The Official Zebralight Thread

[this_is_nascar]

Clic to read the whole SC70 driver Analysis posted by thefreeman:

Here are the Cliff Notes:

"Conclusion

To improve this driver, Zebralight needs to:

* get rid of low modes visible flicker

* Get rid of the ~400~1000Hz Riple by increasing the PWM control signal frequency

* fix the low modes startup flash

* Fix instability issue in medium modes"

Well, none of this sounds good.

 

[jon_slider]

data posted by krug1972 shows his Opple measured some SC70 Frequencies (547Hz and 400Hz), that are similar to what thefreeman is reporting: ~400~1000Hz ripple

 

[jon_slider]

Compare and contrast Opple 3 Tint measurement of an early LiIon compatible SC53c N with stock 4000K 519a and a late SC53c N w the new 54 series AA only driver, and Bob_McBob DeDomed 5700K 519a:

Side by side comparison of beam profile and tint:

Stock clip and MGX deep carry clip

A favorite USB battery for 1.5V:

 

[jon_slider]

AA Zebras:

The two on the right are LiIon friendly. Though lately my favorite battery for my AA Zebras are the Xtar 2450mAh 1.5V LiIon w USB-C that have constant 1.5V output for the first 80% of runtime. (I lowered the Thermal Ceiling by 5 degrees to reduce the potential to overheat on H1):

Constant 1.5V produces the least amount of Riple and the lowest Flicker Index (green boxes on left):

The two DeDomed lights are McBob mods:

 

[AMD64Brunette]

Last week the power went out for a couple of hours.

My H54 Fc N and SC53c came in clutch..loaded with Energizer lithium AA batteries.

 

[lampeDépêche]

Last week the power went out for a couple of hours.

My H54 Fc N and SC53c came in clutch..loaded with Energizer lithium AA batteries.

When the lights went out, your Zebras came in clutch.

As much as I value the incredible data that Jon Slider and others share here about technical details...

Isn't this really the bottom line?

 

[Beard Man]

The two on the right are LiIon friendly. Though lately my favorite battery for my AA Zebras are the Xtar 2450mAh 1.5V LiIon w USB-C that have constant 1.5V output for the first 80% of runtime. (I lowered the Thermal Ceiling by 5 degrees to reduce the potential to overheat on H1):

View attachment 97042

So, for the best result for SC54 and H54, do you recommend Xtar 2450mAh 1.5V LiIon w USB-C ?

 

[jon_slider]

So, for the best result for SC54 and H54, do you recommend Xtar 2450mAh 1.5V LiIon w USB-C ?

not necessarily

the Primary reason I prefer 1.5V LiIon with constant 1.5V output for my Zebras with 53 series drivers, is because those drivers have lower Ripple with the constant 1.5V source, but this is not the case for the 54 series drivers.. they dont have less Ripple with the 1.5V LiIon:

I do also value the USB charging of 1.5V LiIon, so if you prioritize that feature, it is a good choice for both the 53 and 54 series drivers

Although I like that 1.5V LiIon weight less than Eneloop, they are still LiIon, which is arguably not as safe as Eneloop and Ultimate Lithium.. so imo the best choice for the 54 driver is Energizer Ultimate Lithium, because they are the lowest weight, which is a factor I value. The only reason I dont use them, is the price (which is related to them not being rechargeable)..

So for the 54 driver, you Can use 1.5V LiIon if you value the USB charging feature and the lower weight than Eneloop, as long as you are comfortable with LiIon chemistry. I would not store them in a hot car though. For that I would choose Eneloop, because they are also heat tolerant, plus rechargeable, and therefore less expensive than Ultimate Lithium..

what is best for your 54 series Zebra depends on how you prioritize the variables of
1. Weight (favors Ultimate Lithium followed by 1.5V LiIon),
2. Price (favors Eneloop and 1.5V LiIon),
3. USB charging (favors 1.5V LiIon),
4. rechargeability (favors Eneloop and 1.5V LiIon)
5. hot car temperature tolerance (favors Eneloop and Ultimate Lithium)

this is my ranking, but some of the scores are a judgement call...
(lowest score wins)