Batteries for a ZebraLight H51

Ok…what the heck…I ordered the MH-C9000 charger…and now…between the light, the batteries and the charger…it is time to stop… :)

It will give me something to play with and to figure out for a while though…

So…this "Break In" though…if it is for new batteries…should I do this with the eneloops when I first get them?

It IS deep. And you get to teach US about it once you have your equipment in hand .

I just recently bought a Fenix. When I was looking at the website, it seemed different from the one I was looking at a few months ago. And this thread helped me realize why….I originally wanted a ZebraLight, not a Fenix. Doh!

"It IS deep. And you get to teach US about it once you have your equipment in hand."

I agree…it is deep…I am reading the reviews on Amazon right now…but as far as me teaching everyone else…I will let those more qualified do the teaching…but, that doesn't mean that everyone can't learn from my mistakes… :)

Paul…which Fenix light did you get? I was looking at the LD01 last night. Whilst I was looking for reviews I came across an older thread here on BPL. The thread took a quick turn to the ZebraLights…and it was quite lengthy…between all the ZebraLight H51 talk and my lack of sleep I hit the submit button…I am happy about it today though after I woke up and realized I really ordered it… :)

But I tell ya, it's all this battery and battery charger stuff that has seemed to add up…not to mention seems to be quite confusing…

I bought the LD01. Love the little pen clip so I can just clip it to my visor instead of using a strap.

And after reading this thread, I'm kind of happy I did get the Fenix. I have no problem carrying a 4 pack of lithium Energizers.

Bob Gross, as the manual explained it, I'll probably get this slightly wrong, the heat you feel while the battery is charging comes from somewhere, in this case, it's extra electricity. Sort of the same idea as the wasted heat from an incandescent or other lightbulb. So you'll get charges from zero of maybe 30% greater than the capacity. That's why they use the discharge output to determine capacity, not the amount of electricity poured in to bring it to full charge. Make sense? The manual explains it better, but that's the idea, the heat is extra electricity in the charging process, that's why they can't just measure the flow into it and use that to declare the capacity. In other words: amount in = heat output + energy stored.

I did read the 1000 unit was a bit better, but the batteries being closer to each other, and the heat that can cause, and many other things, plus the simple empirical fact of warranty length made this a total no go for me, again, if a company cannot give a real warranty beyond one year, and another can and does, that's all I need to see. Then if the shorter warranty actually costs the same or more, it is truly a no brainer, was refreshing to realize that there is currently actually one choice to pick from in this market, easier that way. Now, if they fix the warranty and stand by a reasonably expenseive item like maha does, and if reviews show past unreliable issues are fixed, then it's a decent option. But i do not reward companies that sold series of products that were known weak or failure prone, that's a reason to avoid them, not reward them.

I did the research with an open mind, and maha was the only unit that passed that research on all levels. And believe me, I wanted to save that 15 or so, but I realized it wasn't worth it. And the 1000 costs MORE, so there is no actual argument for it at this point, unless they drop the price to 35 or so, but then the quality would have to be dropped, making it a poor choice again. Electronics are something I understand having worked with the stuff, and I know why companies do not offer longer warranties when their competitors do, it's not related to you liking it, it's because they cannot do it and make money, and that's because the stuff fails at a significant statistical rate. For some reason, some people have trouble grasping that these types of statistical failures do not meant that their unit is going to fail, just that x percent of those sold are going to fail. It's that latter number I find of interest, and it's that latter number that defines decisions such as warranty lengths. Same reason now no hard disks for consumers carry the 5 year warranty, they can't do it, the new stuff doesn't last long enough.

Paul…I hear ya…after going back and rereading through the thread already it seems a bit involved…but I think that I will be happy with the Zebralight…and regardless of how all this battery charger stuff goes…I can still load up some of the lithiums and take off too… :)

Chad Poindexter, there was no real need to do any other thinking or paralysis through analysis.

The first candlepower forums thread I read googling pointed out why to get the maha, and there is no real equivalent. That was largely agreed on in that thread. The lacrosse is more a gamble, the fun coming in learning if the year warranty was serious or if you will have good luck, I don't like that type of gamble so I made it simple and got what the experts there said to get. Electronics aren't like shelters, the stuff generally works or fails, depending on the quality control levels of the components they use, that's something that costs money too.

Either way you get a charger that tells you what you need to know, and that has nothing to do with the h51, it's just a good thing to have if you use rechargables in general, I consider it a good long term investment that has no connection to my h51 headlamp per se.

The batteries too really do not require such thinking, all your decently new rechargeables will work just fine. You can get the longer lasting ones, or lithium, but that is just something you can also get, you can use an AA for anything so it's not like you are locked in.

If you have 2500 ma everready or duracells and they test good, there you go, you're set. I just got the powerex ones to see if they really would hold 2700mm, I really use my batteries, so to me it's worth getting new ones now and then, still have my oldest ones, rayovac stuff, dont' work on the new chargers though, but still hold charges if you use a dumb charger, there's some logic in the m they don't have or something.

Likewise I found the advice I was given here to be spot on, so to speak, the zebralights are exactly what I wanted, tough, durable, not plastic junk.

By the way, I should add, one thing I really learned as I tested all my batteries, I had a lot, was that any headlamp that uses 3 batteries is a VERY bad idea, because the battery life from what I gather falls to meet the capacity of the lowest in the sequence. And AAs in my tests so far came out much worse than AAs in the first place, so I'm very glad I resisted all those 3 aaa battery headlamps. With one AA, you use it til it's drained, pop in the next one, and get the very max battery life from the weight you carried, each and ever time.

Harold, it has been a bit overwhelming for me…but it is getting better. And I know that once all of this is in my hands and I use it a few times it won't be so bad.

Like I said, I ordered the H51 last night after I was looking for info on the Fenix light. So, it took a quick turn, but I felt like after so many users here had great things to say about the light it was probably a good investment.

I realize that the batteries and the chargers are not directly related to the light itself, which is why I stated in an above post that I can still load up some lithium's and take off…

But, it seems like the Eneloops are somewhat involved with these lights…of course not directly, but all of the literature concerning these ZebraLights are based on using the Eneloop batteries. So, this peaked my interest…and it also raised some concern.

All at once I got confused about which batteries would be better…which ones would last longer or allow a brighter light for longer times…and then all the lingo with the different batteries…all the different lithium batteries, not to mention the rechargeables…and then the chargers…well, it was quite a bit of info for me to try and digest all at once (hence all the questions here on the forums).

I really appreciate all the help and information that everyone has presented. Between this site and the reviews on numerous sites I think I have a grasp on some of it…but I am a bit of a visual person too, so like I said, once I get my hands on it it won't be so bad…

As far as using the batteries with the light…I will see how it goes. But even if I decide to stick with the lithiums in the light, I will still use the batteries and the charger…I have a number of rechargeables here that I am now interested to see if they are dead or just needs to be revived…so either way, I am glad I got it all…

Thanks again.

Zebralight responded to my email late last night. They say that the L91 is the best disposable and the Eneloops are the best rechargeables.

So, I have that covered!

Hi Chad. I bought my tent(SMD Trekker) based partially on your review, and it has worked out well for me. I also recently ordered a ZebraLight H51, based on the recommendation of Mark Verber, a reviewer I trust. According to the USPS tracking service, it should arrive today. I already have AA (and AAA) Eneloop batteries, and have been using them for several years in applications including cameras, radios, and headlamps. I prefer them over regular rechargeable batteries. I have a reoccurring night hike every other Wednesday with my hiking group which includes hiking from the base and crossing over the highest bridge in California, (Foresthill Bridge 730 feet) so I need a good headlamp. The trail is very steep.

Just received my ZebraLight H51. Haven't had a chance to try it at night yet.

There was a notice in the package, and I quote, "The maximum output of this ZebraLight single AA light approaches (or exceeds) that of most lights using two AA batteries. In its maximum output level H1, this light draws a very high current from just one battery. For this reason, we highly recommend using Sanyo Eneloop or Energizer Lithium batteries to realize full potential of this light."

My overall first impression is favorable. It goes dim enough to read in a tent without going snow-blind from the reflection off white paper, which was a major concern of mine. With the 90 degree angle head, it might work clipped to a sternum strap or a pocket, but I won't be able to tell until I get it into the field at night.

With new alkaline batteries in both, the H51 at its brightest is brighter that my Coleman Max two AA Led flashlight that I use at work and it is about 1/3 the size. The pocket clip will have to come off to put it in the headband. It is made in China like everything else now.

Good stuff here. My random thoughts:
1) “L91 lithium energizer is the best one.”

+1. It should say something like “8x longer than alkaline” on the package. Some of my best deals of that battery are at Sam’s Club: 12 for $20. I’ve tried some $1 generic lithium’s and they don’t last long at all.

2) “But, in one of the YouTube videos I watched, the guy said that these ZebraLights are optimized for alkaline batteries…”

That’s weird. Alkalines have a higher internal resistance. I get about 45 minutes of alkaline life in my Zebra H501 and 2.5 hours with a Lithium.

3) “Unless anyone would say that the eneloops are better?”

They’re only good if you’re not going to charge it for 6 weeks because they hold t he charge a while. However they’re only like 2000mAHr so they won’t have a long burn time (compared to others).

Since I use my Fenix almost every day backpacking and biking I use rechargeables. But I use 2500mAHr rechargeables. I get a longer life cycle out of them rather than using Eneloops. In fact, I get about 2.9 hours on one charge and 3.3 hours on a lithium (and 45 minutes w/ an alkaline). So you can see how a rechargeable will pay for itself fast.

However, I like the Lithium’s for backpacking (because of light weight and long burn time) and if I’m not using a flashlight for a while, I’ll keep lithium’s in those.

4) If you use rechargeables, get a decent charger. Don’t get a ‘timed’ charger. Get one that can measure the dv/dt curve of a SINGLE battery. I have one that can charge 1, 2, 3, or 4 at a time. When it’s ‘done’ charging the battery can be left in the charger and kept ‘fresh’ forever. Don’t worry about totally discharging NiMH batteries. You can get MUCHO longer life eliminating that 1970’s technique.

That ‘GP Smart’ charger hhope found looks like a great deal! $16!

5) “ …always use the tailcap lock-out feature on that Zebralight when you put it in your pack or pocket. Just unscrew the tailcap far enough until the light won't turn on…”

+1. Works great!

May everyone see the light,

-Barry
Mountains were made for Teva’s

Figured I'd toss in a response to the Eneloop questions here. First thing, anybody who is serious about using NIMH batteries in the back country needs to up and invest in a C9000 charger/analyzer. It's worth the investment and it can be driven off of 12v (car) for remote use.

On the Eneloop type (Precharged, "LSD" or "Low Self Discharge" are commonly used terms) vs "higher capacity" NIMH question, I had many of the same assumptions about capacity. I looked at the 2600mah batteries and was disappointed on the Eneloop's small 2100mah rating. Until I got a C9000 and realized how quickly the normal NIMH batteries degenerate after a few charge/discharge cycles. After 30 or so cycles, all of my 2600mah batteries showed less than 2000mah in capacity, even the expensive ones. My Eneloops, are still showing around 2000mah, so now they've caught up on capacity and are substantially lighter. Add in high self-discharge of NIMH, which can vary wildly in the same batch, and you can see why LSD batteries are chosen so often.

I have noticed that LSD NIMH are way easier to charge via solar as well. I still have no idea why, but my normal NIMH batteries didn't take low-current (read: solar) charge well at all.