# Sailor Single-handing to Hawaii with Zebra H501s



## Bolster (Apr 3, 2011)

A friend of mine is single-handing his sailboat from SF to La Paz to Hawaii [EDIT, changed course to take in the French Polynesian islands, as well...] and back. He purchased two Zebralight H501s for the crossing. Will be interesting to see how they handle the wet, the salt, and the abuse. I'll post updates. 

He reports his favorite feature is the sub-lumen moonmode. Says he's had trouble finding lights that go low enough. I guess sublumen's what you need when it's really dark.


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## Potato42 (Apr 3, 2011)

My girlfriend and I recently stayed in a hotel, and in the middle of the night we both woke up and were moving about, so I thought I'd light up one of my lights instead of the bright, eye killing lamp. I found out that not a single one of my lights had a low enough low, and my girlfriend was ready to kill me. Even 3 lumens is bright when it's dark!


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## JA(me)S (Apr 3, 2011)

Bolster said:


> A friend of mine is single-handing his sailboat from SF to La Paz to Hawaii and back, 7000 miles. He purchased two Zebralight H501s for the crossing.



Ok, I'm officially jealous... what a life! - must be nice to have _two _H501s...

- Jas.


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## Bolster (Apr 4, 2011)

He tells me that singlehanders abide by the rule that "Two is one, and one is none." I think he has lots of redundancies on his boat, assuming that one will break.


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## JA(me)S (Apr 4, 2011)

Yes, I understand redundancy - my comment was a tongue-in-cheek attempt at CPF humor...(downplaying the exotic to highlight the mundane) obviously, I don't write for SNL. 
Keeping my day job. - Jas.


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## HIDblue (Apr 5, 2011)

JA(me)S said:


> Yes, I understand redundancy - my comment was a tongue-in-cheek attempt at CPF humor...(downplaying the exotic to highlight the mundane) obviously, I don't write for SNL.
> Keeping my day job. - Jas.



I thought it was funny Jas...


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## JA(me)S (Apr 5, 2011)

Bolster said:


> Will be interesting to see how they handle the wet, the salt, and the abuse. I'll post updates.


Does he have the ability to send you pics? Would be kind of fun to see a world traveling ZebraLight. This would be a fun idea for a separate thread (ZL in unique environs) - and provide great marketing collateral for ZL.

- Jas.


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## Bolster (Apr 5, 2011)

I will pass along this request from the official forum comedian!


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## Lost Hawaiian (Apr 5, 2011)

Bolster said:


> He tells me that singlehanders abide by the rule that "Two is one, and one is none." I think he has lots of redundancies on his boat, assuming that one will break.


 
hmmm...then shouldn't he be "double-handing" it?



...sorry, couldn't resist...

That does sound like a real adventure. I don't think I'd be able to handle being out there all alone. How long will it take?

Rich


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## Bolster (Apr 5, 2011)

If you ask me? ....Yes! By the one-is-none rule, with just him alone, there's nobody on his boat! 

The crossing from Baja Calif to HI will take about 3 weeks I'm told, and he'll start middle of this month. If the trip to HI takes 3 weeks, the trip back to SF must take a month. That's a long time to be alone on a boat, IMO. He tells me the Zebras solve lots of problems for him, and that he'll in all likelihood sleep with them on at times. (!) I guess that you have to get up several times a night to check on stuff. He recharges Eneloops via his extensive solar cell system to keep much of his battery operated gear running. Tells me his solar cells give him around 70 amp hours a day, much of which is spent on a small fridge. 

Here's the boat... 

And here's his log, if you're interested...he's a good writer, and his log entries read like novel chapters.


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## skyfire (Apr 6, 2011)

your friend is living my dream!
sounds like a great adventure! best of luck to him!

but if that was me, id probably have about 10 lights on my boat. LOL 
but thats just me, I wouldnt know which to bring, and would probably just bring them all.

dont forget to mention the advantages of attaching magnets to the H501s. its come in handy for me, many of times.
how about a dive light? just in case maybe?


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## Bolster (Apr 6, 2011)

Trying to remember what he told me...I know his sailboat is fitted with lots of hardwired LEDs that run from the solar/battery system. So I guess he has plenty of wired-in light. He has handheld flashlights, don't know about a dive light. Recollect he has various emergency strobes as well. But he was having the same problem we've discussed here many times...he needed both hands when working on the engine or whatever else needed doing. And he told me most his lights were too bright for night use. 

Sailor friend has access to internet when he's in port and I gave him this URL so he'll probably be reading your advice at some point.


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## Bolster (Apr 7, 2011)

Help! 

Sailor sent me this email, and I sent the following reply...am I correct? I don't know batteries very well, is my advice correct? 


sitting in cockpit tonight; writing on laptop with zebra on my head and at second level so I can see the keyboard, which on my laptop is unlit, and compare to notes from handwritten journal. quite pleasant to do this in cockpit with warm light of zebra on level two.

after about an hour the zebra goes out and will not relight.

i remove eneloop and reinsert (i.e. i reboot). it will not light.

i go below and remove kodak rechargeable from incandescent flashlight and insert into zebra, which then lights up.

i insert a different, unused eneloop and the zebra lights up.

i then tested a number of batteries for charge levels with my digital marine voltmeter with following results:

-original eneloop (about one hour of usage in zebra at various light levels, but mostly level two): 1.154v
-partually used kodak: 1.274v
-fresh, unused eneloop (dark blue casing): 1.334v

I then got a bit happy and tested a selection of my new, unused AA eneloops. Just got them in the mail (via amazon but in --- suitcase) three days ago in several packages. I list below voltages by battery casing color in order tested, all AA:

white--1.310v
white--1.308v
white--1.309v
light blue--1.333v
dark blue--1.335v
light blue--1.334v
white--1.309v
dark blue--1.115v (this batt was tried for first time two days ago and would not light the zebra--a bad batt, i assume--blue casing is a bit crinkled; paint can be scraped off with fingernail--innards going off?)

Clearly the batteries with colored casings carry a stronger charge. Intentional? Important?

Disappointed in staying power of "precharged" eneloops, though it's early to tell. Am I missing something?

What are charge levels of small batts? I know how to read deep cell batts, but is 1.15v in a AA empty? is 1.334 strongly full?

Being in La Paz where packages to and from the US often take months if they arrive at all, I'm not in a position to return for exchange or complain to anyone but you.

--

also, i notice that the switch actions for the two zebras are not uniform. where as i can operate one of the zebras between the three light levels with ease, the other switch is "sticky", will not light or change levels with the same kind of touch sensitivity as the other...takes me some time to realize it's not broken, just different.

My reply: 

Ahoy there! Sounds like a battery issue indeed. Some initial thoughts: 

"Precharged" means the cells were charged before leaving the factory, but doesn't account for time sitting in a warehouse or store. What's unique about the Eneloop is that it has a slower self-discharge rate than the usual fast-self-discharge-rate NiMH cells. (For example, the batts that power my Makita drill....pretty much gotta charge the battery BEFORE work, as charging it a week before you need it and the battery will be depleted.) The new LSD (low self discharge) batteries are a good, but not perfect, improvement on this problem. I would not take the "precharge" branding too seriously as you don't know how long it's been sitting in a warehouse. I would deplete the first charge, as you are doing, expecting it to be short, then recharge. 

An AA is normally 1.5v in full charge state (I read somewhere Eneloops are 1.45v fully charged, and they rapidly fall to 1.4v?). So it looks like yours were sitting in a warehouse for awhile to fall to 1.3 (also read somewhere that Sanyo sends them less than full charge, around 1.3 so maybe that's normal). Don't quote me on this, I'll check, but I think you may not get full capacity until you do a couple of deplete-recharge cycles. So fresh off the charger for the first couple of times may not get you 1.5 or 1.45v...again, I'll check with the forum. 

Regarding the different colors: from memory, but here goes. There are two version of eneloops, old and new. Old version is white, has letters MODEL HR-3UTG. New version is white or many other different colors, usually blue. What distinguishes "new" Eneloops is a CROWN symbol, and letters MODEL HR-3UTGA, and the ability to be recharged 50% more (from 1000x to 1500x). I bet all yours are crowned models, which means all the new eneloop version regardless of color. (Color was a marketing variation.) 

Measuring voltage is an imperfect measure of what the battery's doing, because it's not under load as you do this. That's why I tried to 'sell' you a battery tester in one of my previous emails, which tests under load. However, you VOM will give you some indication of what's going on, some indication of depletion. 

Regarding the "bad" blue Eneloop, don't toss it till you give it a recharge or two. Remember to recharge according to the instructions that came with the Eneloops. I think they want to be recharged in pairs.

At this point I suspect your problems will go away with a couple of discharge/recharge cycles, but I'll put a call into the CPF forum and get the input of people much more educated about cells than I am. 

Regarding the difference between your two Zebras, mine are different also. Mine have somewhat different tints.


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## Mr Happy (Apr 7, 2011)

Hi there,

Some info about the voltage of NiMH rechargeable batteries and Eneloops in particular. This is quite different from alkaline batteries.

An Eneloop may be considered fully charged when the resting voltage is greater than about 1.33 V. You may find them at 1.45 V fresh off the charger and 1.38 V after a few days. After a few weeks of sitting on a shelf you will see them nearer 1.33 V.

An Eneloop is completely drained when the resting voltage is 1.20 V or less. Therefore 1.115 V is completely empty and in need of recharging.

As to why the Eneloop seemed to run out so quickly, it is hard to say. Certainly they don't come fully charged when fresh out of the package, this is more like a 3/4 charge.

ZebraLight says the H501 should last about 19 hours on medium. They don't say which battery, so that might be the "best" case. With an Eneloop, let's say it should be at least 10 hours, maybe 15. I don't own the light and have no experience of how it actually performs.

What charger does your friend have? Owning Eneloops is only helpful when you can recharge them, and it is always worth fully charging them before a long period of use. When no charger is available, keeping a stock of Energizer L91 (Ultimate or Advanced) lithium disposable batteries would be a very good plan. These are lightweight and long lasting.


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## mellowman (Apr 7, 2011)

So he hasn't even recharge them yet? Is there really a problem here? Yea, battery could have been sitting awhile and maybe he lost track of time.

If he recharges a few times and still doesn't see the run time compared to others then yes there is a problem with that battery and is not economical to replace a single battery worth < $3.

BTW, H501 "Light output and runtimes are measured using a Sanyo 2700 mAh NiMH battery", per ZL.


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## Yucca Patrol (Apr 7, 2011)

I love my zebralights, but having had two of them replaced under warranty, I'd say that in the case of zebralights. . . . . Three is one and two is none! Tell your buddy to buy another! LOL


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## Bolster (Apr 7, 2011)

Thanks for the replies. Shagging some questions here: 

Charger used? Would be the one sold with the Eneloops in the Costco or Amazon multipack. It’s a 4-bay charger. He can use it, powered by his extensive solar array. 

Is there really a problem here? Well if he got 1 hour of usage on medium, then yes, that’s a problem. Medium should give him half a day's light. 

Three is one? I dunno, for me Four is Four, and some are going on 3.5 years...Remember these are the NEW H501s, not the original batch with the seal problem. But...we'll see. Time will tell. This is a harsh test environment for the H501 to be sure. But this sounds like a battery issue at this point.


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## Mr Happy (Apr 7, 2011)

I think he should put the four white Eneloops in the charger until they are fully charged and then do another test using one of those cells.


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## Bolster (Apr 8, 2011)

I think we're getting the mariner back on track. He put in a session with his H501 on high for 1.5 hours, that's about right for a 1900 mAh batt. Thanks for the advice.


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## Bolster (Apr 15, 2011)

Here's our lone sailor, currently anchored in La Paz, using two zebra 501w's concurrently to overhaul his wind vane. (It's a flash photo.) There's lots of maintenance to be done before hitting the open sea to Hawaii. He took this photo for CPF and says thanks for the help and advice.


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## flasherByNight (Apr 19, 2011)

I call shenanigans! Who took the picture?!


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## Bolster (Apr 19, 2011)

Camera has a self-timer. It's new technology from about the 1930s. 

Update: The Zebralights are now going to Tahiti before going to Hawaii.

Follow progress here: 

http://murreandthepacific.wordpress.com/


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## Sparky's Magic (Apr 19, 2011)

JA(me)S said:


> Ok, I'm officially jealous... what a life! - must be nice to have _two _H501s...
> 
> - Jas.


 Good one -Jas.


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## Bolster (May 8, 2011)

Update from the mariner, now halfway to Tahiti. He is not familiar with regulation & etc, but I thought you'd be interested in his comments. They come to us via a packet modem, which beams data over a long-wavelength single sideband radio channel. Pretty amazing he can email me from halfway between mexico and tahiti: 

"The zebralights...i use them constantly. in fact, as i am up every hour during the night, i usually sleep with one on my head. the three light modes are perfect for life aboard boat. the moon glow mode works well on deck, and if i need more light, the second level suffices for night, deck work. and the bright-bright is intense enough to see deep into the engine room, etc. 

one criticism: the lights stop functioning if the battery gets below a certain level. they either go out of their own accord or if turned off will not turn back on again. this as opposed to dimming until dead like my other incandescents/leds. they will get dim, but below a certain, still fairly bright light level, they seem to simply stop. this feature is dangerous for me. The other night I was on the bowsprit performing a sail change in the dark. The light went out as I was leant way out and removing a stuck shackle. I had to feel-crawl my way back to the cabin, grab another and return. the situation wasn't critical, but if it had been...

anyway, nice lights, the one detail aside.


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## 5150Bronco (May 8, 2011)

This is an incredible thread. I will be following this for sure. 

Very good real world example to see how those lights hold up. 

We all will be cheering for him on his adventure.


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## Bolster (May 10, 2011)

If you're following Murre's adventures (here http://murreandthepacific.wordpress.com/) you'll find that Murre has hit the Doldrums...difficult sailing...but the H501w's so far are holding up to the constant wet, salt spray, and constant use...a sort of "worst case scenario" for a headlamp. I half expected one of his lamps to give up the ghost already.


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## Bolster (May 28, 2011)

Arrived at the Marquesas (French Polynesia)...island of Hiva Oa to be precise. Tahiti, later. I guess the Zebralights were in pretty much constant (hard) usage, salt spray & being run on high for hours on end. Several of the photos from his blog show the Zebralights in action. Here's one, where the mariner is adjusting sails...







The passage was just a few days short of a month, averaging about 100 miles per day.


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## nfetterly (May 28, 2011)

Bolster said:


> If you ask me? ....Yes! By the one-is-none rule, with just him alone, there's nobody on his boat!
> 
> The crossing from Baja Calif to HI will take about 3 weeks I'm told, and he'll start middle of this month. If the trip to HI takes 3 weeks, the trip back to SF must take a month. That's a long time to be alone on a boat, IMO. He tells me the Zebras solve lots of problems for him, and that he'll in all likelihood sleep with them on at times. (!) I guess that you have to get up several times a night to check on stuff. He recharges Eneloops via his extensive solar cell system to keep much of his battery operated gear running. Tells me his solar cells give him around 70 amp hours a day, much of which is spent on a small fridge.
> 
> ...



Crap - I need this in book format for my Kindle!! What a good read!


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## goose2283 (May 28, 2011)

nfetterly said:


> Crap - I need this in book format for my Kindle!! What a good read!


 No thread hijack intended, but have you tried Calibre? I won't post any further about it in this thread, so PM me if you need help doing the conversion.


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## Bolster (May 29, 2011)

I am hoping that his blog is "notes" for a forthcoming book...but he has made no such commitment.

By the way, the previously mentioned SPOT adventures (down the coast of Mexico) is tame compared to the actual crossing to Tahiti. But SPOT wasn't designed to work mid-pacific, so after Cabo San Lucas the rest of the adventure goes here to wordpress...


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## Bolster (Jul 25, 2011)

Update: Sailor's somewhere in the Marquesas (near Tahiti) but the constant moist salt environment finally killed his computer, and he can't communicate via his blog anymore. He'll get a new computer in Tahiti. So far his lights are doing daily service.


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## gcbryan (Jul 25, 2011)

Salt water certainly is a rough environment isn't it!

I used the back seat of my car to carry diving equipment (in a Rubermaid container) so no water actually got on anything. Yet, eventually it killed the electric window control on that rear back window  Just from the moisture in the air.

In the wheel wells (from the trunk) I was able to pull out a hand full of salt. I carried my tanks to and from the dive site in the trunk of my car. Nothing seemed corroded or affected and for a long time I missed the wheel well until I went for part of my car jack and reached in there.

The corrosive effect is a slow one over time but the day to day action of the ocean is immediate. I always am impressed by people who sail single handed across any ocean.


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## Bolster (Jul 25, 2011)

Wow. I did not know salt was THAT insidious. Living near the ocean I've lost a fair amount of nice tools to rust (even hanging in my garage), but I've never been in close enough contact to see the real implications. 

Apparently, without the computer or sideband modem, he climbs the mast as far as he can to make a cell phone call, when he's near enough civilization to make a connection. Last I knew he was on some lonely atoll in the Tuamotus. His wife (in SF) posted for him: “There are only palm trees and hermit crabs. It takes me about 15 minutes to walk from one side of the island to the other. And it only takes me 15 minutes because I have to hack my way through the jungle. If there was a path it would take me about 90 seconds. I’m the only one here.”


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## ryguy24000 (Jul 25, 2011)

Bolster said:


> “There are only palm trees and hermit crabs. It takes me about 15 minutes to walk from one side of the island to the other. And it only takes me 15 minutes because I have to hack my way through the jungle. If there was a path it would take me about 90 seconds. I’m the only one here.”



Wow. Gotta love that.


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## Outdoorsman5 (Jul 26, 2011)

What a cool thread Bolster...thanks for sharing it with us.


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## Bolster (Aug 22, 2011)

Now his digital camera has died of the salt. His wife has flown into Tahiti to restock him with computer and camera.

Pre-camera-fail photo, trying to fix the computer (using headlamp). Unsuccessful. 

I keep waiting for the Zebralights to fail. How much can they take?


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## robostudent5000 (Aug 22, 2011)

Bolster said:


> I keep waiting for the Zebralights to fail. How much can they take?


 
dude, his camera is supposed to be waterproof and it still failed? bummer. let's hope the seals on the Zebras hold up.


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## Bolster (Sep 10, 2011)

Latest report on his two Zebralights: 


As to the Zebras, they are holding up admirably, even though they seem delicate for this type of environment. I use them nearly every day, and often for long periods. The bands are beginning to stretch out, but the lights themselves show no sign of wear. The casing is not corroding as I had feared; the lens glass has not leaked (no condensation inside as can happen with cameras) and neither has the switch (my biggest worry); the o-ring is holding up, and there's no sign of moister intrusion inside.

The only maintenance I've performed is to stretch back out the negative pole spring on the inside of the cap of one of the lights. It had compressed and was not consistently connecting.

One thing that worries me is that when open, for battery changes, etc., the circuitry inside the casing and behind the light is vulnerable to moisture intrusion and short-out. Wouldn't it make sense to lay a covering of non-conductive goop over these circuits at the factory? Also, I don't seem to be able to disassemble the light from the bulb end (correct? I haven't tried very hard). Thus, if it did get wet inside, I would not have a good way to dry it out.

I make it sound, above, as though I'm cavalier about battery changes and moisture, which is not correct. It is simply that while at sea it can be very difficult to keep things from being, at least, damp. Damp is, simply, everywhere. And I find that I am most frequently changing batteries under duress; that is, I was outside in the spray of the dark of night when the thing quit, and so now I'm below changing its battery even though I / it are not entirely dry.

He has complained about the regulation before; he wishes it would drop out of regulation toward the end so he has a warning the cell's expiring. Makes sense to me but I don't know what electronics that would require, size, cost, etc. 

He is having an Eneloop issue, I will post it in the battery section here, if you care to help troubleshoot it.


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## tygger (Sep 10, 2011)

I see a future testimonial on the Zebralight website. Here's to your friend making it back safe with 2 fully functional Zebralights. :thumbsup:


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## Bolster (Sep 11, 2011)

Between you and me, and the rest of this subforum, no way do I expect the Zebralights to make the whole trip. He's slowly murdering those two lights with constant salt water exposure (not to mention constant use). But, it will be interesting to see how far they can go. I was surprised they made it to Tahiti. If they make it to Hawaii I'll eat my hat.


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## varuscelli (Sep 11, 2011)

This has been a very cool thread, Bolster -- very worthy of following on several levels. 

But listen...if you end up needing to eat your hat, make sure you pick something with a nicely palatable natural fiber. :sick2: :green:


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## Bolster (Sep 11, 2011)

LOL! As we speak, I am shopping for a hat made of corn flakes and chocolate. 

I got another sailmail on the subject of the Zebras. The background is, I have been suggesting maybe he also carry a SF Saint. But he's disinclined to carry anything but AA and AAAs. 

i got a good reminder of their light quality a day or two ago as was chatting w/some friends on the beach. we all wore headlamps, and the zebra was ... well, not just superior, but in another class of light. i had forgotten how weak, bluey-gray, and pointy yet diffuse are most headlamps. when i switched the zebra on high, it not only flooded the area with a warm white light, it completely cancelled the light from my friends' headlamps. jealousy ensued. delicacy comment was not meant as a jab. most "camping" headlamps are made of super-heavy plastics, and i still seem to break them, etc. it's just that with changing the batts so often, i'm surprised water hasn't invaded the body of the machine and caused some damage. NO i do not want another type of headlamp or battery. am actually quite happy that all but three devices on board are AA or AAA.


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## varuscelli (Sep 13, 2011)

I know it's too late on this voyage for such input, but I'll put this out there for discussion. if I were in on a similar adventure and using rechargeable batteries, I would have added in at least a few higher capacity rechargeable batteries like Maha Powerex 2700mAh and/or Duracell 2650mAh as well. 

I find that both of those those hold charges for amazingly long times, and if a solar charger is available for them anyway, both offer more capacity than Eneloops, so there would be less frequent battery changes required during daily use. For my uses, I keep all three on hand, but tend to rely on the higher capacity batteries more often. I generally keep the Eneloops in reserve but the Powerex and Duracells for my everyday uses. I don't claim to be an expert in all the areas of consideration for battery choices, but have used various rechargeables enough over the years that I know which ones I lean toward by virtue of performance that I see with my cameras, flashes, flashlights, etc. 

I know there are a lot of factors to consider with such a sailing voyage, and the Eneloops would likely offer the best combination of shelf life and capacity (long-term insurance), but mixing in a few higher-capacity batteries for daily use could be a legitimate consideration, too. 

Anyway...just putting my thoughts out there.


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## Bolster (Sep 19, 2011)

Update: Sailor just lost his bank of deep-discharge 12v house batteries. Replacing that'll set him back a grand, and he has to buy French AGM replacements sold somewhere near Tahiti. $$$

Varuscelli: Yeah, he'd like higher mAh batteries but I didn't know what to recommend. I'll pass along your rec when he arrives in Hawaii. It's really hard for him to get gear where he is. He's reported that Tahiti seems to get the bottom-quality of any hardware, and you buy what's on the shelf and say thank you. We're spoiled by Amazon. Anyway please recommend a charger for these higher capacity cells and I'll pass it along. 

Technically, a solar AA battery charger isn't available. He has solar, it goes to the 12v house batteries, then to an inverter, he can plug in and use the Eneloop charger. But there's no more advanced AA charging option than that; he'd have to buy something.


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## varuscelli (Sep 20, 2011)

Hey, if the trip goes all goes well enough, perhaps there will be more like it in the future. Ideas for expanded battery choices can be always be held in reserve for the future. Such a cool, adventurous and brave thing to be doing, too. He's definitely got my respect and admiration.


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## Norman (Sep 20, 2011)

Bolster said:


> Technically, a solar AA battery charger isn't available. He has solar, it goes to the 12v house batteries, then to an inverter, he can plug in and use the Eneloop charger. But there's no more advanced AA charging option than that; he'd have to buy something.


 Thanks for sharing this adventure with us...are you saying that a stack of Eneloops are relying on a single point of failure (one charger)? If you're expecting the Zebras to fail, perhaps a backup headlamp (PT, BD or anything), backup charger (maybe 12v powered?), and some batteries should be waiting for him at his next port of call?

btw, I thought SPOT used the Globalstar (or Iridium) network.


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## DIΩDΣ (Sep 20, 2011)

varuscelli said:


> I know there are a lot of factors to consider with such a sailing voyage, and the Eneloops would likely offer the best combination of shelf life and capacity (long-term insurance), but mixing in a few higher-capacity batteries for daily use could be a legitimate consideration, too.
> 
> Anyway...just putting my thoughts out there.


 
I assume your talking about the standard eneloops, but you make it sound like there are no high capacity eneloops. What about the 2500mAh XX eneloops? I have not tried these yet but plan on ordering them in my next amazon order. Seems to me like you get eneloop performance but with higher capacity (costly though).


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## varuscelli (Sep 21, 2011)

DIΩDΣ;3750981 said:


> I assume your talking about the standard eneloops, but you make it sound like there are no high capacity eneloops. What about the 2500mAh XX eneloops? I have not tried these yet but plan on ordering them in my next amazon order. Seems to me like you get eneloop performance but with higher capacity (costly though).


 
I've never tried the 2500mAh Eneloops, but you make a good point. I wasn't trying to imply that Eneloops were low capacity batteries, though -- just that there were higher capacity batteries with relatively long shelf life out there. Even the 2000mAh Eneloops are pretty high capacity in a relative sense. 

I wonder which Eneloops Bolster's friend is using? And you're right -- those higher capacity Eneloops do seem to run kind of high in price, depending on budget and how many you want/need to keep on hand. But I'm sure for a case like this long voyage they would be well worth the cost.


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## Bolster (Nov 6, 2011)

Update. Sailor made it from Society Islands to Hawaii. See route here. 5600 miles at sea and both Zebralights seeing daily use and still going strong.


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## NoFair (Nov 7, 2011)

Bolster said:


> Update. Sailor made it from Society Islands to Hawaii. See route here. 5600 miles at sea and both Zebralights seeing daily use and still going strong.



Great news 

I use my H31W when sailing and I'm very happy with it. 

Getting him a 12V charger might be a good idea since using an inverter wastes a lot of energy.


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## CathastrophiX (Nov 7, 2011)

Bolster said:


> Update. Sailor made it from Society Islands to Hawaii. See route here. 5600 miles at sea and both Zebralights seeing daily use and still going strong.



_"If they make it to Hawaii I'll eat my hat." 

_Well, looks like the Zebralights made it to Hawaii...., so how did the hat taste ;-)


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## Bolster (Nov 7, 2011)

I have been putting off that promise, hoping everyone had forgotten. BUT, I am eating it now. I chose a cotton ballcap, which looked more appetizing than my other selections. It's something like eating a bedsheet, except chewier, and with more salt from around the brim. The logo stitched onto the front is particularly tough. However the bill was constructed of cardboard, which wasn't bad; it wasn't that different from some of the MRE's I've eaten.

I guess these Zebralights are not as fragile as they look!


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## CathastrophiX (Nov 7, 2011)

You should have eaten one of those hats with ledlights in the brim!

:thumbsup:


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## varuscelli (Nov 7, 2011)

Bolster said:


> I have been putting off that promise, hoping everyone had forgotten.



Some of us have been keeping an eye on the thread, just in case... :nana:

But really, it's good to know the ZebraLights did well in what I think we'd all have to agree is a pretty harsh environment. That's one heck of a trip and a heck of an equipment test for something that's not specifically made for that type of environment.


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## Bolster (Nov 7, 2011)

Yeah, and look at all the other equipment that failed! Computer. Waterproof Camera. All his house batteries. I forgot to add that half of his built-in (LED) cabin lighting died. He developed a 2-gallon a day leak somewhere up in the bow. The head sprung a leak. He ripped the mainsail. A lazy jack let loose and so a cable on the mast flopped around for half the journey. For awhile we thought he blew a headgasket in his diesel engine, but that turned out to be water coming up the exhaust and entering the cylinders through the back door. Then there was the persistent mold problem when he anchored in the Marquesas...he could never get the cabin dry enough so he had mold everywhere. He had to toss a lot of his cushions due to that. 

Fortunately his radios did not fail, and his GPS did not fail, and the hull held together. I bought him a Spyderco H-1 knife (rustproof) before he left and I guess that's holding up well, too. But much of his stainless steel hardware is rusting by now. 

But yeah, it appears that sailing is a pretty good shake-down of any equipment you may have.


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## Bolster (Apr 6, 2012)

Update, sailing around Hawaii, here's a photo he snatched of how he sleeps sitting at the helm. Note the Zebralight on his head. They're still both going strong. 







Read about the trip here if you like: 

http://murreandthepacific.wordpress.com/


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## Changchung (Apr 9, 2012)

What a amazing trip... I will like to have that kind of oportunity... Well done sir... My respects...


SFMI4UT


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## eh4 (Apr 9, 2012)

Yes, very cool trip and very cool test of ZL's environmental seals, glad that your friend managed to have a good trip instead of an "adventure". ;-)

I'd love it if ZL took it to the next level and did the Elzetta trick where the light was entirely sealed, even from any moisture that might enter through the battery chamber.
One of several reasons that I'm stoked about the SC80 lights is that the battery body can be unscrewed, while it's intended for switching the battery adapter, it should also make it much easier to inspect and clean around the guts of the light, how much more cost would be entailed to raise the positive terminal and pot the guts?


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## Woods Walker (Apr 14, 2012)

Great thread.


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## Bolster (Jun 14, 2012)

Update: He's leaving Hawaii, I don't know his destination. Maybe Alaska. Both his H501ws are still getting daily use. He added a Maha C-9000 to keep his batteries in shape. I'm trying to talk him into a H502 d or c. He's experienced the "sudden extinguish" that some ZLs do when the cell's exhausted, and didn't like it, so I think the new light with its battery check would help. The best thing would be if the ZL would drop out of regulation at the end...


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## skyfire (Jun 14, 2012)

good to know your friend is still doing well, and the zebralights are still serving him well. 
best of luck to him. what a great adventure!


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## Illum (Jun 14, 2012)

Bolster said:


> He tells me that singlehanders abide by the rule that "Two is one, and one is none." I think he has lots of redundancies on his boat, assuming that one will break.



Break? Not likely... Sink? very likely, did you convince him to lanyard it even if its on his head?


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## varuscelli (Jun 14, 2012)

Hopefully those last few weeks in Hawaii has help to refresh his batteries (both literally and figuratively) for the continued journey.


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## Bolster (Jun 14, 2012)

Illum said:


> Break? Not likely... Sink? very likely, did you convince him to lanyard it even if its on his head?



LOL, well I guess I'm assuming that it doesn't matter how many spares he has, if he sinks. I'm not exactly sure how he has his... I forget what he calls it, his "overboard bag" packed. Since the two ZLs get constant use, (often he wears both) I doubt he has one "put away" for emergency use. He's recently purchased himself a rather nice (and pricey) liferaft, a Switlik Pod4. 

He's on his way to Alaska now. I think that's what motivated the liferaft purchase. No more warm seas to be adrift in.

Regards Hawaii, I think the first week or two were relaxing, but now he's back to the heavy work of preparing for the next leg. It really is an amazing lot of work to sail. I never realized it. The guy actually gets little rest. And lots of times he'd *like* to get rest, the sea keeps him awake. Listening to him talk it seems like one protracted sleep-deprivation experiment to me.


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## varuscelli (Jun 14, 2012)

Bolster said:


> He's recently purchased himself a rather nice (and pricey) liferaft, a Switlik Pod4.



Looks to me like a sound investment in one's future should the circumstance ever arise for its need. Very cool looking pod.


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## Bolster (Jun 22, 2012)

And finally, a failure as he heads from Hawaii to Alaska: 

"At about 2:30am an approaching squall showed clearly on the screen. While on deck one of my Zebra head lamps started to cycle through dim-to-bright levels over and over–must have gotten soaked in the deluge. Attempting to dry it out today. Bubbles coming from the LED lens. This a first."

Sad it had to fail on his first night out on this long leg. I think it put in about 14 months of seagoing use.

In this situation would you douse it with fresh water before trying to dry it?


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## varuscelli (Jun 22, 2012)

Damn! What a crummy turn of events. You have to wonder what went wrong with the lamp. I'm imagining that it has gotten wet plenty of times on the trip (at a guess). Still...water bubbling from the LED lens? I wonder if the water got in via the lens or perhaps somehow during a battery change in wet weather or something? I can't imagine he'd be careless about battery changes...but that would likely mean a "waterproof" failure...but only from getting really wet and not actual prolonged submersion...(?). 

Again -- damn!


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## Owen (Jun 22, 2012)

Bolster said:


> In this situation would you douse it with fresh water before trying to dry it?


I don't think that will fix it. The problem(in my two similar experiences) is that the light is no longer waterproof, and water is getting in around the emitter, so even if it does dry out and start working, it will just happen again the next time the light gets wet.
The reason I don't trust the newer designs is that I don't know what's under those press fit parts in terms of waterproofing. I just know that whatever was under the emitter/optics of the older models did not last much longer than a year for whatever reason. 14 months sounds about right for my H60w dying under conditions(rain) it had faced regularly throughout its life, and the older H30w failed the first time it got used in heavy rain. Pure speculation, but I have been wondering for awhile now if some sealant or seal material is deteriorating and allowing water inside. Anywhere on his route he can pick up another headlamp? It's not going to be funny if his other one fails, too.


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## psychbeat (Jun 22, 2012)

Shoot- I just picked up an h501w on the MP ...
It's one of the newer ones with blinky modes I think. 

I'm worried it's going to get wet if I use it this winter as a close work light building trails...

Wonder if maybe a little silicone around the optic would help.. Or just mess up the beam. 

Hmmm


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## Bolster (Jun 22, 2012)

Interesting, Owen. I'm in "sailmail" contact with him (data transferred over radio waves) so discussions are brief and I don't have details yet. Plus the ZL to him is a minor distraction, as the major concern is debris in that area from the Japanese tsunami. There's a big, big stretch of empty space between where he is now (N of Hawaii) and Alaska. Based on your insight, if he does get the ZL working again, I'm going to recommend he place a bead of silicone sealant around the outside edge of the lens.

EDIT: Ha, Psychbeat came up with the same solution while I was posting.


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## srfreddy (Jun 22, 2012)

Maybe ocean water dried on the oring and like, corroded/ cracked/dried it? I'm not sure what effect salt has on orings though.


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## psychbeat (Jun 22, 2012)

Hmm- 
I dont know if I want to b the first to try the silicone ...
These are collectors items now 

I suppose I could scrape any extra off if it was messing w the beam.


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## eh4 (Jun 22, 2012)

the constant cycling made me think that the rubber boot might have failed, oh well who knows, wasn't there.


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## Illum (Jun 22, 2012)

Bolster said:


> LOL, well I guess I'm assuming that it doesn't matter how many spares he has, if he sinks.



Well, I was referring to the light, but I guess if he sinks having the lights lanyarded to him would be even more important. That pod-4 is a nifty designed dinghy


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## Bolster (Jun 23, 2012)

A response to my ZL question, so, for your consideration: 

I was surprised at this problem since it's not even close to the first time they've been wet. Am fairly certain it was fresh water that got in; I was in the rain at the time. Because it was cycling through low to high, I assume it was a switching issue--i.e. water got to the switch. I took it inside and next day (when I had time to worry about it) put a fresh batt in, put the light on high and let it go. As you know, when on high the light gets warm to hot. Speed dry-out. While in this cycle I noticed water bubbles coming from between the glass lens and its casing. Did this twice. Then let it sit most of the day. Seems fine now. Stupidly I have not marked my two zebras so I can tell them apart and I think I've now mixed up the two. That was dumb. Will mark them right now. More as develops here. Now wishing I had a third as backup. These things are more important to me than a knife.

Regards your previous questions:
Are you seeing condensation inside the lens?
-No.
Was this water ingress from outside, or by chance did you have the battery bay open at some point?
-I never open the battery bay. I squeeze the batteries into the bay by using the slot between the light lens and the switch! Which is a polite way of saying you have a chance to take that question back.

As he has several thousand miles to go, I'd like to generate some recommendations here, so let's "crowd source" this and see what solutions we might come up with. 

Possible fixes that occur are: 

- if could find a circular tool of the correct diameter (such as a socket), use it to press down the chrome bezel around the switch boot to make certain the bezel's seated as far down as possible;
- lay a bead of silicone around the outside of the switch boot-seems the switch boot range of movement is small enough it could probably stand to have that crevice siliconed; 
- lay a bead of silicone around the edge of the lens, although if the light wets again, how would it dry? It sounds like vapor was escaping from the lens/body junction. Or do you do it anyway? 
- put a sandwich bag around the light and twistee it in place. 

Other ideas?


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## varuscelli (Jun 23, 2012)

I was busy composing a suggestion about using sealant around (or even over and around, "smeared" for coverage) the switch boot...dedending on what kind of sealant (silicon or other) that he might have on board, but didn't see you had expanded on the original post.


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## Bolster (Jun 23, 2012)

So maybe slather sealant across the entire switch boot and bezel, all the way across. Why not—the button depression is so minor, I'll bet silicon sealant would flex enough. OK, good. We're not worried about aesthetics here. 

Now about the lens itself...I was contemplating a what-if: what if you cut a circle of adhesive tape slightly smaller than the lens diameter, and applied it dead-center on the lens. Then you silicone around the edges of the lens. Then, when the silicone is curing, you pull up the tape (with tweezers, what have you) off the center of the lens. Might give you a neat silicone seal around the edges, while leaving the center clear? Could potentially cut down the beam angle.

Currently he's on a 6-8 foot sea, so that sort of delicate surgery would have to wait for a calm. So I'm recommending a sandwich baggie and twistee for now. 

AND we have the added complication he doesn't know which of the two lights it was. So just "waterproof" them both to be safe, and replace them when he makes landfall? (He needs H502s anyway because he needs the battery-test function and the new super-low.)


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## Bolster (Jun 23, 2012)

Update: 

Busy day here, so no chance to contemplate. Did take a gander and both lights show salt water crusting around the outside edge of the lens...just a tiny bit...but both lights look absolutely clean inside, no corrosion. Not sure either means much. Plenty silicon and may wash them up and apply some between lens and bezel as a stop gap. Let me ponder a day or two, but am thinking having you send an extra light to [wife] is a good idea. I very much like having two. But Zebra, not the SF Saint. Not interested in having to supply different types of batts.


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## Bolster (Feb 26, 2013)

Final Update: 

The voyage is now over, he's returned to San Francisco after sailing about 12,000 miles alone: from SF to Polynesia to Hawaii to Alaska, and back to SF. BOTH of his Zebras and all his Eneloops and his Powerex charger made it back in good shape and are ready for another voyage.


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## lightcycle1 (Feb 26, 2013)

I thought his boat would sink, him get stung by jellyfish and eaten by sharks and die which should have happend according to a bunch of ZL naysayers here.

Glad he made it through. Hell of an adventure and a testament to ZL durability. As with any mechanical or electrical device, no matter how pricey or highly touted, an occasional
failure is bound to happen.


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## psychbeat (Feb 26, 2013)

Here here! for vintage zebras!!


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