Anybody successfully opened a Zebralight before?

Flashlight Modding and DIY Parts
21

Gah, you’re right of course. I wanted the 219c to work in there. Maybe there was some other issue, but it just seems strange that the light would come on in some medium-power mode, quite bright, even when it should be turning on in its lowest output. And I did test the reflow outside the light using my continuity check - worked fine.

That was my last loose 219c around here to use, so I dropped the 219b in. If I get some more 219c’s before the lenses arrive I may pull the board and have another try at it.

22

If the Vf is the problem you can always add a small diode to get that extra voltage drop

23

That’s awesome! A modded zebralight!

24

Thanks to emarkd I was encouraged to open my brand new (more on that later) Zebralight SC30 and prepare it for the same emitter swap. However, I thought starting from the switch could help me to prevent the light from any damage. At CPF someone did so with a Zebralight headlamp, pulling the boot retaining ring with a pick. Well, I wasn’t really successful, as you can see…

So I cut away the whole cap and desoldered the electronic switch, in order to use a screwdriver as a lever.

It was quite easy then to pull the ring, but some minor marks were left.

I could lift the switch PCB from the right site, but I destroyed one of the solder contacts. The cable could not move at all as it was soldered to the MCPCB for no obvious reason.

Now I used a screw driver between the MCPCB and the reflector to push out the lens. This caused some damage at the base of the reflector. Not dramatically, but hard to avoid.

Desoldered the wires and lift of the MCPCB. No thermal paste here as well. Did you note the alignment of the screws? I have never seen this on another board, so you cannot just throw in a normal 10 mm one…

Ok, my conclusion is to sacrifice the lens and not the boot cap, as this is not a regular spare part. Luckily, Zebralight will help me here and promised to send me one (thanks a lot, Zebralight!). The lens has a diameter of 18.5 mm (diameter of the light opening is 19 mm) and a thickness of 1 mm, so one of these lenses should fit:

https://www.fasttech.com/products/1606/10001022/5422700-18-3mm-ar-coated-glass-lens-for-led-flashlights
http://kaidomain.com/p/S024571.18_4mm-D-x-1_0mm-T-AR-Coated-Lens
http://kaidomain.com/p/S021958.18_6mm-D-x-1mm-T-AR-Coated-Lens-1-pc

You avoid desoldering the switch and the potential of destroying the PCB and the reflector, as evything can stay in place.

Hope that helps. I will give you an update as soon as I have sourced a new emitter for the light.

25

Wow, yeah, I’d say you did it the hard way :slight_smile: :stuck_out_tongue: I also was advised elsewhere to start with the switch bezel, so I understand why you did it that way. Sorry it didn’t work out, but hopefully it’ll all be good in the end :slight_smile: Glad Zebra is helping you source replacement parts.

Yeah the screw holes on mine aren’t perfectly aligned either. Everything in this little light seems to be special/custom made just for it. I’m sure the newer lights are even worse in that regard.

Honestly if I ever do another Zebralight mod in the future I probably won’t even try to save the lens. Just bust it out and go from there, saving myself a lot of time and effort for very little chance of success.

26

Since I love zebralight lights I’ll be keeping my eye on this thread. Though I don’t think I’d risk damaging my lights to mod them.

27

Definately right, the newer ons are much more integrated, see here: http://www.zebralight.com/zoomify.asp?catalogid=123&img=assets/images/SC600MkII(L2)cutaway.jpg

No easy emitter swap, I’d say.

I think I will order some replacement lenses and try to find a way to crack the lens in the flashlight without harming the reflector. I have an option to buy 22 more brand new (or let’s say new old stock) SC30.

If it turns out well with the Nichia 219C in there, it might be interesting for some others here. Which would be the best forum category btw. to ask for that interest?

28

Now I want to know if my ZL headlamps also lack thermal paste.

29

I pretty much guess so, as components and assembly design are more or less the same.

30

totally agreed.

im going to mod my SC600 too as the led is so out of date now.

I will break the lens method to save the hassle and ipost pics later once i get them all work out so stay tune and pray for me haha

31

Where do you find these SC30?
I’d be interested in one or two, to “have fun” modding them :smiley:

32

Ok so i got hype and starting to remove the parts to mod my Zebralight SC600 (first generation) :smiley:

The easiest method is to break the glass by using the tool i show on the table. Try to hold your thumb around to stop the the force damaging the reflector and handle with care and take time.

Now the glass is smashed

Removing the glass between o-ring and bezel

I use flat screw driver to pop out the bezel

Everything comes out nicely

33

I can’t see it clearly in your photo, but if the mcpcb in that SC60 looks like the one in my SC80 that I posted back on page 1, then its not really 4 wires, its just 3. The “extra” is a ground. It comes up through the shelf, touches the mcpcb and continues up to the e-switch. Zebra just stripped all the insulation off of it and sorta side-tacked it to the mcpcb as it goes past - one solid wire. Not sure why they thought the mcpcb needed to be grounded, but they did. So I just put it back like it was when I re-assembled mine.

I’ve also got an old SC60 on my shelf. And a 1st-gen SC600, etc, etc. I didn’t really plan on tearing apart all my old Zebras, just wanted to get rid of the terrible angry-blue tint of my neat old SC80, but this thread may be going somewhere else :slight_smile:

34

Haha, for the older lights there is no real alternative I think.

I also have an H31Fw which I like a lot, but in direct comparision to other neutral lights I have the tint is not that pleasing. Only there are no frosted spare lenses, as far as I have seen…

35

Nicolicous, good to see others jump in! What emitter do you want to use?

36

Just finished modding my Zebralight SC600 and it took about 2 hours :smiley:

Here are the next steps i did:

remove screws and de-solder the wires and remove the MCPCB

remove led

I got spare Nichia 219B so i use it

reflow led with soldering

testing LED once the wires are re-soldered

Spare lens (18mm x1mm) from fasttech (link from below)

lens for Zebralight SC600

Bezel not all push in as i prefer it this way to protect the head from damage and i think it’s enough to seal water:)

Beamshot comparison using iphone4 (the colour balance is not accurate on iphone but you get the idea )

MCPCB configuration from emarkd photo exactly the same as mine.

37

ok enought for tonight.

Im going sleep.

I will be modding other Zebralights when i have time and will use different led :smiley:

stay tune :smiley:

38

Some time back I modified my little SC52. Pulled the emitter and used a copper mcpcb with XP-L emitter, swapped the driver with an FET that I built utilizing ramping firmware for the e-switch. On a top 14500 cell it did 1117 lumens. A friend was really really interested in it so I fixed him up, partial trade with an unmodified SC52… so I have it to do all over again.

39

Good job, Nicolicous!

Your idea with the bezel makes me think of a custom bezel that is slighly longer and has threads or a bayonet fitting to attach e.g. a diffusor, colour filter and a removal tool for later upgrades. Only I do not have a lathe (yet)…

40

Your mod skill is pro Dale.

Im no longer buying Zebralights as they are too expensive and modding is not easy.

I still got to learn how to flash the driver to complete the modifying satisfaction :smiley: