The Official Zebralight Thread

[gurdygurds]

I didn’t want it to have to come to this @Monocrom…..

 

[Monocrom]

Well not with that attitude it won’t @Monocrom! We gotta think positive here sir!

Ask Chauncey.... Apparently I'm the crankiest CPFer in existence.

 

[Monocrom]

I didn’t want it to have to come to this @Monocrom…..

Yeah, good luck with that.

 

[gurdygurds]

Yeah, good luck with that.

I’m just playing with you sir. In all seriousness, a AAA zebra probably really wouldn’t make sense like you said. I just like to think that something actually NEW and different may come out.

 

[Monocrom]

I’m just playing with you sir. In all seriousness, a AAA zebra probably really wouldn’t make sense like you said. I just like to think that something actually NEW and different may come out.

Would be hilarious if the CEO actually created a AAA model, just to mess with you.

 

[flipyflop2]

congrats
is it a 64 with pogo pins in the head?
which LED did you choose?

Actually an SC65c with the stock 719A but with a push on power, 880 lumens instead of the stock 660 lumens. Nothing crazy but you can tell, and the tint is beautiful.

I might also have to get an XHP SC65c.

 

[jon_slider]

Actually an SC65c with the stock 719A but with a push on power, 880 lumens instead of the stock 660 lumens. Nothing crazy but you can tell, and the tint is beautiful.

nice.. did not realize there were some SC65 with less dark ano.. congrats on your power upgrade.. I agree the 719a tint is very pleasant ;-)

my stock XHP experience otoh, is rather green

but hopefully McBob can cherry pick you a less green one

 

[flipyflop2]

nice.. did not realize there were some SC65 with less dark ano.. congrats on your power upgrade.. I agree the 719a tint is very pleasant ;-)
View attachment 90826

my stock XHP experience otoh, is rather green
View attachment 90824
but hopefully McBob can cherry pick you a less green one

Yeah XHP R9050 are often a bit green, I have a few R70 that are very close to neutral.

My stock SC65c is basically black, the McBob one is a beautiful lighter tone:

 

[gurdygurds]

Happy Valentines Day Zebralight. I really do love these lights.

 

[gurdygurds]

I don’t love the pogo pin tail caps. Light fell from about four feet. Flickered and turned off. Picked it up and it was acting all sorts of funky. Took off the tailcap and saw this. Light does seem to be fine though.

 

[jon_slider]

I don’t love the pogo pin tail caps.

ouch
you could buy an SC64 or SC65 tailcap.. it has a spring that has been clipped (and the Ano might be black).

the 64 and 65 tailcap springs have been clipped shorter than the 63 spring. Some of the 64/65 springs will gouge the bottom of the battery and score a circle groove into the bottom.. the springs are hard to bend to prevent that..

The 64/65 spring being shorter, would be easier to close your light, as the pogos are quite short.. hopefully you will get lucky and a 64/65 tailcap w clipped spring wont gouge your batteries. You could request a tailcap w the gray instead of black ano. (the early SC64 was gray and uses the same cap w clipped spring as the SC65, which has black ano, as does the later 64)

 

[gurdygurds]

ouch
you could buy an SC64 or SC65 tailcap.. it has a spring that has been clipped (and the Ano might be black).

View attachment 91185
the 64 and 65 tailcap springs have been clipped shorter than the 63 spring. Some of the 64/65 springs will gouge the bottom of the battery and score a circle groove into the bottom.. the springs are hard to bend to prevent that..

The 64/65 spring being shorter, would be easier to close your light, as the pogos are quite short.. hopefully you will get lucky and a 64/65 tailcap w clipped spring wont gouge your batteries. You could request a tailcap w the gray instead of black ano. (the early SC64 was gray and uses the same cap w clipped spring as the SC65, which has black ano, as does the later 64)

The light is an sc5. Don’t think any of the other AA or 18650 tail caps are compatible

 

[jon_slider]

The light is an sc5.

 

[jon_slider]

Zebralight has started shipping SC65 with tailcap springs with a proper bend, on left, so it no longer gouges the battery:

on right is the tailcap spring that gouges batteries

 

[Schokokeks]

Zebralight has started shipping some SC65 tailcaps with a proper bend in the spring so it no longer gouges the battery, on left:
View attachment 92596

on right is the tailcap spring that gouges batteries

That's a little detail, but I REALLY appreciate manufacturers that do that. Especially cause I like to lockout my light when not using them.

 

[jon_slider]

Unfortunately people are reporting that the new SC65c Hi tailcaps are still gouging batteries. Because the spring tip has not been bent downwards correctly.

fwiw, I wrote to Zebra about the spring gouging batteries, to see if they would offer a free replacement, but no.. They offered to sell me a new tailcap for $14 shipped..

since I have no confidence it would not still gouge batteries..

it would be cheaper to buy the 3 prong pliers for $8:

and bend the tip of the spring, like this person did:

(not my pic)

 

[ilikeguns40]

3 spring pliers. Didn’t know those existed lol

Trying to bend that spring with 2 pairs of needle nose pliers is near impossible.

 

[jon_slider]

3 spring pliers. Didn’t know those existed lol

Trying to bend that spring with 2 pairs of needle nose pliers is near impossible.

agree.. I found it very difficult to bend the spring with normal pliers..
I did manage to create a very slight bend. Not a visible change, but just enough to stop the gouging.. A proper tool would make it much easier.

Its a shame Zebralight SC65 tailcaps have had this issue. And they continue to ship with a battery gouging spring, after adding a bend that is not done correctly.

 

[Schokokeks]

3 spring pliers. Didn’t know those existed lol

Trying to bend that spring with 2 pairs of needle nose pliers is near impossible.

Knipex also makes round wire pliers. They're interesting in that you grip a wire, and just twist, and they bend it.

https://www.knipex-tools.com/products/long-nose-pliers/round-nose-pliers

Springs, unfortunately, are still tricky because they're so long, and absorb a LOT of movement.
When they come bent, it's done by a machine that literally spits them out on a fraction of a second, so it's really frustrating when companies cheap out, because correcting it isn't the most fun.

I'd also had decent results champfering the edge of a spring with a jeweler's file. The issue there is the filings and holding the spring steady (an old pair of needle nose Vise grips is what I used).

Maybe the three pronged ones work better, as I imagine it's a bit of a clamping pressure on the end to force the bend.

 

[jon_slider]

quiz:
can you spot the misaligned L?