Luminous DIY - Frequently Asked Questions

For domestic US orders we ship both UPS & USPS. We believe in fair & reasonable shipping rates and therefore use a low flat rate charge for all contiguous (lower 48 states) orders. Additional value added shipping options such as 2nd day air are also available upon request. Please contact us directly for questions about additional options.

For international shipping we ship USPS. During checkout you will see a drop down menu for two different shipping options (after you click the "checkout" button).

Economy = Uninsured USPS 1st Class (Usually 1-2 weeks)
Priority = USPS Priority (6-10 days) and ships FULLY insured against loss or damage

We highly suggest using the insured priority option, as we are not responsible for an item once it is handed over to the USPS.

Note: For USPS to provide full insurance coverage, the entire purchase price of the shipped item must be declared on our export/import customs paperwork. This may or may not create local duties and/or taxation upon import into your country. It is possible that import tax will be due to your local government prior to delivery, and we are not responsible for paying any foreign taxes or importation tariffs.

What are Lumens?

A lumen is a scientific unit used in light measurement. It assigns a number value and scale to the intensity of light. In scientific terms this visual intensity is know as Luminous Flux. So one could say lumens are like counting apples that we see on a table, but instead of apples we are talking about little glowing spheres of light.

Lumen ratings are very useful because they directly tell us how bright a light source will be to our human eyes. For this reason it lets us easily compare two different bike lights. For example: A bike light that is 800 lumens will be twice as bright as a 400 lumen light. Lumens are much more meaningful than Watts; another commonly used term for electrical power that is often used instead of lumens. Watts are not reliable for making brightness comparisons. More about Watts >>

What's the difference between Trail and Maximum Lumens?

Ah yes, the perpetual marketing debate. Do we tell customers what really matters to them, or do we use the biggest number possible in an attempt to sell the most lights?

If a light manufacturer does not specifically tell you that they are talking in either "measured," "trail," "true," or "actual" lumens, they are probably are not telling you the whole story. The whole story being that their light may have a bulb or LED that makes the number of lumens written on their spec sheet, but their light doesn't and/or can't produce the claimed power when you're out riding. Furthermore, sometimes the true number is not even close! Why? Because LED lights loose brightness with heat, so without proper cooling the longer you ride the dimmer your light will be. As you can see with our large cooling fins and cool running aluminum parts, we have engineered our products for the most effective cooling on the market and incredible illumination that lasts.

We strive to tell you the "true" lumens you get with our light. For comparison reasons, we also list the "maximum" lumen rating of the LED itself under optimal operation conditions. This way you get the whole picture and can compare us to other manufactures no matter what their marketing team has decided to print on a box.

What is a Beam Pattern?

A beam pattern describes how light is focused across the path directly in front of you. Often used terms are wide, medium, and spot beams. These terms relate to the amount of long and short distance illumination and can help you get a general idea of how a light may illuminate the road ahead. However, be aware that there is no industry standard and two beams in the same category are rarely identical. Below are examples of what each beam type can typically look like.

Spot

Medium

Wide

A wide beam provides a lot of peripheral vision but not much long distance vision. With the advent of high power lighting wide beams have all but disappeared. With such a light using a medium beam instead will not only provide ample side lighting but will also illuminate much further ahead. A spot on the other hand provides long distance vision but often not much peripheral visibility. Spot beams are usually most useful when riding fast winding trails, and work well as a helmet mounted light. For this reason we suggest using a spot as part of a dual-beam setup.

What are the differences between helmet and bar mounted lights?

A bar mounted light mounts on the handlebar and a helmet mounted light rides up on your helmet.

For a modest riding pace a powerful bar mounted light is often good enough. A well designed bar mount will provide 50-100 feet of clear well balanced illumination and will often suffice until the trail becomes steep and windy or your riding speed increases significantly.

While a bar mounted light illuminates the path directly in front of you, a helmet light allows to you to put additional light where your eyes may need it. Often this is further beyond the throw of your bar mounted light to anticipate changes in the trail, or around a corner as you turn and your bar light points off the trail. Because of the tendency for helmet lights to have long distance spot beams they are most often used in conjunction with a bar mounted light rather than alone.

So a bar-mounted, a helmet-mounted, or a dual setup, which is better? Your final answer depends on you. A double light setup will always be a safer, faster, and generally more enjoyable. If you want to get the most out of night riding and plan to ride fast and hard a dual beam is for you. But if you want to ride mostly open cross country type trails at a moderate pace, opting for a good high power bar mount will always be great fun.

Still not sure which is best? Do this: During your next day ride, take a moment and imagine you are riding at night. Notice where you eyes look, how they scan the terrain in anticipation, and how far down the trail you need to see to react safely. Take that in, and then realize that without a helmet light you won't have any of that extra vision during a night ride. Maybe it's ok for you, maybe it isn't?

Which bar mount size do I need?

The bar mount refers to the portion of the handlebar that the light needs to clamp around. For mountain bikes there are two mainstream bar diameters. Either the "standard" 25.4 mm (1 inch) bar that is very common on older bikes, or the "oversized" 31.8 mm (1.25 inch) which has become the convention for new bikes. If you have bought your bike within the last year there is a very good chance you have an oversized bar.

In either case it is safest to measure just to make sure. The difference in size is so large that it is often enough to simply hold a ruler against the bar and visually estimate the diameter. If your bar is larger than 1 inch, you will need to use our "oversized" bar mount.

Measured & Theoretical Run Times, what's the difference?

If you are shopping around and a manufacture is not telling you the "true" run time, your time between battery charges will probably be quite a bit shorter than expected.

Theoretical burn times will always be longer than measured run times. It's for that reason that they will be more likely to end up in print. The "why" has to due with manufacturer battery ratings and electronic inefficiencies. But tech-jargon aside, the gap between the two figures should be your main concern as this gap can be quite big!

An example: For our own light we can calculate theoretical run times using manufacturer battery data (2500mAh/14.8 Volts) at a specific LED power level. Our "theoretical" run time calculates out to 3 Hours - 15 minutes. Running at the same power level the actual "measured" time yields 2 Hours - 20 minutes. That's a difference of almost 1 full hour! Thus, when comparing the burn-time of different lights make sure you're comparing the same type of number.

What are Li-Ion, Ni-Mh, Ni-Cd batteries, and why should I care?

Lithium Ion, Nickel Metal Hydride, and Nickel Cadmium, respectively, refer to the chemicals composing the battery cell. But what really matters is not these chemical names, but the energy density and cost of each of these combinations.

Li-Ion is the most energy dense of the bunch. For the same size and weight battery pack of each, a Li-Ion will last twice as long as a Ni-Mh, and about four times a long as Ni-Cd. But Li-Ion cost much more to produce, so it's there that the scales often turn.

So, if weight and runtime are the most important factors for you, Li-Ion batteries are the way to go. If cost is the primary factor, a heavier Ni-Mh may be a better option. And sorry Mr. Ni-Cd …you'll have to stick to power tools from here on out.

What are Protected and Unprotected Li-Ion cells?

Both Ni-Mh and Li-Ion cells will be permanently damaged if the voltage is allowed to drain too low, or is charged up too high. Damaged batteries can heat up and catch fire when charged; LiIon being the more severe of these two. Protected batteries include a very tiny electrical circuit on the end of the battery that limits the highest and lowest voltage the cell can reach during use; thereby adding a safety feature. In many cases it will also limit the peak current allowed if the battery ever shorts out.

So to say cell protection is a good thing would be an understatement! Li-Ion battery packs should always incorporate some form of circuit protection.

What is current and voltage additive?

These terms refer to the electrical arrangement of several cells when forming a battery pack. Cells that are stacked end to end in series (+ to ) create a voltage addition effect. Meaning that, the total voltage of the joined pack is equal to the number of cells multiplied by the voltage of each cell. (Example: 3.7 Volts x 4 Cells = 14.8 V)

On the inverse, if each cell is stacked side by side in parallel (+ to +) a current addition effect is created. In this case the overall voltage of the battery pack will be the same value as one cell, but now the battery pack will be able to supply a higher current which is a multiple of the number of stacked cells. (Example: 2500 mAh x 4 Cells = 10000 mAh)

Different types of lights use different voltages; this is why battery packs are often connected in various combinations. When comparing battery packs you must remember that both the mAh rating and voltage of the pack is important. In our two examples one may falsely concluded that the 10000 mAh pack is superior, when in fact both packs have the exact same Watt / Hour power rating. Each setup will run for the same amount of time.

What is flux, solder, and a soldering iron?

A soldering iron is a tool that is frequently used when working with electronics. It has a metal tip that heats up to a very hot temperature allowing a wire, called solder, to melt on the tip. By using this hot solder it is possible to physically bond two pieces of metal. For example, two separate pieces of copper electrical wire can be joined into one with the use of solder and a solder iron. This process is called soldering.

Flux is a liquid that is used when soldering. It contains chemicals that prepare the surface of metal for soldering by making the surfaces more easily bond with the molten solder. It is usually applied to each metal surface before soldering.

What are user replaceable cells?

Like the name suggests, they are individual battery cells that can be purchased and replaced by the user as they wear out. All other production lights use custom made battery packs that are not user-serviceable and often unique to a particular model andmanufacturer. When they break or wear out it's time to ring up the manufacturer and shell out a seriously high price for their replacement pack; and that's if they even still make your model anymore!

When you buy our light you are free from this backdoor cost service contract. Our lights use commonly available mass produced Li-Ion battery cells and chargers. After charging each cell you simply install each one into our custom cell holder. While it may seem less convenient than a battery pack, it's no more difficult than putting batteries into your TV remote control. If you ever need new cells, give us a call or find some on your own. It's now your choice to make.

How do LED upgrades work?

LED technology has come a long way in the last couple years. Market competition has fueled an advance of LED technology much like the computer microprocessor race between Silicon Valley giants. Only now are we starting to fully appreciate the possible future potential. LEDs will continue to get brighter and more efficient, so why get left behind with a competitor's turn-key light? When you DIY you are unlocking the potential for now and the future. As technology advances you can expect to get brighter longer future run times for a fraction of the original kit price.

We are teamed with the worlds leading LED innovator and manufacturer, CREE International. They design and manufacture the brightest and highest performance LED's know to man. It costs us more to use the best components in our lights, but we know you will SEE the difference.

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