Added a $2.83 DX diffuser to my Small Sun ZY-T11 used for night time bike riding. It was added in front of the flat glass with the negative being the head doesn’t screw on fully (out by 0.05mm - not much). Am considering removing the flat glass lens and placing a fatter o-ring between the diffuser and the reflector to to let the head screw on fully. See gallery images below of the result.
The diffuser serves two purposes:
1. spreads the light horizontally where it’s needed and narrows it vertically where it’s not. Works great.
2. gives a side protruding dome so can be seen at right angles. This is rather important as gives a lot more visibility to drivers on the side. Concern being I’d be T-bone from the side due to the default lens configuration having little visibility at such angles.
OK, received a Aleto Small Sun ZY-T11 clone today. It came in a unlabelled white box so have I can only refer to it as the Aleto below. A 4.2V+–0.5V 3.5mm charger @ 500mA was supplied with it. A few observations comparing it to my DX Small Sun ZY-T11:
BUILD
Aleto is better built: has lubed o-rings, no glass defect, a aluminium reflector and a lens that’s properly mounted to the front cap. The tailcap battery spring also look s bit sturdier though real makes no difference.
Winner: Aleto
COSMETICS
They are nearly the same. Only difference is the branding label and the front/tail cap line engravings are slightly closer spaced on the Aleto. NOTE: the lenscaps are not interchangable due to differing thread pitch. However, the tailcaps can be interchanged.
Winner: draw
DRIVER CIRCUIT
The driver circuits are different. The UI is the same (high-med-low-strobe-SOS) and both have instant off via a half tailcap turn. ZY-T11 driver board has no labels on it whereas the Aleto has “Cree XML” stamped on it. Both giving approx equal brightness in all modes.
The important differences being the ZY-T11 has a slightly more distinct cool white emitter. The Aleto too is a cool white but it has a tinge more green it it making it slightly less distinct. In addition the Aleto has a slightly slower strobe/SOS mode though neither’s strobe would pass as being epileptic friendly. For my cycling I can only safely use the SOS flashing mode where the faster ZY-T11 is safer.
Winner: ZY-T11
CONCLUSION
For cycling purposes where visibility is of highest importance, I’d recommend the Small Sun ZY-T11 over the Aleto clone due to the faster SOS mode and the slightly “cooler” white emitter.
As for the Ultrafire version, I can see in an advertising image here that it too has the Cree stamping on the driver board. That along with it having the same tailcap spring and closer spaced engraving lines on the head/tailcap suggests to me it’s may simply the same Aleto internals with a different branding (Ultrafire instead of Aleto).
I had a small sun T11 and if I remember correctly it has visible PWM on all modes, including high (just to verify). I gave it away. Looks like adding that driver goes a long way to making it nicer.
- has “Cree XML” stamped on the LED board like my (now offloaded) Aleto clone. My DX one has no stampings.
- has a cool white LED that’s a fraction warmer, like my Aleto clone
includes a 4.2V@500ma DC charger + universal socket adapter
I find the following to be the same:
- unfortunately still has a plastic rather than aluminium reflector
- same SOS mode flash intervals that are faster (safer) than the Aleto clone
same body/chassis
and still the following negatives compared to the Aleto clone:
- has a plastic rather than aluminium reflector
the lens is not glued down. Undoing the top lens cap sees it tumble from the assembly.
So the only incentive to still get the genuine Small Sun ZY-T11 if using for cycling is for the faster and safer SOS flashing mode. Though if intend to mod in a DrJones driver to get programmable flashing then that’s not relevant. Then it makes more sense to get the better built Aleto clone since it has an aluminium reflector that is a few dollars cheaper too.
This one has xml2 and alu reflector. 2.8A or so.
A bit expensive now for 13$, I got it in the last promotion for 8.17$.
I am also a bit confused because I thought there was written something from magnetic tail in the description, that’s why I ordered??? Anyway now I have two lights of the same type.
