Zebralight H600

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Re: Zebralight H600

Postby Chads93GT » Dec 30, 2011 7:54 pm

Just got home, threw in the frosted lense for the spark and went outside for the first time in the dark. Holy crap this combo is bad ass, with teh spark on flood and the zebra on spot. WOW..............as for the color difference. I was lying in bed earlier when I posted about getting the lamps and the initial color difference, shining on the drywall ceiling. walking in the yards and in the woods in teh back yard I cant really tell, when they are both on. This is a ridiculous combo. 200 bucks.........anxious to see how it performs on a turbo sten setup that my buddies have. granted, my buddies that have this 5 watt diver lamp setup will blow my rig away, but theirs are all throw, and no glow. Their spot lamps will throw the light 400-500 feet easy in missouri's largest borehoels and rooms that are in perry county.
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Re: Zebralight H600

Postby rlboyce » Dec 30, 2011 10:56 pm

NICE!!! :kewl:

Oh, there'll be no comparison with a Sten. If you put the Spark and Zebra on the highest settings at the same time, the output from your setup should be somewhere around three times the total lumens of a Sten (assuming a Sten output of 400 or so lumens). The Sten may reach a little farther if your buddies have narrow collimators in, but even a laughably weak 50 lumen light can throw incredibly far if you've concentrated the beam enough (and what's the point in that if you can't see a single thing in your periphery or in front of your feet? :wink: ).

A word on watt ratings (for those who care to listen):

Don't trust them.

Watt ratings are probably the worst way to compare lights. In the context of flashlights, watts can be thought of as energy consumption. When comparing lights, it's much more to do with the efficiency of a light rather than how much it consumes. One light that takes exactly 5.00 watts may be significantly brighter than another light that also takes exactly 5.00 watts, simply because it's more efficient at using that available energy. Someone may say that a certain light may be 25 watts (probably to impress their audience), but how well does it use that 25 watts?

A good example is the Zebra/Spark setup. Using a Relative Flux vs. Current chart from Cree and some approximate figures you can determine how many watts each lights draws on its highest setting. Doing the math you will find that the Zebra consumes just over 8 watts at 750 lumens, and the Spark nearly 5 watts at 500 lumens.

As I said before, throw has as much to do with the concentration of a beam as it does the output of a light. Your buddies' light may throw farther, but if it's an LED and it really does draw just 5 watts you may be surprised to find that your Zebralight alone puts out more total light than the diving light, because that diving light doubtfully uses a more efficient emitter or driver than your own.
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Re: Zebralight H600

Postby Chads93GT » Dec 31, 2011 1:21 am

Interesting info on the watt usage of the lights. Thanks. I love all you smart light battery guys on this site lol.
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Re: Zebralight H600

Postby Chads93GT » Jan 2, 2012 11:22 pm

ran this light all day today while putting new subfloorings in the main level of my house. POor lighting so i used it. As the battery got too low to support the higher settings, the lamp would kick down to the lower level settings, then after the battery was too low for that it kicked down to the next low setting.

The spark simply shuts off, which I do not like.

Figured I would let yall know. Love how light this thing is.
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Re: Zebralight H600

Postby Caver John » Jan 3, 2012 7:14 am

Is it lighter than the spark?
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Re: Zebralight H600

Postby rlboyce » Jan 3, 2012 7:54 am

Also, how much brighter is the zebra than the spark?
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Re: Zebralight H600

Postby NSS8921 » Jan 3, 2012 12:21 pm

At Last – a H600 review! Thank you Chad!

Now do I wait for a H600 NW, or wait to see whether Spark comes out with a brighter version of the 460NW?

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Re: Zebralight H600

Postby Chads93GT » Jan 3, 2012 1:10 pm

I haven't been caving with both yet but yes the zebra is stupid bright for the size. I realize it doesn't have the burn time as a sten but that's ok. Going to tag next weekend. I'll have a better non water trip review then.
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Re: Zebralight H600

Postby Chads93GT » Jan 3, 2012 1:10 pm

I haven't been caving with both yet but yes the zebra is stupid bright for the size. I realize it doesn't have the burn time as a sten but that's ok. Going to tag next weekend. I'll have a better non water trip review then.
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Re: Zebralight H600

Postby rlboyce » Jan 3, 2012 9:50 pm

Really, really, really looking forward to your review Chad!!

Here are some runtime numbers (Stenlight figures are from one of Extremophile's posts, who got them from the manufacturer):
Spark ST6-500CW @ 320 lumens (ONE 18650) = 2.5 hours
Zebralight H600 @ 420 lumens (ONE 18650) = 2.4 hours (WOW!)
Stenlight S7 premium @ 370 lumens [a.k.a. turbo] (FOUR 18650s) = 5.1 hours

The 5.1 hours is with Sten's 5.0 AH pack. If you calculate what it would approximately be with their 2.3 AH pack, you would get 370 lumens (TWO 18650s) = 2.4 hours.

Basically, even if you want to assume that Zebralight's figures are a little higher than reality and Stenlight's figures are a little too modest (this is more than enough leeway for all you skeptics), Zebralight still does with one cell what it takes Stenlight to do with two. Yes, that's right: the H600 more or less runs just as long as a Stenlight with a 2.3 AH pack.

I will admit though that the upcoming H600w (this is the one I'll be getting, which will have a tint much more similar in quality to the S7 premium) will not be as efficient as the regular H600, but it's still going to be much more efficient and (1.74 times) brighter than the Sten.

Don't get me wrong. I still think the S7 is, and always will be, one of the best headlamps out there. If it wasn't so expensive, I would have bought one years ago.
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Re: Zebralight H600

Postby Chads93GT » Jan 3, 2012 9:54 pm

I didn't realize the stem ran off of 4 18650s. So basically my shits brighter , I just have to change batteries.
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Re: Zebralight H600

Postby rlboyce » Jan 3, 2012 10:23 pm

Precisely. A Sten user with a two cell pack will be charging no less frequently than you will with your single cell. You will be charging twice as often compared to a Sten user with a four cell pack. And yes, your shit is twice as bright. : )
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Re: Zebralight H600

Postby Chads93GT » Jan 3, 2012 11:40 pm

Well. I wish I could use it for something other than building stairs, laying subfloor, hanging joists, building walls, and other remodeling stuff...... I cant wait. It lights up the woods behind my house very well from the back porch, but taking a picture of that and posting it wouldnt do you guys much help, unless I got out my apex, fenix hp10, 20, spark and zebra and took photos of all the beams for comparisons. Ugh such work.

One thing I have noticed,,,,,,,,,working........ there is a large hot spot up CLOSE, I mean right in your face, but seriously, what light doesnt have that.
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Re: Zebralight H600

Postby Squirrel Girl » Jan 4, 2012 6:19 am

I've glanced through much of this thread, but haven't read each and every one of the posts (there are a lot of them). Did anyone discuss a potential issue with the light being off center?
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Re: Zebralight H600

Postby Chads93GT » Jan 4, 2012 10:10 am

just that its not directly in the center of your helmet, but it still points straight. with the spark on top it shoots it off to the side of the protruding lense of the spark as not to block the zebra beam. I dont mind it at all actually.
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