Iāve removed the protection on a few cells, simply because I had to in order to fit them in my light. Had I known they would not fit, I would have ordered unprotected.
On one other occasion, the only known good source was protected 26650, which I didnāt need. I ordered them and removed the protection so it would fit the light.
If you have the option to order unprotected when you need it, go for that. Itās easier, cheaper, and safer (the removal process includes a risk of shorting out the cell).
I have contemplated posting a How-To on protection PCB removal (I have the images already), but didnāt bother as I figured there just wasnāt anyone that wanted to do this.
why spend more buying an unprotected when you could simply āliberateā the cell
protection PCB wastes a lot of energy, just compare the graphs from HKJ so for all my single cell lights i use unprotected. and for zebras itās even better coz they have built in overdischarge protection
We now have Pangea Design's Pickpocket in stock! This titanium bottle opener can be used as a clip or keychain accessory. It also comes in a hex design for 1/4" wrenches or driver bits.
We've emailed ZebraLight asking for an update and are waiting. The only reason we put up the pre-order is because we heard reports that other dealers were receiving their stock and estimated ours would be shipping/arriving this week. Keep in mind everyone is free to cancel their pre-order for a full refund.
Which light are you talking about? The SC52 or the SC600, or both?
If it is one or both, I can relateā¦ When I started (not that long ago), I kept hearing about Zebralight lights, but (1) they were expensive and (2) I thought that they looked kind of weird.
Then, eventually, I got an SC52 (from IS) and when I tried it, I went āWHOA!ā. It was so darn bright(!), plus, it was A LOT smaller than a lot of the pictures that Iād seen.
So, now, even though I still think the SC52 looks somewhat odd, I love it because of (1) itās brightness, (2) itās size, and (3) the UI.
So, if you are talking about the Zebralight SC52, at least, I have to say that you wonāt āget itā just reading about it, and looking at picturesā¦ you really have to get it in your hand and see for yourself.
I'm talking about the SC600 MarkII. I think even the original 600 looks a bit nicer... and frankly I would have gone for deeper reflector in design, but oh well.
I know EXACTLY what you mean about the SC52. I was on the lookout for a good AA/14500 for a while, and tried several. The SC52 always looked a bit odd to me, and I couldn't stomach the price. Until one day I decided I already spent more on AA lights I don't like, so might as well try it.
I got it, and I... I LOVED IT! The size, seeing it for the first time, was a bit of a shock to me. The UI took a bit to get used to, but feels well thought out. On an eneloop it's brighter than any other AA light I have ever seen. On 14500 it's a match to any other 14500 light. And it won't overheat, and steps down when battery is running low!
The SC52 definitely won me over big time... unlike most lights that I would scrap if I wanted to design/upgrade one, on the sc52 only three improvements I would really love to see, and none of them are even a big deal.
So basically, as a result of me getting the SC52, zerbralight is now solidly on my radar, and the SC600II is a must have... ugly or not. Even if I end up hating it (doubtful) I'll consider it a win to try it out, and resell for a few bucks less.
I feel exactly the same, it may not be pretty, but at only 20mm longer than the SC52 and 900 lumens, thatās pretty insane. Flood is more useful to me than throw, so Iām happy with the reflector and the way it outputs its lumens.
Iām glad Iām not the only one who thinks so. I love my two Zebralights, but they sure are ugly. It would help a lot to offer colors other than military drab. However, the functionality is so nice that I consider them my best lights despite how they look. (the RRT01 is a strong contender though ā nicer UI for dim modes, and is pretty too)
The SC600 mkII seems to be roughly the same size as a fully-extended SK-68, only with a wider head and no narrow section on the body. Iāve EDCād a SK-68 before, but I donāt think Iāll be getting a SC600. Itās a bit large for my EDC taste, I donāt like the clip-on clip, I already have other lights for biking (Convoy S3), itās ugly, it takes way too many clicks to switch between sublevels (like, 14 to 18 clicks to switch between 9 and 27 lumens, or between 0.6 and 0.1), and it seems a bit redundant for me since I already have a SC52 (the SC600 only goes one step brighter, so its main appeal is run timeā¦ which the SC52 is already very good at).
However, if they ever fix the UI to allow easier access to all levels, I still might consider getting one. (use 4 level groups (high/med/low/firefly), eliminate the 12 clicks to enter programming mode, eliminate distinction between primary level and sublevel)
I forgot to mention we have the Veleno Designs Quantum D2 on sale for only a week. These are the lowest you will be seeing these prices for a long time.
The Quantum D2 is the successor to the wildly popular Quantum DD, arguably one of the best EDC lights of all time. Powered by a tiny 10180 li-ion battery, the Quantum D2 has a sapphire crystal window with a Cree XP-G2 cool white emitter at its heart. The D2 has an improved light engine and redesigned QTC assembly and magnet placement. The D2 is infinitely variable from 0 to ~150 lumens with a minimum run time of 8 minutes of the highest level. For modders, we also sell a quantum pill package which comes with the pcb board, retaining ring, and magnet.
For everyone waiting on the SC600MKII, we finally got an update from Zebralight after several emails. They told us that we would be a getting some of our inventory the coming week. Again I apologize for the delay as getting more information from them is like extracting teeth.
That was the exact wording in Zebralight's email, I wish I knew what quantity "some" meant. As usual, all pre-orders will be fulfilled in the order they were received.