Zebralight SC52 Owner's Thread

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If I was running this for 3 months, and it actually died after 1 month...I think the number one question on my mind would be why the hell have I been running and watching this flashlight for 30 days!?!

I know. Joking aside, we want the numbers to be as truthful as possible. I get it :)
 
reppans said:
But runtime exaggeration is only half of it - the SC52s sub-lumen output is so far off spec (by many multiples), that despite it actually running the longest on L2a (92 hrs) in my test, it came in dead last in terms of efficiency (lm-hrs, or lumens x hours).
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Yes, the Zebralight sub-lumen claims are extremely exaggerated in terms of brightness, and also exaggerated in terms of run time (though not as badly as they exaggerate brightness). They also seem to exaggerate the brightness of their high modes, though not by as much. Interestingly, I think their medium mode claims are pretty accurate, both in brightness and run time. I'm not sure why they don't also exaggerate them.
 
I've had this light for 12 months now and 12 months ago it couldn't be beaten by any stock light for longest run time or lumens output on standard AA cells.....based on SB's reviews
 
Received my SC52w today, no green tint on mine. I had to return the first one I got because it had some excess gray epoxy inside that interfered with battery fit. I'm guessing the gray epoxy is used for potting the circuit components? But brightguy.com quickly sent me a replacement, so it all ended well.

I know some people like the clip, but IMO it is too tight and gets hung up on the lip of my jean pockets during removal. Other than that, this flashlight is great!
 
SubLGT said:
I know some people like the clip, but IMO it is too tight and gets hung up on the lip of my jean pockets during removal. Other than that, this flashlight is great!
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The clip is really way too tight, thick and stiff. This is why I have ordered this . I hope it will fit.
 
It fits but its curved so wont sit flat against the zebra .....had my sc52 for a while then tried one of these clips .....lost it a few weeks after installing. .....
 
lightmyfire13 said:
It fits but its curved so wont sit flat against the zebra .....had my sc52 for a while then tried one of these clips .....lost it a few weeks after installing. .....
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I can see that the holes are on a curved surface but I think I'll be able to flatten it somehow. Do you mean that the whole clip is curved in such a manner that it is useless (i.e. no pressure between the clip and the head of the flashlight)? From your post it seems that this was the reason you lost the flashlight ...
 
What's the problem with a tight clip...on any light? All you need to do is bend it ever so slightly until you're happy with the grip. My SC52w was way too tight so I pulled up on it a bit and now it's perfect. Slightly raised off of the body, but tight enough to hang onto jeans or thin dress pant pockets. And I can push it onto the pocket without even thinking about it.

Same with my PD32UEs which were rediculously tight.
 
WalkIntoTheLight said:
Yes, the Zebralight sub-lumen claims are extremely exaggerated in terms of brightness, and also exaggerated in terms of run time (though not as badly as they exaggerate brightness). They also seem to exaggerate the brightness of their high modes, though not by as much. Interestingly, I think their medium mode claims are pretty accurate, both in brightness and run time. I'm not sure why they don't also exaggerate them.
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JMHO, but I find all their M and H output specs consistently off (~25%?). For example, THIS independent review (green & beige lines; measured on a Fenix lumen scale) compares the SC52's 108lm/3hr mode to the D25A's 75lm/2.5hrs mode - they have virtually the same output/runtime graphs :). So, ZL's 108 lms is about equal to 98 lms on Fenix scale; and 79 lumens on an ET scale. BTW, Selfbuilt rates this mode about 120 lms and the 50% SB>ET scale difference is consistent with his review of the other D25 models.

I do believe ET is bit too conservative, but it's a close match to rest of my AA/sub-lumen collection (Quarks, Malkoffs, and earlier generation ThruNite's), and also ti-force - the only CPF reviewer that actually claims ANSI lumen accuracy and uses laboratory-tested calibration lights.

Agree on M mode runtimes though.... on the two tests I ran, I thought ZL was actually conservative and you don't even have to utilize the ANSI 10% rule like SB did (unusually) for this light :).

chorlton said:
I've had this light for 12 months now and 12 months ago it couldn't be beaten by any stock light for longest run time or lumens output on standard AA cells.....based on SB's reviews
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Selfbuilt doesn't test all lights, and certainly doesn't test the lower modes. But I don't want to take anything away from the SC52 - the light is excellent (size, UI, features) and except for all the sub-lumen modes, it's output and efficiency is either as good, or a little better, than any other AA I've seen or tested (well at least until the new TN is delivered). I just have an issue with the company's marketing integrity when many other manufacturers seem to be trying to do the right thing.

Personally, I prefer having a lot better warranty and customer service, than a little better output and efficiency....course, YMMV.
 
Just got mine SC52w-L2(my first quality led light) and seems like I won a tint lottery, but might lost in LED lottery. There is something on my LED(Cree XM-L2) two darker spots one is tiny near right contact lead another irregularly shaped closer to bottom left corner. They only visible in lowest modes and hard to pick up on camera but I attached the image where I encircled the darker spots with white circles for better visibility.
Can anyone tell me if this defect pure aesthetic or might affect LED lifetime and worth sending it for replacement(possibly losing good tint)?
spotsOnLed_zps7a793d4a.jpg
 
mekquake said:
chill mate , these are bond wires :D , absolutely nothing to worry about
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Sorry for confusing with my bad explanation(ESL) but, no , Im not talking about bond wires to which I mistakenly referenced as "connecting leads" in original post. I know those two symmetric black spots at the top of the LED are bond wires. The defects Im talking about are harder to see, they are transparent, irregular in shape, randomly positioned and whole symmetric chess board like pattern on the LED die makes them even harder to see.
One spot located between right bond wire and LED center.
Second larger spot but more transparent located between bottom left corner and center of LED.
Both spots encircled by 1pixel thin white circle in MS paint
 
solder balls, hmm, do you mean some balls bit larger in volume then others spread differently in irregular shapes rather than dots during soldering process?

I assumed its some impurities in phosphorous or silicon. Are these Cree LEDs made up of matrix of smaller LEDs, maybe some burned out?
 
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I don't post here much, I stop by every 3 years or so. I plan on ordering the Zebralight SC52W from E2 Field Gear using a coupon "commentary" (or does anybody have other recommendations?). My question is about the battery: I was going to add a Zebralight 14500 battery from that site, but it said "Sorry but this item is currently unavailable". So I looked at some of the other batteries on that site, for example, one called KeepPower, but it says: "*KP Branded 14500 batteries do not fit the Zebralight SC52/W/F/Fw". So it looks like I will have to go elsewhere to get a 14500 rechargeable battery. I have an UltraFire charger model WF-139: it came with my EagleTac T20C2 4 years ago (that's about my interval between buying new lights) and has a been a good charger: I have only used it to charge a single EagleTac 18650, which it does well. It can also charge 14500 batteries, according to the label on the bottom, so I think I'm okay with that charger. Right?

My question is, where should I go to get rechargeable 14500 batteries, and how will I know, before ordering, that a particular 14500 fits the Zebralight SC52W, and which particular 14500 rechargeables are recommended? I skimmed some of the many battery threads here, and I am overwhelmed by the complexity: button-top, non-button-top, IMR or something else, different capacity ratings, different dimensions, etc. Thank you.
 
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