Is there really pretty much nothing between SC52 and SK68?

Tried the SK, Balder, Xeno, Xstar, Crelant, Nitecore for AA/14500 light.

I'll take the SC52w over all of them.

Apple = SK68
Orange = SC52
Fair to compare?
One is a zoomie, the other is not (in Commander Data voice). I agree that the SK68 could use more brilliance than the AA can muster, even though newbies are gobsmacked at the output. Zoomies don’t tend to be lumen monsters in flood mode.

The middle ground in a AA format can possibly be had by something so simple and cheap as a UltraFire C3.
http://www.fasttech.com/products/1601/10000598/1105000
I own this light (2 actually) in a 3-mode, and will warn you that there may be some operational issues (mode shifting and/or intermittent failure to proceed in one copy) . However, it is bright to the point that it could satisfy a restless SK68 groupie. The linked stainless version is a bit heavy, so I don’t EDC it. There are versions available with differing mode counts and tube materials. They put out a nice beam with good tint, IMO.

I EDC’d a SK68 until it wore a hole in my pants pocket. Now I carry a Tank007 E09 (one AAA format). It’s smaller, and puts out more light to boot (or anything else you shine it on). Win, win.
http://www.fasttech.com/products/0/10002363/1173304-tank007-e09-cree-xp-e-r3-120-lumen-3-mode-memory-e

Note to the Star Trek impaired:
When Commander Data was addressed as Dat’,ah he replied, my name is Day’,tah. The other person replied Day,tah Dat,ah, what’s the difference? He answered, “One is my name, the other is not”.

This is just my opinion but an ET D25c clicky absolutely can not be beat as an EDC. If you are a AA man then go with the D25A clicky. They are almost as expensive as a SC52 but are fantastic lights.

I use sk68 with 14500. All I wish for is a better quality lens.

is that the 14500 does zip for output, just gives longer run time. I’ve tried some extension tube options, but the driver used in the SK68 seems the weak link. Not sure if I tried the extension tube with the SK68 or just some others I have (the little advertised as 3w camp light where you buy two and use second as extension tube). It was a cheap education, I don’t want a footlong, I was a EDC pocket light, and the SK68 is close, but the SC52 seems a lot better.

Apple = fruit, Orange = fruit. SC52 = flashlight, SK68 = flashlight.

Dragging out my charger now, going to give the pair of cheap 14500’s I have a charge and see how they do in the SK68. They may not last long, but should illustrate behavior with the higher voltage.

I think a better analogy might be that you’re kind of asking if a $50 off-brand 7 in. Android tablet is the same as an IPad Mini.

A SK68 clone and a ZL SC52 are 1x AA LED flashlghts like a $50 off-brand 7 in. Android tab and an IPad Mini are tablet computers with 7 inch touch screens.

They are both 1xAA LED flashlights, and they are both 7 inch tablets, but that’s about all they have in common.

One of the first questions that might need to be asked here is which SK68 clone (or $50 off-brand 7 in. Android tab) are you asking about? There are dozens of SK68 clones (and cheap Android tabs) out there and although they may look the same on the outside, they have some significant differences on the inside.

The 14500s will likely run down faster, especially if the draw rate is good. Using freshly charged cells, my two favorite SK68s (cherry pick of the 5 I’ve tested) draw something under 4W for AA and 7+W for the 3 mode with 14500. (I posted current draw for a few SK68 hosts and batteries a while back.)

Let us know what you find with yours and a 14500 (especially draw rate) . . each of the 5 I’ve measured using TF flames showed a clear improvement in brightness over AA, some a lot more of an increase than others as I said above. If your 14500s have high resistance your driver may not reach it’s potential. Someday I’ll buy better 14500s, but the TF flames seem to work reasonably well in the 7 or 8 lights I’ve tried them in.

At 10 to 20 times of a higher price I’d expect the ZL is a lot better . . it is apples and oranges to compare. I like the C8 suggestion above if the OP can live with the very wide head, but if not something like a SF L2M with an XPG2 might work. I’d also consider the ET recommendation above.

That’s a somewhat good analogy, probably right down to the margins … although IMO the tablets have a much greater functionality difference than the lights.

Output going by a side by side on the ceiling of my living room seemed much brighter, close to the 502b clone I have (3xAAA Eneloop XML T6).

I’m still REAL nervous about using LiOn, but charger seemed to work fine at 0.5 amp 4.2v charging first time for about 40 minutes or so. I’m going to look at another SK68 clone or two, this one side by side with the 502b had a touch of green I never noticed using it alone. I may get a XP-G and/or one of the claimed XML T6 versions of the SK68 and get a couple more less cheap 14500 cells. (Maybe the Nitecore, going to look more into it).

Funny that you mention Android tablets, Nexus4 just dropped to $199 so I stopped at the Tmobile store to check one out. Not an Ipad, but its a fully functional nice phone with a good display, 4 processors, only downside I see is battery life isn’t great, but I have religion about putting mine on the charger every time I walk in the house, and no MicroSD, an the smaller microSim.

That kinda defeats the purpose of a zoomie. Might as well get something like a TF R5-A3.

Dont see the point of a T6 sk68. Zurely the major upgrade would be a lens free from artifacts.

Now that I seem to be in 14500 waters, and less inclined to pop for the SC52 “soon”.

If you don’t want to do 14500 Lion batteries, maybe you’d be more comfortable with LiFePO4’s? They have a somewhat lower voltage, lower capacity, but they are safer than Lion. They take a different charger, too. I have a few that I have been playing with and they can source a lot of current. Have not tried them yet in my SK68’s or clones yet. Does fine in my Hugsby P2.

I tried the cheap Ultrafire 14500 pair I bought a few months back and still had sealed in the package. Very bright. Excited a couple hours then it dawned on me, not practical at all without a lower output mode for normal use.

I started a new thread to discuss best emitter etc. using the 14500 NEW THREAD

I was thinking about using unprotected cells, and decided not to so, no need for the lower voltage option.

Not unless you’re running a 14500.

You have to be careful with lumen ratings on 1AA lights. Many of them list peak ratings on 14500 as the maximum output. But they don’t state (or, at the least, don’t state clearly) the kind of battery that they are using to get this output. Unless they specifically say that it is with NiMH, you are guaranteed that they are giving the rating for a 14500. And pretty much ALL of these lights are basically at SK68 levels of brightness with NiMH. The SC52 seems to be the only one that is the real deal on NiMH.

Even the SC52 does the “turbo” one minute of 500 LM on a 14500, but nothing else seems to match the 280 with an Eneloop.

Now I am kind of sold on the idea of a “turbo” mode as well as a normal high, and low, but could do without a strobe.

Makes me wonder why I don’t just buy a SC52, then I look at the price. :wink:

They do have the turbo thing with a 14500. But at least they’re not using that to hide low output with NiMH. I guess their 280 lumens on NiMH is just too much of a selling point.

Anyway, if you want an SC52, Illumination Supply has a promotion running. Their normal price is $64. But with the coupon code ‘zebrastripes’, you get somewhat over $9 off the price of the light (which certainly isn’t too shabby). You WILL have to pay sales tax since you live here in California. But on the other hand, you won’t be going old and grey waiting for it to be shipped from China. You’ll probably get it in two days.

Stop trying to find a better option and just do it.

For the moment it's the best AA light out there period. If you're taking AA, and 14500 my vote would go to the Nitecore SRT3, but there is a HUGE size difference...

The SC52 is second from the right. The SRT3 fourth from the right. It also works on a AA battery but not as well.

I always thought the sc52 was too much money, but I bought one after hearing mostly positive comments. If I didn’t like it I could sell it and only be out 10 bucks. But I liked it and now feel it is worth the price. I’m using rechargeable batteries so saving $20-25 a year so it will pay for itself eventually. And the satisfaction/pleasure is priceless.