bike-rides (a 1-hour ride and a 2-hour ride) in a configuration I have never tried before:

on my shoe.

I was trying to think where I could put in on my bike or on my body where it would add to the overall Coney Island/ Times Square effect of garish neon extravagance. And it occurred to me that if it were roughly on my heel, facing backwards, then it would put have all of the advantages of a rear-shining red light, plus the advantage that when the light bounces up and down very close to the ground, it says "Cyclist!" in every language on earth.

So first I tried just double-looping the head-band around my ankle. It worked fine, and held its position for an hour. Then I got fancier, and took a spare silicon ZL holder from a spare headlamp strap (odd, I seem to have a fair number of these around my house...) and superglued it to the outer edge of my left heel of my cycling shoes, so that it holds the battery-tube in a roughly vertical position. Putting it on my left shoe ensures that cars will see it the whole time they are passing me (reverse for the UK or Japan, of course). And putting it on the outer edge means that it won't bump into the chain stays by accident, and if it does fall loose for some reason, it will not fall into the spokes.

When I glued on the holder, I angled it forward a bit, so that the center of the light-beam is perhaps 10 degrees above horizontal. That seemed like a good way to ensure that it would be shining upward enough to catch drivers' eyes. And of course one great advantage of the 120 degree beam is that you don't have to aim it very precisely, and cars will see it through a very wide angle. It also means that when I glance down, there is a brief part of my foot-cycle where I can see a little sliver of red, to assure me that it is on and functioning properly.

Is this a good idea? I do not know. If it helps one driver to spot me, then I think it's a good idea. I want to make sure no one runs me over *unintentionally*.


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## Mr Floppy (Jun 22, 2014)

lampeDépêche said:


> Is this a good idea? I do not know. If it helps one driver to spot me, then I think it's a good idea. I want to make sure no one runs me over *unintentionally*.



I'm sure it will stop the unintentional run-downs. It's the intentional ones you have to worry about. Luckily most drivers will shout abuse at you if they get blinded by too much light, well so far anyway.


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## lampeDépêche (Jun 23, 2014)

Yes, I agree that those are the issues. Though I am still not confident that it will stop the unintentional ones: every day brings a new story about some driver talking or texting on a cell phone who plows into other cars or people or buildings without even looking up. I live in an area where texting while driving is illegal and subject to large fines, but I still see it all the time.

So far as whether drivers are blinded, I have not had any shouts of abuse yet. I do nearly all of my biking during day-light hours, not at night, so people's eyes are always light-adjusted. And my aim is not to create one giant hot-spot, but to create a long linear array, from the ground up to the top of my head, that will look like something very different from a car. I combine some tightly-focused beams (Cygolite Hotshot) and broader, wide-angle lights (Niteflux Redzone) in the hope of being visible to many cars at many angles and distances. 

The new ZL adds to that mix by providing movement without strobing. I ran it on the lowest of the H2 modes, sc. 38L, which gives me about 3 hours. The next time I am out with other bikers I will ask them how it looks, and perhaps bump it up or down a notch on brightness.

I also wear a bright reflective vest, because in my own experience as a driver I have found that I see a bright yellow top, esp. if it has retro-reflective tape on it, long before I see even the brightest bike-lights. This is somewhat disappointing, because who cares about reflective vests? There are no forums dedicated to them, I bet!


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## Mr Floppy (Jun 24, 2014)

lampeDépêche said:


> So far as whether drivers are blinded, I have not had any shouts of abuse yet.



There could be many reasons why I get hooted at or yelled at but those times have been when I had the H51r on high. Doesn't really happen that much considering the number of times I've ridden. Just looking at the light though, I can see why people would object because when up close and staring into the light, you come away with spots in your eyes. 

I tried aiming the H51r down just past the wheel and that works well on the light coloured pavement but not so good on some asphalt. I've also tried aim the beam at my back, which is really good but with the riding spectacles on, I get glare. What I need to do is what DeFAB does and mount it to the helmet (and aim it down my back)



lampeDépêche said:


> I also wear a bright reflective vest, because in my own experience as a driver I have found that I see a bright yellow top, esp. if it has retro-reflective tape on it, long before I see even the brightest bike-lights. This is somewhat disappointing, because who cares about reflective vests? There are no forums dedicated to them, I bet!



No, I should get a vest too, or a reflective backpack. It used to be about the "fashion" but I think not getting run-over is more important now. I wish more cities were designed for cyclists like Copenhagen.


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## lampeDépêche (Jun 24, 2014)

Mr Floppy said:


> I wish more cities were designed for cyclists like Copenhagen.



I am making my first visit to Copenhagen next week--I am very excited! People tell me that it is a paradise for cyclists.

Did you say which country you live in? I am here in the States, where attitudes towards bikes vary a lot by region. I cannot complain--it is better in my part of the country than in many parts.


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## kj2 (Jun 25, 2014)

lampeDépêche said:


> I am making my first visit to Copenhagen next week--I am very excited! People tell me that it is a paradise for cyclists.
> 
> Did you say which country you live in? I am here in the States, where attitudes towards bikes vary a lot by region. I cannot complain--it is better in my part of the country than in many parts.


Next stop, The Netherlands?


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## Amy sunshine (Jun 25, 2014)

those lights you put them on your cars?


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## lampeDépêche (Jun 25, 2014)

kj2 said:


> Next stop, The Netherlands?



I wish! Another cycling paradise, I hear. But it will have to wait for a different trip.


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## Mr Floppy (Jun 26, 2014)

lampeDépêche said:


> Did you say which country you live in? I am here in the States, where attitudes towards bikes vary a lot by region. I cannot complain--it is better in my part of the country than in many parts.



I come from the land down under, where cars flow and bikes are left asunder


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## lampeDépêche (Jun 26, 2014)

Mr Floppy said:


> I come from the land down under, where cars flow and bikes are left asunder



Ah, okay. And you repack hub-bearings with Vegemite. That explains why you have better regulations about bike-lighting than we do in the States, but not as favorable of a traffic-climate as they do in Northern Europe.

Incidentally--since I may still be the only one with a sample in hand--I have to say that the anodizing on my new light is excellent. It is the best anodizing that I have seen on any of the 6-8 ZL lights that I have handled.


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## Mr Floppy (Jun 26, 2014)

lampeDépêche said:


> That explains why you have better regulations about bike-lighting than we do in the States,



There are regulations but not even the police know what they are. 



> Incidentally--since I may still be the only one with a sample in hand--I have to say that the anodizing on my new light is excellent. It is the best anodizing that I have seen on any of the 6-8 ZL lights that I have handled.



Pics? Even from a phone would be nice.


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## pblanch (Jun 27, 2014)

Just got my confirmation of posting. Yeah!


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## pblanch (Jul 17, 2014)

Just got it yesterday.

Blood red LED/light. The 61lm setting is spot on for a bright red (100lm just a little too much for what I want it for - but would be good for a bike) and 1lm for enough light too see close up without a problem. 

Very happy.


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## Dr.444 (Jul 18, 2014)

pblanch said:


> Just got it yesterday.
> 
> Blood red LED/light. The 61lm setting is spot on for a bright red (100lm just a little too much for what I want it for - but would be good for a bike) and 1lm for enough light too see close up without a problem.
> 
> Very happy.



Congratulation Bro  , Pics Please


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## pblanch (Jul 20, 2014)

No hot spot to speak of. Just a smooth red until it hits the outer edge of the light. 

I think the description from lampedephe describes the best http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...r-soon-to-be&p=4459318&viewfull=1#post4459318


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## drrice (Oct 21, 2014)

I am trying to order the H502r but can't find it in stock. Anyone know any vendors who have them in stock? I'd also be willing to buy a used one.


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## davidt1 (Oct 21, 2014)

drrice said:


> I am trying to order the H502r but can't find it in stock. Anyone know any vendors who have them in stock? I'd also be willing to buy a used one.



I would go to the Zebralight website and ask them directly. Who knows they might have one in a drawer somewhere that they can sell. Explain your situation to them. They would be a fool to pass up an opportunity to introduce their brand to a whole new group of potential customers.


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