The Official Zebralight Thread

[this_is_nascar]

....and I think (haven't tried it yet), the brightness of that preflash has a correlation to what MED is set to

 

[raggie33]

Zebra sure rules low lumen efficiency but i think hanks emisar rules higher lumen efficiency

 

[jon_slider]

brightness of that preflash has a correlation to what MED is set to

slight distinction,
Sounds like the SC70 1 Click output preflashes the Hold output

while on previous Zebras the 1 Clic output preflashes the Low output

for people that keep Hold set to give Low, there is no functional difference

the new firmware change only affects people that change Hold to Not give Low...

 

[iacchus]

slight distinction,
Sounds like the SC70 1 Click output preflashes the Hold output

while on previous Zebras the 1 Clic output preflashes the Low output

for people that keep Hold set to give Low, there is no functional difference

the new firmware change only affects people that change Hold to Not give Low...

This sems to be the case.
I'm a hold-for-low guy and have always dealt w/ the flash.

 

[dc38]

I'm half-tempted to start a new thread about this, but I'll try it here first.

SC70 UI/Activation Reaction Changes?

The 1st thing I noticed is how quickly the wait/change time between the 1-click and 1-hold is now. It's probably half the reaction time of all the prior ZLs. I don't like this at all.

More troubling is the apparent quick activation of a 1-hold function upon executing a single click from off. It's really difficult for me to explain. It seems that when executing a 1-click from OFF action, a very brief blast of light set from the 1-hold function appears, prior to displaying the 1-click brightness.

if someone could try this on their SC70, I'd appreciate it.

Go to G6 or G7.

Set the levels of the 1-click option to brightness L1 and L3.

Set the levels of the 1-hold to brightness L5 and L7.

Now, attempt the 1-click and see if you notice this behavior. Mess around with various 1-hold brightness levels and see how/if that changes the behavior of your 1-click settings.

I'm basically trying to understand if a change was made or if I simply have it defective unit. I'm extremely fearful that with ZL ****ing around with the electronics, that this is now how the light functions, which is really unacceptable for my use.

Thanks.

I FOUND MY H53FC! I'll do some more testing with it.

Preface, I've typically set my "hold" mode to low, so I don't experience the preflash. Coincidentally, I did so and got used to that BECAUSE of the preflash when I first got the light. I've also dispensed with calling them H1/2, M1/2, L1/2 modes, since each group can be subconfigured to any 1 of 12 levels...Instead, I have adopted the convention of action based nomenclature...i.e. 1H = 1 clickhold then release, 1C = 1 click release, 2C = click click release (2H= 2C but hold 2nd click then release).

In firing order, the H53fc, purchased in 2022, does the following, sequentially.

I will draw a flowchart later.
From OFF:
Press button,
light starts in 1H mode, starts countdown for 1H mode: (if less than x seconds, then fire 1C mode and start timer to register 2C mode. If greater than x seconds, stay in 1H mode and cycle modes **1H, 2C, 1C)

That's pretty much the firing order.

***The 1H to 1C timer from off is roughly 0.2- 0.25 seconds, or 200-250ms. During that window, 1H will be active until you release it for 1C mode to fire.

Adding video for reference:
Slow mo portion only

Full video including realtime before and after

INTERESTING ADDENDUM.
The above conditions are present as in G6. Switching to G7, the 1C mode seems to take precedence over the 1H mode, since I have 1H set to 10/12, 1C set to 3/5, and 2c to 5/7. To reiterate, NO 1H preflash if set that way in G7. Will configure G7 similar to G6 and see if the discrepancy persists...

Interesting, just did a full reset, and on either g6 or g7, it looks like if the 1H mode is higher than the 1C mode, it will fire in the lower mode first...

I give up, @this_is_nascar , my brain is wrecked

 

[this_is_nascar]

slight distinction,
Sounds like the SC70 1 Click output preflashes the Hold output

while on previous Zebras the 1 Clic output preflashes the Low output

for people that keep Hold set to give Low, there is no functional difference

the new firmware change only affects people that change Hold to Not give Low...

....which is why none of my other ones have this "issue", since they're all configured the same way, mainly in that 1-click is set to the lowest brightness level.

Apparently, I'm in the minority as this being a preferred configuration choice.

 

[this_is_nascar]

I FOUND MY H53FC! I'll do some more testing with it.

Preface, I've typically set my "hold" mode to low, so I don't experience the preflash. Coincidentally, I did so and got used to that BECAUSE of the preflash when I first got the light. I've also dispensed with calling them H1/2, M1/2, L1/2 modes, since each group can be subconfigured to any 1 of 12 levels...Instead, I have adopted the convention of action based nomenclature...i.e. 1H = 1 clickhold then release, 1C = 1 click release, 2C = click click release (2H= 2C but hold 2nd click then release).

In firing order, the H53fc, purchased in 2022, does the following, sequentially.

I will draw a flowchart later.
From OFF:
Press button,
light starts in 1H mode, starts countdown for 1H mode: (if less than x seconds, then fire 1C mode and start timer to register 2C mode. If greater than x seconds, stay in 1H mode and cycle modes **1H, 2C, 1C)

That's pretty much the firing order.

***The 1H to 1C timer from off is roughly 0.2- 0.25 seconds, or 200-250ms. During that window, 1H will be active until you release it for 1C mode to fire.

Adding video for reference:
Slow mo portion only
View attachment 94523
Full video including realtime before and after
View attachment 94524


INTERESTING ADDENDUM.
The above conditions are present as in G6. Switching to G7, the 1C mode seems to take precedence over the 1H mode, since I have 1H set to 10/12, 1C set to 3/5, and 2c to 5/7. To reiterate, NO 1H preflash if set that way in G7. Will configure G7 similar to G6 and see if the discrepancy persists...

Interesting, just did a full reset, and on either g6 or g7, it looks like if the 1H mode is higher than the 1C mode, it will fire in the lower mode first...

I give up, @this_is_nascar , my brain is wrecked

My head is spinning . I'll give this another read or two in the morning.

 

[Dark_Hater]

I’ve not been focused enough on the details of all of these explanations so forgive me if I’m mentioning something that isn’t an issue here but…

What I have had happen to me before is not to be in the mode that I thought I was when programming. I think of the modes as one click 1&2, hold 1&2 etc. There have been times I thought I was in one click 1 but was actually in one click 2. As a result not seeing a change in programming or getting something totally different than I intended.
Just thought I would mention this to maybe help someone even though it may not be the issue here. Carry on.

 

[jon_slider]

Apparently, I'm in the minority as this being a preferred configuration choice.

yes,

maybe the majority of people that use 1 Clic for Low (I do), did not buy the SC70

and maybe the majority who did buy the SC70 (I did not), do not use 1 Clic for low.

Since most Zebra owners use Hold to get to Low.. they have no clue what we are talking about. ;-)

 

[raggie33]

I use one click for moonlight and if needed from moonlight double click is high

 

[jon_slider]

this is my SC53c N G6 program:

1 Clic steps 2, 5 Low
Hold steps 7, 9 Medium
2 Clic steps 10, 12 High

these are the corresponding outputs for each of the 12 steps, using the website specs:

G6 from Off
There is no visible preflash on 1 Clic
Hold preflashes the last used Low (either step 2 or step 5)
2 Clic also preflashes the last used Low
Long Hold cycles Medium, High, Low (with a preflash of last used Low)

===============
fwiw
G5 factory default

1 Clic steps 10, 12 High
Hold steps 2, 4 Low
2 Clic steps 6, 8 Medium

from Off
1 Clic preflashes Low
Hold has no preflash
2 Clic preflashes High
Long Hold cycles Low, Medium, High (no preflash)

 

[AMD64Brunette]

Wish Zebralight would bring back the SC53c N.

(Thankfully,I do own one,after finding it here on CPF Marketplace.)

 

[this_is_nascar]

Wish Zebralight would bring back the SC53c N.

(Thankfully,I do own one,after finding it here on CPF Marketplace.)

Remind me again. That one was special due to its 14500 support?

 

[jon_slider]

Remind me again. That one was special due to its 14500 support?

yes, and first use of High CRI Nichia..

Im using 1.5V LiIon in my SC53c N because it has the lowest Flicker Index and Riple, and it sustains outputs better than Eneloop.

actual outputs on my meter:

The only output difference between 1.5V LiIon and normal LiIon, is LiIon on step 12 reaches 500 lm. All the other output steps stay the same.

 

[this_is_nascar]

In reading the specs and description of the SC70 on the ZL website, I'm trying to understand why ZL would put the top 4-levels, of a 12-level light, under PID control.

I could see it on the top 2, even possibly on the top 3, but the top 4?

 

[jon_slider]

even possibly on the top 3

I see PID only on top 3:

• High: H1 2200 Lm (PID, approx. 2.5 hours) or H2 1380 Lm (PID, approx. 2.7 hours)/790 Lm (PID, approx. 2.9 hours)/410 Lm (4.3 hours)

in any case, PID is a good thing.. it limits output when thermal ceiling is exceeded

if the light is kept cool, PID does not cause step down

I Wish the SC53c N had PID. When using 1.5V LiIon on Step 12, the light reached 65C after 20 minutes.. not a good temperature at all.

Heat from 1.5V LiIon reaches 60C in 5 minutes.. it causes thermal step down very quickly in lights with thermal sensors, such as D3AA and KR1AA.. Apparently the 1.5V LiIon battery lacks its own thermal step down.

according to this youtube, the 1.5V LiIon gets up to 60C when using 2A output for 5 minutes

 

[flashlightinterested]

Apparently, I'm in the minority as this being a preferred configuration choice.

For what it is worth, I also change low to the 1-click. But in general I prefer the hold-for-low. I just think it sucks on Zebralights (I don't have the new SC70). What I hate about it is that the timing window is very narrow. But what I really hate about it, is that when you start to hold the button, it actually turns on on low. So my brain thinks "mission accomplished" and I let go, to now be blasted by turbo. Then I become gun-shy the next time, and hold too long so that it cycles to medium. Not as bad as a turbo blast, but pretty annoying. And there's no way to go back down without passing through turbo or turning it off and starting over. So ZL basically forces this remapping on me with what I consider to be a pretty poor hold implementation.

If they fixed this annoying hold implementation, I guess I wouldn't continue to reprogram their products and would use hold-for-low. I'm pretty much done w/ their products though and the way early adopters have to find out what the hideous flaw w/ this particular model is.

 

[id30209]

In reading the specs and description of the SC70 on the ZL website, I'm trying to understand why ZL would put the top 4-levels, of a 12-level light, under PID control.

I could see it on the top 2, even possibly on the top 3, but the top 4?

Smaller head (thermal mass) than SC700 yet having similar setup. You need to restrain that massive LED beast

 

[jon_slider]

But what I really hate about it, is that when you start to hold the button, it actually turns on on low. So my brain thinks "mission accomplished" and I let go, to now be blasted by turbo. Then I become gun-shy the next time, and hold too long so that it cycles to medium.

agree!
perfectly explains why I program 1 Clic to give Low

If they fixed this annoying hold implementation, I guess I wouldn't continue to reprogram their products and would use hold-for-low.

It sounds like they did:

the trigger time of a single click vs a single hold from OFF is ...probably half the reaction/activation time from every other ZL I've owned.

as I read that,
the light goes to Hold sooner,
1 Click only registers if the button is released much sooner than in earlier models

imo this means Hold is more likely to happen, without giving High mode by mistake.

Thereby eliminating the need to reprogram 1C to give Low, with the new version firmware on the SC70.

Remains to be seen if this new shorter interval 1 Clic firmware migrates to new batches of the other models.

 

[this_is_nascar]

I see PID only on top 3:

• High: H1 2200 Lm (PID, approx. 2.5 hours) or H2 1380 Lm (PID, approx. 2.7 hours)/790 Lm (PID, approx. 2.9 hours)/410 Lm (4.3 hours)

in any case, PID is a good thing.. it limits output when thermal ceiling is exceeded

if the light is kept cool, PID does not cause step down

I Wish the SC53c N had PID. When using 1.5V LiIon on Step 12, the light reached 65C after 20 minutes.. not a good temperature at all.

Heat from 1.5V LiIon reaches 60C in 5 minutes.. it causes thermal step down very quickly in lights with thermal sensors, such as D3AA and KR1AA.. Apparently the 1.5V LiIon battery lacks its own thermal step down.

according to this youtube, the 1.5V LiIon gets up to 60C when using 2A output for 5 minutes

From the website.