Swede74
Enlightened
- Joined
- Sep 30, 2011
- Messages
- 577
SMALL SUN ZY-C60
I paid the equivalent of $18 USD, which may seem a lot considering I've seen it advertised for as little as $8.99, but buying it from a local dealer cut down the shipping fee and delivery time so I'm not fretting over the seemingly bad deal.
A minor nuisance is that the lens seems to be slightly too small, or perhaps an O-ring or some other part that is supposed to hold it in place is missing; when I tap the front it rattles and it can be moved about 0.5 mm sideways inside the head. There is no noticeable play in the other direction and I'm not worried it will come off. I doubt the light is waterproof though. *
The threads are not as shallow as I've seen on many other budget lights, but they were not lubricated. I intend to lubricate them, and don't anticipate any problems with wear and tear.
The rubber boot that covers the switch is not perfectly centred, but the switch itself feels OK. Unlike the Zebralight SC51 that I have used for size and beam comparison in my photos, I don't expect the Small Sun to turn on accidentally when carried in a pocket.
The anodizing had a few very small scratches on delivery and most likely it will become worse for wear rather quickly, but in my opinion budget lights are supposed to look used, it only adds to their charm
As far as I can tell the overall build quality is what you can expect from a light in this price segment.
*Shortly after writing this review, I managed to fix the problem with the lens. It turned out the lens and reflector are held in place by the circuit board, which is "screwed into" the head. I used a paper clip (a pair of pliers would have been better) to tighten it, and now the rattle is history :thumbsup:
Specifications according to various dealers:
Emitter Brand/Type: Cree XR-E
Emitter BIN: Q3-WC
Emitter Color: White (WC)
Total Emitters: 1
Battery Configurations: 1 x 3.0V/3.6V CR123A battery
Voltage Input: 3.0V~4.2V
Switch Type: Clicky
Switch Location: Tailcap
Modes: 1
Typical Battery Runtime: About 50 minutes (manufacturer rated)
Brightness: 180 lumens max (manufacturer rated) *
Circuitry: 800mA Current Output, Digitally Regulated Driver Circuitry
Lens: Coated Glass Lens
Reflector: Aluminium Smooth/SMO Reflector
Carrying Strap: Strap Included
* Other dealers claim 150 lm, which I believe is more accurate.
Runtime test:
I used an UltraFire 16340 rechargeable, 3.6 V, 880mAh.
When using a freshly charged battery the light gets hot quickly, so for safety reasons I did not run it continuously.
This is how I conducted the test:
3 minutes on (5 minutes cooling off)
3 minutes on (5 minutes cooling off)
5 minutes on (5 minutes cooling off)
5 minutes on (5 minutes cooling off)
5 minutes on (5 minutes cooling off)
60 minutes on
About 30 minutes into the 60 minute period, output started to drop rapidly, to approx. 10 lm. At the end it had dropped further, to approx. 2 lm.
To sum it up, you get about 150 lm for 45-50 minutes, and after that at least 30 minutes of useful light.
Pictures:
(First picture shows from the left: Zebralight SC51, Small Sun ZY-C60, AA-battery)
I paid the equivalent of $18 USD, which may seem a lot considering I've seen it advertised for as little as $8.99, but buying it from a local dealer cut down the shipping fee and delivery time so I'm not fretting over the seemingly bad deal.
A minor nuisance is that the lens seems to be slightly too small, or perhaps an O-ring or some other part that is supposed to hold it in place is missing; when I tap the front it rattles and it can be moved about 0.5 mm sideways inside the head. There is no noticeable play in the other direction and I'm not worried it will come off. I doubt the light is waterproof though. *
The threads are not as shallow as I've seen on many other budget lights, but they were not lubricated. I intend to lubricate them, and don't anticipate any problems with wear and tear.
The rubber boot that covers the switch is not perfectly centred, but the switch itself feels OK. Unlike the Zebralight SC51 that I have used for size and beam comparison in my photos, I don't expect the Small Sun to turn on accidentally when carried in a pocket.
The anodizing had a few very small scratches on delivery and most likely it will become worse for wear rather quickly, but in my opinion budget lights are supposed to look used, it only adds to their charm
As far as I can tell the overall build quality is what you can expect from a light in this price segment.
*Shortly after writing this review, I managed to fix the problem with the lens. It turned out the lens and reflector are held in place by the circuit board, which is "screwed into" the head. I used a paper clip (a pair of pliers would have been better) to tighten it, and now the rattle is history :thumbsup:
Specifications according to various dealers:
Emitter Brand/Type: Cree XR-E
Emitter BIN: Q3-WC
Emitter Color: White (WC)
Total Emitters: 1
Battery Configurations: 1 x 3.0V/3.6V CR123A battery
Voltage Input: 3.0V~4.2V
Switch Type: Clicky
Switch Location: Tailcap
Modes: 1
Typical Battery Runtime: About 50 minutes (manufacturer rated)
Brightness: 180 lumens max (manufacturer rated) *
Circuitry: 800mA Current Output, Digitally Regulated Driver Circuitry
Lens: Coated Glass Lens
Reflector: Aluminium Smooth/SMO Reflector
Carrying Strap: Strap Included
* Other dealers claim 150 lm, which I believe is more accurate.
Runtime test:
I used an UltraFire 16340 rechargeable, 3.6 V, 880mAh.
When using a freshly charged battery the light gets hot quickly, so for safety reasons I did not run it continuously.
This is how I conducted the test:
3 minutes on (5 minutes cooling off)
3 minutes on (5 minutes cooling off)
5 minutes on (5 minutes cooling off)
5 minutes on (5 minutes cooling off)
5 minutes on (5 minutes cooling off)
60 minutes on
About 30 minutes into the 60 minute period, output started to drop rapidly, to approx. 10 lm. At the end it had dropped further, to approx. 2 lm.
To sum it up, you get about 150 lm for 45-50 minutes, and after that at least 30 minutes of useful light.
Pictures:
(First picture shows from the left: Zebralight SC51, Small Sun ZY-C60, AA-battery)
Last edited:
