# Zebralight SC62 and SC62w



## jak (Jun 12, 2014)

Oh my, this sounds impressive to me. According to the Zebralight comparison spreadsheet, there will be XM-L2 versions of the SC62d lights coming in July 2014 (in Zebralight speak, that usually means several months after July).

At any rate, expect 1000 lumens for cool white, and 930 for neutral white.

Wow!


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## Stefano (Jun 12, 2014)

Wonderful news. 
I love the aesthetics of the SC62 but I wanted an led neutral withe


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## jak (Jun 12, 2014)

Stefano said:


> Wonderful news.
> I love the aesthetics of the SC62 but I wanted an led neutral withe


Not to mention almost tripple the output. For me, the question is do I keep my SC62d in addition to this light?

So here's a question, do you think the max brightness will last for 1 or 5 minutes?


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## Stefano (Jun 12, 2014)

I have no idea about this. 
Perhaps it is too early to make assumptions, could have PID but I do not see this on the document. 
I did not expect so many performance, I think Zebralight will do a good job as it did on the SC600.

(Translate with Google)


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## Derek Dean (Jun 12, 2014)

Yes, it does list both the new SC62 and SC62w as having PID, just not in the far right column, but rather, under the "max output" column.


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## markr6 (Jun 13, 2014)

jak said:


> Not to mention almost tripple the output. For me, the question is do I keep my SC62d in addition to this light?



I'm not sure either. I'll probably keep both since calling their "w" versions "neutral' is being very generous. The 5000K SC62d neutral is in fact "neutral" IMO.

But I'll probably be playing the "w" tint lottery very soon!


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## KITROBASKIN (Jun 13, 2014)

markr6 said:


> I'm not sure either. I'll probably keep both since calling their "w" versions "neutral' is being very generous. The 5000K SC62d neutral is in fact "neutral" IMO.
> 
> But I'll probably be playing the "w" tint lottery very soon!



if ZL would consider, as a special order, charging $20 more to offer an XML2 T6 3C tint, well, that would rock more than a few worlds. Even Vinh's XML2 dedomed 'PDT' is only a couple clicks away from the coveted neutral so many of us desire. It is entirely acceptable.


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## rickyro (Jun 13, 2014)

SC62d still sound more attractive to me because of the 5000k LED.

Got SC52w two weeks ago, love it!

Will get SC600 next week. I found that cool white light more preferable in the wild due to no red tint to the trees.


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## Ladp.1 (Jun 15, 2014)

It almost look like a straight version of the H600 MII's which would be very sweet! I have an H600fw MII and while I hardly every use it on full power, it is impressive how much light they can get to come out of such a small light! I Like the PID feature because it decreases the max output in many small steps that are really hard to see unless I really look for them. I think the SC62w would be a pretty slick EDC light if it's anything like the new H600's.


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## dofty (Jun 16, 2014)

what will be difference between sc62(w) and sc600(w)L2 ? same battery, same LED, and nearly the same circuit


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## jak (Jun 16, 2014)

dofty said:


> what will be difference between sc62(w) and sc600(w)L2 ? same battery, same LED, and nearly the same circuit


Size mainly. In my opinion, that's a huge deal as this is a light that's easy to carry every day. The 600 is chunky.


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## Viperbart (Jun 17, 2014)

jak said:


> Size mainly. In my opinion, that's a huge deal as this is a light that's easy to carry every day. The 600 is chunky.



+1
I wish I would have waited a few months to get the SC62 instead of the SC600, just because of the size. 
Don't get me wrong tough, I don't regret getting that torch at all.


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## Bad_JuJu (Jun 18, 2014)

This light is the reason I have not jumped on the sc600.


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## markr6 (Jul 24, 2014)

SC62 cool white now in stock! (ignore the typo under the photo showing SC62*d*)

Come on 62w!!!

edit:

Do I even need my SC600wII L2??? (provided all these specs from ZL are correct)

*SC600II L2*
H1 1100 Lm (PID, approx 2 hr) or H2 670 Lm (PID, approx 2.5 hrs) / 356 Lm (3.9 hrs) / 162 Lm (11 hrs)

*SC62*
H1 1000 Lm (PID, approx 2 hr) or H2 620 Lm (PID, approx 2.5 hrs) / 350 Lm (3.9 hrs) / 160 Lm (11 hrs)

~ $10 cheaper
~ Lighter (half the weight)
~ Smaller, especially the head
~ Almost identical output
~ Same runtimes
~ Better screw-on clip (but I never had an issue with the 600's clip)

Beam style could be the only major difference. But from what I can tell on my SC62d, the beam is still pretty throwy like the SC600.


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## Overclocker (Jul 24, 2014)

markr6 said:


> SC62 cool white now in stock! (ignore the typo under the photo showing SC62*d*)
> 
> Come on 62w!!!
> 
> ...





i'm ordering, right now!


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## TweakMDS (Jul 24, 2014)

I held an SC600 (original one) and found it quite comfortable to hold. Maybe if you holster or bag it mainly, it's more comfortable to walk with, but I'm very tempted to get an SC62W now. Only major difference seems to be the reflector, less mushy power button and ability to dissipate more heat, thus stay on high for longer, but that's not really a huge concern. I'd probably run it most on the 350 lumens modes and highest moonlight.

This SC62 definitely looks edc-able, does anyone have the SC62d and for example an eagletac D25C and/or D25A clicky to post side by side?


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## markr6 (Jul 24, 2014)

TweakMDS said:


> I held an SC600 (original one) and found it quite comfortable to hold. Maybe if you holster or bag it mainly, it's more comfortable to walk with, but I'm very tempted to get an SC62W now. Only major difference seems to be the reflector, less mushy power button and ability to dissipate more heat, thus stay on high for longer, but that's not really a huge concern. I'd probably run it most on the 350 lumens modes and highest moonlight.
> 
> This SC62 definitely looks edc-able, does anyone have the SC62d and for example an eagletac D25C and/or D25A clicky to post side by side?



Dissipating heat was my concern, but the specs don't seem to show any issues - runtimes the same. I guess it depends on the PID, which may be more aggressive on the smaller 62 though. I agree, won't be running it on high for a long time anyway. Nice to have just in case.

I don't have a D25c or D25a, but here are photos I recently took that may help:


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## Swede74 (Jul 24, 2014)

TweakMDS said:


> This SC62 definitely looks edc-able, does anyone have the SC62d and for example an eagletac D25C and/or D25A clicky to post side by side?



Note quite, but I have a side-by-side photo of a SC62d next to a Nitecore MT1A.


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## TweakMDS (Jul 24, 2014)

Thanks mark and swede! that does definitely look pocket-able. I guess I'll have to get an SC62w as soon as my dealer gets one in stock. Will go nicely together with an Armytek Predator Pro for some throw ^^ (and probably absolutely dwarfed by it).


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## markr6 (Jul 24, 2014)

Yes it feel nice in a front pocket. It may sound strange, but actually feels better than the shorter SC52w in my opinion. The SC62d seems to stay straight in the pocket, whereas the SC52w turns/moves easier making it feel akward sometimes. Yet another reason why I use 18650 lights 95% of the time.


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## gunga (Jul 24, 2014)

Wow, I need to get one of these. Just deciding between SC62 C or W... (or find a used D) Great pix!


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## markr6 (Jul 24, 2014)

gunga said:


> Wow, I need to get one of these. Just deciding between SC62 C or W... (or find a used D) Great pix!



If the tint on the SC62w I get is nice as all my other 'w' zebralights, I'll probably be selling my SC62d. Always trying to consolidate my collection!


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## gunga (Jul 24, 2014)

Well. Give me a shout if you do!

Yes, I try too, I'm very low on 18650 lights. I don't tend to use the thrower or tactical lights that commonly use 18650. A tiny Edc light would be perfect!


Sent from my iPhone using Candlepowerforums


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## Glock27 (Jul 24, 2014)

Got a tracking notice from ZebraLight. The SC62c's are actually shipping before the estimated date!
I was shocked and looking forward to the warmer tint!
The SC6Xx is the prefect EDC 18650 platform!
G27


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## Fireclaw18 (Jul 24, 2014)

markr6 said:


> SC62 cool white now in stock! (ignore the typo under the photo showing SC62*d*)
> 
> Come on 62w!!!
> 
> ...




SC62 probably won't be quite as throwy as the SC62d (at least in terms of beam profile... it might still have more lux due to higher overall lumens). The SC62d's luxeon emitter has a smaller die than the XML2 in the cool white SC62.

Based on the size of the reflector and die, I'd expect the beam profile of an SC62 with XML2 to be almost identical to an SC52... just with more lumens and longer runtime.


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## 18650 (Jul 24, 2014)

They should use 4000K and 5000K XM-L2 emitters like the Luxeons.


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## Erik1213 (Jul 26, 2014)

If they could get an XM-L that is even somewhat close to the tint of my SC62d but with XM-L2 brightness and that wonderful PID circuit, I would be one happy camper. Zebralight is always making something either too green or too yellow. My SC62d is on point but the efficiency just isn't there like my XM-L versions.


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## Derek Dean (Jul 27, 2014)

I'm pretty sure I'll end up with either an SC62w or an SC62d. In looking at the ZL website, I'm liking the distribution of the levels a bit more on the XM-L version (the cool white one for now) a bit more than what I'm seeing for the D version. Of course the warm white XM-L version's OTF ratings will be a bit lower, but should still be in the same ball park. 

*SC62 18650 Flashlight Cool White*


 LED: Cree XM-L2 Cool White (Nominal CCT 6300K) 
 User Selectable Levels: 3 main levels (High, Medium and Low). Each main level can be programmed to one of its two sub-levels. The second sub-level of the each main levels can be further programmed to different brightness levels. 
Light Output (runtimes)
High: H1 *1000* Lm (PID, approx 2 hr) or H2 *620* Lm (PID, approx 2.5 hrs) / *350* Lm (3.9 hrs) / *160* Lm (11 hrs) 
Medium: M1 *70* Lm (30 hrs) or M2 *32*Lm (66 hrs) / *12* Lm (172 hrs) 
Low: L1 *3.7 *Lm (16 days) or L2 *0.4* Lm (2.5 months) / *0.06 *Lm (4.6 months) / *0.01 *Lm (5.5 months) 
Beacon Strobe Mode: 0.2Hz Beacon at Low / 0.2Hz Beacon at H1 / 4Hz Strobe at H1 / 19Hz Strobe at H1 
 
*SC62d High CRI Daylight tint 18650 Flashlight*


 LED: Philips LUXEON T (Typical CRI: 85, Nominal CCT 5000K) 
 User Selectable Levels: 3 main levels (High, Medium and Low). Each main level can be programmed to one of its two sub-levels. The second sub-level of the each main levels can be further programmed to different brightness levels. 
Light Output (runtimes)
High: H1 *320* Lm (3 hr) or H2 *145* Lm (9 hrs) / *66* Lm (23 hrs) 
Medium: M1 *36* Lm (45 hrs) or M2 *17*Lm (4 days) / *6.6* Lm (11 days) 
Low: L1 *1.9 *Lm (34 days) or L2 *0.44* Lm (2.3 months) / *0.07 *Lm (4.2 months) / *0.01 *Lm (5.1 months) 
Beacon Strobe Mode: 0.2Hz Beacon at Low / 0.2Hz Beacon at H1 / 4Hz Strobe at H1 / 19Hz Strobe at H1 
 
Even though I rarely need anything above 200-300 lumens, I could could see having my warm white XM-L version setup with H2 as 350 lumens, giving me the 1000 lumens H1 just a quick double click away if needed. Plus, all the medium levels on the XM-L version seem just a bit more in line with what I typically use, rather than the mediums on the D version, which all seem just a bit low to me. 

My only qualm would be the L1 setting, where the D version has 1.9 lumens (which is very nice) and the XM-L version has 3.9 lumens, which is just a tad high. 

This is all probably a bit of nit picking, but I've always found level selection to be one of the most important features of a light, which is of course one reason I love my Zebralights. 

I wonder what's happened with Zebralight's concept of making ALL of the individual levels independently adjustable, all the way from the lowest low to the highest high, letting the user completely customize the light they way they want? That WOULD be perfection!


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## markr6 (Jul 27, 2014)

Derek Dean said:


> This is all probably a bit of nit picking, but I've always found level selection to be one of the most important features of a light, which is of course one reason I love my Zebralights.



Very, very true! It nice to be able to double-click and find that perfect level/runtime based on the application. I found my SC62d to be very useful over the past couple days in the hospital since all 4 lights in the room were way too bright for sleeping or napping at night. 1.9lm sounds like nothing, but it was plenty of light to ceiling bounce and use as a night light.

Not even 24 hours old yet but I had to get a pose for CPF!!


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## KITROBASKIN (Jul 27, 2014)

markr6 said:


> Very, very true! It nice to be able to double-click and find that perfect level/runtime based on the application. I found my SC62d to be very useful over the past couple days in the hospital since all 4 lights in the room were way too bright for sleeping or napping at night. 1.9lm sounds like nothing, but it was plenty of light to ceiling bounce and use as a night light.
> 
> Not even 24 hours old yet but I had to get a pose for CPF!!



Hearty Congratulations! Thank You so much for the picture. Brings back fond memories. (And keeping it on-topic with an excellent torch in the shot)

It is almost uncanny how the ZL can be easily set to the right light level; no exaggeration. Ever since joining CPF, it has always been a good experience, reading your posts, markr6. Thank You. (Pretty big kid you've got there)


Sent from my iPad using Candlepowerforums


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## TweakMDS (Jul 28, 2014)

Congrats markr6! That pic really underlines the size of the SC62 ^^


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## Derek Dean (Jul 28, 2014)

What a great shot, markr6, and congratulations!!! I see we have another CPF member in the wings.


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## markr6 (Jul 28, 2014)

Thanks everyone. He's pretty big! 9lb 6oz officially. Back home and doing great!

I just saw someone mentioned the SC62c in another thread, saying they liked the tint better than the SC62d. I would like to compare them, but I'll wait for the SC62w. 4000K sounds a bit warm for me, but sometimes you have to see it in person to be sure.


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## Fireclaw18 (Jul 28, 2014)

I wonder when the SC62w is going to go on sale. If they want to start selling it in July, they're almost out of time.


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## UnderPar (Jul 28, 2014)

Will order for SC62.


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## lightmyfire13 (Jul 28, 2014)

Ordered my sc62 a few hours after it appeared for sale .....lost my sc52 a few days before ..slightly bigger way better runtime.had the sc62d juuuuust wasn't enough output for me I'm inyo solarforce p1 hosts ay the moment but will never be without a zebralight. ...


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## Valpo Hawkeye (Jul 28, 2014)

Where are you guys ordering from? That SC62w looks amazing. I just hope it doesn't flicker like the SC600w L2.


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## BowHunter1 (Jul 28, 2014)

Where is the best place to find the new SC62 for sale??


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## Derek Dean (Jul 28, 2014)

BowHunter1, you may be out of luck. New editions of Zebralights can be hard to come by, as they go pretty fast. I think the Zebralight website was the only place that actually had it in stock, and it's now on "back order". 

Sometimes it takes a few months for supplies to stabilize, but sooner or later you'll be able to get one either at the ZL website, or Illumination Supply, or Brightguy, etc. 

If you want, you can still place an order at the ZL website, but do understand they charge your payment method as soon as you place the order, and it may be a while before it ships, however, if you change your mind, they usually refund the money pretty quickly.


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## jak (Jul 28, 2014)

Fireclaw18 said:


> I wonder when the SC62w is going to go on sale. If they want to start selling it in July, they're almost out of time.


The spreadsheet was updated this morning... SC62w can be expected in August now.


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## LeukTech (Jul 29, 2014)

I love my SC62d, carry it with me everywhere and have found that even 320lm is more than enough for anything I have used it for thus far. So these other SC62's are tempting, but I think I am going to hold off until ZL comes out with a MT-G2 version of a compact light that can run off one 18650 battery (if any company can do it, ZL can). 

The MT-G2 emitter is amazing, not only is the 5000k tint almost perfect (I am a tint snob beyond belief, and IMO it is better than the Nichia 219 in a lot of ways) but it is incredibly efficient in regards to lumens per amp. Puts out over 2,000 lumens at 3A, and can be pushed well above 4A with increasing lumen output (almost 3,000 lumens from a single emitter around 5A). Blows the XM-L2 out of the water by far in every category except throw (since the MT-G2 emitter is gigantic, and needs a huge reflector to throw decently). 

Also the MT-G2 actually has an incredible tint in lower modes and tends to not tint shift like every other Cree emitters for flashlights. An XM-L2 can go from a purplish tint in turbo to a heavy yellow/green tint in the lower modes, but this doesn't seem to happen with the MT-G2. It seems to retain it's tint pretty evenly across all modes. 

I have no idea if ZL has plans for a MT-G2 light (they would if they were smart), but if they can make a nice compact MT-G2 light that works on a single 18650 cell with amazing efficiency, then I will buy one ASAP. This emitter is the next big thing with LED flashlights IMO. Only drawback is the huge emitter which makes it harder to have a throwy light in a small package, and that the MT-G2 is somewhere around 6V Vf, so most applications will require at least two 3.7V li-ion cells which increases host size and doesn't really add much runtime. But if ZL can make a Ni-MH work with an XM-L2, they can make a Li-ion work with a MT-G2


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## Fireclaw18 (Jul 29, 2014)

The problem with MTG2 is it requires 6V... so you're looking at typically 2 cells in series. That's typically much more dangerous than a single-cell light. With 2 cells there's the risk that one cell might deplete faster than the other and reverse charge it causing it to blow up.

Zebralight likes to make lights that are very safe and can be used by non-enthusiasts. I don't think a compact high-powered 2-cell li-ion light would qualify.

Now if they could come up with a boost circuit that let it run off a single 18650 that would be nice. But it would have to run at 6 amps to deliver the same wattage as 2 cells at 3 amps. Since they'd probably only run it at a max of 3 amps, you'd get far less than 2000 lumens. And at that lower current you might as well just use an XML2 for more throw.


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## Overclocker (Jul 29, 2014)

LeukTech said:


> I love my SC62d, carry it with me everywhere and have found that even 320lm is more than enough for anything I have used it for thus far. So these other SC62's are tempting, but I think I am going to hold off until ZL comes out with a MT-G2 version of a compact light that can run off one 18650 battery (if any company can do it, ZL can).
> 
> The MT-G2 emitter is amazing, not only is the 5000k tint almost perfect (I am a tint snob beyond belief, and IMO it is better than the Nichia 219 in a lot of ways) but it is incredibly efficient in regards to lumens per amp. Puts out over 2,000 lumens at 3A, and can be pushed well above 4A with increasing lumen output (almost 3,000 lumens from a single emitter around 5A). Blows the XM-L2 out of the water by far in every category except throw (since the MT-G2 emitter is gigantic, and needs a huge reflector to throw decently).
> 
> ...




MT-G2 too floody for an SC600-sized light let alone sc62-sized

the next big thing would be super compact triple XP-L lights


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## 18650 (Jul 29, 2014)

Fireclaw18 said:


> The problem with MTG2 is it requires 6V... so you're looking at typically 2 cells in series. That's typically much more dangerous than a single-cell light. With 2 cells there's the risk that one cell might deplete faster than the other and reverse charge it causing it to blow up. Zebralight likes to make lights that are very safe and can be used by non-enthusiasts. I don't think a compact high-powered 2-cell li-ion light would qualify. Now if they could come up with a boost circuit that let it run off a single 18650 that would be nice. But it would have to run at 6 amps to deliver the same wattage as 2 cells at 3 amps. Since they'd probably only run it at a max of 3 amps, you'd get far less than 2000 lumens. And at that lower current you might as well just use an XML2 for more throw.


 The 3400mAH ICR batteries won't like running at 6A+...


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## Jeffg330 (Jul 29, 2014)

I ordered my Sc62 this morning from Zebralight around 9am and it showed on "backorder"...bummer. 3 hours later I received a "shipped" email...cool!

A buddy of mine told me zebra ships to USA from Texas now. Can anyone confirm this? I thought they all come from China. The email I received is a little vague:

*Shipping to continental U.S. via USPS takes about 2-4 days.*
*USPS Tracking: https://tools.usps.com/go/TrackConfirmAction.action*

*International orders are shipped from China via postal airmail, EMS, or DHL. You can query your package by the tracking code above according to your shipping method. *

Thnx, I'm pretty stoked to get this torch!


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## markr6 (Jul 29, 2014)

Jeffg330 said:


> I ordered my Sc62 this morning from Zebralight around 9am and it showed on "backorder"...bummer. 3 hours later I received a "shipped" email...cool!
> 
> A buddy of mine told me zebra ships to USA from Texas now. Can anyone confirm this? I thought they all come from China. The email I received is a little vague:
> 
> ...



I believe I've gotten all mine from Texas over the past 2 years. Only 2 days via USPS and they always shipped within 24 hours.


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## BowHunter1 (Jul 29, 2014)

Derek Dean said:


> BowHunter1, you may be out of luck. New editions of Zebralights can be hard to come by, as they go pretty fast. I think the Zebralight website was the only place that actually had it in stock, and it's now on "back order".
> 
> Sometimes it takes a few months for supplies to stabilize, but sooner or later you'll be able to get one either at the ZL website, or Illumination Supply, or Brightguy, etc.
> 
> If you want, you can still place an order at the ZL website, but do understand they charge your payment method as soon as you place the order, and it may be a while before it ships, however, if you change your mind, they usually refund the money pretty quickly.



Thank you for taking the time to respond. I think I will just pre-order and wait. It looks as if Jeff down below order and it shipped even though it says "back order". If not I can wait it out.


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## Jeffg330 (Jul 29, 2014)

BowHunter1 said:


> Thank you for taking the time to respond. I think I will just pre-order and wait. It looks as if Jeff down below order and it shipped even though it says "back order". If not I can wait it out.



Good idea BowHunter. I would imagine you would get similar results. I don't Zebra puts a priority on updating the website


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## lightmyfire13 (Jul 29, 2014)

My sc62 took 5 days to get a shipped email now just the wait...


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## LeukTech (Jul 29, 2014)

Fireclaw18 said:


> The problem with MTG2 is it requires 6V... so you're looking at typically 2 cells in series. That's typically much more dangerous than a single-cell light. With 2 cells there's the risk that one cell might deplete faster than the other and reverse charge it causing it to blow up.
> 
> Zebralight likes to make lights that are very safe and can be used by non-enthusiasts. I don't think a compact high-powered 2-cell li-ion light would qualify.
> 
> Now if they could come up with a boost circuit that let it run off a single 18650 that would be nice. But it would have to run at 6 amps to deliver the same wattage as 2 cells at 3 amps. Since they'd probably only run it at a max of 3 amps, you'd get far less than 2000 lumens. And at that lower current you might as well just use an XML2 for more throw.



Interesting, I didn't realize a boost circuit hiked up the amps like that. With that high of amperage not only will the efficiency of lumens per amp go down significantly, but even with high quality AW 3400's 6A is pushing it a little close to the 2C mark. 

And you are definitely correct about ZL and the multicell arrangement, heck even the S6330 had three independent battery slots for safety reasons. So unless ZL can somehow make a boost circuit that doesn't hike up the amps (which may be impossible due to ohms law for all I know) then the chances of a MT-G2 ZL are out the window. 

Unless of course they start doing multicell lights that run in series. Which is possible, I mean heck look at all the other MT-G2 lights out there like the NiWalker MM15, or the Eagletac SX25L3 for example, they are using 3-4 batteries in series in those setups. And with the high quality Li-ion batteries available today, chances of something going horribly wrong are likely pretty minimal or almost non-existent unless we factor in user-error. But I think the majority of ZL owners are hobbyists to some degree, as 18650/14500/RCR123 batteries are hobbyist batteries. If ZL was only aiming for the casual, non-enthusiast market, they would have stuck with CR123 and AA lights only. So I wouldn't write off ZL doing a multicell series light just yet, especially if they want to stay competitive in the market. And if the MT-G2 lights become as popular as I think they will (due to the insane amount of lumen output, which the market absolutely loves... just look at how the XM-L took off) then ZL will definitely have to consider it. 




Overclocker said:


> MT-G2 too floody for an SC600-sized light let alone sc62-sized



Too floody? I don't think so. ZL sells plenty of headlamp mules (literally the floodiest LED light available is a mule), no reason they would shrug off the MT-G2 because it was "too floody". ZL is all about floody lights, they don't even make a single thrower. The giant emitter size of the MT-G2, massive output and it's flooding capability would be like the holy grail for them.


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## Fireclaw18 (Jul 30, 2014)

LeukTech said:


> Interesting, I didn't realize a boost circuit hiked up the amps like that. With that high of amperage not only will the efficiency of lumens per amp go down significantly, but even with high quality AW 3400's 6A is pushing it a little close to the 2C mark.


I'm no expert in how boost circuits work. However, I do recall that watts = amps times voltage. A 6v device at 3 amps uses the same amount of watts as a 3v device at 6 amps.

Of course, a boost circuit might just end up with 3v at much lower than 6 amps. But if that happens, then the power to the LED should be a lot less than a 2 cell arrangement drawing 3 amps.




> Too floody? I don't think so. ZL sells plenty of headlamp mules (literally the floodiest LED light available is a mule), no reason they would shrug off the MT-G2 because it was "too floody". ZL is all about floody lights, they don't even make a single thrower. The giant emitter size of the MT-G2, massive output and it's flooding capability would be like the holy grail for them.



I extensively modded a couple Sunwayman C20C Tomahawks. These are relatively small 1x18650 lights with enough room for a 20mm reflector.

*MTG2*: The first C20C was modded with an MTG2 on copper Noctigon star with orange peel reflector. For the driver I used a 3 amp Nanjg 105c with zener diode mod and DrJones lumodrv firmware. I ran the light on 2xIMR 18350 cells in series.

*Triple XPG2*: I modded the other C20C with a triple XPG2 on copper Noctigon star with Carclo 10511 optic with front face polished for more throw. I used a different tint for each of the emitters (1 warm, 1 neutral, and 1 cool). The overall impression is of a very clean pure white. For the driver I used a Nanjg 105c with Comfychair's FET mod and DrJones lumodrv firmware. I typically run it on protected 3100 mAh ICR li-ion cells.

So I've experienced both an MTG2 and triple XPG2 in the exact same small form factor body.

My conclusion: I like the triple XPG2 much better. It produces slightly less overall lumens than the MTG2 light, but in practice it actually feels brighter because it has better throw. Both lights are very floody, but the MTG2 feels like a mule... an enormously wide beam with an enormously wide ... and dim... hotspot. No throw at all. The triple XPG2 is also extremely floody, but has noticeably more throw.

Another thing I really like about the XPG2 is that it's running off a single cell. This is much safer than a 2 cell light... no need to worry about one cell running down too fast and then exploding. Carrying around that MTG2 made me nervous... so much so that I felt it wasn't safe to pocket carry without tailcap lockout activated. I don't have this worry with my single-cell lights.

Another advantage of the 18650 powered triple XPG2 is that it has more runtime. An 18650 holds more power than 2x18350s. The two 18350s at 3 amps only held enough power for something like 14 minutes at max. And I couldn't risk getting anywhere close to that due to the risk of reverse charging. In contrast the 18650 powered light should run around 25 minutes. And the driver electronics should ramp down and turn off the light before the cell runs dry saving the cell from damage.

Both lights can only be used at full power for brief periods due to heat. The FET driver in my triple XPG2 is almost as efficient as direct drive. It will run on an IMR cell and output noticeably more light, but heats up far too fast to be usable.

Personally, I think the MTG2 is probably better used in larger lights with big reflectors. A triple XPG2 (and perhaps triple XPL2 when new optics become available) is a better choice for small lights.


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## Jeffg330 (Jul 31, 2014)

lightmyfire13 said:


> My sc62 took 5 days to get a shipped email now just the wait...



I ordered my sc52 on Tueseday, received it today (Thursday) with regular USPS shipping. If your in cont USA you ought not have to wait long. 
My first impression of this torch is all positive. I can see this light taking over EDC duties, and relegating sc52 to backup/nightstand duty


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## Fireclaw18 (Jul 31, 2014)

Jeffg330 said:


> I ordered my sc52 on Tueseday, received it today (Thursday) with regular USPS shipping. If your in cont USA you ought not have to wait long.
> My first impression of this torch is all positive. I can see this light taking over EDC duties, and relegating sc52 to backup/nightstand duty



How's the tint? Is it greenish? How's the tint at both low power and full power?


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## Jeffg330 (Aug 1, 2014)

I'm not a good one to comment on tint Fireclaw. To my old eyes all cool white looks the same! I love the size though. It fits in my jeans pocket, and the little coin pocket nicely, unlike the sc600 which was just a tad too large for the smaller pocket. I'll also say that the clip is slightly looser (yet firm) then the sc52 which I needed 2 hands to pull off of my pocket. It seems most here don't use the clip, but I do often.


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## LeukTech (Aug 1, 2014)

Jeffg330 said:


> I ordered my sc52 on Tueseday, received it today (Thursday) with regular USPS shipping. If your in cont USA you ought not have to wait long.
> My first impression of this torch is all positive. I can see this light taking over EDC duties, and relegating sc52 to backup/nightstand duty



Curious, does your SC62 have an AR (anti-reflective) coating on the lens? Because oddly enough my SC62d (which was ordered directly from ZL) does not have a AR coated lens. Which actually is quite surprising, as any and all higher end flashlights have AR coatings on their lenses. 

Way to test this is to stand in front of any light source so the light is hitting your face (like a desk lamp) and look directly into the reflector with the flashlight off, and move your head left to right. If you see any reflections from your face (or any reflections at all), then it has no AR coating (or a poor AR coating). 

My SC600w/SC51c have an AR lens that reflects absolutely nothing back when looking at the lens straight on, and I am surprised my SC62d lacks this coating. So I am curious if ZL fixed this mistake with the new SC62 lights.


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## kbuzbee (Aug 1, 2014)

LeukTech said:


> Curious, does your SC62 have an AR (anti-reflective) coating on the lens?



ZL specs don't call out AR coating for the SC62C, and yes, I can see a reflection if I hold it just right. The odd thing is, if I'm reflecting a light source, it's purple, which is also an indicator of AR coating. I wonder if it might be AR coated only on the inside?

Ken


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## WalkIntoTheLight (Aug 1, 2014)

Interesting about the AR coating. My old SC52 shows no reflections at all, and a slight purple sheen at an angle. However, my new SC52w-L2 does show reflections, and I can't see any colour at an angle. However, it doesn't appear to affect the brightness of the light. I wonder if they have changed coatings, and perhaps only apply it on the inside surface now?


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## kbuzbee (Aug 1, 2014)

WalkIntoTheLight said:


> I can't see any colour at an angle.



What color is the reflection if you reflect off a warm light in a dim room? I have the 2700K CREE bulbs in a fixture and if I focus to look at them reflected on the lens of the SC62C, they are lavender/purple. 





Not at all the tint you'd see reflecting it on plain glass... The screen of my iPad, for example, is showing the 2700K bulbs true.

Ken


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## WalkIntoTheLight (Aug 1, 2014)

kbuzbee said:


> What color is the reflection if you reflect off a warm light in a dim room?



Purple on my old SC52. No colour (just a plain reflection) on my new SC52w-L2. I think they definitely either changed or removed at least one coating in the newer models. Strange....


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## Wiggle (Aug 1, 2014)

I'm seriously considering the SC62. I find the colour temperature of my normal SC52 just fine (prob 5500K) so I think I'll go with the CW again. The SC62 looks about the same size as the Quark AA Tactical I used to pocket all the time with no troubles.


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## markr6 (Aug 1, 2014)

Coating much more obvious on my SC600w II L2


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## TweakMDS (Aug 1, 2014)

That doesn't really look like AR coating at all. Probably not a huge issue in practice though.


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## 18650 (Aug 1, 2014)

TweakMDS said:


> That doesn't really look like AR coating at all. Probably not a huge issue in practice though.


 My H502d has the purple AR glow, my SC62d does not.


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## WalkIntoTheLight (Aug 1, 2014)

Uncoated glass will lose about 4% of light due to reflections at each surface. I suppose even if both sides are uncoated, 8% loss of light may be difficult to tell without measuring equipment.

Still, I'm a bit surprised/annoyed that Zebralight didn't coat their latest lenses. They used to do it. Did they change suppliers?


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## StandardBattery (Aug 1, 2014)

They may have just started using a different coating. My SC-62d does not have the same reflection as my older Zebra lights, but I compared the reflections on it to my expensive camera lenses and eye glasses and I'm not seeign much of a difference especially compared to my eye glasses which have a spectacular coating. Of course it's very hard to compare, but in any case I'm not too worried about it as the 62d works great.

*Now I just need a SC-62w!*


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## LeukTech (Aug 2, 2014)

WalkIntoTheLight said:


> Interesting about the AR coating. My old SC52 shows no reflections at all, and a slight purple sheen at an angle. However, my new SC52w-L2 does show reflections, and I can't see any colour at an angle. However, it doesn't appear to affect the brightness of the light. I wonder if they have changed coatings, and perhaps only apply it on the inside surface now?




My SC600w and SC51c both reflect a noticeably pinkish/peach color on a angle from a 5000k fluorescent, but my SC62d reflects the light with no change in color (same tint as the light itself, like a mirror). All my other AR coated flashlights I have (even a cheap $35 Xeno E03) either reflect a pinkish or purplish tint from an angle off the same light. And all my non-AR coated lights reflect just like the SC62d, like a shiny piece of glass. 

So it seems ZL lights now have no AR coating on the lens. Not much loss in output, but it is a bit worrying that ZL is cutting corners like this.


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## ilovejesuschrist (Aug 2, 2014)

awesome, I need to get one of these :thumbsup:


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## TweakMDS (Aug 2, 2014)

WalkIntoTheLight said:


> Uncoated glass will lose about 4% of light due to reflections at each surface. I suppose even if both sides are uncoated, 8% loss of light may be difficult to tell without measuring equipment.
> 
> Still, I'm a bit surprised/annoyed that Zebralight didn't coat their latest lenses. They used to do it. Did they change suppliers?



I don't think it works like that. 

Afaik, good optical grade glass (which they claim to use) has a transmission of around 96% - 96.5%. AR / multicoated glass of the same quality has a transmission of up to 99 - 99.5%. 

The loss of light in transmission from air to glass and glass back to air while passing through the glass works both ways, but these numbers already factor that in. 

Calculated in OTF lumens, suppose the SC62 would have 1000 OTF lumens *without *AR coated, they'd have around *1040 *lumens with AR coated glass (assuming 96% vs 99.5%)


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## WalkIntoTheLight (Aug 2, 2014)

TweakMDS said:


> The loss of light in transmission from air to glass and glass back to air while passing through the glass works both ways, but these numbers already factor that in.



Okay, good to know. Still, while 4% isn't too significant, I don't understand why Zebralight would drop the coatings. Charge an extra 20 cents and include it!


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## KITROBASKIN (Aug 2, 2014)

Has anyone actually asked ZebraLight whether or not these lights have an AR coating?


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## qswitch2 (Aug 3, 2014)

After reading this thread, I'm a bit confused...is the SC62 back ordered or not? The ZL website says it is but it seemed that some people were still getting shipping notices. I really want to order this light but I don't want to tie up my $$ and have to wait months to get it. I LOVE both of my SC52s (1 XM-L and 1 XM-L2) and IMHO there is no better UI in the business. Does anybody have any idea how long it typically takes ZL to restock a back ordered item?


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## StorminMatt (Aug 3, 2014)

Fireclaw18 said:


> The problem with MTG2 is it requires 6V... so you're looking at typically 2 cells in series. That's typically much more dangerous than a single-cell light. With 2 cells there's the risk that one cell might deplete faster than the other and reverse charge it causing it to blow up.
> 
> Zebralight likes to make lights that are very safe and can be used by non-enthusiasts. I don't think a compact high-powered 2-cell li-ion light would qualify.
> 
> Now if they could come up with a boost circuit that let it run off a single 18650 that would be nice. But it would have to run at 6 amps to deliver the same wattage as 2 cells at 3 amps. Since they'd probably only run it at a max of 3 amps, you'd get far less than 2000 lumens. And at that lower current you might as well just use an XML2 for more throw.



it shouldn't be too hard to incorporate protection circuitry into the light that monitors both cells. Since the voltage of each would need to be monitored, such a setup would be easier to implement in some sort of side by side design. But it is completely possible, and would make for a fairly compact design (think TK35).


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## Overclocker (Aug 3, 2014)

StorminMatt said:


> it shouldn't be too hard to incorporate protection circuitry into the light that monitors both cells. Since the voltage of each would need to be monitored, such a setup would be easier to implement in some sort of side by side design. But it is completely possible, and would make for a fairly compact design (think TK35).




certainly possible but not an elegant mechanical design. you'd have to have a wire that senses voltage at the tailcap.

i'd very much rather have an ultracompact triple XP-L powered by 1x 26650, they're 5200mah these days


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## Overclocker (Aug 3, 2014)

WalkIntoTheLight said:


> Okay, good to know. Still, while 4% isn't too significant, I don't understand why Zebralight would drop the coatings. Charge an extra 20 cents and include it!




probably so they won't affect the tint coz that's the main selling point of the sc62d. they probably have a surplus of those lenses so they decided to use them on the sc62 as well


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## Fireclaw18 (Aug 3, 2014)

Overclocker said:


> certainly possible but not an elegant mechanical design. you'd have to have a wire that senses voltage at the tailcap.
> 
> i'd very much rather have an ultracompact triple XP-L powered by 1x 26650, they're 5200mah these days



Triple XPLs sound pretty intriguing. I was just reading about someone who tried a dedomed triple XPL on Noctigon with a FET driver in a Convoy S6 host. Powered by one Samsung 20r INR 18650 he got 3500 lumens out the front at turn on. 

Course, he probably could only run it seconds before it overheated. And even if it didn't runtime on a 20r would be very very short. Still... 3500 lumens from a light only a little bigger than an SC62 is pretty impressive.


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## TweakMDS (Aug 3, 2014)

KITROBASKIN said:


> Has anyone actually asked ZebraLight whether or not these lights have an AR coating?



I don't think so, could be worth contacting them for that. The blue/purple hue is not a must to have AR coating, so basing on that picture alone, I wouldn't dare to make a solid claim that the SC62 doesn't have AR coating, but it certainly looks like that. Also note that ZL doesn't specify having AR coating on any of their flashlights. They just state "tempered optical grade glass".

However, from that picture, there was a lot of reflection in the glass on the SC62. For me it's not a massive issue, although it would be a shame if they silently stopped using AR coating. Perhaps this was just a supply issue and the next batch will be coated again... Wouldn't put that passed them.

I have around 15 camera lenses and 8 filters with various degrees of AR coating. The best quality multicoating I have are B+W UV filter and Hoya HD clear protect filters. Those don't show the blue/purple hue, and in fact, they don't even show glass inside if you look from the side. When I first got the filter I had to tap it to make sure there was glass in it. I'd love some hoya HD glass in a flashlight though. You can stab that stuff with a screwdriver, hit it with a hammer or clean it with sandpaper and it never breaks or scratches. See here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cT6wBQR7iqE it's a polarizer, but they also have UV or clear protect. Around the 1 minute mark you see how little it actually reflects after being cleaned.


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## markr6 (Aug 3, 2014)

I took another shot with the SC62d, SC600wII L2, SC52w and Eagletac D25LC2 Nichia 219. It's exaggerated in the photo using my iPhone camera, but it's still clearly visible in person. If you're wondering, I also tried different angles, but it doesn't matter.

Personally I don't care if they're coated or not. Could be just another thing for them to mess up (sorry ZL)


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## TweakMDS (Aug 3, 2014)

Yeah, from that it definitely looks like the SC52 and SC62 don't have AR coating, or have a completely different type of AR coating, which seems rather unlikely, as I[ ve only come across that type in B+W MRC/kaesemann filters, which are easily $100-150 a piece for 77mm ones.
Maybe they reasoned that for such little pieces of glass as the front element of the SC52/62, there's much less surface of glass for the light to pass through that the overall impact is not enough to justify the cost and extra production steps of adding AR coating.

Ironically, in your second picture, the (alleged) none-coated seem to actually reflect less light, and the glass looks much clearer than the coated SC600 and the Eagletac.


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## d.weglarz13 (Aug 3, 2014)

Okay. My Sc52w L2 doesn't LOOK like there is a coating, but if you put the light on one of the sub lumen moonlight modes...I use the 2nd possible lowest setting for this, when you look at the LED when its on, you can see plenty of purple at different angles. This is much less apparent when the light is off. So, anyone want to try that with the 62?
Put it to Low, and set it to a VERY low mode, should be able to see or not if there is purple.....


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## Fireclaw18 (Aug 3, 2014)

Not every coating gives a purplish tint to the lens. My recollection is that Flashlightlens.com sells many different lenses with quality coatings. Some of them have no purple tint at all, but are still AR coated and have good transmittance.

I do notice that Zebralight makes no claims to AR coating for any of their lights on their website. Perhaps someone should send them an email and ask if their new lights are AR coated?


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## kj2 (Aug 3, 2014)

TweakMDS said:


> Yeah, from that it definitely looks like the SC52 and SC62 don't have AR coating,





Fireclaw18 said:


> Perhaps someone should send them an email and ask if their new lights are AR coated?


email send.


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## kj2 (Aug 3, 2014)

kj2 said:


> email send.



ZL even works on Sunday 

Their answer: "Yes, there are AR coatings on the glass. We've been using Corning Gorrila Glass 2 on the SC52 from day one (late 2012). Some later batches of SC52 may also some with Gorrila Glass 3 or our usuall Schott B270. Gorrila Glass 2/3 has to be AR coated differently, and the coatinngs look different.
The Gorrila Glass is one feature, among several others, we preloaded way before annoucing to public.
The SC52, H600, and SC62 share the same lens and reflectors."


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## StandardBattery (Aug 3, 2014)

*Perfect!* *ZL scores again*... they probably have the best window! One more reason ZL is the best! A big salute to George and the ZL team! :twothumbs


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## Derek Dean (Aug 3, 2014)

kj2 said:


> ZL even works on Sunday
> 
> Their answer: "Yes, there are AR coatings on the glass. We've been using Corning Gorrila Glass 2 on the SC52 from day one (late 2012). Some later batches of SC52 may also some with Gorrila Glass 3 or our usuall Schott B270. Gorrila Glass 2/3 has to be AR coated differently, and the coatinngs look different.
> The Gorrila Glass is one feature, among several others, we preloaded way before annoucing to public.
> The SC52, H600, and SC62 share the same lens and reflectors."


kj2, thanks taking the time to contact ZL and clear up this mystery. Plus, by your time stamps, not only does ZL work on Sunday, but they seem to have gotten back to you in less than an hour. Mighty impressive!


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## markr6 (Aug 3, 2014)

Gorilla Glass! Never would have thought. Very cool! Thanks for checking.


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## TweakMDS (Aug 4, 2014)

Thanks for taking the time to email them. You'd think they would place that on their website or in the specs, since gorilla glass is quite a huge marketing name. Still, it's definitely true that there are multiple types of AR coating AND that it's a different type of AR coating on this glass. Apparently it's very tricky to coat gorilla glass.


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## Wiggle (Aug 5, 2014)

Can anyone comment as to whether larger 18650s fit in this light? In particular the Fasttech 3400 protected.


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## henry1960 (Aug 5, 2014)

Wiggle said:


> Can anyone comment as to whether larger 18650s fit in this light? In particular the Fasttech 3400 protected.


Yes They Do...They Slide In And Out With No Problem....


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## Wiggle (Aug 5, 2014)

henry1960 said:


> Yes They Do...They Slide In And Out With No Problem....



Thank you for the confirmation  This light is getting hard to resist now.


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## Jeffg330 (Aug 6, 2014)

QUOTE=qswitch2;4484469]After reading this thread, I'm a bit confused...is the SC62 back ordered or not? The ZL website says it is but it seemed that some people were still getting shipping notices. I really want to order this light but I don't want to tie up my $$ and have to wait months to get it. I LOVE both of my SC52s (1 XM-L and 1 XM-L2) and IMHO there is no better UI in the business. Does anybody have any idea how long it typically takes ZL to restock a back ordered item?[/QUOTE]

It's pretty much a roll of the bones on that, I don't think Zebra updates their site often. From my personal experience I wouldn't think you'd have to wait long at all (in CONUSA).


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## UTV2TiVo (Aug 6, 2014)

The last two Zebralights I recently ordered (SC600 Mk II L2 in June and H600Fw Mk II just a couple weeks ago) were both on backorder but I received them in less than 2 weeks. In my case the backorder only delayed them a few days.
I'm in California. Once shipped they only took a couple days.


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## LeukTech (Aug 7, 2014)

kj2 said:


> ZL even works on Sunday
> 
> Their answer: "Yes, there are AR coatings on the glass. We've been using Corning Gorrila Glass 2 on the SC52 from day one (late 2012). Some later batches of SC52 may also some with Gorrila Glass 3 or our usuall Schott B270. Gorrila Glass 2/3 has to be AR coated differently, and the coatinngs look different.
> The Gorrila Glass is one feature, among several others, we preloaded way before annoucing to public.
> The SC52, H600, and SC62 share the same lens and reflectors."



Interesting, this must be a one-way AR coating cause the side that faces the customer appears to have no AR at all due to it's obvious direct-reflections while looking at the emitter head-on. 

Shame taking the lens out isn't as easy as the original SC600. In fact only a handful of people know how to remove it from the SC62 type lights without major damage to the light. 

As said by others, it is surprising ZL doesn't advertise this AR coating, as it seems to be quite rare and sought after.


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## jak (Aug 10, 2014)

Get your trigger finger ready, ZL spreadsheet says the SC62w will be available today! (8/10/2014)

At the time of this post, it's listed but "not for sale."
http://www.zebralight.com/SC62w-18650-Flashlight-Neutral-White_p_148.html


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## StandardBattery (Aug 10, 2014)

Saw that; waiting to pull the trigger. The SC60 then SC62 series have been my EDC since they came out and I'm looking forward to this one even though the SC62d seems perfect to me. In fact for EDC I may prefer it over the warmer tinted SC62w as I'm pretty sure I prefer it over the SC62c. For indoors the SC62d seems perfect, outdoors the warmer tints are nice sometimes, but the 62d is a great all-rounder.


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## jak (Aug 10, 2014)

StandardBattery said:


> Saw that; waiting to pull the trigger. The SC60 then SC62 series have been my EDC since they came out and I'm looking forward to this one even though the SC62d seems perfect to me. In fact for EDC I may prefer it over the warmer tinted SC62w as I'm pretty sure I prefer it over the SC62c. For indoors the SC62d seems perfect, outdoors the warmer tints are nice sometimes, but the 62d is a great all-rounder.


I love my SC62d, but I admit I can be a sucker for the lumen count.

(So what will I do with my SC600w L2?)


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## StandardBattery (Aug 10, 2014)

jak said:


> ?...
> 
> (So what will I do with my SC600w L2?)


Good question; in the winter when I tend to carry several lights i use my sc600 lights more and generally keep one in my coat pocket. With an sc62w and penty of lumens it may change, but i think the beam of the sc600 and not wanting to run the battery down on my main light will keep the sc600 and my other lights still in some use.


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## jak (Aug 10, 2014)

StandardBattery said:


> Good question; in the winter when I tend to carry several lights i use my sc600 lights more and generally keep one in my coat pocket...


I thought you were about to say you keep it in your pocket while it's turned on to stay warm.

I find the flood of the SC52 to be sufficient for my needs. And since the SC62 is the same reflector, I think it will be magnificent at 900+ lumens.


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## Martin L (Aug 12, 2014)

jak said:


> Get your trigger finger ready, ZL spreadsheet says the SC62w will be available today! (8/10/2014)
> 
> At the time of this post, it's listed but "not for sale."
> http://www.zebralight.com/SC62w-18650-Flashlight-Neutral-White_p_148.html



Still "Not for sale". What a damn teaser! Come on ZL!!!
I have contacted ZL and asked them when it will be released. I guess I´m not the first person to contact them regarding this . I am still negotiating with my self - The d version for a nice tint with a little bit more throw/less flood or the soon released w version with a looot of lumens, great flood but probably not that pretty tint... I´m a MT-G2 fan - is the d version close to this tint? These are my concerns these days... Shame on me!


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## Jeffg330 (Aug 12, 2014)

Martin L said:


> Still "Not for sale". What a damn teaser! Come on ZL!!!
> I have contacted ZL and asked them when it will be released. I guess I´m not the first person to contact them regarding this . I am still negotiating with my self - The d version for a nice tint with a little bit more throw/less flood or the soon released w version with a looot of lumens, great flood but probably not that pretty tint... I´m a MT-G2 fan - is the d version close to this tint? These are my concerns these days... Shame on me!



Looks like its available for preorder now with shipping 8/22


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## kbuzbee (Aug 12, 2014)

Preordered! 

Ken


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## jak (Aug 12, 2014)

kbuzbee said:


> Preordered!


Ditto. Debated ordering two, even. Self control in effect.


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## markr6 (Aug 12, 2014)

DONE! Can't wait to get this one!


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## kbuzbee (Aug 12, 2014)

jak said:


> Ditto. Debated ordering two, even. Self control in effect.



Me too, but I'm done double ordering lights. Technology changes too quickly.

Ken


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## Martin L (Aug 12, 2014)

You may order two units if you are a real tint snob. Keep the best and sell the other. It is the effect of the tint lottery


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## kbuzbee (Aug 12, 2014)

Martin L said:


> You may order two units if you are a real tint snob. Keep the best and sell the other. It is the effect of the tint lottery



That's a good idea. I'll take my chances and see. I consider myself a tint snob but not a TINT SNOB 

Ken

OMG - it just shipped!


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## jak (Aug 12, 2014)

kbuzbee said:


> OMG - it just shipped!


WTH? I just got a shipping notice as well.


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## JKolmo (Aug 12, 2014)

Huuh, you guys received shipping notices already!? I'll see if I get it too (non US order).


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## markr6 (Aug 12, 2014)

SHIPPED!! And I paid extra for the quicker service to get it here ASAP! Could be an error...so not getting my hopes up.


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## holygeez03 (Aug 12, 2014)

I also "pre-ordered" and got an immediate shipping notice... I have a feeling ZL is creating the packages in preparation to ship, which automatically generates the notification email... or maybe they have a small batch ready to go for early adopters?

PS... I created a different thread for discussing the SC62w specifically once they start showing up on doorsteps.


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## Fireclaw18 (Aug 12, 2014)

Same.

I preordered and received my shipping notice with tracking number within 15 minutes.

(I ordered around 9:20 am PST, with shipping to California via USPS)


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## JKolmo (Aug 12, 2014)

...no shipping notice here. And I ordered several hours ago. Weird but not unreasonable. In fact it's more weird that so many got their lights shipped already eventhough shipping is expected August 22...


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## holygeez03 (Aug 12, 2014)

Is your shipping address in the US? That could be a variable...

Also, check your spam folder?


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## JKolmo (Aug 12, 2014)

It's a non US order so that's probably the culprit here. You US guys get served first! I think it was the other way around with the SC62d so I figure it's fair...


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## holygeez03 (Aug 12, 2014)

I'm not convinced that the US orders have actually shipped... just that the postal service labels have been generated... just a theory.


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## Fireclaw18 (Aug 12, 2014)

holygeez03 said:


> I'm not convinced that the US orders have actually shipped... just that the postal service labels have been generated... just a theory.



I suspect you're right. I guess we'll see when people actually start receiving them.

Didn't this same thing happen a month ago when the SC62 was released? It was listed as preorder but actually shipped right away? I think people actually got them in the U.S. within a few days of the listed ship date.


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## markr6 (Aug 12, 2014)

USPS (and some other carriers) can provide the tracking number before the item is actually picked up. So even though it may not have shipped, it is likely only 1 day away. I bet the tracking number will start showing some info tomorrow. May have it in my hands by Friday if that's the case!


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## jak (Aug 12, 2014)

holygeez03 said:


> or maybe they have a small batch ready to go for early adopters?


What if it's the test mules, or first trial samples? Now I'm hoping it's just automatically generated message.


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## Derek Dean (Aug 12, 2014)

Just to give a little perspective to the release and expected shipping date of the SC62w, what has often happened in the past is that when the promised shipping date comes, we find it is only for those lights shipped from China (typically to Europe, Asia, and the UK), with the US and other orders shipping from Texas a week or so later.

So, take a deep breath and relax. I personally wouldn't expect any US orders to ship earlier than the 29th, arriving in mailboxes in early September (just in time for fall). If they come earlier, great, just sayin..............


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## lightmyfire13 (Aug 12, 2014)

My sc62 took 5 or so days to get shipping notice to UK ..


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## Glock27 (Aug 12, 2014)

I have never had an order from ZebraLight delayed AFTER receiving a shipping notice. I'll bet that the tracking #'s return USPS results tomorrow!
I'm expecting delivery Friday or Saturday......can't wait!


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## chrickso (Aug 12, 2014)

i have been refreshing the sc62w page every 10 minutes since it came up on sunday (and 2 days before then waiting for the page to come up) waiting to order.

i ordered at 9:05 this morning. at 11:05 i got a shipping confirmation.

checking the usps page now it says:

"Your item was picked up at 5:24 pm on August 12, 2014 in SOUTHLAKE, TX 76092. Information, if available, is updated periodically throughout the day. Please check again later."

sweeet.


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## Derek Dean (Aug 12, 2014)

Well, this is one time I'm happy to be proven wrong. I'm glad to hear that some folks will be getting their SC62w this week. My initial questions will be:
1. Tint?
2. How is the PID functioning on H1 and H2? Is it a noticeable drop, and after how long, and what is your room temp?
3. Beam profile? I expect it to be VERY similar to the SC52w, but you never know until you get it in your hands. 

Other than that I guess I'll just have to wait to see one in person.


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## Jeffg330 (Aug 12, 2014)

Fireclaw18 said:


> Didn't this same thing happen a month ago when the SC62 was released? It was listed as preorder but actually shipped right away? I think people actually got them in the U.S. within a few days of the listed ship date.



Last month was a little different. They had the SC62's listed as "on backorder" but we're shipping within hours of ordering. I hope you guys start getting deliveries this week!


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## jak (Aug 12, 2014)

chrickso said:


> i have been refreshing the sc62w page every 10 minutes since it came up on sunday (and 2 days before then waiting for the page to come up) waiting to order.
> 
> i ordered at 9:05 this morning. at 11:05 i got a shipping confirmation.
> 
> ...


Mine is scheduled to arrive Wednesday (Aug. 13), as I live quite close to the shipping origin. Very excited!

I was doing the same thing as you, refreshing the page every minute it seemed. Then I found an extension for my web browser (Chrome) that does that for you then alerts you when there's a change.


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## Fireclaw18 (Aug 12, 2014)

My tracking number is also now active. USPS shows the package as having been picked up!

Expected delivery is Saturday August 16. I should get it on Monday.


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## siginu (Aug 12, 2014)

I show picked up, but no deliver day. Really a tough call between the W and C models - lumens won this time...


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## JKolmo (Aug 12, 2014)

And now the orders for Europe have shipped too (at least my order). This is great!


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## Philabuster (Aug 13, 2014)

Fireclaw18 said:


> Expected delivery is Saturday August 16.



Mine shows Saturday delivery too. I requested a stiff switch instead of a mushy switch like my last SC600w purchase. Hoping for the best on this one...


----------



## TweakMDS (Aug 13, 2014)

This light is at the top of my wishlist, but there's three reasons why I'm not ordering it (yet)
- It's summer and light from about 5:30 to 22:30. With a very busy work schedule, that would mean it would be fulfilling shelf duty until the darker winter nights.
- I just bought a Predator (on sale for €49,95) and haven't even been able to charge the battery for that yet.
- I cleared out my laptop bag and glove compartment and found no less than five lights in total that I've apparently been edc-ing without knowing... I should really get rid of some.

However, it still looks like the best offering they have. I love the Zebralight UI and this SC62w seems like a perfect floody companion to the ultra throwy Armytek Predator.

I guess I'll give them an extra iteration or two to hammer out any flaws it might still have and see when it's available locally.


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## kbuzbee (Aug 13, 2014)

STATUS OF ITEM LOCATION August 12, 2014 , 5:24 pm
Picked Up SOUTHLAKE, TX 76092 


Expected Delivery Day: Saturday, August 16, 2014


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## KITROBASKIN (Aug 13, 2014)

Exciting Light. It is hard NOT to order it right now. The tint is my only question.


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## markr6 (Aug 13, 2014)

I was planning on Thursday, but confirmed it will be delivered this Friday. Not bad!

I figured it would be the exact same beam as the other SC62__ models, not SC52. But is this incorrect because of the emitter, not reflector?


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## kaichu dento (Aug 13, 2014)

KITROBASKIN said:


> Exciting Light. It is hard NOT to order it right now. The tint is my only question.


+1

This is my feelings exactly and if I hear enticing tint stories then I'll be lining up for one of these too.


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## pjandyho (Aug 13, 2014)

kaichu dento said:


> +1
> 
> This is my feelings exactly and if I hear enticing tint stories then I'll be lining up for one of these too.


Hi Pete, someone mentioned in another thread that his SC62w has a very nice neutral tint. To paraphrase what he said, "the nicest tint I have ever since". Go check it out, there's beam shots too.


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## markr6 (Aug 14, 2014)

pjandyho said:


> Hi Pete, someone mentioned in another thread that his SC62w has a very nice neutral tint. To paraphrase what he said, "the nicest tint I have ever since". Go check it out, there's beam shots too.



Definitely was not me 

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...-Impressions&p=4491078&viewfull=1#post4491078


----------



## gunga (Aug 14, 2014)

You mentioned various shades of urine I think it was...


----------



## markr6 (Aug 14, 2014)

gunga said:


> You mentioned various shades of urine I think it was...



LOL only one...**** yellow


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## Fireclaw18 (Aug 14, 2014)

markr6 said:


> LOL only one...**** yellow



My SC52w is also **** yellow. When my SC62w arrives on Monday I'll get to see which light has more ****!


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## StandardBattery (Aug 14, 2014)

Wow! Zebralight should have shipped my light, i'm sure i would not be using the same 'p-word' to describe the tint. they should also fix their website, my shipping option changed after i was returned from Paypal and I didn't notice it. Oh well now I'll just have to wait... not too hard given I'm already happy in lights.


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## markr6 (Aug 14, 2014)

StandardBattery said:


> i'm sure i would not be using the same 'p-word' to describe the tint.



Don't be so sure. Unfortunately it's completely up to luck. It took me several tries until I got a nice SC52w. Actually, took about a year for them to literally "flush the ****" and stop using green emitters. They either got unlucky with nasty tints from CREE, but since it always seemed to be focused on the SC52w I don't know what to think.

I'll sit this one out for a few weeks/months while they flush 'em...I'll be back with a SC62w eventually!


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## KDM (Aug 14, 2014)

Mark have you tried the SC62c?


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## markr6 (Aug 15, 2014)

KDM said:


> Mark have you tried the SC62c?



No, but since I am SOOO happy with the SC62d tint I never considered it. It would probably but slightly too warm for my liking. But given the high CRI, I'm sure it's also a great light.

I am also looking forward to trying another SC62w in the future...I'm an avid tint lotto player!

p.s. Thanks to Zebralight for the quick response. They sent me an RMA number within a few hours. SC62w is in the mail for a refund.


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## KDM (Aug 15, 2014)

I think you would be pleasantly surprised with the tint of the SC62c. Think of it as the w version without all the extra, funky, random colors. Very nice. I also have the d version, really like both of them.


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## markr6 (Aug 15, 2014)

KDM said:


> I think you would be pleasantly surprised with the tint of the SC62c. Think of it as the w version without all the extra, funky, random colors. Very nice. I also have the d version, really like both of them.



Sounds nice. If I ever compare or use my SC62d right after a neutral white, it almost looks like a cool white. But then I try a cool white just for fun and realize how awful they are! I still like a good neutral white better, but the 5000K Luxeon is a close second place. The higher CRI is definitely noticable.


----------



## turkeylord (Aug 15, 2014)

Trying to decide if I can justify getting one, seeing as I already own (and sometimes carry) a H600w MK II. Basically, it's the same thing with a straight head and a few fewer lumens...


----------



## markr6 (Aug 15, 2014)

turkeylord said:


> Trying to decide if I can justify getting one, seeing as I already own (and sometimes carry) a H600w MK II. Basically, it's the same thing with a straight head and a few fewer lumens...



The smaller size is probably much more substantial in person than in a photo or specs. I think it's the perfect size. It fits in a pocket much easier than the SC600. The beam is much tighter on the SC600. Other than that, the SC600 runs cooler since it can dissipate the heat better. The SC62w gets almost too hot to handle within 1 minute. But I don't mind since I usually only use up to H2 levels on my Zebralights.

Sorry, I just noticed you were talking about the *H*600. But most of this still applies.


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## kaichu dento (Aug 15, 2014)

markr6 said:


> The smaller size is probably much more substantial in person than in a photo or specs. I think it's the perfect size. It fits in a pocket much easier than the SC600. The beam is much tighter on the SC600. Other than that, the SC600 runs cooler since it can dissipate the heat better. The SC62w gets almost too hot to handle within 1 minute. But I don't mind since I usually only use up to H2 levels on my Zebralights.


I think this will be the case for many of us, liking the smaller dimensions of the SC62 series and while enjoying the high available outputs of the SC600's, not necessarily needing it.

As popular as the whole Zebralight lineup is, I think they'd see a bigger increase in that popularity if they'd at least build them so that emitter swaps were as easily done as many other lights are.


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## markr6 (Aug 15, 2014)

kaichu dento said:


> As popular as the whole Zebralight lineup is, I think they'd see a bigger increase in that popularity if they'd at least build them so that emitter swaps were as easily done as many other lights are.



That would be great. And if they somehow came up with a swappable dropin without increasing the size, they would have a hard time keeping them in stock...oh, wait


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## blo9 (Aug 15, 2014)

I did order the SC62w. I currently got the SC51c, which I am really happy with. Lets suppose I would go crazy and by the c or d version too, just for... emergency purpose. 
What would be the choice? Do we have any c versus d pictures?


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## kbuzbee (Aug 15, 2014)

c vs d? Both good choices, IMO. I have a c and love it but pics I've seen of the d are great too. It just comes down to whether you prefer slightly warmer (c) or slightly cooler (d)

Ken


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## blo9 (Aug 15, 2014)

kbuzbee said:


> c vs d? Both good choices, ...
> Ken


So you are telling me I need to get both? Can I quote you on that if my wife asks..?


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## Fireclaw18 (Aug 15, 2014)

markr6 said:


> That would be great. And if they somehow came up with a swappable dropin without increasing the size, they would have a hard time keeping them in stock...oh, wait



Unfortunately, some of the features which make Zebralights so compact and give them great thermal management are also what make them hard to mod. Consider the following:
*
1. The emitter and driver are on the same integrated board *- this makes for a much shorter light as there's no need to have a separate star and driver with a gap between ... but it's far harder to mod. You can't simply unsolder a few leads and remove the star like you can with other lights. Earlier model Zebralights did use a star (SC51, original SC600, etc.) and were longer than the current models. It's not impossible to emitter swap a modern Zebralight, but it is extremely difficult... well beyond the capability of the typical flashlight modder.
*
2. Press-fit bezel *- Having a press fit bezel is very compact. It saves a tiny amount of space compared to a screw-in bezel. The downside is a press-fit bezel is much harder to remove and makes the light harder to mod. The original SC600 has a screw-in bezel, but other Zebralights all have press-fit bezels.

*3. Good heat-sinking* - The SC600 has a conventional star and screw-in bezel. It should easy to mod right? Wrong! The heatsinking on Zebralights tends to be very good. The star on the SC600 is screwed in and then solder applied on top of the screw. Because the heatsinking is so good, it "sucks the life" right out of a typical soldering iron. Good luck trying to get that screw desoldered so you can remove the star!


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## KDM (Aug 15, 2014)

blo9 said:


> So you are telling me I need to get both? Can I quote you on that if my wife asks..?



But honey it was on sale.


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## kbuzbee (Aug 15, 2014)

blo9 said:


> So you are telling me I need to get both? Can I quote you on that if my wife asks..?



Absolutely!  Send her right over and we'll talk 

But, to your question, yes, I think they compliment each other very nicely. Tell your wife to put it is terms of handbags and shoes. You don't expect her to carry the same bag and wear the same shoes day in - day out, right? You fully realize her need to match those to each other and the outfit and day's events, right? Same thing goes for your lights. Some situations call for a warmer light, some call for one that's cooler. 

Ken

(let me know if that works out for you and I'll try it  )


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## blo9 (Aug 16, 2014)

KDM said:


> But honey it was on sale.


Was it? 


kbuzbee said:


> Absolutely!  Send her right over and we'll talk
> 
> But, to your question, yes, I think they compliment each other very nicely. Tell your wife to put it is terms of handbags and shoes. You don't expect her to carry the same bag and wear the same shoes day in - day out, right? You fully realize her need to match those to each other and the outfit and day's events, right? Same thing goes for your lights. Some situations call for a warmer light, some call for one that's cooler.
> 
> ...


And I, told her to skip that 100€ bag....


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## kbuzbee (Aug 16, 2014)

blo9 said:


> And I, told her to skip that 100€ bag....



See, so this is all on you. You have to plan ahead for this stuff 


Ken


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## KDM (Aug 16, 2014)

blo9 said:


> Was it?



Yes, for sale.:laughing:


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## Philabuster (Aug 17, 2014)

Philabuster said:


> Mine shows Saturday delivery too. I requested a stiff switch instead of a mushy switch like my last SC600w purchase. Hoping for the best on this one...



My SC62w light actually arrived on Thursday. I've been EDCing as my backup light it since then (the SC52w had to make room). 

I am *VERY HAPPY* to report the switch feels nice and crisp. Best Zebralight yet. :thumbsup:

The SC600w MkII is still my main EDC though, but now I need to send it in to replace the mushy switch. I will say I LOVE the battery meter function (4 clicks) on all the new Zebralights. The battery indicator is the main reason I upgraded to the MkII version even though my older SC600w lights are still awesome.


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## Fireclaw18 (Aug 18, 2014)

I was super-pleased with my SC62w the day I received it. Perfect tint, great output, heavily driven... the best Zebralight yet!

... unfortunately, a major defect reared its head on Day 2. I was hoping the defect would go away, but no luck. The defect is serious enough that I'm returning my SC62w to Zebralight for refund, but I did order a replacement SC62w. Hopefully the next one won't have the defect.

*Here's the defect*:

When on max power on anything less than a totally full 18650 cell, the light won't reliably stay in high mode after being turned on. This problem appeared the day after I got the light. Note that the light has never been dropped or bumped and is otherwise in perfect condition.

The problem is intermittent: I click to turn it on in high and within 1 to 10 seconds it abruptly drops down to medium. Sometimes after it drops down I can turn the light off and turn it on again. After a few tries it may stay in high, but sometimes it drops down to medium every time. The only way to get it to stay on high is to put in a fresh cell.

This problem happens on cells that are mostly full.... less than 1 minute of use at max power after recharging. I've experienced the problem with 5 different 18650 cells. These cells work fine in all my other lights so I don't think it's the cells.


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## kbuzbee (Aug 18, 2014)

What cells are you running? I haven't seen this on the AW IMR 18650s I'm running in it (but, as you say, it's most likely the light) I'll be happy to try to replicate if I happen to have the cells you're using.

Ken


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## reppans (Aug 18, 2014)

Glitch in the battery meter circuit.


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## kbuzbee (Aug 18, 2014)

reppans said:


> Glitch in the battery meter circuit.



Probably. Wonder what status the battery test returns (vs the actual measured voltage)?

Ken


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## Fireclaw18 (Aug 18, 2014)

kbuzbee said:


> What cells are you running? I haven't seen this on the AW IMR 18650s I'm running in it (but, as you say, it's most likely the light) I'll be happy to try to replicate if I happen to have the cells you're using.
> 
> Ken



I tried the following cells:

Panasonic unprotected NCR 18650b (3400 mAh)
Zebralight protected 18650 (3100 mAh)
Samsung 25r INR (2500 mAh)(high discharge low resistance cell)
Panasonic 3100 mAh unprotected (I don't remember the exact part number. Grey wrapper purchased from Mountain Electronics)

The problem appears with all of the above cells. Using low resistance cells didn't help.

Since nobody else has reported this problem, I'm hoping I just got an unlucky defective light and the replacement will be fine.


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## Fireclaw18 (Aug 18, 2014)

reppans said:


> Glitch in the battery meter circuit.



I think you're probably right. The light might be thinking the battery is discharged and automatically bumps down the output to protect the cell. Clearly a glitch since it's happening with cells that are nearly full. This might also explain why it doesn't happen with 100% full cells fresh out of the charger.


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## kbuzbee (Aug 18, 2014)

I think you're right. Sure doesn't sound like it's the cells. Hopefully not an issue with the replacement.

Ken


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## Fireclaw18 (Aug 18, 2014)

kbuzbee said:


> I think you're right. Sure doesn't sound like it's the cells. Hopefully not an issue with the replacement.
> 
> Ken



Yes.

Sometimes I might try turning it on 5 different times. The first 4 times it clicks down to medium on its own within 1-5 seconds after turn-on. But occasionally it might stay on at max power.

If the light does stay on at max power I had no problems running it for 10 minutes or more at max power. The defective stepdown is intermittent and seems to only occur within 1-10 seconds of turn-on.


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## mekquake (Aug 18, 2014)

Had the same issue with my sc600w mk2 l2 once - I believe cleaning contact surface between tailcap and body solved that problem - so far it didn't happen again


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## Fireclaw18 (Aug 18, 2014)

mekquake said:


> Had the same issue with my sc600w mk2 l2 once - I believe cleaning contact surface between tailcap and body solved that problem - so far it didn't happen again



I tried cleaning it with Deoxit gold and also soap and water. And I tried bypassing the tailcap with some solder braid. I also tried swapping in the tailcap from my SC62d. Nothing works... I'm still getting the problem.

EDIT: I just tried cleaning it again. Both springs, the contact ring near the negative spring, and the end of the battery tube all look absolute pristine now. No visible debris of any kind. This didn't fix it.


----------



## reppans (Aug 18, 2014)

Fireclaw18 said:


> I think you're probably right. The light might be thinking the battery is discharged and automatically bumps down the output to protect the cell. Clearly a glitch since it's happening with cells that are nearly full. This might also explain why it doesn't happen with 100% full cells fresh out of the charger.



I don't own this light, but assume it has the usual ZL 4x quick presses for a batt meter reading. So what's the difference in meter reading between a 4.2V cell and a lower V cell where the light is stepping down?

Edit.... Same question Ken asked here



kbuzbee said:


> Probably. Wonder what status the battery test returns (vs the actual measured voltage)?
> 
> Ken


----------



## Fireclaw18 (Aug 18, 2014)

I ran a Samsung 25r INR 18650 cell. After approximately 4 or 5 minutes on max power it would then step down within 1 second on every turn-on.

Built-in voltage meter still registered 2-3 blips. My external multimeter showed 3.91v in the cell after this test.

On my Zebralight brand 3100 mAh 18650 cells it steps down almost every time within 1 second of being turned on. And this on a completely fresh cell right out of the charger.


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## markr6 (Aug 19, 2014)

If anyone is interested in a holster for the SC62__, I purchased five of these Jetbeam holsters for $2.46 each on fasttech. Nice snug fit. I believe it was the 12cm model. A little large for the SC52, but it works. No use for the other 3, but we can fix that


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## StandardBattery (Aug 21, 2014)

Received my light SC62w ... it's almost dark...


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## LEDburn (Aug 21, 2014)

Fireclaw18 said:


> I ran a Samsung 25r INR 18650 cell. After approximately 4 or 5 minutes on max power it would then step down within 1 second on every turn-on.
> 
> Built-in voltage meter still registered 2-3 blips. My external multimeter showed 3.91v in the cell after this test.
> 
> On my Zebralight brand 3100 mAh 18650 cells it steps down almost every time within 1 second of being turned on. And this on a completely fresh cell right out of the charger.




3.91V after 5 mins on max? Are you sure your charger is working correctly?


----------



## Fireclaw18 (Aug 21, 2014)

LEDburn said:


> 3.91V after 5 mins on max? Are you sure your charger is working correctly?



I think the charger works fine. It's a fairly new Nitecore intellicharger i4. Cells charged in this charger work fine in my other lights, including my other Zebralights.

The problem definitely seems to be in my SC62w and not my charger. It's also getting worse. Now I'm getting the abrupt stepdown to medium mode even on all my fresh cells. These are cells that read 4.19v both before and after testing in the SC62w.

Immediately on turn-on even with a fresh cell, the light is now flickering slightly then falling down to medium. This happens within 2 seconds after turn-on.


----------



## Fireclaw18 (Aug 21, 2014)

LEDburn said:


> 3.91V after 5 mins on max? Are you sure your charger is working correctly?



I think the charger works fine. It's a fairly new Nitecore intellicharger i4. Cells charged in this charger work fine in my other lights, including my other Zebralights.

The problem definitely seems to be in my SC62w and not my charger. It's also getting worse. Now I'm getting the abrupt stepdown to medium mode even on all my fresh cells. These are cells that read 4.19v both before and after testing in the SC62w.

Immediately on turn-on even with a fresh cell, the light is now flickering slightly then falling down to medium. This happens within 2 seconds after turn-on.


----------



## Ladp.1 (Aug 21, 2014)

Fireclaw18 said:


> I think the charger works fine. It's a fairly new Nitecore intellicharger i4. Cells charged in this charger work fine in my other lights, including my other Zebralights.
> 
> The problem definitely seems to be in my SC62w and not my charger. It's also getting worse. Now I'm getting the abrupt stepdown to medium mode even on all my fresh cells. These are cells that read 4.19v both before and after testing in the SC62w.
> 
> Immediately on turn-on even with a fresh cell, the light is now flickering slightly then falling down to medium. This happens within 2 seconds after turn-on.




My SC52w does that every once in a while if it's running on a 14500. It's usually because the tail cap is slightly loose or the contact point on the back of the tube is a little dirty. If it happens, I just take the tail cap off and wipe off the end of the battery tube then make sure it's tightened down. Does the trick for me.


----------



## Fireclaw18 (Aug 22, 2014)

Ladp.1 said:


> My SC52w does that every once in a while if it's running on a 14500. It's usually because the tail cap is slightly loose or the contact point on the back of the tube is a little dirty. If it happens, I just take the tail cap off and wipe off the end of the battery tube then make sure it's tightened down. Does the trick for me.



*Yes, I thought of that. I tried the following*:
1. Cleaned the tailcap spring and contacts several times including with soap and water and with deoxit gold. Then wiped it clean. There is no visible dirt or debris of any kind on any part of the tailcap. I also tried this on the contact to the tailcap at the end of the body.
2. Bypassed the spring by tucking in copper solder braid at the bottom of the spring and top of the spring to reduce resistance.
3. Tried low resistance high discharge rate Samsung 25r INR cells.
4. Tried very firmly tightening the tailcap.
5. Tried bypassing the tailcap completely by using a pair of pliers touched to the bottom of the body and the bottom of the battery for connection.
6. Tried swapping in the tailcap from my SC62d, a light which works perfectly.

The bottom line is the problem is getting worse and NOTHING I've tried makes any difference. I suspect the problem may well be a bad connection causing resistance which trips the low voltage protection. But if so, I believe this bad connection isn't anywhere near the tailcap. Instead it's likely in the head of the light which is not user serviceable. The positive contact spring at the top of the battery compartment near the head is also completely clean. I've tried wiping it with a qtip. There's nothing on it to clean off.

The bad connection might have been made worse by thermal expansion as the body warmed up. This could explain why this problem of bumping to medium mode wasn't there at all on Day 1 and only began to appear on Day 2. Now several days later, it's gotten so bad, the light basically doesn't have a high mode anymore. It will blink down to medium within 1 second of turn-on on almost every attempt. Around 1 out of every 10 attempts it will stay on high mode longer than 1 second, but will still blink down to medium wihin 10 seconds or so. It now no longer stays on high longer than 10 seconds no matter what I do.

Fixing this problem will likely require a complete disassembly of the light. Something I'm not willing to try on my own with a Zebralight ... so back to the manufacturer it will go. Hopefully my replacement SC62w won't have this problem. I should receive it the middle of next week.


----------



## Oztorchfreak (Aug 22, 2014)

Originally Posted by *Philabuster* 

 Mine shows Saturday delivery too. I requested a stiff switch instead of a mushy switch like my last SC600w purchase. Hoping for the best on this one...

My SC62w light actually arrived on Thursday. I've been EDCing as my backup light it since then (the SC52w had to make room). 

I am *VERY HAPPY* to report the switch feels nice and crisp. Best Zebralight yet. :thumbsup:

The SC600w MkII is still my main EDC though, *but now I need to send it in to replace the mushy switch.* I will say I LOVE the battery meter function (4 clicks) on all the new Zebralights. The battery indicator is the main reason I upgraded to the MkII version even though my older SC600w lights are still awesome.





How can I get a mushy switch replaced in my SC600 MKII?

How can I get to the switch if possible to do it myself or do I have to send the whole light to Zebralight?

I think the shipping cost there and back to Australia would be too expensive.

My SC52 L2 is nice and clicky like my older SC600 and SC52.



*CHEERS*


----------



## markr6 (Aug 22, 2014)

I'm not sure they would replace the switch, for free, or at all. Unfortunately they vary like crazy. I liked the switch on my SC62w but returned it for other reasons. My SC52w is also nice, but the other night my wife was sleeping and while I was using it in the dark I hear "oh my god stop doing that!!" LOL I guess it can be too loud. Better than a mushy switch though. My SC600w is pretty soft and silent, which is good and bad. I'm used to it now though.

My H600w and H52w are the best. Very crisp, tactile switch...but almost silent at the same time.

They're either getting them from different sources, or the switch manufacturer has horrible QC.


----------



## Wiggle (Aug 24, 2014)

To any of you guys using this light as an EDC. How do you find it fits in a jeans pocket ? Is it comfortable ?


----------



## kbuzbee (Aug 24, 2014)

Wiggle said:


> To any of you guys using this light as an EDC. How do you find it fits in a jeans pocket ? Is it comfortable ?



Yes, I find it carries very comfortably, in jeans or sweats. Maybe not quite as easily as, say, a D25C, but perfectly acceptable. It's in my sweat pants pocket right now.

Ken


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## hatman (Aug 24, 2014)

Mine fits comfortably except for the defective clip that is too loose to trust.


----------



## kbuzbee (Aug 24, 2014)

hatman said:


> Mine fits comfortably except for the defective clip that is too loose to trust.



I've heard this from a few folks. Both my c & w models have tight clips that work perfectly well. I don't get the sense this is a pervasive issue, but still it seems the rate is too high to discount.

Ken


----------



## Jeffg330 (Aug 24, 2014)

Wiggle said:


> To any of you guys using this light as an EDC. How do you find it fits in a jeans pocket ? Is it comfortable ?



I find it fits *perfectly *in my jeans pocket, even better clipped to my pocket. For some reason I find it more comfortable than the much smaller SC52....everyone is different though


----------



## Oztorchfreak (Aug 25, 2014)

I stick to one seller of Zebralights nowadays.

I ask for a light with particular properties or I will return it straight back to them.

It seems to be working so far.

I emailed them about my SC52 L2 and they said the current stock of the SC52 L2 had nice positive clicky switches not mushy ones.

And that is what I received from them.



*CHEERS*


----------



## Wiggle (Aug 25, 2014)

Would anyone be so kind as to provide a full power beamshot of the SC52 (CW preferably) against the SC62 CW or NW?


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## lightmyfire13 (Aug 25, 2014)

sc62 cw on the left sc52L2 cw on the right ...sc62 has a larger hot spot...got a sc52f coming as o like a floody around the house...do love zls fence is roughly 50 feet away..


----------



## Wiggle (Aug 25, 2014)

Thanks very much. Looks like the SC62 lights a larger area with more intensity


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## hatman (Aug 25, 2014)

The SC62w has a wall of light like I've never seen.


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## bmo (Aug 26, 2014)

Just got my SC62w yesterday. Loving it so far. Complements my SC52w rather nicely but I fear it may have relegated the SC52w to backup status☺. The 62w is pretty darn small for an 18650 light, at least in comparison to my Fenix PD35. 

I'd have to agree the pocket clip is a little loose compared to the 52w. It doesn't sit flush to the body. The anodizing is more of a light matte gray compared to the dark semi-glossy gray on the 52w. I prefer the latter. Before I started reading here I didn't know about flashlights having neutral tints. Now I find it hard to use my Fenix because of its cool white tint. I keep wishing it was neutral like my Zebralights lol.


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## raz-0 (Aug 26, 2014)

Just got mine today. Tint is definitely warmer than 5k and cooler than 3k. I'd call it slightly golden in tint. Anodizing is a very pleasing dark gray over a pretty grippy surface texture. Clip was very tight. Switch seemed reasonable, but this is my first zebralight, so I can't really comment on mushiness.


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## jak (Aug 26, 2014)

raz-0 said:


> Tint is definitely warmer than 5k and cooler than 3k.


Site has it listed at 4400. So, nailed it?


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## raz-0 (Aug 26, 2014)

jak said:


> Site has it listed at 4400. So, nailed it?



Eyeballing it versus known color temp lighting I have, it would seem darn close to what is claimed. At the highest mode it very pleasant. Lower power modes seem more yellow though, as others have stated.


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## kbuzbee (Aug 27, 2014)

bmo said:


> Now I find it hard to use my Fenix because of its cool white tint. I keep wishing it was neutral like my Zebralights lol.



You could always send it to Vinh for an emitter swap. He does some wonderful neutrals.

Even better, since you now have the SC62w, have him put a triple 5000K XP-L in that PD35 and get yourself a nice neutral floody "wall of light".

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?384781-WTS-PD35vn

Ken


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## bmo (Aug 27, 2014)

kbuzbee said:


> You could always send it to Vinh for an emitter swap. He does some wonderful neutrals.
> 
> Even better, since you now have the SC62w, have him put a triple 5000K XP-L in that PD35 and get yourself a nice neutral floody "wall of light".
> 
> ...



Very cool. I do want to keep the PD35 around since it has a little more throw than the Zebralights, but also because it can use CR123's in an emergency and the ZL can't. I'll have to look into the emitter swap, sounds very intriguing!

ETA: looks like vinh's PD35 can only use 18650's due to the high power draw. Still an interesting option to get that nice neutral tint though.


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## carl (Sep 22, 2014)

Does the SC62 xml have a copper core pcb in the head just like the SC600 mkII ?


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## Vanishing (Oct 8, 2014)

lightmyfire13 said:


> sc62 cw on the left sc52L2 cw on the right ...sc62 has a larger hot spot...got a sc52f coming as o like a floody around the house...do love zls fence is roughly 50 feet away..


Which output level is the sc62 in?


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## lightmyfire13 (Oct 8, 2014)

Both on high....


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## davidt1 (Oct 8, 2014)

Can someone who has both the SC62w and H600w help answer a question?

Do they both have the same or different throw and beam profile? Thanks.


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## Vanishing (Oct 8, 2014)

lightmyfire13 said:


> Both on high....


For SC62:
High: H1 *1000* Lm (PID, approx 2 hr) or H2 *620* Lm (PID, approx 2.5 hrs) / *350* Lm (3.9 hrs) /*160* Lm (11 hrs)
For SC52L2:
High: H1 *30**0* Lm (0.9 hrs) or H2 *184* Lm (1.7 hrs) / *116* Lm (3 hrs)

I take it SC62 is in H2 350Lm while SC52L2 is in H1?

Thanks


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## lightmyfire13 (Oct 8, 2014)

Vanishing said:


> For SC62:
> High: H1 *1000* Lm (PID, approx 2 hr) or H2 *620* Lm (PID, approx 2.5 hrs) / *350* Lm (3.9 hrs) /*160* Lm (11 hrs)
> For SC52L2:
> High: H1 *30**0* Lm (0.9 hrs) or H2 *184* Lm (1.7 hrs) / *116* Lm (3 hrs)
> ...


Both on highest mode ....h1 1000 & 500 lumens


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## markr6 (Oct 9, 2014)

davidt1 said:


> Can someone who has both the SC62w and H600w help answer a question?
> 
> Do they both have the same or different throw and beam profile? Thanks.



For some reason the ZL spreadsheet says the H600 and SC62 have "similar" beam profiles. They look very different to me. H600w clearly has a smaller hotspot. I had to put diffuser film on mine to spread it out.


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## Capolini (Oct 14, 2014)

Does this light accept flat top batteries and/or IMR batteries?

Thanks


----------



## gunga (Oct 14, 2014)

Yes, and Yes.


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## Capolini (Oct 14, 2014)

gunga said:


> Yes, and Yes.



Thanks.

only $75 w/ shipping from illumns w/ coupon code!

Does it really seem like 1000 lumens on High? That is bright for such a small light.Plus all the other levels/modes


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## jruser (Oct 14, 2014)

I feel like this light has completely obseleted half of my light collection. This is the light I end up picking up every single day. A keychain light will get occasional use, as well as a couple tactical lights with momentary. I have Nichia, copper, titanium lights etc that still have novelty factor, but they along with many other lights no longer see much real use.


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## markr6 (Oct 15, 2014)

jruser said:


> I feel like this light has completely obseleted half of my light collection.



HAHA! I was just thinking this same thing earlier today. I started making a mental note of what I should sell on CPFMP. Lots of stuff just sitting around (EA4, E05, and L10C for starters)

The SC62w, plus my H600w for a headlamp and S200C2 for a thrower covers it for me. A few other AA Zebralights for fun.


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## Capolini (Oct 15, 2014)

Does it really seem like 1000 lumens on High?


----------



## PoliceScannerMan (Oct 15, 2014)

Capolini said:


> Does it really seem like 1000 lumens on High?



Yes, for sure.


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## Capolini (Oct 15, 2014)

PoliceScannerMan said:


> Yes, for sure.



Thanks. I just bought it.

I have been reading all the mode/level selections over and over and also watched SB'S review of the SC600 MkII which I believe has a similar or the same UI!!

I am sure it is not that hard to get use to. It is nice to have all those options. The .01 lumen moonlight is kind of


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## Capolini (Oct 15, 2014)

I see H1 Is 1000 L, M1 is 70L. That is a big drop off. I see that H2 is 620L/350L/160L. Anyway to make H2 turn into M1??!!!LOL!


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## Capolini (Oct 15, 2014)

I always have lots of questions!! 

*1.At room temp.[~72F] How long will H1[MAX] stay on B/4 It steps down?*

*2.What does PID stand for? I know it has something to do w/ the thermally controlled temp.!!

Thanks to ALL! 
*


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## Capolini (Oct 15, 2014)

You guys probably know this but I found some nice beam shots and "gifs" of this light and its Brothers on a German website!

Starting on post #10. :thumbsup:

http://www.messerforum.net/showthread.php?125927-ZEBRALIGHT-SC62-Bericht


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## markr6 (Oct 15, 2014)

Capolini said:


> I always have lots of questions!!
> 
> *1.At room temp.[~72F] How long will H1[MAX] stay on B/4 It steps down?*



I posted a quick test about this awhile pack...surely buried in all these pages. Heck, is it even in this thread? LOL there are 283 different SC62__ threads. IIRC, it stepped down after 2 or 3 minutes. It wasn't very noticable; I had to really focus and make sure I didn't blink!


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## Capolini (Oct 15, 2014)

markr6 said:


> I posted a quick test about this awhile pack...surely buried in all these pages. Heck, is it even in this thread? LOL there are 283 different SC62__ threads. IIRC, it stepped down after 2 or 3 minutes. It wasn't very noticable; I had to really focus and make sure I didn't blink!




I am guessing it steps down to H2 if it is not that noticeable! M1 at 70 L would be!

Cograts on the "Little Big Guy" born at the end of July!!!


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## mekquake (Oct 15, 2014)

For PID controller explanation check selfbuilt's zebralight sc600 mk2 l2 review...output/runtime graphs section


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## StandardBattery (Oct 15, 2014)

Capolini said:


> I see H1 Is 1000 L, M1 is 70L. That is a big drop off. I see that H2 is 620L/350L/160L. Anyway to make H2 turn into M1??!!!LOL!


Not exacty, but if you read about the interface you will see you can make H2 the default level for H (meaning single click to H2 rather than H1). Very common.



Capolini said:


> I am guessing it steps down to H2 if it is not that noticeable! M1 at 70 L would be! ...



No it does not step down to H2, the level is temp controlled. Read about that PID (*P*roportional* I*ntegral* D*erivative) control you asked about, it will explain it. H2 would be very noticeable.


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## GeoBruin (Oct 15, 2014)

Here is a link to a post in which I conduct some temperature vs. output over time graphs: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...-Impressions&p=4492700&viewfull=1#post4492700

The long and short of it is that sitting on a table running on high, it continually reduced output over the course of 5 minutes at which point it held steady at ~60% of max output. I ran the test again holding the light tightly in my hands and was able to sustain 90% output at 5 minutes.


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## Capolini (Oct 15, 2014)

Thanks everyone for the help! I will have the UI mastered[lol] and all questions complete by its arrival on Saturday!!!


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## Zanders (Oct 18, 2014)

Made my order 2 days ago, couldn´t resist anymore  My EDC now is Sunwayman V11R, to bluish and to short battery life and don´t like tail switches. Have an old SC600w before and love that UI.


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## mekquake (Oct 18, 2014)

You'll love it ! :welcome:


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## Tapis (Oct 18, 2014)

GeoBruin said:


> Here is a link to a post in which I conduct some temperature vs. output over time graphs: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...-Impressions&p=4492700&viewfull=1#post4492700
> 
> The long and short of it is that sitting on a table running on high, it continually reduced output over the course of 5 minutes at which point it held steady at ~60% of max output. I ran the test again holding the light tightly in my hands and was able to sustain 90% output at 5 minutes.


Great, thanks! I read many times people talking here about heat dissipation throught the hand, but didn't know how effective it actually is. Now I can sleep soundly :thumbsup:


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## JamesW (Oct 18, 2014)

Hi,

I wasn't sure if I should make a seperate topic for this or wether there is a more suitable thread on here as it pertains to the difference between two Zebralight models? 

I am really having huge difficulty deciding between a *Zebralight SC62W* and *ZebraLight SC600W MKII L2*. Both seem like really great lights with a nice warm / neutral tint.

I've been reading various topics on here but still not sure which to get. Both are similar lights, similar price, except me being from the UK, I can only purchase sc600w right now and will have to wait until SC62W becomes available over here. Wish I knew when that would be.

From what I understand, the 62w is smaller and lighter but the size is not an essential requirement for me and I could live with the size of 600W. Most important things I am trying to determine between the two models are:

Battery life / drain between the two until you can no longer use H1

How long the light stays on maximum H1 before it reduces noticably to say 50% of maximum, as I would be using the brightest output mostly, but in bursts of maybe 20 to 30 seconds or less before turning off for maybe a minute or more. Which performs better in this scenario or are both equal?

The brightest torch in real terms

Difference in spotlight between the two - floody vs focused spotlit, warm tint.

Overall quality, build and switch.

PID stepdown between both as i'm not sure if 600w is temp regulated and smoothly steps down like 62w.

Overall opinion on which is better / I should get. 

Best battery recommendations / ones to avoid

I would really appreciate any help guys and hopefully I can make a purchase decision soon 

Cheers


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## kaichu dento (Oct 18, 2014)

If you don't care about the larger dimensions it seems to me that the SC600 will give you more output and a floodier beam, both of which sound like positives for you.

I'm probably going to get rid of my SC600 and go with an SC62w eventually, primarily because I like its form factor better and the high on it is still more than adequate, and quite impressive too.


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## fnsooner (Oct 18, 2014)

@JamesW. This is not a tough decision. Get the SC62w.:thumbsup:


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## UnderPar (Oct 18, 2014)

fnsooner said:


> @JamesW. This is not a tough decision. Get the SC62w.:thumbsup:



I second to this. I have both lights but I love my SC62w because of its size. Output wise, its the same for me and both are running on 18650 li-ion, so runtimes will be the same depending on the capacity of your battery.


----------



## SureAddicted (Oct 18, 2014)

kaichu dento said:


> If you don't care about the larger dimensions it seems to me that the SC600 will give you more output and a floodier beam, both of which sound like positives for you.



This ^^.
The SC62 heats up way too quick for my liking, we are talking in the 30 second range.


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## hatman (Oct 18, 2014)

SureAddicted said:


> This ^^.
> The SC62 heats up way too quick for my liking, we are talking in the 30 second range.



I have TWO SC62Ws and, while it is indeed a great light, it is no substitute for the SC600s.


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## Jeffg330 (Oct 18, 2014)

@ JamesW. I've learned the best answer here in a case like yours is to get both &#55357;&#56832;


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## Capolini (Oct 20, 2014)

Just got the CW version! It is a nice light.  UI really is really kind of simple. When I first read it, it appeared complicated!! 

I like all the mode options and the PID is a great idea,,,,,,,,the light really never got too hot,even tail standing for 15 minutes on High[around 65F inside]. When I use it outside tonight the cooler air will most certainly help. I am bringing it w/ my modified search lights for my nightly hike. I think I will always bring it, a 3rd light, back up and emergency light that will still get some use outside of my house!

One advantage of having a decent amount of lights is when one does NOT come w/ a holster[this light!] I always have one that fits. This fits perfectly in my SWM C20C holster.:thumbsup:

ps to *zanders: *I also have the V11R. The SC 62 is no doubt a better EDC light all the way around,run time [battery config.], modes, output ect.!


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## Zanders (Oct 20, 2014)

Capolini said:


> ps to *zanders: *I also have the V11R. The SC 62 is no doubt a better EDC light all the way around,run time [battery config.], modes, output ect.!



Sounds fine, mine is on it´s way now


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## Tapis (Oct 20, 2014)

Capolini said:


> ... I also have the V11R. The SC 62 is no doubt a better EDC light all the way around, run time [battery config.], modes, output etc.!


Aren't you comparing apples and oranges here?


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## Capolini (Oct 20, 2014)

Tapis said:


> Aren't you comparing apples and oranges here?



Not really. *zanders* said he was using the V11R as his EDC light and now he is buying this. Just comparing Two EDC flashlights,thats all!


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## Peace Train (Oct 20, 2014)

Thanks for the info Capolini, good to know!


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## purekhaos (Oct 21, 2014)

Would someone be able to give me a quick rundown of the differences between the SC62w and the SC62? I understand that The "w" model is supposed to be neutral white (which I hear runs warm). This will be my first real light, as I currently carry a Streamlight Stylus pro. I keep hearing about the 62w, but not much about the 62. Is the 62w objectively better? Thanks for the help!


----------



## Capolini (Oct 21, 2014)

purekhaos said:


> Would someone be able to give me a quick rundown of the differences between the SC62w and the SC62? I understand that The "w" model is supposed to be neutral white (which I hear runs warm). This will be my first real light, as I currently carry a Streamlight Stylus pro. I keep hearing about the 62w, but not much about the 62. Is the 62w objectively better? Thanks for the help!



I do not know all the technical aspects of lights. I do know that "Tint" is all a matter of preference! The 62 is Cool White. that is what I have. I also have several lights on the warmer[tint] side. They are modded and that is a result of dedoming. I like them also!!

I am not sure if I helped you too much!! what "Tint" is your stylus? Do you like it? If so, maybe you should get that tint?

Good luck,,,either way it is a nice light!........Cool white will give you about 70 more lumens!!! 

*P.S ,,,,,,WELCOME TO CPF!!! *


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## pjandyho (Oct 22, 2014)

purekhaos said:


> Would someone be able to give me a quick rundown of the differences between the SC62w and the SC62? I understand that The "w" model is supposed to be neutral white (which I hear runs warm). This will be my first real light, as I currently carry a Streamlight Stylus pro. I keep hearing about the 62w, but not much about the 62. Is the 62w objectively better? Thanks for the help!


Welcome to CPF! You will find this place a very conducive environment to be in. Most of our members here are very nice folks who are both helpful and polite. But be warned, this place will also help you empty your wallet much faster than you can anticipate if you are not careful. Lol!

Back to your question. It is hard to tell you what is best for you without understanding your preference. As what capolini had mentioned, tint is a matter of preference. Some like myself prefers neutral white (slightly warmish) and warm tint (pretty warm and incandescent like), and some swear by cool white. The general guideline here is that if you are using your lights mainly in the great outdoors or a walk in the park, you will find the neutral white tint more pleasing to the eyes as it helps to separate the browns from the greens better than a cool white light. If you are using the light in an urban environment, cool white works perfectly fine.

Lets talk about brightness. On paper the cool white SC62 appears to have 70 more lumens than the neutral white SC62w. In actual use, you most likely won't notice the difference in brightness because our eyes see things logarithmically. It will take at least a 40% increase in brightness before we can perceive any change at all in brightness. However, we will most likely feel that the cool white is brighter even if the lumen ratings are the same because our eyes are more sensitive towards the whiter spectrum than it is to warmer tints.

If you need a light to blind someone for defense, or you need a light that appears technologically more advanced looking than a good old incandescent bulb, or perhaps for use within the house and office where light tint doesn't really matter, the cool white SC62 won't disappoint. If you need one for use in the outdoors, or you reside in a place that has tons of greens outside, you might want to consider an SC62w.

Following the CPF saying, if unsure, buy both. I did warn you that this place can be pretty influential in helping you empty your wallet, didn't I?


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## RIX TUX (Dec 15, 2014)

I just ordered a sc62 cool, $76 shipped, now waiting patiently.


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## funkychateau (Dec 17, 2014)

Capolini said:


> I see H1 Is 1000 L, M1 is 70L. That is a big drop off. I see that H2 is 620L/350L/160L. Anyway to make H2 turn into M1??!!!LOL!



Sure, just double-click from "H1" mode.


----------



## markr6 (Dec 17, 2014)

Capolini said:


> I see H1 Is 1000 L, M1 is 70L. That is a big drop off. I see that H2 is 620L/350L/160L. Anyway to make H2 turn into M1??!!!LOL!



No way to turn H2 into M1. But H2 set to 350L makes a nice spacing, IMO. 1000L>160L is a bit much for me. So you'll have:

H1: 1000L (double click to)...
H2: 350L

M1: 70L (double click to)...
M2: 32L

etc.


----------



## dragonhaertt (Dec 17, 2014)

If I ever get money to buy a new EDC I think it might be a zebralight, the interface is great, the size is great and the quality is great. I love specs on the SC62w, if only they had some color options


----------



## 430Scuderia (Dec 17, 2014)

RIX TUX said:


> I just ordered a sc62 cool, $76 shipped, now waiting patiently.


 Hi, Check your PM please.


----------



## MBentz (Dec 21, 2014)

I just picked up a SC62w, my first Zebralight, from my local flashlight store. I am blown away. I like the UI quite a bit, while the fit and finish of the light is fantastic. This will most likely replace my S20-L2 as my primary carry light. I can see a SC52 in my future.


----------



## RIX TUX (Dec 21, 2014)

MBentz said:


> I just picked up a SC62w, my first Zebralight, from my local flashlight store. I am blown away. I like the UI quite a bit, while the fit and finish of the light is fantastic. This will most likely replace my S20-L2 as my primary carry light. _*I can see a SC52 in my future*_.


I got mine yesterday. I have a sc600 II and a sc52. The 52 is very bright but limited in runtime-I got it first, great light and I like it.....the 600 is a powerhouse, I wish it had a tighter beam, and sometimes I was limited on carrying it in my pocket because of the size and weight, but I like it alot...........but the 62 can fix all those problems (except that thrower issue ( a zl thrower does not exist )). A light with a 3200 mah 18650 battery the size of the sc62 is like having a small car with a large, full tank of gas. _*So you might not use a sc52 very much if you have a sc62.
*_


----------



## jeff400650 (Dec 22, 2014)

MBentz said:


> I just picked up a SC62w, my first Zebralight, from my local flashlight store. I am blown away. I like the UI quite a bit, while the fit and finish of the light is fantastic. This will most likely replace my S20-L2 as my primary carry light. I can see a SC52 in my future.



There is such a thing as a local flashlight store? What is it called? the only brick and mortor place I have found that actually has any decent lights is REI.


----------



## Fireclaw18 (Dec 22, 2014)

jeff400650 said:


> There is such a thing as a local flashlight store? What is it called? the only brick and mortor place I have found that actually has any decent lights is REI.




Drive south to San Jose to visit Illumn (formerly Illumination Supply). You're in Marin County... 2 hour drive at most as long as you avoid rush hour. :twothumbs


----------



## RIX TUX (Dec 22, 2014)

jeff400650 said:


> There is such a thing as a local flashlight store? What is it called? the only brick and mortor place I have found that actually has any decent lights is REI.


I'm sorry, bad choice of words for me, I ordered it online. I don't know of any local stores where I am. Anyone else?
Also, if there was a retail store most lights would cost 25-50% more.


----------



## kaichu dento (Dec 22, 2014)

jeff400650 said:


> There is such a thing as a local flashlight store? What is it called? the only brick and mortor place I have found that actually has any decent lights is REI.


If you want to see quality flashlights in person you can look at any place that deals in high quality outdoor sporting goods or places where professionals who might need decent quality lights would go, like firemen, police, military, search & rescue or marine goods.


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## 5S8Zh5 (Dec 22, 2014)

jeff400650 said:


> There is such a thing as a local flashlight store? What is it called?



LGS ( local gun store ).



_


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## MBentz (Dec 22, 2014)

jeff400650 said:


> There is such a thing as a local flashlight store? What is it called? the only brick and mortor place I have found that actually has any decent lights is REI.



The place I was referring to is Night Owl Gear in Folsom.


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## KDM (Dec 22, 2014)

I picked up a couple of Ti deep carry clips and fitted them to my SC62w and SC52w. Quick and dirty pictures.


----------



## burntoshine (Dec 28, 2014)

Nice clips, KDM! Where'd you get those??


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## KDM (Dec 28, 2014)

I purchased them off the marketplace. Wasn't sure if they would fit, had to drill the holes out a bit for it to work. They look like knife clips I've seen offered for sale various places. I'm sure some of the knife experts here can identify them.


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## burntoshine (Dec 28, 2014)

That's a nice setup.

Just ordered my '62w. :thumbsup:

I've been looking forward to this one for a while. I had two SC600w's, but sold them 'cause I wanted to buy other things. They were my only single 18650 lights. This will fill that void and then some. Merry Christmas to me!


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## pjandyho (Dec 29, 2014)

burntoshine said:


> That's a nice setup.
> 
> Just ordered my '62w. :thumbsup:
> 
> I've been looking forward to this one for a while. I had two SC600w's, but sold them 'cause I wanted to buy other things. They were my only single 18650 lights. This will fill that void and then some. Merry Christmas to me!


With the SC62w you won't miss the SC600w. Trust me. I stopped using the SC600w ever since.


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## KDM (Dec 29, 2014)

You won't be disappointed with the SC62w, I prefer the compact size over the 600. I have three 600's that are rarely used.


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## RIX TUX (Dec 29, 2014)

pjandyho said:


> With the SC62w you won't miss the SC600w. Trust me. I stopped using the SC600w ever since.



Me too.


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## UnderPar (Dec 29, 2014)

For me I didn't stop using my SC600IIL2 but my SC62w has the most number of times in my pocket


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## burntoshine (Dec 30, 2014)

Right on! I knew I made the right choice. I went back and forth a lot as to whether or not I should get it. I thought it might be a bit redundant since I have a '52w, but it doesn't have the beacon/strobe 3-click option. And like I said, not having a single-18650 light makes me feel slightly incomplete, lol. The runtimes make a big difference, depending on what you're doing. My '52w is great for work because it's smaller and I don't need much runtime most days. The '62w will be better for camping and other nightly activities. Plus, I bet it'll do nicely if I decide to put it in place of one of my handlebar lights. The SC600w's work fine in those two fish lockblocks if you strap them towards the middle (perhaps a bit closer to the head). I don't think they wobbled very much, if I remember correctly. The SC62w should be even better with a smaller head and less mass in general. And the fact that it's the same length as an HDS is mucho fantastico.

According to USPS, it should be here tomorrow. It's too bad it didn't make it in time for my fire ride tonight, though. I just finished a stupid little video from my last fire ride, a couple weeks ago...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oz7aJ4kEbOs

EDIT: this video is better:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVmUBTVVoog

Being able to harness the power of light is just awesome!


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## eastenn (Dec 30, 2014)

Currently awaiting a SC62w and H52fw, my first ZL's


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## Christoph (Dec 31, 2014)

burntoshine said:


> Nice clips, KDM! Where'd you get those??


They look like these


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## burntoshine (Jan 1, 2015)

Mine came! It rolled in late yesterday afternoon. Fit and finish are quite good; practically perfect! I didn't find any defects whatsoever. And believe me, I always look purty darned thoroughly. It has a beautiful neutral tint. It's a bit rosy, compared to my '52w. It looks quite white by itself. Both tints are within my snooty tolerance range; as are my entire herd. The tailcap is nearly perfectly centered to the body (my '52w tailcap sits more to one side). The annodizing is the darkest I've had on a ZL since my H501w, which I like a lot. Keep that green dark, homies!

I programmed the lowest low (0.01 lm), the lowest medium (11 lm) and the medium high (326 lm) on mine. I have my H600w and H600w mkII programmed with the highest high, but those are for night bike rides and I want "almost-max" for that task. Full-max is just a battery killer in my eyes, but I still want just about as bright as I can get with decent runtime, and "almost-max" does the job. For the '62w, however, I found that there's just too big of a jump from the mediums to the highest programmable high. With the highest high programmed in, there's just a tiny difference between H1 and H2. I decided that I want that 326 lumen level to have a still-bright-as-heck mode, and still have the wowzers-bright level. It makes more sense to have that 326 lumen middle-high level, instead of having two of almost-the-same levels. 

The o-ring fit is just like my '52w: basically no contact on the inner diameter of the tailcap. The water-tightness seems to rely solely on the o-ring coming into contact with the start of the threads on the tailcap. I wonder if ZL has found that the o-rings last longer this way...?? I'm coming around to being okay with this new o-ring fit they've been doing. But time will tell; I'm keeping an eye on that tailcap section.

Extremely pleased.



Christoph said:


> They look like these



I considered picking one of those up, but it looks like the top of the clip might stick out past the tailcap. I guess that might not be bad, though; ultra-conceal. I still might try one at a slightly later date. I wonder if the holes line up. KDM said he had to drill his clip holes out a bit. I can do that if it's the case. In the meantime, I did the same thing that I did to my '52w, which is remove the clip and give it that scotch-brite-brushed look; then slap it back on.


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## jtice (Feb 2, 2015)

I have EDC'd a SC600 for quite a while now, and sometimes my SC52.
I love them both, love the form factor and design of the SC52, but found its runtime and output a bit lacking for some situations.
I think the SC62W I have on the way is going to be a killer combo of the two.

Question...
What cells are people running in these lights?
I may order a couple new 18650s soon, was looking at the Nitecore cells, but wanted to make sure they fit.
Had my eye on the 3100mAh ones. Anyone tried these?


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## Tapis (Feb 2, 2015)

For my SC62w, I use EagleTac and AW 3400 mAh which are among the thinnest and shortest protected batteries. I tried KeepPowers, but they don't fit.


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## eastenn (Feb 2, 2015)

Orbtronic 3400 mah in mine, ordered from amazon.


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## SubLGT (Feb 3, 2015)

jtice said:


> ………………..Question...
> What cells are people running in these lights?
> I may order a couple new 18650s soon, was looking at the Nitecore cells, but wanted to make sure they fit.
> Had my eye on the 3100mAh ones. Anyone tried these?



I have used the Keeppower 3400mAh protected and the 3200mAh LG18650E1 (4.35V).


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## UnderPar (Feb 3, 2015)

Tapis said:


> For my SC62w, I use EagleTac and AW 3400 mAh which are among the thinnest and shortest protected batteries. I tried KeepPowers, but they don't fit.



Am using unprotected Panasonic NCR18650BE for my SC62w. IMHO, its the perfect fit battery for this light. Because its unprotected, its a lot shorter than other cells and fits in the tube very well.


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## markr6 (Feb 3, 2015)

Christoph said:


> They look like these



Close, but not the same. I'm curious too.

Edit: I see black Ti clips on ebay which look really nice, but who knows if they would fit.


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## Dr O (Feb 3, 2015)

After becoming a bit busy lately, got my act together and took the SC62W for first test tonight.
First impressions were it's very compact- unscrewed the clip and fitted into my fenix headband- fits fine- as well as the D25LC2- clamp doesn't shut fully but it's not an issue- the lights are going nowhere.

On H1 it is very bright- good spill, noticeably more than the Eagletac as you would expect- roughly 80 deg vs 64 deg

I was less impressed with H2- on paper the 577 lumens would appear bright given I run the Eagletac on high which is about 421 Lumens for mine (newer one is 476 I think). However, it didn't appear very bright, possibly due to it being more diffuse in comparison.
Ended up running on H1 which then didn't last the 2hrs on 3100 Eagletac ICR's ( haven't had a chance to sort batteries yet). It was probably about -1/ -2 degrees C once I was in the forest and up at height (30/28 Fahrenheit for you old school people) so run times will be shorter. Still, measuring voltage on return- Eagletac, which was on high was 3.89V and ZL was 3.5V

A case for using IMR batteries although runtimes may be unimproved. No chance to investigate PID as no heat build up at all.

The main complaint I have was that on return and once inside I noticed the lens had condensation on the inside basically signifying that it's not sealed properly. The Eagletac suffers no such issues- you can see moisture on the tube but the lens is free inside and out.

I'm still debating how much of an issue this is for me and whether I should send back or not? Is it normal- clearly it shouldn't be- certainly not on the inside. Am I expecting too much- again, I don't think I am. It's away now so do I just live with it if it's not going to cause any issues?
Any thoughts on or experience of the condensation inside the lens issue?


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## holygeez03 (Feb 3, 2015)

Dr O said:


> A case for using IMR batteries although runtimes may be unimproved. No chance to investigate PID as no heat build up at all.



Are you saying that using an IMR battery will reduce/eliminate heat buildup in the SC62? I don't see how this is possible since the majority of the heat is generated by the LED, and a hi-output battery would only drive the light harder... no? It does make sense that using the light in a sub-freezing temperature environment would significantly reduce the heat...

The quick heat buildup is the only complaint I have with my SC62w... and the clip.


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## Dr O (Feb 3, 2015)

holygeez03 said:


> Are you saying that using an IMR battery will reduce/eliminate heat buildup in the SC62? I don't see how this is possible since the majority of the heat is generated by the LED, and a hi-output battery would only drive the light harder... no? It does make sense that using the light in a sub-freezing temperature environment would significantly reduce the heat...
> 
> The quick heat buildup is the only complaint I have with my SC62w... and the clip.



No, they were independent statements- should have used a separate line.
An IMR battery may keep it running in H1 for longer but I'm not sure there would be a lot of difference in runtime overall. Need to test it.

As for the thermal regulation- I assume that works but due to the temperature there was no step down because it was overheating.
I'll try it indoors to see the heat build up- not something that would affect me as I really only use my lights running at night and that is predominantly in winter.
I'd have preferred a spring clip


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## mugsy5938 (Feb 5, 2015)

SubLGT said:


> I have used the Keeppower 3400mAh protected and the 3200mAh LG18650E1 (4.35V).



Did you have any issues with the Keeppower 3400mAh in your SC62 or SC62w? Yesterday I received a set of Keeppower 18650 3400mAh batteries and only one of them fit inside my SC62. The other one would go about halfway. I tried to get it in a bit farther and almost got it stuck in the tube. 
Not that is matters much, but this is my first light that takes 18650s. I thought I did my due diligence and read that these should fit.


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## Charles L. (Feb 5, 2015)

Mugsy, in your due diligence did you check HJK's website for lengths/widths etc? It is part of my research before buying batteries after suffering the all-too-common fitment issue with another light. I'm not personally familiar with Keeppowers. The shortest protected 18650's of which I am aware are the AW and Eagletac brands. Both fit fine in the SC62.


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## mugsy5938 (Feb 5, 2015)

Charles L. said:


> Mugsy, in your due diligence did you check HJK's website for lengths/widths etc? It is part of my research before buying batteries after suffering the all-too-common fitment issue with another light. I'm not personally familiar with Keeppowers. The shortest protected 18650's of which I am aware are the AW and Eagletac brands. Both fit fine in the SC62.



I have been to HJK's website, but I did not consult the length/width for this battery. The issue is not with the length of the cell, but rather with the diameter. It appears to be that the wire running lengthwise along the cell protrudes too much on the one cell.


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## Tapis (Feb 5, 2015)

I did buy Keeppower 3400mAh batteries and they don't fit, so I switched to AW and Eagletac 3400mAh which I am happy with.


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## pjandyho (Feb 5, 2015)

mugsy5938 said:


> Did you have any issues with the Keeppower 3400mAh in your SC62 or SC62w? Yesterday I received a set of Keeppower 18650 3400mAh batteries and only one of them fit inside my SC62. The other one would go about halfway. I tried to get it in a bit farther and almost got it stuck in the tube.
> Not that is matters much, but this is my first light that takes 18650s. I thought I did my due diligence and read that these should fit.


IIRC, according to my friend who is a dealer, the whole lot of Keeppower batteries are slightly out of specs in thickness and Keeppower has acknowledged it. However it's been months and they have yet to give him an acknowledgement on whether if they will replace him with a new set.


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## jtice (Feb 8, 2015)

Just to let everyone know,
Got some Nitecore 3100mah cells today and they work just fine in my SC62w
Fairly long, they are about flush with the end of the tube, but seem to work fine.

LOVE this light BTW!!!!!!!!! And the tint.
Just ordered a H600fw to compliment it.


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## easilyled (Feb 12, 2015)

Received my SC62w yesterday and I love the tint ... one of the nicest that I've seen. A true neutral with slight orangey hue but no nasty greens and even throughout the beam.

I'm also impressed with how compact it is for an 18650 light, by far the most compact for that cell size that I own and very edc'able.

The highest level is extremely bright for a light of this size and as others in this thread have mentioned, it heats up very quickly. Probably best used in bursts.

The only thing I would like to improve on is that when the tailcap is fully screwed in, there is a slight gap between the tailcap and the body. This appears to be the case in all the pictures and seems to be part of the design. I would prefer no gap though.


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## oneinthaair (Feb 12, 2015)

SubLGT said:


> I have used the Keeppower 3400mAh protected and the 3200mAh LG18650E1 (4.35V).



+1 on the Keeppower 3400 that's all I buy now. Haven't had a single problem out of them! 


Sent from my iPhone using Candlepowerforums


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## Tapis (Feb 12, 2015)

oneinthaair said:


> +1 on the Keeppower 3400 that's all I buy now. Haven't had a single problem out of them!


They don't fit in my Zebralight SC62w nor my H600Fw. I cannot understand how some people here state the battery fits in their light? Aren't they build with precise size specifications?


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## oneinthaair (Feb 12, 2015)

Mine fit no problem. I wiped the inside of the light out and the batteries down before install.


Sent from my iPhone using Candlepowerforums


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## Bill S. (Feb 12, 2015)

*easilyled *said:

"The only thing I would like to improve on is that when the tailcap is fully screwed in, there is a slight gap between the tailcap and the body. This appears to be the case in all the pictures and seems to be part of the design. I would prefer no gap though."

There was a discussion about that same gap in the SC52 lights. Evidently the gap is a good thing:

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?344890-Zebralight-SC52-amp-SC52w/page77

I got my SC62w a couple weeks ago and it has the gap.

Looks like we're fine.


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## easilyled (Feb 13, 2015)

Bill S. said:


> *easilyled *said:
> 
> "The only thing I would like to improve on is that when the tailcap is fully screwed in, there is a slight gap between the tailcap and the body. This appears to be the case in all the pictures and seems to be part of the design. I would prefer no gap though."
> 
> ...



Thanks for the link, Bill S. I know that the gap doesn't impact on the function of my SC62w as I'm confident that the o-ring seal is more than adequate and that the electrical connections work perfectly well. From a purely aesthetic point of view though, I would have preferred ZL to come up with a solution that ensured both functionality and a nice flush fit.

This is only a very minor gripe. In every other way I am very impressed.


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## Derek Dean (Feb 13, 2015)

Wow, I actually had the opportunity to use the BEACON mode (quick flashes, but not as fast as strobe) on my SC62w last night. I'm in transportation, and working the AT&T ProAm golf tournament in Pebble Beach. Last night, at twilight, I was loading a bus with folks going to dinner and needed the next bus, parked in a staging area 100 yards away, to pull down in back of the bus that was loading. 

I could have called the driver, but decided it would be quicker to signal with my light. I aimed my SC62 at the bus and gave it 3 quick taps for a short burst of the beacon mode, and bam, his lights came on and he came right down. Wow, it worked. 

Just another reason to love my SC62w!~


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## C.M.S (Feb 14, 2015)

Tapis said:


> They don't fit in my Zebralight SC62w nor my H600Fw. I cannot understand how some people here state the battery fits in their light? Aren't they build with precise size specifications?



These lights have "Builtin over-discharging protection" (2.7V cutoff) so I just use green panosonic unprotected flat top cells (3400 mah) and they fit perfect . And being able to buy a pair of those cells for 20 bucks is a bonus ..


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## hivoltage (Feb 15, 2015)

I am ready to order....can somebody explain all the different tints, I live in a woods and is where I will be using it most of the time if that matters. Thanks in advance!!


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## kj2 (Feb 15, 2015)

hivoltage said:


> I am ready to order....can somebody explain all the different tints, I live in a woods and is where I will be using it most of the time if that matters. Thanks in advance!!


May take a look at this  http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?232038-Flashlight-Tint-Color-Reference


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## Derek Dean (Feb 15, 2015)

hivoltage said:


> I am ready to order....can somebody explain all the different tints, I live in a woods and is where I will be using it most of the time if that matters. Thanks in advance!!



The short answer is...... get the SC62w.

The more complicated answer will be more personal depending on your needs. 

The SC62 and SC62w both use the larger, more powerful XM-L2 LED, so they will both give you a brighter maximum output. The SC62 has a cool white LED (6300K), and will be the brightest of the two, while the SC62w, will be slightly less bright, but with a warmer tint (4400k). Many folks find the warmer tint of the SC62w to be better suited for outdoor, woodsy kind of environments because it will enhance the reds and browns commonly found in nature, while some folks just want the absolute brightest light they can get, so they prefer the SC62. 

The SC62c and SC62d both use the smaller, and not quite as powerful, Luxeon T LED. This LED gives about 40% of the max output of the XM-L2 LED, but has a higher CRI rating, meaning it will render colors more accurately. So, more accurate colors, but with less output. The SC62c has a slightly warmer tint (4000), while the SC62d has a more neutral 5000k tint, which some folks still find a tiny bit cool. 

I LOVE HiCRI lights, like the SC62c and SC62d, but found that I really need the extra output of the XM-L2 LED, so I opted for the SC62w. It's warm tint is great outdoors, but was a tiny bit too green for my taste, so I added a light magenta filter and now it's just about right. 

You can find a comparison chart for all the Zebralights here:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...authkey=CNqP6KIC&hl=en&authkey=CNqP6KIC#gid=0

In any case, you'll love which ever SC62 you get. It's a great little light.


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## hivoltage (Feb 18, 2015)

Just ordered the SC62.!!


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## UnderPar (Feb 18, 2015)

Derek Dean said:


> The short answer is...... get the SC62w.
> 
> The more complicated answer will be more personal depending on your needs.
> 
> ...



Plus 100 to this!! I love everything about my SC62w...


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## 22HERTZ (Feb 18, 2015)

Derek Dean said:


> The short answer is...... get the SC62w.
> 
> The more complicated answer will be more personal depending on your needs.
> 
> ...



I read atleast one post where a guy owned both the SC62W and SC62d. His preference was high CRI and while he said the SC62d had a nice tint he still prefered the tint of the SC62W outdoors.

I dont own either light...just throwing that out there for what its worth.


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## Orangie (Feb 25, 2015)

Just got my SC62W Very nice, my first Zebralight.
Smaller than I expected, though I have read many posts on that, it's different when you get it in your hands eh? Love that.
Playing with it on factory settings for now and notice it gets pretty warm fast on high. Nice beam, lights up the area very well. The tint is what I would call neutral, not as warm as my spark sf3nw but I am just getting started in the light world, so my subjective comparisons should be taken as stated, I'm a newbie. It looks like this is fitted together very nicely, very well made. The color on mine is what I would call a medium greyish with a very slight tinge of olive.
So far, very happy. More to come I'm sure.
Cheers


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## fcbrian (Feb 27, 2015)

OOOHHH , why did I have to find this thread? I was searching "smallest 18650", I read Selfbuilt's SC62 review, and then stumbled on this thread. Now there is one on the way




. I want to edc the SC62, but that will be quite a difference from the Illuminati that I have been carrying forever. Going from AAA to 18650 (skipping the AA) , I might have to forgo the chapstick! But from what i can see, it's not much larger than some AAs.

I keep all my truly edc stuff on my person(phone,knife,light,watch,wallet,R9s..), no bags or holsters unless it's a planned excursion that requires extra "stuff".

Thanks CPFers for all the great posts/info on this light. I can buy at least one more light before I owe the wife a pair of shoes!

We'll see .


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## TCY (Mar 11, 2015)

So I've been playing with my sc62w for some 4 months now, and I feel like I need to come back and say this.
I can't believe that after 4 months I'd still take it with me everywhere I go. It is so compact and versatile that it makes an almost perfect EDC light, and blows 99% of other EDC lights out there on the market out of water. The only drawback for me is probably that the 930lm mode heats up the light too fast in Summer, but that's not something the guys at Zebralight can improve, the heat has to go somewhere.
So if you are searching for a compact and powerful EDC flashlight powered by 18650 batteries, look no further. You are going to love it.


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## easilyled (Mar 11, 2015)

TCY said:


> So I've been playing with my sc62w for some 4 months now, and I feel like I need to come back and say this.
> I can't believe that after 4 months I'd still take it with me everywhere I go. It is so compact and versatile that it makes an almost perfect EDC light, and blows 99% of other EDC lights out there on the market out of water. *The only drawback for me is probably that the 930lm mode heats up the light too fast in Summer, but that's not something the guys at Zebralight can improve, the heat has to go somewhere.*
> So if you are searching for a compact and powerful EDC flashlight powered by 18650 batteries, look no further. You are going to love it.



I agree with you in everything you said. However I don't perceive the fact that the 930 lumens level heats the light up quickly as a drawback. It just proves that its managing to shed the heat efficiently.

In such a compact led light, I would regard the 930 lumens level as more of a burst mode than one which should be sustained for longer than a minute or two at a time. Just double-click for the "lower" high-mode which is still very bright and can be sustained for a lot longer with far less heat being produced.


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## Capolini (Mar 11, 2015)

Maybe I am so use to my modded lights! They produce a lot more heat than this nice compact EDC!

I never found that the SC62 got too hot. It has that PID thermal technology which works well. I have tail standed mine for 10 minutes and still was able to hold it. Of course as was already mentioned we can always click down to M or H2 W/ a double click. Actually on my EDC lights I prefer the lower modes in and around the house.

I use to have ~ 10 EDC lights. I sold 3 of the modded ones and accidentally shorted out my DQG Tiny triple :shakehead. 

I still have the S10,S20,TN12 and NC SENS cr........Plus Two modded [PD12vn/D25Cvn ti]ones I won't sell. The S10 and TN12 have been designated for use under a lampshade,,on low! Sort of like a night light! S20 ans SENS are not used that much.

What the hell is CAPOLINI trying to say?!!,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Out of the 7 EDC's I have left, I basically use Two of them! My D25Cvn TI and my SC62D!

I alternate nights b/w the Two of them! They are both awesome and impressive torches,,,,,,,,,,,,,,of course the 18650 battery configuration and size of the SC62d is a definite plus and advantage! **


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## KITROBASKIN (Mar 11, 2015)

Capolini said:


> Maybe I am so use to my modded lights! They produce a lot more heat than this nice compact EDC!
> 
> I never found that the SC62D got too hot. It has that PID thermal technology which works well. I have tail standed mine for 10 minutes and still was able to hold it. Of course as was already mentioned we can always click down to M or H2 W/ a double click. Actually on my EDC lights I prefer the lower modes in and around the house.
> 
> ...



If you are talking about the SC62d with the Luxeon T emitter, it does not have PID but I agree with what you say otherwise. It is great for around the house and navigation in the field. In open forest and meadow, I always have a good thrower. The Sky Lumen SL-1 really shines in that role. The XML2 SC62 variants are very popular, though.


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## Capolini (Mar 11, 2015)

KITROBASKIN said:


> If you are talking about the SC62d with the Luxeon T emitter, it does not have PID but I agree with what you say otherwise. It is great for around the house and navigation in the field. In open forest and meadow, I always have a good thrower. The Sky Lumen SL-1 really shines in that role. The XML2 SC62 variants are very popular, though.



That was my mistake. I have the SC62-CW-XML2

I use it in the house and sometimes for last call when I take Capo out. 

As far as outdoors on the hiking trails I have numerous[12] modded throwers,from the compact TX25C2vn ~ 80Kcd to the TK61vn V4 ~ 750kCD! They ALL get used and I always bring at least two lights. 

This is not essential but I will say it anyway! Tonights lineup is the SR52vn[Primary] and the TK35vn[Secondary] 

Getting back to this light,,,the SC62,,,,,,,,it is my FAVORITE stock EDC!


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## TCY (Mar 12, 2015)

easilyled said:


> I agree with you in everything you said. However I don't perceive the fact that the 930 lumens level heats the light up quickly as a drawback. It just proves that its managing to shed the heat efficiently.
> 
> In such a compact led light, I would regard the 930 lumens level as more of a burst mode than one which should be sustained for longer than a minute or two at a time. Just double-click for the "lower" high-mode which is still very bright and can be sustained for a lot longer with far less heat being produced.



I agree with you in everything you said as well. Like I said, the heat issue is not something people at Zebralight can improve upon because they did the right thing about heat dissipation. I added "for me" after the word drawback is simply because I want a perfect light that gives a wall of light without producing heat in the process, but we all know that would be impossible, as least for now. Hope I didn't confuse ya:twothumbs


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## easilyled (Mar 12, 2015)

TCY said:


> I agree with you in everything you said as well. Like I said, the heat issue is not something people at Zebralight can improve upon because they did the right thing about heat dissipation. I added "for me" after the word drawback is simply because I want a perfect light that gives a wall of light without producing heat in the process, but we all know that would be impossible, as least for now. Hope I didn't confuse ya:twothumbs



No, you didn't confuse me. 

Of course as flashaholics, our ultimate grail would be a light the size of a coin that can project a beam for 10 miles whilst lighting up several football fields in the process without ever needing to replace any batteries or producing any heat.

Unfortunately, we may still have to wait a while before this becomes a reality. In the meantime, I'll make do with the SC62w.


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## Fireclaw18 (Mar 12, 2015)

easilyled said:


> No, you didn't confuse me.
> 
> Of course as flashaholics, our ultimate grail would be a light the size of a coin that can project a beam for 10 miles whilst lighting up several football fields in the process without ever needing to replace any batteries or producing any heat.....



... just don't drop it or its antimatter reactor may explode and take out everything within 5 miles :devil:


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## TCY (Mar 12, 2015)

easilyled said:


> No, you didn't confuse me.
> 
> Of course as flashaholics, our ultimate grail would be a light the size of a coin that can project a beam for 10 miles whilst lighting up several football fields in the process without ever needing to replace any batteries or producing any heat.
> 
> Unfortunately, we may still have to wait a while before this becomes a reality. In the meantime, I'll make do with the SC62w.



I'm going to buy three dozens of these bad boys if they ever come out.


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## ice_man (Apr 26, 2015)

Got one for myself as well.. However, there just too many dusts under the lens.. is there anyway to clean this?


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## uofaengr (Jul 13, 2015)

Got my SC62w today and first, just let me say from now on, any purchase that I can will be done through E2 Field Gear. Free shipping and I received it in 3 days. Would've had it in two I bet if it weren't for Sunday. I requested a nice tint (no yellow/green) and the owner responded very quickly that he selected a nice one for me. I can't ask much more than that so they're my dealer of choice now.

First, the tint. I'll just say wow. He really meant it when he said he picked a nice one. It's by far the best of my 3 XM-L2 NW lights. It even almost compares to a Nichia, just pure creamy white really with no easily detectable hints of green. My SC52w L2 looks quite warm in comparison and particularly green on low. The SC62w is perfectly white on low, ML, and all modes. I couldn't be more pleased with the tint. Perfectly centered emitter also. 

Second, batteries. The new Keeppower 3400mah are VERY tight. I was almost nervous putting one in there all the way for fear I couldn't get it out. I initially checked the tint with a 16650 but manned up and put a 18650 in there. I can only remove it by shaking the light and I don't really like that. This has me considering ordering some unprotected cells for this light. I wouldn't mind if they were a hair shorter either as the end of the cell is flush with the end of the threads and don't know if this will negatively affect the tail cap spring. I noticed it does not flash when fully tightening down like the 52w and don't know if this is normal. Links to reputable, fairly priced unprotected cells are also appreciated. 

Third, form factor. Perfect is all I can say. Exact same length as my L11C and basically same head diameter as the SC52w. The extra length fills the hand much more nicely than the 52. It's smallness makes the TN12 look like a behemoth. I'm going to carry it this week to see how it feels in pocket. I can't really get over how small, yet powerful it is. 

Overall, this may very well be what I was looking for as I've been buying and seeing what I like. This might be the best stock EDC light out there when you look at the whole package. It has me seriously considering returning the TN12 as I don't really know what purpose it serves now. It's much bigger, harder to hold onto, limited modes, and hate the UI. I haven't been able to compare the two outside yet, but the TN12 does not seem much brighter, or much usably brighter, than the 62w. The only thing separating it is that it's a little more throwy than the 62w though I love the beam profile of the 52w and 62w especially for EDC. 

Just wanted to leave my thoughts on this outstanding light to convince anyone on the fence to go for it if you're even remotely considering the 62(w). Again, a big thank you to E2 Field Gear for picking a great light for me and getting it to me very quickly.


----------



## snowlover91 (Jul 14, 2015)

I would recommend the orbotronic protected batteries if you're looking for a good 3400 battery that fits easily into the SC62w. I use those in mine and they fit great! Unprotected cells would work well I believe but I prefer protected for the added safety measures. It's amazing how tiny and compact this light is! I hope they decide to use the same springs in the new version similar to the SC5. The springs in it are tiny and flat, they don't scratch the battery and take much less space. Might shave a quarter inch off the length using those, would make it even more compact.


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## markr6 (Jul 14, 2015)

uofaengr said:


> Got my SC62w today and first, just let me say from now on, any purchase that I can will be done through E2 Field Gear. Free shipping and I received it in 3 days. Would've had it in two I bet if it weren't for Sunday. I requested a nice tint (no yellow/green) and the owner responded very quickly that he selected a nice one for me. I can't ask much more than that so they're my dealer of choice now.



I visited with the owner since he's less than 10 minutes from my home. I hand picked my SC52w which is basically a Nichia 219 IMO  The only bad part about that was seeing how many BAD BAD BAD samples are out there; green, greenish-yellow, yellow, uugh. I can't imagine there is that much variance on a roll of LEDs from Cree. It's like ZL just purchased a grab bag of LEDs from some guy out of the back of a van in an alley in Detroit.


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## WalkIntoTheLight (Jul 14, 2015)

uofaengr said:


> Again, a big thank you to E2 Field Gear for picking a great light for me and getting it to me very quickly.



It's good for you, but that actually convinces me NOT to buy from E2 field gear. If he's selling all the good tints to people like you, I'd rather not play the tint lottery with a deck stacked against me.

I usually buy from Illumn.com, but they don't seem to be stocking Zebralights any more. Anyone know why? I had to order my SC5w direct from Zebralight (no listing on Illumn), and I'm considering getting the SC62w but Illumn is all sold out (same with the SC62 and SC52w). Have they decided to stop selling Zebralights?


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## pjandyho (Jul 14, 2015)

WalkIntoTheLight said:


> It's good for you, but that actually convinces me NOT to buy from E2 field gear. If he's selling all the good tints to people like you, I'd rather not play the tint lottery with a deck stacked against me.
> 
> I usually buy from Illumn.com, but they don't seem to be stocking Zebralights any more. Anyone know why? I had to order my SC5w direct from Zebralight (no listing on Illumn), and I'm considering getting the SC62w but Illumn is all sold out (same with the SC62 and SC52w). Have they decided to stop selling Zebralights?


I think Zebralight has historically always been slow in their stock replacement. I think that is the reason why.


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## KITROBASKIN (Jul 14, 2015)

They show out of stock as of last night. Hopefully E2 Field Gear returned the samples with lousy tint. As far as illumn, when I spoke with them a year or so ago, the impression I got was that the erratic stocking drama was not worth it. That, plus getting returns because of poor tint (even though illumn specifically states poor tint is not a valid reason for claiming a defective product, they accepted a return for that reason anyway) BrightGuy may have something. I like them and illumn.com.



WalkIntoTheLight said:


> It's good for you, but that actually convinces me NOT to buy from E2 field gear. If he's selling all the good tints to people like you, I'd rather not play the tint lottery with a deck stacked against me.
> 
> I usually buy from Illumn.com, but they don't seem to be stocking Zebralights any more. Anyone know why? I had to order my SC5w direct from Zebralight (no listing on Illumn), and I'm considering getting the SC62w but Illumn is all sold out (same with the SC62 and SC52w). Have they decided to stop selling Zebralights?


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## pjandyho (Jul 14, 2015)

I am not sure what was defined as a good tint and what is not. My SC62w looks fantastically nice and neutral on max output. On other high outputs it looks like a decent neutral white. On all medium levels it starts getting a little yellowish. On low I see a tiny bit of green creeping in. Is that a good enough tint? I thought it was perfect but I am not sure. After all, it is common for tint shift to take place in lights running on constant current.


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## WalkIntoTheLight (Jul 14, 2015)

pjandyho said:


> I am not sure what was defined as a good tint and what is not. My SC62w looks fantastically nice and neutral on max output. On other high outputs it looks like a decent neutral white. On all medium levels it starts getting a little yellowish. On low I see a tiny bit of green creeping in. Is that a good enough tint? I thought it was perfect but I am not sure. After all, it is common for tint shift to take place in lights running on constant current.



I don't think it's a tint-shift that's causing you to see some green on low modes, it's just that the light isn't so bright as to overwhelm your vision.

My SC52w-L2 is probably my nicest neutral white light (and it was a random tint-lottery). It's on the warm side of neutral, which I like. Slightly warmer than a Nichia 219A. However, unlike a Nichia 219, it does show some colour variation across the beam, specifically a small amount of green in the corona of the beam. I find all my Cree LEDs (neutral, cool, and warm) show at least some green in the corona.

So, I think your SC62w is perfect acceptable.

There have been some reports, when the SC52w first came out, there were some very green tints. I think over the past year or so, those reports have gone down dramatically. Maybe Zebralight heard the complaints, and started choosing more consistent LED rolls.


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## recDNA (Jul 14, 2015)

pjandyho said:


> I am not sure what was defined as a good tint and what is not. My SC62w looks fantastically nice and neutral on max output. On other high outputs it looks like a decent neutral white. On all medium levels it starts getting a little yellowish. On low I see a tiny bit of green creeping in. Is that a good enough tint? I thought it was perfect but I am not sure. After all, it is common for tint shift to take place in lights running on constant current.


I would go with cool white if I had to. I really hate green.


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## pjandyho (Jul 14, 2015)

WalkIntoTheLight said:


> I don't think it's a tint-shift that's causing you to see some green on low modes, it's just that the light isn't so bright as to overwhelm your vision.
> 
> My SC52w-L2 is probably my nicest neutral white light (and it was a random tint-lottery). It's on the warm side of neutral, which I like. Slightly warmer than a Nichia 219A. However, unlike a Nichia 219, it does show some colour variation across the beam, specifically a small amount of green in the corona of the beam. I find all my Cree LEDs (neutral, cool, and warm) show at least some green in the corona.
> 
> ...


Actually I am quite happy with mine. I am just curious what constitutes a good tint and what is not. Since folks are able to pick better tints out of the lot, I was more curious to know how much better are their tints?



recDNA said:


> I would go with cool white if I had to. I really hate green.


My friend, even cool whites are plagued with greenish tints, especially XM-L and XM-L2. My best experiences with cool white was during the XR-E and XP-E era.


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## WalkIntoTheLight (Jul 14, 2015)

pjandyho said:


> Actually I am quite happy with mine. I am just curious what constitutes a good tint and what is not. Since folks are able to pick better tints out of the lot, I was more curious to know how much better are their tints?



Well, obviously it's all down to personal preference. However, many seem to prefer a magenta tint (some call it rosy), as opposed to a green tint. Magenta and green are opposite tints. Ideally, you'd get a pure white, but that seems difficult. It's probably down to some perception. My digital camera sees many of my Cree hot-spot tints as being on the magenta side, while I see them as plain white. Maybe my camera white-balance is off, I'm not sure, although it does record sunlight as pure white.

The Nichia 219A tint, often regarded as the best, is reported to be rosy by some. I don't see it that way, but YMMV.


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## pjandyho (Jul 14, 2015)

WalkIntoTheLight said:


> Well, obviously it's all down to personal preference. However, many seem to prefer a magenta tint (some call it rosy), as opposed to a green tint. Magenta and green are opposite tints. Ideally, you'd get a pure white, but that seems difficult. It's probably down to some perception. My digital camera sees many of my Cree hot-spot tints as being on the magenta side, while I see them as plain white. Maybe my camera white-balance is off, I'm not sure, although it does record sunlight as pure white.
> 
> The Nichia 219A tint, often regarded as the best, is reported to be rosy by some. I don't see it that way, but YMMV.


Oh I personally would prefer a more rosy tint on mine than yellowish but that is personal preference and does not make a yellowish tint lousy.

There are many variables involved when it comes to capturing beam shots. Camera setting is one, monitor is another. At least my camera's LED screen is calibrated to match my monitor so whatever color I see on my cameras' screen is what I will see on the monitor. How others perceived the colors of beam shots also very much depends on what their monitors are showing. That said, I never really trust the colors I see of beam shots.


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## WalkIntoTheLight (Jul 14, 2015)

pjandyho said:


> That said, I never really trust the colors I see of beam shots.



Yes, the camera tends to exaggerate any colour differences in the beam. My beam shots show some quite green coronas, but my eyes see it as only slightly green when I white-wall hunt.


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## pjandyho (Jul 14, 2015)

WalkIntoTheLight said:


> Yes, the camera tends to exaggerate any colour differences in the beam. My beam shots show some quite green coronas, but my eyes see it as only slightly green when I white-wall hunt.


I think mainly because the cameras' sensors are more sensitive to certain spectrum while our eyes are not?


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## uofaengr (Jul 14, 2015)

WalkIntoTheLight said:


> It's good for you, but that actually convinces me NOT to buy from E2 field gear. If he's selling all the good tints to people like you, I'd rather not play the tint lottery with a deck stacked against me.
> 
> I usually buy from Illumn.com, but they don't seem to be stocking Zebralights any more. Anyone know why? I had to order my SC5w direct from Zebralight (no listing on Illumn), and I'm considering getting the SC62w but Illumn is all sold out (same with the SC62 and SC52w). Have they decided to stop selling Zebralights?


People like me? Are you incapable of requesting a nice tint? I did the same when I ordered the 52w direct from zebra. Is this considered taboo or something?


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## markr6 (Jul 14, 2015)

uofaengr said:


> People like me? Are you incapable of requesting a nice tint? I did the same when I ordered the 52w direct from zebra. Is this considered taboo or something?



I see the good and bad here. I've asked for a nice "non-green" tint from ZL several times and still got crap. It could be that they completely ignore that, and that's fine. It's their decision. Sellers accepting returns are in a gray area (ZL, Amazon, etc). Who says I didn't run the light on high for 300hrs straight then return it "like new"? I don't know why someone would do that, but they _could_. I just took 300hrs off the life of a theoretical 50,000hr LED...so it's not "new".

FWIW, when I go to the grocery store and have the meat guy pick all the nice pork chops and chicken breasts, I don't feel bad if there's only crap left when I'm done. What they choose to put in the display is their decision.


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## scs (Jul 14, 2015)

uofaengr said:


> People like me? Are you incapable of requesting a nice tint? I did the same when I ordered the 52w direct from zebra. Is this considered taboo or something?



I certainly appreciate a dealer or builder's willingness to hand pick an item for a customer, but just think about it, someone eventually gets the short end of the stick. What happens to the left over samples with the not so good tints? If they're sold, other customers end up with them. If they're not sold, who absorbs the loss? Does the dealer send them back to the supplier, who's going to say WTF?


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## markr6 (Jul 14, 2015)

scs said:


> I certainly appreciate a dealer or builder's willingness to hand pick an item for a customer, but just think about it, someone eventually gets the short end of the stick. What happens to the left over samples with the not so good tints? If they're sold, other customers end up with them. If they're not sold, who absorbs the loss? Does the dealer send them back to the supplier, who's going to say WTF?


...



markr6 said:


> FWIW, when I go to the grocery store and have the meat guy pick all the nice pork chops and chicken breasts, I don't feel bad if there's only crap left when I'm done. What they choose to put in the display is their decision.



Same thing in retail when people return things completely destroyed. I always wondered who absorbs that. The store? Manufacturer?


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## scs (Jul 14, 2015)

All customers are satisfied.
All customers are somewhat satisfied.
Some are satisfied, while most others are only somewhat satisfied.
Some are very satisfied, while most others are pissed off!

It's up to businesses to figure out what's sustainably profitable.


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## markr6 (Jul 14, 2015)

scs said:


> All customers are satisfied.
> All customers are somewhat satisfied.
> Some are satisfied, while most others are only somewhat satisfied.
> Some are very satisfied, while most others are pissed off!
> ...



We have a lot of good vendors in the flashlight world. I think many of them fall into:


 Most customers are satisfied, some are very satisfied, very few are upset (and probably for a reason out of their control).


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## uofaengr (Jul 14, 2015)

Yes, that's the point. The dealer can ignore the request if they so choose. They don't have to accommodate anyone and aren't obligated to do anything except get it to me. I believe ZL mostly ignored mine as it is greenish on low although the light came with one of my two 14500s I ordered from them already in the light so maybe they did check. Who knows? There are plenty of reports on here and other forums of people returning their lights because of the tint. Guess what, I didn't return mine. I'm not THAT picky, but I have every right to be pleased with what I buy and don't have to feel ashamed of it. And there are plenty of users on here and other forums that request certain things from dealers, they just don't advertise it. 

Go hang out in the world of $300-$1000 knives for awhile. Most everyone, including myself, requests that the blade is perfectly centered and the knife is scratch free. These things are huge to knife collectors. Do you think I'm going to spend that much cash on something and sit worrying the whole time that fate will be kind and send me a perfect knife? Hell no. Again, the dealer can ignore the request if they choose. Does it offend me that someone else is offended because I got a good one and they didn't? No. Some people just don't think to ask, but instead will get on the forums bashing the dealer or manufacturer (both of whom will ALWAYS make it right) that they bought a crap knife. The dealer assumes the majority doesn't care about things that don't inhibit function and won't complain or try to return it so most dealers aren't going to open the box and examine the knife before shipping unless requested. Hell, there's even one dealer that opens every single Chris Reeve knife he receives and keeps a spreadsheet of the birthdates of every single knife due to eagerly wanting to please requests for knives with specific birthdates. Most dealers WANT you to be happy so you'll buy from them again. But dealers selling expensive things know they'll deal with picky and/or knowledgeable buyers and accept the risk, however they decide to manage it. Joe Blow who has never been on a flashlight forum probably won't care much about the tint of his light or the emitter centering. 

There are plenty on knife forums that have returned expensive knives to dealers who willingly exchanged them because of these issues and are upfront about it. Luckily, I've always had good fortune receiving my knives. Again, I'm not that picky, I appreciate a well centered blade (doesn't have to be perfect) and I'm good with it. I even received a $400 knife straight from the manufacturer with deep machining marks in one spot and I never said a word to them about it. I was just happy and lucky to have the knife. The way I see it is if something isn't right with the knife (or light) and there are complaints and valid returns, then the dealer should press the manufacturer to step up the quality of their product. Reports I've read on knife forums from some dealers is that they are taken care of by the manufacturer if they're sent bad product. Most of the time, it's product that should've never escaped QC in the first place. The manufacturer will generally pay for the shipping from the dealer to correct any issues with faulty product.


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## Lumencrazy (Jul 14, 2015)

pjandyho said:


> Oh I personally would prefer a more rosy tint on mine than yellowish but that is personal preference and does not make a yellowish tint lousy.
> 
> There are many variables involved when it comes to capturing beam shots. Camera setting is one, monitor is another. At least my camera's LED screen is calibrated to match my monitor so whatever color I see on my cameras' screen is what I will see on the monitor. How others perceived the colors of beam shots also very much depends on what their monitors are showing. That said, I never really trust the colors I see of beam shots.



The pigments in the wall paint also affect what you see. White is very rarely just white. Most of the time there is a touch of some pigment. Very rare to see paint with nothing more than just titanium dioxide added. It looks really stark. So, invariably, some of that color will reflect back altering what you see.


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## Badbeams3 (Jul 14, 2015)

uofaengr said:


> Yes, that's the point. The dealer can ignore the request if they so choose. They don't have to accommodate anyone and aren't obligated to do anything except get it to me. I believe ZL mostly ignored mine as it is greenish on low although the light came with one of my two 14500s I ordered from them already in the light so maybe they did check. Who knows? There are plenty of reports on here and other forums of people returning their lights because of the tint. Guess what, I didn't return mine. I'm not THAT picky, but I have every right to be pleased with what I buy and don't have to feel ashamed of it. And there are plenty of users on here and other forums that request certain things from dealers, they just don't advertise it.
> 
> Go hang out in the world of $300-$1000 knives for awhile. Most everyone, including myself, requests that the blade is perfectly centered and the knife is scratch free. These things are huge to knife collectors. Do you think I'm going to spend that much cash on something and sit worrying the whole time that fate will be kind and send me a perfect knife? Hell no. Again, the dealer can ignore the request if they choose. Does it offend me that someone else is offended because I got a good one and they didn't? No. Some people just don't think to ask, but instead will get on the forums bashing the dealer or manufacturer (both of whom will ALWAYS make it right) that they bought a crap knife. The dealer assumes the majority doesn't care about things that don't inhibit function and won't complain or try to return it so most dealers aren't going to open the box and examine the knife before shipping unless requested. Hell, there's even one dealer that opens every single Chris Reeve knife he receives and keeps a spreadsheet of the birthdates of every single knife due to eagerly wanting to please requests for knives with specific birthdates. Most dealers WANT you to be happy so you'll buy from them again. But dealers selling expensive things know they'll deal with picky and/or knowledgeable buyers and accept the risk, however they decide to manage it. Joe Blow who has never been on a flashlight forum probably won't care much about the tint of his light or the emitter centering.
> 
> There are plenty on knife forums that have returned expensive knives to dealers who willingly exchanged them because of these issues and are upfront about it. Luckily, I've always had good fortune receiving my knives. Again, I'm not that picky, I appreciate a well centered blade (doesn't have to be perfect) and I'm good with it. I even received a $400 knife straight from the manufacturer with deep machining marks in one spot and I never said a word to them about it. I was just happy and lucky to have the knife. The way I see it is if something isn't right with the knife (or light) and there are complaints and valid returns, then the dealer should press the manufacturer to step up the quality of their product. Reports I've read on knife forums from some dealers is that they are taken care of by the manufacturer if they're sent bad product. Most of the time, it's product that should've never escaped QC in the first place. The manufacturer will generally pay for the shipping from the dealer to correct any issues with faulty product.



I usually call and ask the dealer to open them and check the light out at the time I order. Can't do that with Amazon of course, where I ordered my TN4A. And when I ordered my SC5, from Brightguy I forgot. In both cases I lucked out I guess. Tint and beam on both are great.


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## thomas_sti_red (Jul 14, 2015)

I'm wondering what mine will be like. I should have it tomorrow!!


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## Badbeams3 (Jul 14, 2015)

thomas_sti_red said:


> I'm wondering what mine will be like. I should have it tomorrow!!



What do you have coming? NW or CW?


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## uofaengr (Jul 14, 2015)

Badbeams3 said:


> I usually call and ask the dealer to open them and check the light out at the time I order. Can't do that with Amazon of course, where I ordered my TN4A. And when I ordered my SC5, from Brightguy I forgot. In both cases I lucked out I guess. Tint and beam on both are great.


Thanks for the honesty. Nothing wrong with wanting to be happy (from the start and not through a series of returns) with your purchase. The dealer also explained to me that ZL has done a great job recently with their tints. Sounds like the complaints either got ZL to step up their game or pressure Cree to step theirs up. Everyone benefits from that. Glad you lucked out. [emoji106]


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## easilyled (Jul 14, 2015)

I order all the worst tints so that everybody else is happy - because I am a true altruist. 

:laughing:


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## WalkIntoTheLight (Jul 14, 2015)

easilyled said:


> I order all the worst tints so that everybody else is happy - because I am a true altruist.



:twothumbs


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## recDNA (Jul 14, 2015)

WalkIntoTheLight said:


> I don't think it's a tint-shift that's causing you to see some green on low modes, it's just that the light isn't so bright as to overwhelm your vision.
> 
> My SC52w-L2 is probably my nicest neutral white light (and it was a random tint-lottery). It's on the warm side of neutral, which I like. Slightly warmer than a Nichia 219A. However, unlike a Nichia 219, it does show some colour variation across the beam, specifically a small amount of green in the corona of the beam. I find all my Cree LEDs (neutral, cool, and warm) show at least some green in the corona.
> 
> ...


Put TRIPLE 219A in a zebralight and I am IN


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## pjandyho (Jul 14, 2015)

recDNA said:


> Put TRIPLE 219A in a zebralight and I am IN


Sweet! I will definitely want one.


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## markr6 (Jul 15, 2015)

recDNA said:


> Put TRIPLE 219A in a zebralight and I am IN



I think it was already mentioned, but check out Derek Dean's SC600 with triple Nichia 

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...arlco-Optics&p=4486341&viewfull=1#post4486341


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## uofaengr (Jul 15, 2015)

easilyled said:


> I order all the worst tints so that everybody else is happy - because I am a true altruist.
> 
> :laughing:


Lmfao.


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## thomas_sti_red (Jul 15, 2015)

Badbeams3 said:


> What do you have coming? NW or CW?



NW


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## thomas_sti_red (Jul 15, 2015)

I just took my light out of the box. 
It's amazingly small! I would never have guessed there's an 18650 in there. Some people had me worried about the Keeppowers I ordered maybe being too wide but all fit just fine (2x 2600, 2x 2900). 

Tint looks really nice. The spot and spill aren't as 'clean' as I had expected, though this only shows when shining at the wall or ceiling.

Really happy to finally have an 18650 for EDC. This fits perfectly in my jeans' 5th pocket. Backup Viking v3 and Wizard v2 in my bag, and 2 spare batteries, and an XTAR sp1 for backup.

I should be good for some time now. 

...
But the PD35 and UC35 look so nice (don't tell my wife). 

Cheers
Thomas


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## WarRaven (Jul 15, 2015)

thomas_sti_red said:


> I should be good for some time now.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Ha-ha, you're in denial.
It'll take a couple days as you just hooked up with a new cannon but you watch, unless you stay away from here... You'll be jones'in for a new fix.

Cheers for being optimistic +1


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## uofaengr (Jul 15, 2015)

thomas_sti_red said:


> I just took my light out of the box.
> It's amazingly small! I would never have guessed there's an 18650 in there. Some people had me worried about the Keeppowers I ordered maybe being too wide but all fit just fine (2x 2600, 2x 2900).
> 
> Tint looks really nice. The spot and spill aren't as 'clean' as I had expected, though this only shows when shining at the wall or ceiling.
> ...


Glad you like it. I find the beam profile to be quite pleasant, and I do think that this light has satisfied my appetite for awhile.


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## WarRaven (Jul 15, 2015)

Lol that's the ticket, satisfied for awhile. ☺👍


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## thomas_sti_red (Jul 15, 2015)

Money should roll, right?


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## WarRaven (Jul 15, 2015)

thomas_sti_red said:


> Money should roll, right?


Yes sir, the new light will distract your shopping fit a period of time allowing you to get aquatinted with new light and develop a fondness for it. Then you'll realize, what if I lose this, then I'll be without until a new one arrives.... Ooh and your money pit has filled back up again by then. 

Something about two is one around here 🔦🔦
☺


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## Tixx (Jul 15, 2015)

WarRaven said:


> Something about two is one around here 
> ☺




Yeah, for real! WHY? I have too many twos!


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## thomas_sti_red (Jul 17, 2015)

WarRaven said:


> ... and develop a fondness for it. Then you'll realize, what if I lose this, then I'll be without until a new one arrives....



OMG! [emoji50][emoji50]
It's already happening! You are so right.
I've had this light for only 2 days and love it. It's as small as my Fenix 1 AA lights (which I love) but with the power of the 18650. 

I can't imagine any flashaholic doing without this one in his / her collection! Doesn't matter what configuration, any will do. 

I love the different styling too. 

Seriously. Anyone considering this light, buy it. You won't regret it.
Off course I still want a PD/UC 35 (heard so much about it) but I'm really thinking how to explain my wife I 'need' multiples of this one. [emoji5]️[emoji5]️

I should just go back to collecting bugs. Way cheaper! [emoji221]

Sorry for ranting, but I need to vent my happiness [emoji3] I haven't found anyone IRL to share my enthusiasm with [emoji322] (even my 7 year old girl says "He doesn't need a new light but he's so happy when he can play with one). 

I wish everyone a very dark day, giving you plenty of excuses to whip out one or more flashlights! [emoji292]

Have a good weekend all and enjoy your family and friends too. [emoji41]

Cheers, Thomas

ps: did I mention I really like this light? [emoji56]


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## WarRaven (Jul 17, 2015)

Good for you guys, love new tools!
Yes, you can get attached lol. 
Tixx an Thomas, we feel your excitement too, it's hard not to get wrapped up in honestly. 

Have a great one guys!!!☺


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## uofaengr (Jul 19, 2015)

One thing I noticed about the 62w is that I can't see any hints of purple in the lens unlike the 52w. Would this explain the warmer tint on the 52w?


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## AdamDaze (Jul 22, 2015)

So I've looked everywhere but can't find direct beam comparison of the SC62 vs SC62w for color, primarily. Anyone hook a lad up?

edit : Found : http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...ebralight-SC62-cw-and-nw-images-and-Beamshots


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## recDNA (Aug 1, 2015)

The sc62w gets hot quickly on H1. Anyone observe how long before PID steps it down? Even better would be at what temperature it steps down?
Thanks


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## pjandyho (Aug 1, 2015)

recDNA said:


> The sc62w gets hot quickly on H1. Anyone observe how long before PID steps it down? Even better would be at what temperature it steps down?
> Thanks


PID is stepless and would gradually cut down brightness. It does so gracefully there is no way you can tell if the light is stepping down. You will need the eyes of a hawk to tell the difference. Maybe after some time one may feel that the light is slightly less bright and doesn't continue getting hotter to realize the PID had done its work. Since it is thermally regulated, I think environmental temperature plays a roll on how soon it starts stepping down.


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## KeepingItLight (Aug 1, 2015)

recDNA said:


> The sc62w gets hot quickly on H1. Anyone observe how long before PID steps it down? Even better would be at what temperature it steps down?
> Thanks




For the cool-white SC62, Selfbuilt did. The answer is immediately!



selfbuilt said:


> Without externally supplied cooling, the PID thermal regulation circuitry will lower output to a greater extent. As with the SC600-II (which uses the same algorithm), there are a lot of very finely discriminated steps in output change occurring (i.e., the "messy" aspect of the curves above). These will not be apparent to you in practice, as they are too subtle to see (i.e., only the lightbox can detect them).
> 
> My non-cooled SC600-II showed a less dramatic (and rapid) reduction in output, compare to the non-cooled SC62 runtime above. Again, I suspect this is due to the lower thermal mass for heatsinking available on the SC62. :shrug:
> 
> Note as well that both the Hi1 and H2A levels use PID, so you can expect some potential reduction on both levels. Of course, any reduction in output will increase the runtime (as you can see above for the Hi1 mode).


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## WalkIntoTheLight (Aug 2, 2015)

recDNA said:


> The sc62w gets hot quickly on H1. Anyone observe how long before PID steps it down? Even better would be at what temperature it steps down?
> Thanks



You have a lot of questions about the SC62, SC52, and SC5. Selfbuilt reviewed them all, and did a great job at analyzing run-times, output, step-downs, PID, etc., etc. You should really check out his reviews of these lights in the review forum. They'll probably answer 99% of your questions.


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## recDNA (Aug 2, 2015)

KeepingItLight said:


> For the cool-white SC62, Selfbuilt did. The answer is immediately!



His graph does not clearly show short time intervals nor are lumens on vertical axis. I don't find them very helpful. Is temperature of head there anywhere? Temperature over time at 10 second intervals and output in lumens over time at 10 second intervals would be easier for me to u derstand.


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## WalkIntoTheLight (Aug 2, 2015)

recDNA said:


> His graph does not clearly show short time intervals nor are lumens on vertical axis. I don't find them very helpful. Is temperature of head there anywhere? Temperature over time at 10 second intervals and output in lumens over time at 10 second intervals would be easier for me to u derstand.



Please post your graphs when you run the updated tests. Interested to know how they compare.


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## recDNA (Aug 2, 2015)

I obviously lack the skill and equipment. That doesn't mean the graph you pointed out to me is useful for my purposes. It is from by far the best reviewer anywhere it just doesn't answer my particular questions.

Someone mentioned it gets too hot to hold in a couple of minutes on h1. That seems to indicate PID doesn't drop fast enough.

If you were to tailstand an sc62w and turn on h1 and leave it on would it eventually damage the battery and or circuitry or would it step down enough to make it safe?


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## WalkIntoTheLight (Aug 2, 2015)

recDNA said:


> I obviously lack the skill and equipment. That doesn't mean the graph you pointed out to me is useful for my purposes. It is from by far the best reviewer anywhere it just doesn't answer my particular questions.
> 
> Someone mentioned it gets too hot to hold in a couple of minutes on h1. That seems to indicate PID doesn't drop fast enough.
> 
> If you were to tailstand an sc62w and turn on h1 and leave it on would it eventually damage the battery and or circuitry or would it step down enough to make it safe?



You really should read Selfbuilt's threads. He mentions PID kicks in between 50-60C. It's not meant to keep your hands comfortable, it's meant to protect the light, so of course it won't damage it if you leave it on H1.


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## recDNA (Aug 2, 2015)

WalkIntoTheLight said:


> You really should read Selfbuilt's threads. He mentions PID kicks in between 50-60C. It's not meant to keep your hands comfortable, it's meant to protect the light, so of course it won't damage it if you leave it on H1.


Thanks. I've been reading his threads for quite some time. Check how long I have been a member and how many posts I have. Heck, check his reviews and see how many I posted in. 

It doesn't matter when PID kicks in if it fails to keep the flashlight at safe levels of heat. It would be neat to track it with an infrared thermometer. If it is hot enough at any point to be too hot to hold I would prefer a stronger PID but that's just me. 

When PID kicks in that won't cool the flashlight. It will only slow the climb in temperature. Remember the flashlight is already hot and although the led produces less heat due to PID it still adds heat to an already hot flashlight. The ambient temperature would be a key factor. I bet Zebralight has actually produced such data graphing heat vs time.

I also don't know at what temperature the battery becomes at risk. If it stays cool enough to tailstand on H1 until battery is low without burning anything then that is impressive.

It is good to know that it will be safe. I don't currently have any high powered flashlight that is safe to leave on high indefinitely. In fact many specifically warn not to.


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## snowlover91 (Aug 2, 2015)

Although I don't know the specifics like you're looking for I can report my experience. When initially turned on the light feels the hottest in the first 2-4 minutes and after that seems to level off and cool down slightly. I wouldn't hesitate to run it full blast with a good quality battery for as long as needed, the SC62w and 32w are the only two lights I feel comfortable doing this with. The ambient temp does affect this as does any air circulation from what I've seen. I think their PID is good enough to keep the LED at a safe temp, I don't have any measurements just experience and observations hope this helps some


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## recDNA (Aug 3, 2015)

It is very helpful. Thanks


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## WalkIntoTheLight (Aug 3, 2015)

recDNA said:


> It doesn't matter when PID kicks in if it fails to keep the flashlight at safe levels of heat.



Do you mean safe to *you*, so you don't burn yourself, or safe for the flashlight? PID is meant to protect the flashlight and LED. Based on what others do with internal temperature control, the internals may get up to 90C. PID doesn't control the outside body temperature directly, so you can't really know when it will kick in based on external temperatures. But it _will _kick in to keep the internals below a safe operating temperature.

Selfbuilt says the body temperature can reach 50-60C, and I believe him. Yes, that's pretty hot, but not hot enough to burn you unless you don't have any pain nerves in your hand.


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## markr6 (Aug 3, 2015)

snowlover91 said:


> Although I don't know the specifics like you're looking for I can report my experience. When initially turned on the light feels the hottest in the first 2-4 minutes and after that seems to level off and cool down slightly. I wouldn't hesitate to run it full blast with a good quality battery for as long as needed, the SC62w and 32w are the only two lights I feel comfortable doing this with. The ambient temp does affect this as does any air circulation from what I've seen. I think their PID is good enough to keep the LED at a safe temp, I don't have any measurements just experience and observations hope this helps some



I agree. I wish I could find my post on a quick test I did. IIRC, the first step down was either 1 or 2 minutes but very hard to tell with the naked eye. It also got very hot after just 2 minutes. It's nice to have the output in such a small light, but if you're regularly using a light around 1000lm for 5+ minutes, it would make more sense to get the SC600 or better yet, a larger light to manage this heat more effectively. As usual, it just depends on your application. For an EDC, this SC62 is amazing.


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## recDNA (Aug 3, 2015)

I guess the point I was trying to make is I would prefer PID to keep internal temperature lower than it does. I don't want the flashlight to so hot it is uncomfortable to hold. I really don't care about the led safety. I care about MY safety. This means I don't want the battery to get anywhere near hot enough to melt the cover and short circuit. I love the idea of PID. I just have different priorities.


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## markr6 (Aug 3, 2015)

recDNA said:


> I guess the point I was trying to make is I would prefer PID to keep internal temperature lower than it does. I don't want the flashlight to so hot it is uncomfortable to hold. I really don't care about the led safety. I care about MY safety. This means I don't want the battery to get anywhere near hot enough to melt the cover and short circuit. I love the idea of PID. I just have different priorities.



Sounds good to me. LED safety...I couldn't care less. If 50,000hrs becomes 10,000hrs I probably wouldn't even know. I don't have my SC62w any more, but I used the H2 modes more often to keep it cool.


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## WalkIntoTheLight (Aug 3, 2015)

recDNA said:


> This means I don't want the battery to get anywhere near hot enough to melt the cover and short circuit. I love the idea of PID. I just have different priorities.



Do you have any evidence that a battery has melted and short-circuited in a Zebralight, or indeed _any _single-cell 18650 light? Is 60C hot enough to melt batteries? Perhaps you should stick with protected 18650 batteries, if you want to make safety your top priority. Or, don't use lithium-ion batteries at all, and go with something like the 500 lumen SC5, or a 2xAA, or a 1000 lumen 4xAA.


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## recDNA (Aug 3, 2015)

I was ready to purchase until I found this near the end of the selfbuilt review,"I held the light on max with thumb just below switch, index finger behind the head, and hand wrapped around body. I found the SC62 too hot to hold for more than ~3-4 mins without switching hands (i.e., thumb and index finger get too hot)."

If it is too hot to hold I suspect temperature is higher than 140 F. It sounds like a nice show off pocket rocket and has a great ui but if I have to run it at H3 for real use I will just stick to my PD32W. 

This is a great thread and I want to thank all the helpful posters who have explained the plusses and minuses of this great light.


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## markr6 (Aug 3, 2015)

620lm level is a nice compromise. Use the 1000lm for short periods only when you need it. That's about all you can expect from such a compact light.


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## Tapis (Aug 3, 2015)

I rarely use mine on H1 for more than a couple of minutes (a minute is actually quite long) and wish there were an H0 mode at 5000 lumens for about like 15 seconds, I would probably make a good use of it as well.


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## WalkIntoTheLight (Aug 3, 2015)

Tapis said:


> I rarely use mine on H1 for more than a couple of minutes (a minute is actually quite long) and wish there were an H0 mode at 5000 lumens for about like 15 seconds, I would probably make a good use of it as well.



You want really high output for a short time? You probably have easy access to a 1 _million _lumen light. That's a typical output of a decent camera flash, but you only get it for about 1 millisecond. It won't overheat, though! Plus, it's well-known to scare off ghosts.


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## snowlover91 (Aug 3, 2015)

recDNA said:


> I guess the point I was trying to make is I would prefer PID to keep internal temperature lower than it does. I don't want the flashlight to so hot it is uncomfortable to hold. I really don't care about the led safety. I care about MY safety. This means I don't want the battery to get anywhere near hot enough to melt the cover and short circuit. I love the idea of PID. I just have different priorities.



The battery itself shouldn't get hot, I've never noticed a hot battery after using it for several minutes on high. I don't think the battery should be an issue as most quality batteries will handle the current draw fine and there is enough separation between the led and the battery to prevent it from heating up. 

The outside does get hot although it's a matter of tolerance. I can hold mine at the 1000 lumen setting for 3-4 minutes, that max I've needed, and although it was hot it wasn't hot enough to burn me or make me change hands. I find it's worse in the summer and in winter it doesn't get uncomfortable if you live in a fairly cool region. Plus in winter it can be a nice hand warmer  I've never needed the 1000 lumen mode for more than 3-4 minutes but it heats up the most in the first 1-2 mins and then stabilizes and slowly cools after that. For me it's great because I can run it full blast if needed and still hold it, it is hot but not enough to make me change hands or burn me. It may not be the same for everyone but that's my experience with this light. The SC5w gets just as hot before stepping down.


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## 18650 (Aug 3, 2015)

WalkIntoTheLight said:


> You want really high output for a short time? You probably have easy access to a 1 _million _lumen light. That's a typical output of a decent camera flash, but you only get it for about 1 millisecond. It won't overheat, though! Plus, it's well-known to scare off ghosts.


 It won't overheat? How often have you used a camera flash? They most definitely will overheat if it's actually used.


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## uofaengr (Aug 3, 2015)

recDNA said:


> I guess the point I was trying to make is I would prefer PID to keep internal temperature lower than it does. I don't want the flashlight to so hot it is uncomfortable to hold. I really don't care about the led safety. I care about MY safety. This means I don't want the battery to get anywhere near hot enough to melt the cover and short circuit. I love the idea of PID. I just have different priorities.



The only way for a PID loop to keep the internal temperature lower is for the programmer to specify a lower setpoint. I believe they have tested this light thoroughly to deem what temperature setpoint is safe for the internals while giving as close to 1000 lumens output as possible so that it can be realistically advertised as a 1000 lumen light. It's not going to maintain a true 1000 lumens for very long since heat will build quickly at such an output in such a small light with less heat sinking than a larger light. I'm pretty sure ZL knows the threshold of what's going to melt a battery also. 

Look, it's a small light. ZL makes excellent small lights with superb output. There's going to be a tradeoff between smallness, pocketability, output, and hand comfort (heat). It's hard to have it all. Want a more comfortable experience? You're probably gonna have to get a bigger light or either use a pocket light on low and medium modes.


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## pjandyho (Aug 3, 2015)

18650 said:


> It won't overheat? How often have you used a camera flash? They most definitely will overheat if it's actually used.


Mine overheated just yesterday. A rare occurrence based on my usage but thankfully Nikon built in a thermal sensor to shut it down until it cooled.

recDNA, I am in the tropics. I have used the SC62w on Hi1 for at least 8 to 10 mins and the temperature never got too hot to handle. I hate hot flashlights but I am fine with the heat on the SC62w. No problems with my batteries too.


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## recDNA (Aug 3, 2015)

pjandyho said:


> Mine overheated just yesterday. A rare occurrence based on my usage but thankfully Nikon built in a thermal sensor to shut it down until it cooled.
> 
> recDNA, I am in the tropics. I have used the SC62w on Hi1 for at least 8 to 10 mins and the temperature never got too hot to handle. I hate hot flashlights but I am fine with the heat on the SC62w. No problems with my batteries too.


Thanks for the 411.


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## fnsooner (Aug 4, 2015)

After reading the comments about the heat generated by the SC62 series that uses the XM-L LED, I decided to run some tests. I have two SC62w lights and I have never noticed them getting too hot to hold. Pretty warm, yes, but not too bad. 


"Pretty warm" and "too hot" are terms that are relative and too ambiguous for me, and makes my brain hurt. Here are my test findings.


I used a Fieldpiece meter and its stock K type thermocouple. The wire tip that senses temperatures fits nicely between the fins on the head of the flashlight. I positioned it at the same depth as the LED and secured it in place with a piece of masking tape. I placed the flashlights head down and turned them on to H1. I also used the same Zebralight 18650 on both lights, charging it between tests.


Flashlight "A" took about three minutes to reach its maximum temp of 124 degrees and then maintained a temp of between 123 and 124 for the remainder of the six minute test.


Flashlight "B" took about 3.5 minutes to reach its maximum temp of 120 degrees and then maintained a temp of between 119 and 120 for the remainder of the six minute test.


I also might add that I have used flashlight "B" at work on a daily basis since it was purchased the week it became available for sale. I rarely hold it in my hand for extended periods of time. I have a magnet epoxied to a tail cap and use the light every day either stuck to something with the magnet or just lying inside of whatever I am working on for long periods of time. I have no fears at all of using it on H1 for extended periods of time. This thing is a work horse.


I special ordered an SC62Fw about a week ago but have not recieved it yet. I will run the same test on it when it arrives.


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## markr6 (Aug 4, 2015)

^ Good stuff! Thanks for doing that


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## recDNA (Aug 4, 2015)

Thanks! Like you I enjoy the numbers. Odd that selfbuilt's SC62 had to be tossed from hand to hand due the excess heat he felt.

So at some point you measured temperature begin to drop or it leveled off at 120 for 6 min?


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## fnsooner (Aug 4, 2015)

markr6 said:


> ^ Good stuff! Thanks for doing that



My pleasure.



recDNA said:


> Odd that selfbuilt's SC62 had to be tossed from hand to hand due the excess heat he felt.



I can't explain that. 124 degrees is pretty warm, maybe his got hotter. I do have the utmost respect for selfbuilt though. I am a cynic to the nth degree and I have never read a single word that he has written that would cause me to question his motives. Candlepower forums is lucky to have him. If he said it was too hot to comfortably hold, I believe him.





recDNA said:


> So at some point you measured temperature begin to drop or it leveled off at 120 for 6 min?



Yes, both flashlights hit 115 degrees at about the one minute mark and then crept up to their max temp. After the max temp was reached, I watched the temps go up and down between the ranges mentioned above.


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## recDNA (Aug 4, 2015)

fnsooner said:


> My pleasure.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I'm sure his got hot. Seems like it is 50-50. Some people say only warm. Others say to hot to hold. I think they are all telling the truth. This suggests some variance in product.


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## fnsooner (Aug 4, 2015)

recDNA said:


> I'm sure his got hot. Seems like it is 50-50. Some people say only warm. Others say to hot to hold. I think they are all telling the truth. This suggests some variance in product.



And variance in perception.


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## recDNA (Aug 4, 2015)

I don't know. 120 degrees F isn't likely to feel so hot to anybody that they need to switch hands.


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## uofaengr (Aug 4, 2015)

Always love seeing empirical data, and thanks for doing that test. It looks like ZL has a well tuned loop in that it held constant temperature after reaching the setpoint. Impressed.


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## fnsooner (Aug 4, 2015)

recDNA said:


> I don't know. 120 degrees F isn't likely to feel so hot to anybody that they need to switch hands.



Thanks for adding the F for Fahrenheit. I keep forgetting how global this forum is. 


I am not disagreeing with you at all. All I know for sure are my experiences and observations. My two flashlights are too small of a sampling to make any hard conclusions. 


It could be an accumulative effect. The hand is a great heat sink and the blood vessels help to dissipate and carry the heat away from the flashlight. It may be after a couple of minutes of holding a 124 degree object, the brain says "hey dummy, switch hands". At the temperatures that we are discussing, the tipping point may be different for different people.


It's all relative though. If there is another manufacturer that makes a flashlight this small and powerful that regulates the heat better, I would be glad to look at its numbers. After all, you can always double click and use H2.


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## markr6 (Aug 4, 2015)

fnsooner said:


> Thanks for adding the F for Fahrenheit. I keep forgetting how global this forum is.



Yeah I'm constantly typing in "5in to mm" or "40F to C" in my search bar. TIP: the nice thing is it converts it right on the spot so you don't need to leave the page or open a new tab/window. At least it does in Firefox using Google as the search provider.


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## pjandyho (Aug 4, 2015)

I just ran my SC62w for 10 mins straight in my hand. After that I pop the battery out and the battery only felt slightly warm, not even anywhere near to hot.


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## markr6 (Aug 4, 2015)

Let's calm down on all the SC62 awesomeness...I'm starting to regret selling mine!


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## moozooh (Aug 4, 2015)

recDNA said:


> I don't know. 120 degrees F isn't likely to feel so hot to anybody that they need to switch hands.



Think about it then. A thermal sensor wire is not a heatsink, so the electronic circuit in the light limits the output to whatever is enough to keep the LED safe _at the ambient temperature with no cooling other than infrared radiation and very slight convection_. This is where the 120°F figure comes from.

Now, introduce a human palm to the surface. It has a normal temperature of around 90�±5°F, has insane surface area and lots of internal liquids and mechanisms that maintain its temperature. Now that the excess thermal energy is sunk into that, the circuitry detects LED temperature drop and increases the output closer to the maximum level, consequently, making the light body hotter than 120°F. In selfbuilt's hands it could be anywhere from 120° to 140°F easily. For the record, 140°F is quite enough to cause first-degree burns after prolonged contact (IIRC, less than a minute of non-stop contact).

Now, let's go even further and introduce outdoor conditions: lower overall temperature and an endless supply of cool air eager to come in contact with both your hand and parts of the flashlight not covered by your hand. Considering how thermal energy circulates, the PID circuit detects slight LED temperature drop yet again and raises the output even further. So now, even though most of your skin is cooled better, the part that comes in direct contact with flashlight body has to absorb even more energy.

*TL;DR* Your hands make the light hotter than it would be otherwise. Cool weather does the same thing. Clean tests are largely meaningless because PID adapts to particular conditions impossible to replicate.


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## uofaengr (Aug 4, 2015)

markr6 said:


> Let's calm down on all the SC62 awesomeness...I'm starting to regret selling mine!


You NEED one!


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## recDNA (Aug 4, 2015)

moozooh said:


> Think about it then. A thermal sensor wire is not a heatsink, so the electronic circuit in the light limits the output to whatever is enough to keep the LED safe _at the ambient temperature with no cooling other than infrared radiation and very slight convection_. This is where the 120°F figure comes from.
> 
> Now, introduce a human palm to the surface. It has a normal temperature of around 90�±5°F, has insane surface area and lots of internal liquids and mechanisms that maintain its temperature. Now that the excess thermal energy is sunk into that, the circuitry detects LED temperature drop and increases the output closer to the maximum level, consequently, making the light body hotter than 120°F. In selfbuilt's hands it could be anywhere from 120° to 140°F easily. For the record, 140°F is quite enough to cause first-degree burns after prolonged contact (IIRC, less than a minute of non-stop contact).
> 
> ...


Fascinating explanation especially because it is counter intuitive. I almost always use flashlights indoors so I can assume no breeze and ambient temperature of 70 degrees F. Sounds like I can safely tailstand and light up the room until battery gets low but not hold the light in my hand at H1 for more than a few minutes. I am often wearing lab gloves when using but I have no idea at what temp those purple nitrile gloves would melt. That would be bad.


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## recDNA (Aug 4, 2015)

uofaengr said:


> You NEED one!


I keep flip flopping based on this temperature issue we've been discussing.


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## fnsooner (Aug 5, 2015)

I was a little surprised at some of the claims of this light getting very hot while holding it for extended periods of time so I decided to do one more test. I would hold it continuously for five minutes without changing hands or repositioning my grip.


I grabbed my SC62w with my thumb on the switch and my forefinger at about 7 o'clock in relation to my thumb. I positioned the thermocouple tip inside of the fins of the head half way between by thumb and forefinger, putting about a half inch of distance from the sensing tip to any parts of my hand and securing the thermocouple with a piece of masking tape.


I went into this thinking it would be a breeze and only about ten minutes of my life would be wasted. Not so fast my friend...Here are my observations.

30 seconds- meter reads 100 degrees F and flashlight feels slightly warm.
60 seconds- 114 degrees and comfy.
2 minutes- 116 and starting to feel fairly warm but not a problem.
3 minutes- 118 degrees very warm but doable.
3.5 minutes- 118 and I am starting to squirm.
4.5 minutes- temp reading on my meter maxes out at 119 and it feels very hot so I decide to reposition my grip about an inch back to finish out the five minute test. Holding the light by the battery tube is not a problem at this point.


To tell you the truth, I was surprised. Mostly surprised because, as much as I use this light, I had never put it and myself in this position during normal usage. Tailstanding it for thirty minutes or even an hour isn't too uncommon for me during the work week. I just turn it off after prolong use and put it in my pocket, not really paying attention to its warmth.


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## recDNA (Aug 6, 2015)

Sounds as though it would be better if PID kicked in 10 degrees sooner.


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## moozooh (Aug 6, 2015)

There actually is such an option, and it's called H2 (the 600 lm mode).  If for some weird reason you need to keep the light on H1 for extended periods where H2 would be absolutely inadequate, consider using reverse grip, cigar grip, some kind of mount, or any kind of gloves. 

Myself, I only use H1 on my SC600 L2 for at most a minute at a time when it's not on my bike mount.


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## WalkIntoTheLight (Aug 6, 2015)

recDNA said:


> Sounds as though it would be better if PID kicked in 10 degrees sooner.



I don't know why you think you're going to burn yourself with this light. fnsooner said he could hold it tight around the head for 3 minutes on max, and indefinitely if he held it by the battery tube. Unless you're planning to put this light in areas of your body that it doesn't belong, it doesn't sound like there's any risk of burns.


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## recDNA (Aug 6, 2015)

WalkIntoTheLight said:


> I don't know why you think you're going to burn yourself with this light. fnsooner said he could hold it tight around the head for 3 minutes on max, and indefinitely if he held it by the battery tube. Unless you're planning to put this light in areas of your body that it doesn't belong, it doesn't sound like there's any risk of burns.


Because selfbuilt said he had to flip from hand to hand because too hot to hold.


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## uofaengr (Aug 6, 2015)

Maybe it's time to consider a different light?


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## pjandyho (Aug 6, 2015)

pjandyho said:


> Mine overheated just yesterday. A rare occurrence based on my usage but thankfully Nikon built in a thermal sensor to shut it down until it cooled.
> 
> recDNA, I am in the tropics. I have used the SC62w on Hi1 for at least 8 to 10 mins and the temperature never got too hot to handle. I hate hot flashlights but I am fine with the heat on the SC62w. No problems with my batteries too.





pjandyho said:


> I just ran my SC62w for 10 mins straight in my hand. After that I pop the battery out and the battery only felt slightly warm, not even anywhere near to hot.





recDNA said:


> Because selfbuilt said he had to flip from hand to hand because too hot to hold.


As per my replies above, I had ran this light for 10 mins just to answer your queries and the light never got any hotter than that. In fact after 8 mins I realized it was cooling down a little than getting hotter. Not sure what is the concerns here but I don't think you should be worried about any heat issues at all. Going for a more compact package with such an output, one has got to contend with the little bit of extra heat. It definitely won't burn my hands, and neither do I need to flip it from one hand to the next.


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## recDNA (Aug 6, 2015)

Well mine is in the mail so soon I shall know! LOL


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## snowlover91 (Aug 6, 2015)

recDNA said:


> Well mine is in the mail so soon I shall know! LOL



Haha finally bit the bullet  Mine is similar to those who posted that they can run it full blast and be fine, I did a test with mine and ran it for 10 minutes. The hottest it felt was the first 1-2 minutes then it seemed to level off or cool down slightly and it never got too hot or uncomfortable.


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## recDNA (Aug 10, 2015)

I got my sc62w today. Really nice. Smaller than my Jetbeam TC-R2. One question about programming. On the zebralight website it shows 4 possible output levels for H. H1 930 H2 575 H3 325 H(4?) 175

I turned on light with 1 click. Did 6 double clicks. Then I double clicked repeatedly looking for all 4 modes. It only scrolled through the top 3. No fourth mode. Am I doing something wrong or is the Zebralight website wrong or what? Thanks


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## uofaengr (Aug 10, 2015)

It scrolls through H2 thru H4. Stop at the one you want and turn the light off. You can definitely tell the difference between any one of those and H1.


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## recDNA (Aug 10, 2015)

I was just remarking to my wife that my brain is mush. Duh. I set it to the lowest of the 3 but it looked more like 200+ lumens. Someone else mentioned doing that way. It comes on at a usable level and I can easily double click to get to H1 if I want to. Trouble is I always have to remember to go back to H4 (H2c?) before I shut off or it starts at 930 lumens. No way to get it to always start at whatever H2 is set to right?


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## fnsooner (Aug 10, 2015)

If you turn it off in H2, then it should turn on in H2. There is no way to make it come on in H2 if you turn off in H1.

Be careful, if you turn it on and see it is in the wrong H, and then double click to toggle H, you could accidently activate strobe. If you do all this fast enough from off, the light will see it as a triple click from off. .


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## easilyled (Aug 11, 2015)

recDNA said:


> I was just remarking to my wife that my brain is mush.



Hey, we could have told you that rec! :nana:


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## uofaengr (Aug 11, 2015)

Yep you always have to remember to put it back in the mode you want it to come on in before turning the light off. Can be aggravating but not a big deal. I keep mine set to come on at the 300-ish level with a double click to H1.


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## recDNA (Aug 11, 2015)

How dependable have you found the voltage check to be? Like on my sc32w with primary it gives 4 flashes with fresh primary then drops to after a couple of weeks of use in short bursts.1 flash. Never got 2 or 3 flashes. The battery measures 3.01 volts. Shouldn't that be at least 3 flashes?


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## uofaengr (Aug 11, 2015)

recDNA said:


> How dependable have you found the voltage check to be? Like on my sc32w with primary it gives 4 flashes with fresh primary then drops to after a couple of weeks of use in short bursts.1 flash. Never got 2 or 3 flashes. The battery measures 3.01 volts. Shouldn't that be at least 3 flashes?


The SC32 may not be able to recognize the difference between a fresh primary and an almost discharged 16340. For Li-ion 3.01v would be very low voltage and probably would give only 1 flash, yet that voltage is a basically fresh 123 primary. Weird though since it gives 4 flashes on a brand new primary that is probably close to 3.2v, low voltage for a Li-ion. 

I have not ran my SC52w on 14500 or SC62w on 18650 below 3.8v that I recall. I think on both it shows 3 flashes somewhere around 3.9v.


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## markr6 (Aug 11, 2015)

I found the flashes to be dependable on all my ZLs. Just recently I started getting 2 on my SC52w on 14500. I checked it on the DMM and it was at 3.81v.


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## WalkIntoTheLight (Aug 11, 2015)

The flashes certainly are not accurate on Eneloops, but perhaps that's because voltage is a less-dependable way of measuring battery level on NiMH than it is on lithium-ion. Voltage depression really throws off the measurement, too. I can get 2 flashes right after running a light on high for awhile, then after a few minutes rest it's giving 4 flashes. Probably voltage-depression isn't as bad on lithium-ion.

I wouldn't depend on the flashes. Just charge the battery whenever you've used it for awhile.


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## markr6 (Aug 11, 2015)

WalkIntoTheLight said:


> I wouldn't depend on the flashes. Just charge the battery whenever you've used it for awhile.



That's a good point. I do like it when I'm backpacking though. After a long night hike starting out, it's nice to have an idea of how much I can run it over the next 3 days without a spare battery. Without it, I would have no idea until it started stepping down...and at that point there's really no hope of running it on high when you need the extra output. It would be really cool if it had Nitecore's indicator (3 then 8 blinks = 3.8v)


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## recDNA (Aug 11, 2015)

I am going to ask again in the sc32 thread where more people use primaries.


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## fnsooner (Aug 11, 2015)

I think the battery indicator flashes are pretty dependable on the SC62. Every morning I quadruple click and if I recieve less than four flashes, I replace the battery. Coincidently, I recieved four Panasonic 3400mAh cells in the mail today. All checked in at 3.6VDC and all tested to two flashes on a couple of SC62xx lights I had near by.


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## recDNA (Aug 11, 2015)

OK so I will check and test imr18650 battery when I get to 2 flashes. Thanks.


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## subrosa (Aug 11, 2015)

I didn't find too many references to it, but my new SC62 will in fact take the Nitecore NL189 3400mah batteries. 

I love the size, I love the brightness, but this thing could cook bacon


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## recDNA (Aug 12, 2015)

Ya my 62w gets very hot very fast. Some guys say they can hold it for 20 minutes on H1. They have tough hands.


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## recDNA (Aug 12, 2015)

I think I actually prefer my sc32w to my sc62w. I know this is odd but the beam seems more focused although neither throw any distance at all. Love to see a model with an optic for more throw. At 1000 lumens you should be able to squeeze 10000k lux out of even a tiny optic.


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## WalkIntoTheLight (Aug 12, 2015)

recDNA said:


> I think I actually prefer my sc32w to my sc62w. I know this is odd but the beam seems more focused although neither throw any distance at all. Love to see a model with an optic for more throw. At 1000 lumens you should be able to squeeze 10000k lux out of even a tiny optic.



I think that's what they're planning with the SC600 by using a XP-L HI. That will be the pocket-thrower. I don't think they'll be offering that with the SC62/SC63, unless they scrap the SC600 and merge the two lines.


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## recDNA (Aug 12, 2015)

With a reflector I don't think they can hit 10k even in the sc600


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## snowlover91 (Aug 12, 2015)

recDNA said:


> Ya my 62w gets very hot very fast. Some guys say they can hold it for 20 minutes on H1. They have tough hands.



It warms up fast but then levels off within the first 2 minutes. I like the SC62 a little better for the larger size making it easier to hold and extra brightness but the SC32 is pretty incredible for such a small light.

If they use the XP-L with a smooth reflector then 10k should be easy to hit. The SC5w is around 4-5k if I remember correctly from Selfbuilts measurements.


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## WalkIntoTheLight (Aug 12, 2015)

recDNA said:


> With a reflector I don't think they can hit 10k even in the sc600



Selfbuilt lists the existing SC600 (mark II) as 11,000 lux (at 1 meter). So, with an XP-L HI, I wouldn't be surprised if it got to 20,000.


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## recDNA (Aug 12, 2015)

No kidding. I'm surprised. I didn't realize the sc600 head was that much bigger...maybe another zebralight in my future.


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## uofaengr (Aug 12, 2015)

snowlover91 said:


> It warms up fast but then levels off within the first 2 minutes. I like the SC62 a little better for the larger size making it easier to hold and extra brightness but the SC32 is pretty incredible for such a small light.
> 
> If they use the XP-L with a smooth reflector then 10k should be easy to hit. The SC5w is around 4-5k if I remember correctly from Selfbuilts measurements.


That's one thing I like about the SC62 is that it's a little longer and easier to hold. The SC52 is almost too small in the hand for me so I can't imagine how the SC32 would be.


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## recDNA (Aug 12, 2015)

I have small hands and I am used to a foursevens mini so the sc32w feels fine for me. The sc62w does too. When the new 600 with xpl hi comes out I will likely buy one and sell the sc62w. Seems redundant unless the 600 is too big to pocket carry.


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## snowlover91 (Aug 12, 2015)

recDNA said:


> I have small hands and I am used to a foursevens mini so the sc32w feels fine for me. The sc62w does too. When the new 600 with xpl hi comes out I will likely buy one and sell the sc62w. Seems redundant unless the 600 is too big to pocket carry.



It is astounding how so much light can come from a light so small! How is the tint on your sc62w vs your sc32w? I'll be getting the new SC5fd soon and will let everyone know the results and post some pics once it ships and comes in.


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## recDNA (Aug 12, 2015)

Tint is excellent in both. Very similar to each other. Both are warmer than my 219b. I would guestimate 4500k? I think my 219b is closer to 5000k which is my favorite. Many users prefer really warm lights. I do not. 5000k is my sweet spot.


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## markr6 (Aug 12, 2015)

recDNA said:


> Many users prefer really warm lights. I do not. 5000k is my sweet spot.



No, everyone agrees and likes 5000K. They just don't know it yet


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## snowlover91 (Aug 12, 2015)

The new SC5fd is supposed to be 5k in tint so I'm looking forward to it. I prefer tints around there as well and would guess mine are probably 4400-4600 in color temperature as well. My SC5w seems to be closer to 4800 or so as it's the purest white and most neutral one in my collection so far.


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## pjandyho (Aug 13, 2015)

markr6 said:


> No, everyone agrees and likes 5000K. They just don't know it yet


I know I like 5000K but I still prefer warmer for outdoors use.


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## markr6 (Oct 26, 2015)

I never thought it would happen, but I think I accidentally turned on my SC62w last night. I had it in my jacket pocket, which was sitting on the back seat of my wifes car. I sat on that jacket to get something out of the back. Later in the day, I used my SC62w tailstanding in the closet to search for some things...it jumped straight down to low mode. I checked it on my DMM and it showed 2.79v!!

I'm surprised it didn't burn a hole in my fleece-lined pocket! Thankfully it must have been on H2!

I often lock it out with the tail cap but didn't this time. I'm surprised it came on from me sitting on it, though.

So, remember to lock out your light!!


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## KeepingItLight (Oct 26, 2015)

Thankfully, you did not burn a hole in your coat!

It is worth mentioning that the *Zebralight SC62w* has a low-voltage cutoff that turns off the flashlight completely if you try to over-discharge its Li-ion battery. This, and your protected battery, may have been the only thing standing between you and an over-discharge.

Incidentally, my own preference is for both. I like flashlights that have a low-voltage cutoff. I also like protected batteries, even for flashlights that have a low-voltage cutoff. The only time I use unprotected batteries is in burners that demand high-draw, unprotected batteries. The only one of those I own is the *BLF A6 Special Edition*. Conveniently, it has a low-voltage cutoff.


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## markr6 (Oct 27, 2015)

KeepingItLight said:


> Thankfully, you did not burn a hole in your coat!
> 
> It is worth mentioning that the *Zebralight SC62w* has a low-voltage cutoff that turns off the flashlight completely if you try to over-discharge its Li-ion battery. This, and your protected battery, may have been the only thing standing between you and an over-discharge.
> 
> Incidentally, my own preference is for both. I like flashlights that have a low-voltage cutoff. I also like protected batteries, even for flashlights that have a low-voltage cutoff. The only time I use unprotected batteries is in burners that demand high-draw, unprotected batteries. The only one of those I own is the *BLF A6 Special Edition*. Conveniently, it has a low-voltage cutoff.



If I turn this light on when in the Jetbeam holster, it smokes within a few seconds on high! So I'm surprised my jacket didn't burn! Like I said, it was probably on H2 (326lm setting programmed). Close call!

I had an UNprotected cell in this one, and I'm not afraid of those at all. Even in multi-cell setups. I've done cutoff tests in my Zebralights before and they always do a good job. But this accidental activation or test would be the only time I ever get close to that. I normally recharge around 3.8v.


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## recDNA (Oct 27, 2015)

KeepingItLight said:


> Thankfully, you did not burn a hole in your coat!
> 
> It is worth mentioning that the *Zebralight SC62w* has a low-voltage cutoff that turns off the flashlight completely if you try to over-discharge its Li-ion battery. This, and your protected battery, may have been the only thing standing between you and an over-discharge.
> 
> Incidentally, my own preference is for both. I like flashlights that have a low-voltage cutoff. I also like protected batteries, even for flashlights that have a low-voltage cutoff. The only time I use unprotected batteries is in burners that demand high-draw, unprotected batteries. The only one of those I own is the *BLF A6 Special Edition*. Conveniently, it has a low-voltage cutoff.


2.79v is too low. I would discard it personally. I wish cut off were higher.


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## markr6 (Oct 27, 2015)

recDNA said:


> 2.79v is too low. I would discard it personally. I wish cut off were higher.



It's fine. No harm done to any of the cells I've tested (only once or twice really). I would never get this low in practice unless it was some type of survival emergency. No point in wasting a good cell.

3.0v would be fine, though.


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## WalkIntoTheLight (Oct 27, 2015)

recDNA said:


> 2.79v is too low. I would discard it personally. I wish cut off were higher.



That shouldn't cause harm to a 18650 cell. I wouldn't do it regularly, but it's not going to turn it into a bomb. Below 2.5v, I'd throw it away for sure.

They could set the threshold higher, but that might limit the amount of time you have on lower modes after the light steps-down from medium or high modes. I wouldn't want to get left in the dark because my light shuts off due to a voltage threshold set too high.


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## markr6 (Oct 27, 2015)

WalkIntoTheLight said:


> That shouldn't cause harm to a 18650 cell. I wouldn't do it regularly, but it's not going to turn it into a bomb. Below 2.5v, I'd throw it away for sure.
> 
> They could set the threshold higher, but that might limit the amount of time you have on lower modes after the light steps-down from medium or high modes. I wouldn't want to get left in the dark because my light shuts off due to a voltage threshold set too high.



Very good point. I believe HKJ tests down to 2.8v, sometimes 2.5v. Not saying that makes it OK everyday, but not something that's going to blow your face off either. I never take a spare cell with me while backpacking, so it's nice to know I can squeeze more juice out of it if necessary.


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## turkeylord (Oct 27, 2015)

Yeah, just taking a look at Panasonic's data sheets, they're rated to 2.5v. Cut off a lot higher than that and you're giving up usable capacity.


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## moozooh (Oct 27, 2015)

To be fair, there's less than 1% of usable capacity between 2.8 and 2.5 volts. But that's irrelevant anyway because any mode higher than L2 will give out earlier.


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## turkeylord (Oct 27, 2015)

Yep, 3.0v is a little premature, 2.8v seems like a good point to call it good.


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## WalkIntoTheLight (Oct 27, 2015)

moozooh said:


> To be fair, there's less than 1% of usable capacity between 2.8 and 2.5 volts. But that's irrelevant anyway because any mode higher than L2 will give out earlier.



Yes, the light will drop down to low, but you might want low to last awhile (down to 2.7v which is what ZL sets it at), rather than drop to low and then shut off completely soon after. IMO, Zebralight has the threshold properly set now. 2.7v is above the 2.5v "damage" level, but not so much that you're giving up time you can still run the light on low.


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## recDNA (Oct 27, 2015)

I throw em away below 3 volts.


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## markr6 (Oct 27, 2015)

I drink my milk 1 day past the expiration date. I live dangerously.


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## KeepingItLight (Oct 27, 2015)

For novice readers, it's worth mentioning that there is a difference between voltage _under load_ (i.e., when your flashlight is on) and _resting voltage_ (after your light has been off for, say, 15 minutes).

Under load, 2.7 volts is a good cutoff voltage. If you measure rest voltage at that value, you probably went too low. Zebralights cut off at 2.7v under load.


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## WalkIntoTheLight (Oct 28, 2015)

KeepingItLight said:


> For novice readers, it's worth mentioning that there is a difference between voltage _under load_ (i.e., when your flashlight is on) and _resting voltage_ (after your light has been off for, say, 15 minutes).
> 
> Under load, 2.7 volts is a good cutoff voltage. If you measure rest voltage at that value, you probably went too low. Zebralights cut off at 2.7v under load.



That's a good point for high drain, but, by the time you get down to 2.7v, your light is only able to maintain a low output. So, I'm not sure there's really a big distinction between load and rest when you're talking 2.7v.

Isn't the Panasonic threshold 2.5v, according to their spec? That's probably at rest. In any case, Zebralight's 2.7v gives enough margin for safety that it's not a concern.


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## markr6 (Oct 28, 2015)

WalkIntoTheLight said:


> That's a good point for high drain, but, by the time you get down to 2.7v, your light is only able to maintain a low output. So, I'm not sure there's really a big distinction between load and rest when you're talking 2.7v.
> 
> Isn't the Panasonic threshold 2.5v, according to their spec? That's probably at rest. In any case, Zebralight's 2.7v gives enough margin for safety that it's not a concern.



I agree. When I measured 2.79v, all it would do was start on H2 for .5 seconds or less, and drop right down to low.


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## KeepingItLight (Oct 28, 2015)

WalkIntoTheLight said:


> That's a good point for high drain, but, by the time you get down to 2.7v, your light is only able to maintain a low output. So, I'm not sure there's really a big distinction between load and rest when you're talking 2.7v.
> 
> Isn't the Panasonic threshold 2.5v, according to their spec? That's probably at rest. In any case, Zebralight's 2.7v gives enough margin for safety that it's not a concern.



Good points. I checked the datasheet for a couple of Pany's today. I was surprised that there is no specification that states 2.5 volts as the lowest safe discharge voltage. On a number of tests, however, including "Discharge Characteristics" and "Cycle Life Characteristics," that was the lowest voltage the battery was allowed to reach. In those tests, that is the voltage under load.




markr6 said:


> I agree. When I measured 2.79v, all it would do was start on H2 for .5 seconds or less, and drop right down to low.



This might fill in the information WalkIntoTheLight sketched out above. If we assume that the low-voltage cutoff kicked in right at 2.7 volts (under load), then we can say that voltage had recovered by only 0.09 volts when you measured rest voltage at 2.79 volts. 

That's a dead battery. Plenty safe to recharge, but dead.


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## recDNA (Oct 28, 2015)

KeepingItLight said:


> For novice readers, it's worth mentioning that there is a difference between voltage _under load_ (i.e., when your flashlight is on) and _resting voltage_ (after your light has been off for, say, 15 minutes).
> 
> Under load, 2.7 volts is a good cutoff voltage. If you measure rest voltage at that value, you probably went too low. Zebralights cut off at 2.7v under load.


Excellent point. I couldn't understand why the cut off was so low. That explains it. It also explains why I discard batteries that measure that low at rest.

I've only measured a voltage that low once. I should say I've had protected cells measure 0 because pcb tripped.


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