Review: Small Sun ZY-T08 2 x 18650 (Parallel)

Gee… where can I get one of those???

I want this light, but two things jump out at me…

1) It looks to be top-heavy, as though it will be not only bulky, but feel very uneven in the hand.

And…

2) It appears as though finding and depressing the button to activate it would be inconvenient.

Those of you who own it, please elaborate.

What's up with that pertruding piece on both sides of the tail? It's a bird, it's a plane, it's an anti rolling mechanism... What is it? Does it bother anyone. Does it get in the way. I like the rest of the flashlight and thinking about buying it but that thing bugs me.

Could not take it any more, just ordered 1 from DX. I do like that form factor.

I think this is the best budget flashlight I have ever bought.
Also I like the grip. The quality isn’t so good as HD2010, but the price is unbeatable.

I tried to tell everyone that, but some think I am just trying to promote this light I guess or simply overstating it. Personally the ones that don’t buy this light are the ones that will suffer. It won’t hurt nobody but themselves.

Ok, I took tailcap currents this morning (by removing the tailcap cover and switch). I could only test current using one cell, but I was running my new protected Keeppower Panasonic 3100mAh's measuring 4.18v after a full charge (few moments of testing the light before measurements). Measured with my modified thick test leads

Turbo - 3.85A
Hi - 2.40A
Med - 1.13A
Low - 0.53A

Yes, you're reading that right - Turbo. I'm not sure how to even access "Turbo" on purpose except that I noticed that after I removed the leads a few seconds and put them back on I'd get a reading between 3.80A to 4.00A (reading would be steady, but each time I found this "Turbo" the measurements differed slightly). Once I found "Tubro" the next mode change would drop to Medium then continue to Low, strobe, SOS, and then to High (not Turbo), Med, Low, etc. . . I don't believe I'm getting "Turbo" due to shorting to direct drive since I still can change modes. It also doesn't matter which of the two cells I place my probe on.

Is anyone else seeing this "Turbo"? It's no wonder I thought "damn this light is bright" when I first turned it on!

-Garry

So can you access turbo from the tailcap switch or is it purely done with the meter leads? I’m still waiting on mine arriving so I can’t yet repeat your test procedure, but you just made me even more excited… J)

Well I've had very limited time with it today. I would say I could access it by normal use of the switch as it's doing the same thing as the meter leads (closing the circuit). It might be hard to notice when you have "found" this turbo mode. The hotspot is so tight focused and bright that you can't really tell if it's because it's focused so well, or because it's running at 4A!

I'm surprised this hasn't generated more discussion.

-Garry

Me too i find that info very interesting!

I played with tested the light again this morning and I just can't tell if it's brighter (i.e. in "Turbo") when I first turn it on after a long pause, or when I click through the cycles to come back to "high". I did however test that the "next mode memory" goes away after 3 seconds which I like; it's not a really long delay like some lights.

Really wish some others would test tailcap currents to see if they find "Turbo" like I have! Also wonder what viffer's mod does to "Turbo".

-Garry

Do you see any pwm on high? Easiest way is wave your hands really fast in front of the beam.

I'd have to check. I'll try to remember.

-Garry

Basically, if there’s pwm on high, it’s more likely that it’s some kind of m-controller glitch where the programming isn’t run correctly, whereas if it’s not the issue is more in the power supply itself perhaps kicking itself to direct-drive and not bucking at all (you can verify this by measuring to see if output drops with voltage, whereas it was verified earlier it maintains power with the driver working).

Given it’s a glitch, not everyone may be able to reproduce, but I’d be curious if they could. A bug aka “feature” turbo mode. :party:

Ok, I had an idea to use the case fan in my computer here at work. I grabbed the light out of my car, aimed at the fan and ran through the modes quite a few times including pausing with it off for awhile (as I did with test leads to find "Turbo"). I also compared to a non-PWM light I had handy. I verified PWM in medium and low modes, but High and "Turbo" (assuming I actually found "Turbo" - can't say for certain since both are so bright) look identical and I don't notice PWM with them (fan spinning looks continuous).

-Garry

I use a similar method Gary, just I check an engine - plenty of pulleys with bolt heads to check, pwm looks like a timing strobe.

Right, that's what I see on Medium and Low. If it's there on high it would have to be very very fast!

-Garry

Ordered. Couldn’t take it anymore.

Mine finally came today, 29 days after ordering! Nice packing job, light is in very good condition, no nicks or scratches. It is much bigger than I expected, especially the reflector, so I can't wait to compare it to my HD2010. Tracking info still hadn't updated from this morning and I didn't bring any 18650 cells to work with me today, so the real checkout will have to wait until I get home this evening. Very please so far with what I see.

Edit: Very hard to distinguish from the HD2010. If anything, the hotspot on the Small Sun is tighter. It passed the streetlight test in front of my house.

If you can then check brightness vs. voltage, the mystery could be solved to some extent (ie, some kind of DD fallback/glitch/issue). It’s also odd no one else cares to replicate this (I don’t have one yet).