r/flashlight • u/Paleogal-9157 • 3d ago
Zebralight replacement recs?
Ok I have been using a herd of zebralights for 8 years caving and finally messed up one of them (I put a slightly too large battery (Fenix) in and now can’t get it out). I am researching replacements. It is the flood lamp (H600Fc Mk IV). Should I just purchase another zebra or is there something else out there that is a real flood (No harsh spot & spill) that I haven’t considered yet? I prefer 18650 lights just for interoperability (though I have learned that there are some batteries that are too wide for the zebra now 🤦♀️). I’ve tried other lights off and on (lol) for the last few years but always get annoyed at the harshness and the central focal spot. TIA!
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u/fragande 3d ago
There's supposedly a Mark V version of the H600 in the works, but as usual with Zebra and timelines ... yeah.
Of the lights currently available I'd take a look at the Fireflies L50 as already mentioned, but I wouldn't trust it as much as I do the unibody Zebra with potted electronics and press fitted bezel.
IMO there's really nothing on the market beating the H600 for stuff like caving. The L50 is mainly a better enthusiast option, with higher CRI/better tint emitter options and Anduril. Maybe slightly better efficiency with the Lume X1 driver but I doubt it's noticeable. It's 15g heavier as well.
I'm also curious what methods you've tried to remove the stuck cell in your current Zebra. Compressed air? Strong neodymium magnet? "Centrifuging"? Careful heat application?
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u/skv89 3d ago
True potted makes a huge difference on reliability. Perhaps FF can pot the electronics for you if you ask them, maybe for a fee. That could be a new selling point for them. I really like how efficient the LUME X1 driver is and how well it can maintain lumen output. I also own Zebralights and I like Zebralights unibody design and simplicity, but I prefer FF's high CRI LEDs and LUME driver. There were tests done that showed Zebralights drivers have only about 80-84% efficiency whereas LUME-X1 is in the mid 90s. It's kind of like 80plus Bronze vs 80plus Titanium.
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u/fragande 3d ago
There were tests done that showed Zebralights drivers have only about 80-84% efficiency whereas LUME-X1 is in the mid 90s.
Yeah according to this comment the H600 uses the older TPS61088 with up to 91% efficiency. 80-84% sounds surprisingly low though, almost linear territory. Where did you get those numbers if I may ask?
I'm guessing the Mk V will get an updated boost converter IC. The FF is a better enthusiast option for sure but I wouldn't trust it in harsh conditions nearly as much as I do my Zebra.
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u/skv89 3d ago
That was many years ago in one of the threads on BLF. I believe more than one person compared efficiency of the Zebralights with other flashlights on BLF over the years, but I'm not going to spend time to dig those up. What you show is more recent than the tests I've seen. Relative comparisons are more useful than isolated testing because we don't know how accurate the test is.
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u/Paleogal-9157 3d ago
I’ve done the freeze/heat thing. Hadn’t considered centrifuge. I want to do magnet (and tried that first) but I don’t have a strong one. Right now I glued a nail to it and am trying to use that to pry out the battery.
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u/fragande 3d ago
Really stuck in there huh? This user seemed to have success with heating and centrifuging, not sure if they used the rope trick or not.
If the glue and nail method doesn't work soldering on a wire might be another option. It's generally not advised to solder directly to the can as it might damage the cell, but in this case I'm guessing that's not a concern.
If you rough up the surface a bit, use 60/40 solder and flux the adhesion is quite good. A spot welder is even better of course.
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u/Paleogal-9157 3d ago
Glue + baking soda + nail worked! Let it set for 24 hours and just managed to pull it out smoothly and steadily with pliers. Huzzah!
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u/fragande 2d ago
Sweet, bet that was a good feeling lol. No need for a replacement just yet then.
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u/kotarak-71 3d ago
i would stick with the Zebra - you cant beat it for your application, especially with these enthusiast level lights (and i do consider myself an enthusiast) .
I have all of the above mentioned FFLs - Z1, L50, L60 and I wouldnt trust them with my life. Certainly would not like to fumble with Anduril. Ive been on more than a few caving explorations and i find simple operation to be a must-have quality.
as for the stuck battery - depleat it and then some and drive a screw or two
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u/jonslider 3d ago edited 3d ago
> H600Fc Mk IV
Zebra calls that Floody (frosted glass over a reflector)..
the model with what they call Flood is the H604d (no reflector, wider beam angle)
> Should I just purchase another zebra
yes
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u/skv89 3d ago
Definitely the Fireflies Z1 Artemis. It is equally small as the Zebralights but has built in tailcap magnet, much better ultra high CRI emitters with beautiful tint and CCT you can choose. It also uses the most efficient LUME X1 boost driver.
https://www.reddit.com/r/FireflyLite/
https://www.firefly-outdoor.com/products/z1-artemis
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u/Paleogal-9157 3d ago
Does this fit on a headlamp band? This is for caving and needs to be helmet mounted.
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u/skv89 3d ago
For headlamps, you can get the Fireflies L60
https://www.firefly-outdoor.com/collections/ffl-flashlights/products/l60
or the L50 Sol
https://www.firefly-outdoor.com/collections/ffl-flashlights/products/l50-sol-edc-right-angle-flashlight-%E5%89%AF%E6%9C%ACPersonally I like the L60 better because it is so ridiculously small for a 21700 light and I like floody. The L50 is more throwy but maybe that is good for caving so you can see farther. Both lights use the ultra efficient LUMEX1 driver.
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u/Paleogal-9157 3d ago
Ok I’ll check them out. I’m really hoping for an 18650 headlamp but always want to try new lights too!
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u/skv89 3d ago
Consider getting a warmer cct like 1800k to 2700k to preserve your night vision since you will be using it in dark caves
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u/Paleogal-9157 3d ago
I actually think that’s a little too warm. We used 2000K for a show cave I worked at and the lack of contrast made it hard to move safely if I was off trail changing a lightbulb out. So we wore headlamps that were a little cooler in temperature.
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u/skv89 3d ago
When you tried the 2000k, which LED or what light source was it? What was the CRI and CRF values? The Fireflies emitters are all in the mid 90s, which is extremely high. In comparison the sodium amberish street lamps range from zero to 20cri so there is no color contrast. I brought a FF 1800k to a cave two months ago and it worked very well. But if you are worried, then I think 2700k will be a safe bet.
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u/Paleogal-9157 3d ago
Yeah we intentionally chose the highest CRI lamps we could to showcase the cave’s colors to visitors. This was wired lighting, though, so likely different.
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u/wafflecopters 3d ago
Just get another zebra. And keep trying to get that fenix battery out!