SmallSun ZY-C41 Cree Q3-WC 3-Mode /AA light

old4570

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SmallSun ZY-C41 Cree Q3-WC 3-Mode 130-Lumen LED Flashlight (1*AA/1*14500) $10.55 Free Shipping dx/sku.26930

Brand: SmallSun
Model: ZY-C41
Emitter Brand/Type: Cree
Emitter BIN: Q3-WC
Color BIN: White
Total Emitters: 1
Battery Configurations: 1 x AA or 1 x 14500 Ii-on battery
Voltage Input: 0.9~4.2V, 4.2V max
Switch Type: Clicky (Clickie); Glow-in-the-Dark
Switch Location: Tailcap (Tail-cap)
Modes: 3
Mode Memory: -
Mode Arrangement: Hi > Low > SOS
Circuitry: Digital Regulated 600mA Current Output
Brightness: 130 lumens maximum brightness (manufactuer rated)
Runtime: -
Lens: Plastic Lens
Reflector: Aluminum Textured/OP Reflector
Carrying Clip: -
Carrying Strap: Strap Included

Performance

Light output is in Light box .. Sorry !
Maratac AAA does a little over 4000Lux on Hi on a AAA Alkaline

Eveready General Purpose AA = Lo 0.42A / 800Lux - Hi 0.72A / 1400Lux
Super Cheap AA = Lo 0.45A / 800Lux - Hi 0.7A / 1200Lux
Varta Hi Energy AA = Lo 0.5A / 850Lux - Hi 1.3A / 3200Lux
Alkaline AA = Lo 0.5A / 850Lux - Hi 1.5A / 3500Lux
Sony Cycle Energy Rechargeable AA = Lo 0.5A / 850Lux - Hi 1.44A / 3500Lux
14500 Trustfire = Lo 0.12A / 870Lux - Hi 1A / 10,000Lux

Quality = I was impressed with everything but the loose internals , the tail clicky has something rattling away , and when you slap the light in your hand it turns off , another slap and it turns on again . Opening up the head to see what's loose is not possible due to the lack of slots to put something in , to turn and twist out the pill .

Overall a nice light , especially for $10 USD shipped , its freakin dirt cheap , it needs fixing to make it a good light , but for the money ? Anyhow , Im going to have to drill into the driver so my pliers have something to grip to remove the pill . Ive already had the tail clicky open for adjustment . If your not into fixing things , spending a few dollars more for something possibly more reliable may be the go .

I have one more AA light on order , the Akoray 106 5 mode [ not programmable ] .




I dont know why people like AA , there massive lights , both the SmallSun and the MTE dwarf my 1 x CR123A lights , and output with a single AA is really not that impressive .









Overall , nice , but a darn shame about the loose internals , if it was all OK this would be a fantastic buy , butt! :rolleyes: , unfortunatley all is not ok so I hesitate to recommend this light , if your good at fixing stuff , and dont mind doing repairs to make it ok , then for $10USD , it might be a good buy .
I have mixed feelings about this light , it could be very good , but as received it has sorely disappointed .
 
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old4570

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Ok , I was able to pull the pill out , sweet lord , did a blind monkey assemble this pill , the driver was simply sitting on top of the pill , not in the pill not attached to the pill , simply on top of the pill .

Anyways , I ended up killing the driver messing with it trying to fit it inside the pill where it belongs ...

Lucky me , I have plenty of left over drivers from driver swaps , so I found one that fit with no mods , since the pill is aluminum , I superglued it in place , then put some solder on the edges [ blobs up against the pill ] and then very lightly crushed the lip of the pill against the blobs of solder ...

I then cut some slots in the pill and very easily screwed it back in place ...
No longer a 3 mode AA to 14500 ,
Now a dedicated 14500 5 mode , Med - Lo - Hi - Strobe - SOS

Now its a good light :candle:

:wave:
 

kramer5150

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Nice little write up.... LOL @ your blind monkey comment:crackup: Should be easy to swap DC-DC boards...LOL

Yeah my DX experience has been hit / miss. Its too bad really, their products are priced for entry level, but you need a lot of prior experience and DIY skills to get them working reliably.:crazy:
 

radu1976

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May 11, 2007
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Red Deer, AB, Canada
10,000 lux /1m ?????
Sorry, but I can't believe it.
I had practically the same flashlight...ULTRAFIRE A10 which was throwing like the AKORAY K-106 or a bit less.
And AKORAY is rated at 3,000-3,500lux

10,000 lux can't be get even by FENIX T1/TK10 !!
 

old4570

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10,000 lux /1m ?????
Sorry, but I can't believe it.
I had practically the same flashlight...ULTRAFIRE A10 which was throwing like the AKORAY K-106 or a bit less.
And AKORAY is rated at 3,000-3,500lux

10,000 lux can't be get even by FENIX T1/TK10 !!

10,000Lux = Light box ... !0,000Lux for throw , is unbelievable .

I measured throw , and its 2000Lux @ 1 meter . The beam on this light is very smooth and well balanced for flood/throw . Not what one would expect with a cree .
 
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radu1976

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That sounds realistic.
My ULTRAFIRE A10 also proved to have a very smooth beam - heavier textured reflector than the AKORAY K-106 -
Have you done a runtime with 14500 cells ? I got exactly 30 min for the UF A10. And the light was getting hot after only 5 min !!

In the picture there's another light, a 1CR123 one with the same good grip like the SMALLSUN - kindda AKORAY K-109 or ULTRAFIRE A20.
Does it THROW better than the SMALLSUN ? Or pretty much the same ? Of course, when using a RCR123 .
Thank you !
 

Zeruel

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...
No longer a 3 mode AA to 14500 ,
Now a dedicated 14500 5 mode , Med - Lo - Hi - Strobe - SOS

Now its a good light :candle:

Med - Lo - Hi - Strobe - SOS < Sorry, not a good light by my books. :p
 

old4570

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That sounds realistic.
My ULTRAFIRE A10 also proved to have a very smooth beam - heavier textured reflector than the AKORAY K-106 -
Have you done a runtime with 14500 cells ? I got exactly 30 min for the UF A10. And the light was getting hot after only 5 min !!

In the picture there's another light, a 1CR123 one with the same good grip like the SMALLSUN - kindda AKORAY K-109 or ULTRAFIRE A20.
Does it THROW better than the SMALLSUN ? Or pretty much the same ? Of course, when using a RCR123 .
Thank you !

KD Cree Q3 6 mode ? , very nice , throws better than the SmallSun , not as smooth a beam , but throws well .

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/posts/2875539&postcount=272
 

old4570

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Med - Lo - Hi - Strobe - SOS < Sorry, not a good light by my books. :p

Good in the sense that it works now .. And will perform well as a house light .
Would I take it camping , or in any shape or form entrust my life to its function , hell no ! I expect it to last a long time with gentle use , and if it give's 12 months of service , then I would consider it has given me value for money , if not , then it was a lousy light , but I already said that .
 
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slipe

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I have one more AA light on order , the Akoray 106 5 mode [ not programmable ]

Where did you find a non-programmable K-106 5 mode and why would you want one? They were originally 6 mode non-programmable but DX has been shipping only the 3 mode programmable as far as I can see. The programmable feature is great IMO.
 

old4570

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Where did you find a non-programmable K-106 5 mode and why would you want one? They were originally 6 mode non-programmable but DX has been shipping only the 3 mode programmable as far as I can see. The programmable feature is great IMO.

DX sells them as Nkoray , they actually seem to be Akoray .
 

sb56637

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Jul 25, 2006
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I just received the SmallSun ZY-C41 from DX, and it is no longer a 3-mode, just one single (rather bright) mode. And the tailcap is not GITD either as advertised. Aside from that it's nice enough, but not worth $10.55 if it's a single-mode.
 
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