FAQs - Lumishore's Most Frequently Asked Questions about LED Underwater Lighting

If the question you need an answer to is not here please do not hesitate to Contact Us :

These are all questions that we are frequently asked about our products. We pride ourselves on factual responses with no phantom claims or mystical capabilities. You will be delighted to know that what you see is what you get.

YOUR QUESTIONS
Q1 - Who are Lumishore, what is your background?
Q2 - Why LED, is it better than traditional HID and xenon lighting?
Q3 - Are Lumishore lights safe?
Q4 - Why should I choose Lumishore products?
Q5 - Where can I buy Lumishore Products?
Q6 - Why do you not have multiple lenses like competitors?
Q7 - How do I know whose lights are the best value for money?
Q8 - What do your models numbers mean?
Q9 - What are the benefits of Lumishore’s lights over the competition? How bright are your lights?
Q10 - What are the benefits of Lumishore Color-Change lighting?
Q11 - Why don't your competitors produce Color-Change lighting?
Q12 - How long do Lumishore lights last?
Q13 - Is it correct that your Drivelites can actually be attached with no holes in the hull?
Q14 - Why are the Lumishore arrays so small, what benefits are there?
Q15 - What are lumens and lux, what does it mean for underwater lighting?
Q16 - Are Lumishore lights as good as HID and Xenon?
Q17 - What is an LED?
Q18 - Why do Lumishore use borosilicate lenses?
Q19 - How does an LED work?
Q20 - Why don't Lumishore use polycarbonate for its lenses?
Q21 - Can I run with my lights on?
Q22 - Why don’t Lumishore do 180-degree lenses?
Q23 - How do I clean my Lumishore lights?
Q24 - What is the light beam length?
Q25 - What’s the cost advantage?
Q26 - Does switching on and off Lumishore lights shorten the LED life?
Q27 - Is the Lumishore LED a proven technology?
Q28 - How do Lumishore lights compare overall with traditional underwater lighting?
Q29 - What gauge of wiring should be used for my Thru-Hull lighting?
Q30 - How do Lumishore lights compare in lumens with competitor models?
Q31 - What happens if the lights over heat? How hot do the Lights get?
Q32 - How do I change a failed LED / bulb?
Q33 - What features do you have that makes your lights more reliable?
Q34 - Can I extend the cabling between the light and the electronic driver?
Q35 - Does the installation kit include a fuse?
Q36 - How easy is the installation of Lumishore Drivelites?
Q37 - What is the recommended installation depth?
Q38 - Are Lumishore lights approved?
Q39 - How far apart should Lumishore lights be positioned ?
Q40 - How do you ensure that all lights are protected from water ingress? Are they waterproof?
Q41 - Do Lumishore lights get hot?
Q42 - Is there a wait for the lights to get up to maximum performance?
Q43 - What is the hole cut out size for the Lumishore Thru-Hull models?
Q44 - Should the lights be anti-fouled?
Q45 - Where can I purchase the lights?
Q46 - How many lights should I get?
Q47 - What color should I buy?
Q48 - I have a metal hull – can I use Lumishore lights?
Q49 - What voltage do the Lumishore lights use?
Q50 - Can I operate my lights using AC power?
Q51 - What is the power consumption?
Q52 - What is the warranty period?
   
OUR ANSWERS
Q1 - Who are Lumishore, what is your background?                                Return to list of questions
Lumishore is a UK Limited Company whose Registered Office is in Wales. The company is founded on advanced LED technology capabilities with our CTO having spent his entire working life working for one of the World's leading developers in this field. In 2007 we saw an opportunity to combine our knowledge with our passion for water and boats in particular. We knew at that time that LED technology was soon going  to match and exceed traditional lighting in terms of output and we knew how to apply that in the marine environment. The rest, as they say, is history!

Q2 - Why LED, is it better than traditional HID and Xenon lighting?           Return to list of questions
Solid-state (LED) technology has revolutionised the underwater lighting experience.
However, despite the ‘hype’  - it’s only in the last 12-18 months that LED output levels have caught and surpassed the best traditional lighting technologies in terms of output  - traditionally measured in lumens–per-watt. Three to Four years ago a typical commercially available LED had an output of around 30-40 lumens-per-watt, today that figure has  trebled.  The LED has been around since the early 1960’s, but only in recent years has the billion-dollar LED industry advanced to the point where the technology is now far more efficient than traditional lighting systems. A LED can now produce usable light that beats halogen hands down and competes with, and surpasses,  the more powerful xenon technologies.
More lumens per watt means more light for your money and less drain on your batteries!

The LED ADVANTAGE does not, however, end there and it is the inherent benefits of the technology that make it so desirable for underwater lighting applications: -

• A 20x longer lifetime means no bulb changes so they should be maintenance free and this reduces the total cost of ownership and removes the need to carry spare bulbs. Long life means no bulb changes  some replacement  xenon bulbs retail for over £250. If the lifetime of an xenon is 3000 hours then if operated for only 6 hours a night the bulb will need to be replaced every 1.5 years. Depending on the number of lights installed, this can become very expensive. For a boat with 4 lights operating over ten years the cost of bulb changes alone would be in excess of £6,600/$11,000.
• More usable light - as an LED is uni-directional thereby removing the need for inefficient reflectors
• LED units can be permanently sealed making the units safer
• Solid State means no filaments, so units do not suffer from shock and vibration enabling them to be used whilst the boat is underway
• More Energy Efficient thereby saving critical on-board battery life
• No start-up currents compared to Xenon technologies – reducing current draw and increasing the number of lights that can be installed
• Negligible degradation of light output over life (this is why matching traditional bulbs on older technologies is almost impossible)
• Multi wavelength/color capabilities as opposed to the ‘white-only’ of traditional technologies
• The ability to ‘strobe’ lending itself to fish attraction applications

Q3 - Are Lumishore lights safe?                                                         Return to list of questions 
Yes, Lumishore lights are extremely safe when properly installed. We have made safety a high priority in designing our lighting systems. All lights have a number of safety features e.g. Thermal cut-offs to prevent over-heating , our quad-seal water ingress protection system and rigorous vibration testing standards.

Q4 - Why should I choose Lumishore products?                                  Return to list of questions
We believe there are a number of reasons that you should choose Lumishore as suppliers of your underwater lighting systems.
- We believe our lights use available light better than any competitor products
- All our lights are high output - you will not be disappointed by lights which are just not bright enough
- Value for Money - do work out the cost per watt, or better still the cost per lumen. Our lights are amazing value
- All our lights are made using LED die supplied by Phillips  - the leading global manufacturer of LED dies. This ensures  quality, life  and consistency of product.
- Our lights represent the best value for money on the market we believe
- Lumishore Color-Change lighting system are the ONLY color-change systems available today. They also incorporate strobe, 'Color-Palette' and DMX capabilities
- The Lumishore single lens system allows better light  transmission and better spread than competitor products
- Our manufacturing standards are second to none and our manufacturing facilities are ISO 9001 approved by Lloyds registry.
- Our market-leading technical expertise. LED light creation - and electrical, thermal and data management in the marine environment is our area of expertise.

Q5 - Where can I buy Lumishore Products?                                      Return to list of questions
Lumishore products are available from dealers, manufacturers, electricians and ship repair yards worldwide.  If your favourite  specialist does not stock them or you do not have a local dealer then please Contact Us and we will ensure that they or you can be supplied with what you need.

Q6 - Why do you not have multiple lenses like competitors?                Return to list of questions
We don't need multiple lenses. Multiple lenses  mean transmission losses to the light beam resulting in a decrease of optical power that can penetrate the water. This is a waste of available light resource, and results in wasted light. The HICOB array enables us to focus the light once - in a structured way. This generates a wide beam that has very high optical power and even light distribution. This results in the superior Lumishore lighting effect.

Q7 - How do I know whose lights are the best?                                                                         Return to list of questions
You can not know for sure without some research. There are many claims in the marketplace ( some false)  which confuse the issue. All we can do is help you in arriving at that decision. Firstly you will have to decide whether the lights on offer are fit for purpose. That means powerful lights. There is no point having lights which produce little or no light. Here are some questions you should ask yourself.
- What kind of lighting system do I want? - We would suggest that LED is the best answer on  practical and cost of ownership grounds
- Are the  manufacturers specialists in LED technology or just assemblers, assembling parts that are not proven as lighting systems ?
- Are the units manufactured from the best available materials?
- What output do I need ? -- remember light does not travel well through water ... higher outputs will not disappoint.
- How bright are the lights really? - you will need to consider both wattage ( Watts = Volts x Amps) and the Lumens per watt (ask the manufacturer)
- How can I work out value ?  -- A coarse method of price  comparison is Price / Watts,  but do not forget other issues .. they need to work properly underwater and be built to last.

Q8 - What do your models numbers mean?
Our model numbers are very simple. The numbers refer to the input wattage of the units. Consequently the x-36 models are 36-watt and the x-120 models are 120-watt. Many LED competitors do not publish either their  wattage or lumens/watt as they (very roughly) correspond to the outputs of their lights. It is easy to do a comparison though as they usually  publish the current draw (Amps) and using the simple Watts = Volts x Amps you can quickly do your own ( admittedly rough)  comparison.

Q9 - What are the benefits of Lumishore’s lights over the competition? How bright are your lights?Return to list of questions
We honestly believe our lights are the best value on the marketplace. Some of the benefits from Lumishore underwater lighting systems are :-
- Unique Color-Change and color-cycling capability
- Market leading Price/Lumens or Watts giving great value for money
- Brighter and even lighting effects through efficient design
- 'No-Holes' technology for our Drivelite series
- More compact designs than competitors allowing greater flexibility of light positioning and installation
- Super-efficient in-house designed  LED arrays and thermal, electrical and data management
We only use the most powerful LED dies available on the market. We only use dies from Phillips. Phillips are one of the  world's leading manufacturer of LED dies and we continuously review the latest and most advanced technologies available to ensure that your lighting system is the best available in the marketplace.

Q10 - What are the benefits of Lumishore Color-Change lighting?                                               Return to list of questions
When you have made the decision to purchase and  install underwater lights the next decision is always what colour should you go for? Different colors transmit light better in differing water conditions, Once you have made your decision you are stuck with it unless you change your lights. When you buy our color-change lights you do not have to chose any one color and you get the added advantages of your own color palette, fish attraction and color cycle modes. With an infinitesimal choice of color options you are not restricted to just one color for ever but can match your underwater lighting experience to the prevailing water conditions or simply your mood.

Q11 - Why don't your competitors produce Color-Change lighting?                                              Return to list of questions
We don't honestly know! That is a question you will have to ask them as it is only right that we only talk about our own product and capabilities. Color-Change requires  advanced technical know-how to create the right color 'mixes' and to incorporate 'cycles' and 'DMX' capability. This technical know-how is applied  to the array design, LED matching,  electrical, data and thermal management managed specifically for the marine environment. We have these capabilities and have incorporated that knowledge into our range. All of our products are designed, developed and  manufactured by our technical team.

Q12 - How long will Lumishore lights last?                                                                                  Return to list of questions
The Lumishore LEDs are all expected to last for at least 50,000 hours. We have taken exceptional steps to ensure that the LEDs in the lights achieve that life and more. You can reasonably expect that they last  longer than  your boat! Lumishore lights are all warranted for 2 years.                                     

Q13 - Is it correct that your Drivelites can actually be attached with no holes in the hull?             Return to list of questions
Yes. The Lumishore Drivelite range and the Lumishore Drivelite Color-Change Plus models are fitted with our Lumishore Attachment mechanism ( International Patent Pending) and on many applications the wiring can be fed via existing 'above water' holes for power connections. In the event that you need holes for the wires a simple 6mm hole can be drilled above the water line.

Q14 - Why are your arrays so small, what benefits are there?                                    Return to list of questions
The Lumishore HICOB array is built this way to improve your underwater lighting experience by creating powerful light with an even beam spread. This technique of creating high-density arrays is also used in high-powered lighting installations on land such as architectural lighting , military and medical applications. It is sometimes referred to as 3rd-generation LED lighting to differentiate from earlier methodologies of using and mounting LED technology. It allows Lumishore to do a number of things :-
- Color-Change lighting and color mix for a superior underwater lighting display
- Single lenses for a more efficient and brighter light
- Compact design enables us to provide smaller, brighter units
- Compact design enable greater flexibility for the customer in terms of installation

Q15 - What are lumens and lux, what does it mean for underwater lighting?               Return to list of questions
Lumens and Lux are two of the most popular measures of light output. Lumens are a measure of the light output at the source while Lux is a measure of illumination on a surface (i.e. 1 lumen/square meter). Both are obviously important for underwater lighting where both intensity and coverage is important. Lumishore has optimized its use of power (lumens) through its single lens system to provide a broad even coverage optimizing the underwater viewing experience.

Q16 - Are Lumishore lights as good as HID and Xenon?                                            Return to list of questions
Yes. We would argue that they are significantly better. We compare HID, Xenon and LED lighting in an earlier question.     

Q17 - What is a LED?                                                                                            Return to list of questions
An LED is frequently referred to as Solid-State lighting as it has no filaments or gases. The make up of these materials controls the wavelength and efficiencies of the LEDS themselves. LEDS have been around since the 1920’s but over the last decade technological development have seen these devices become increasingly more efficient and more powerful making them ideal light sources for host of lighting applications. LED efficiency is increasing at an astonishing rate and is not yet near its theoretical maximum. LEDS are now replacing traditional incandescent technologies worldwide and It is commonly believed that LED will change the future of lighting as we know it. LEDs are made from a number of different materials generally referred to as semi-conductors. The LED has distinct advantages over traditional gas and filament based underwater lighting systems.                                                                                 

Q18 - Why do Lumishore use borosilicate lenses?                                                     Return to list of questions
The primary reason for our using borosilicate is that it is a toughened glass with the highest light transmission properties.
Boroscilicate BK7 has extremely high light transmission properties and low refractive index and for that reason is used in precision lenses worldwide. These characteristics result in more photons escaping from the light and penetrating into the water. Borosilicate is also a very tough glass that can resist abrasion and the harsh sealife environment. All of our precision lenses are manufactured to our own specific requirements.
This, when allied to our single lens as opposed to double lens ensures that the highest amount of light is used and not wasted within the body of the light itself. Borosilicate glass allows 97% of all light to be transmitted through the glass and our lenses are manufactured for us to our own precise requirements.

Q19 - How does an LED work?                                                                               Return to list of questions
The ‘simple’ answer is that energy is created by passing current through the semi-conductor material. This creates energy in the form of photons that we see as light.  An LED diode does not have any filaments nor does it have any moving parts, which makes it a solid state device. No moving parts make them ideal for underwater lighting.
LEDs create light in a totally different way than halogen and incandescent lights. These lighting methods involve heating up the fragile filament until it radiates light, a major by-product and waste of energy is that much of that process ends up as heat. This is why halogen and HID lights draw so many amps from your boat’s battery system, highly undesirable.
LEDs on the other hand are very efficient: they convert electrical current directly into light, (although there is some electrical heat output contrary to urban legend) The semiconductor crystal chip, the diode, when activated by a low electrical current, produces a very precise wavelength of light.
This precise wavelength of light can be any colour. LED light does not need to be “colored” by filters or lenses making it more efficient in underwater lighting applications.

Q20 - Why don't Lumishore use polycarbonate for its lenses?                                 Return to list of questions
Polycarbonate has many strengths but it scratches very easily. This is obviously a problem in the marine environment where all lenses will require cleaning from time-to-time when exposed to the  sea water, algaes  and sea life. We have chosen expensive borosilicate glass for its light transmission, strength and scratch resistance properties

Q21 - Can I run with my lights on?                                                                        Return to list of questions
Yes. Both our Drivelite and Thru-Hull lights can be operated whilst the vessel is underway. Our Thru-Hull series include flush-mounting options to reduce any potential drag for hull side mounting whilst all our units are small ensuring this effect is negated.
Our Drivelite series have been specifically designed to sit in the water flow and produce negligible drag beneath the water thereby ensuring that the performance of your boat is maximized with the lights installed.

Q22 - Why don’t Lumishore do 180-degree lenses?                                                  Return to list of questions
We can and do, but only to special order. In designing the Lumishore lights we use advanced techniques to optimize the spread and distance throws from our light outputs utilizing the available light to optimize your underwater viewing experience. Narrow beams do not give adequate coverage and result in customers having to buy many units to ‘fill the space’. Our approach benefits the customer in a number of ways. Firstly they will typically need to buy fewer lights. Secondly our beams are wide and even and ensure the best possible use of the available light produced.
Our 180-degree lenses provide even broader beams but with less ‘throw’. We do not ‘craze’ or ‘frost’ the glass surface as that reduces the amount of light passing into the water, which is obviously undesirable.

Q23 - How do I clean my Lumishore lights?                                                             Return to list of questions
Thru-Hull Bodies
All our Thru-Hull light bodies should have a proprietary anti-foul coating applied. This should be re-applied at the same time as the vessel hull on an annual basis. Some customers prefer the aesthetics of our lights in their delivered state i.e. Aluminium Bronze. However, as with any exposed surface in the harsh marine environment, a build up of algae and barnacles will occur.
Drivelite Bodies
The Drivelite body does not require any anti-fouling as generally its application lends itself to frequent cleaning. However the customer may anti-foul if he or she  wishes. Cleaning may be performed with a soft or stiff brush dependent upon the build-up of detritus and/or marine growth.
Drivelite Heads
Drivelite Heads are treated with an anodized coating which includes a polymer. This inhibits the growth of algae over time.
Lenses
Lumishore lenses require infrequent / no cleaning if in regular use. Lumishore LED arrays ensure absorption of light not infrared with the light wavelengths we use. . This results in the ‘photons’ being absorbed into the body of algaes trying to attach themselves. In the event that your lens requires cleaning we suggest the use of a sift cloth or brush – particularly during extended periods of the lights not being used.

Q24 - What is the light beam length?                                                                    Return to list of questions
This really depends upon the clarity and phytoplankton content of the water. We all know that light does not travel as well through water as it does through air  although  green and blue wavelengths travel the furthest in water. We have designed our lights to produce an even throw and spread of light and you can see that this provides an excellent underwater effect from pictures in our image gallery. Customers have reported ‘light throws’ of up to 35 meters in the Mediterranean over clear bottoms but that is obviously a subjective judgment and impossible to quantify.

Q25 - What’s the cost advantage?                                                                        Return to list of questions
There are many considerations in buying the best underwater lights and we believe Lumishore are ‘The Best’ bar none.
We would suggest that any purchaser should ensure that the LED dies used are the best available in terms of output and then work out the Price per Watt to give himself or herself a rough guide.

Q26 - Does switching Lumishore lights on and off shorten the LED life?                    Return to list of questions            
No. The solid state LED is not affected by pulsing so there is no shortening in LED life as there is with traditional technologies. This also explains why the LED is an effective solution for ‘strobe’ lighting and enables us to build in our ‘Fish Attraction’ modes to our Color-Change underwater lighting.

Q27 - Is the Lumishore LED a proven technology? Where is it used?                                            Return to list of questions
Yes. Although the humble LED has been commercially available since the 1960s. It is only in the last 10 years that the ‘Big-4’ lighting manufacturers have invested heavily in the LED and only in the last 18 months that its performance has met and surpassed that of traditional lighting.
California has committed to replacing all its traffic light systems with LED technology and the UK and US governments have set LED at the standard for street lighting in the future.
Most importantly for the prospective underwater lighting customer where powerful and managed beams are required, all recent high power architectural applications rely on LED lighting focused in high-power arrays such as the HICOB LED array. There is no other option to harness the specialist requirements of underwater lighting.

Q28 - How do Lumishore lights compare overall with traditional underwater lighting?  Return to list of questions
The following table sets out the equivalent outputs of our lights when compared to traditional lighting. These results are based upon calibrated testing and NOT the hypothetical output of the LEDs themselves.

Q29 - What gauge of wiring should be used for my Thru-Hull lighting?                     Return to list of questions
The simple rule of thumb that any installer should follow is to use he heaviest gauge that is practical. The objective of any lighting installation is to ensure that there is a negligible voltage drop  over the length of the wiring. Whilst Lumishore technology has enabled us to mange those needs, the appropriate wire gauge will enhance the installation. The correct gauge is a function both of the length of wire and the power requirements   and a qualified electrical engineer will be able to advise

Q30 - How do Lumishore lights compare in lumens with competitor models?               Return to list of questions  
All Lumishore lighting systems use LEDs from Phillips the leading global manufacturer of LEDs. By way of example our 'White' LEDs are rated at 100 lumens / watt. If you research competitive offerings you will find that this rating far surpasses competitors, some of whom use ratings as low as 20 lumens/watt. It is worth asking before you buy!

Q31 - What happens if the lights over heat? How hot do the Lights get?                   Return to list of questions
Lumishore lights, properly installed, should not overheat. It is a myth that LEDs do not produce heat. They do. Unlike traditional lighting where heat is produced within the light beam itself the electrical activity creating heat occurs at the back of the LED die. It is this heat and electrical management that is at the heart of the Lumishore HICOB LED array. In normal use the lights should not overheat however in the event that they do through prolonged exposure to air they will switch themselves off to conserve LED life. This what happens if the LEDs hit our maximum approved operating temperature: -
• The light will switch itself
• The light will periodically flash 3 times to indicate an over approved temperature situation
• The light will switch themselves back on when a lower operating temperature has been reached
This ensures that Lumishore LED underwater lighting will achieve its life and the LEDs are not subject to premature failure


Q32 - How do I change a failed LED / bulb?                                                         Return to list of questions
There is no need to change an LED; they are not ‘bulbs’ as we understand in traditional lighting. Our LEDs have an expected life over 50,000 hours and should not fail, as you would expect with traditional underwater lighting systems which have very low bulb lives.

Q33 - What features do you have that makes your lights more reliable?                  Return to list of questions
We have built in a number of advanced features to ensure that your lights will not only provide the ultimate underwater lighting experience but also prove to be reliable over time. Lumishore’s background is based upon working lives committed to advanced LED technology as well
• Driver Electronics - the best available
• Use of High Quality Marine Materials
In addition to our build quality, Lumishore products have been put through rigorous testing both in the laboratory and workshop. Our test programmes include:
- Immersion Testing off all lights and drivers
- Vibration Testing
- Thermal Testing
- EMC testing and
- Practical Noise Interference testing
as well as testing in the real environment that our products are designed for

 Q34 - Can I extend the cabling between the light and the electronic driver?            Return to list of questions
We provide 3m of cabling for each light unit. Cabling can be extended if necessary although we would recommend that this be only done by exception.

Q35 - Does the installation kit include a fuse?                                                      Return to list of questions
Each driver is independently fused. We do not provide any other fuses so that each installation can have the properly rated fuse / master switch incorporated and that will be specific to each boat installation.
Lumishore recommends a circuit breaker or system fuse matched to the lighting installation

Q36 - How easy is the installation of Lumishore Drivelites?                                    Return to list of questions
Installation of all our lights is very easy. Our Thru Hull Units are made up of two components. A light unit and a Driver Unit. All have waterproof IP68 connections. All that is required is a length of suitable wiring from the power source and the appropriate isolation switches and fuses.
Our Drivelite units are designed with easy installation in mind and require in man cases no more than an Allen key and connection to an appropriately fused switch.


Q37 - What is the recommended installation depth?                                             Return to list of questions
We recommend that all our lights be positioned at between 10-30mms below the waterline from the centre of the lights for the optimal underwater effects. In reality they can be positioned at any depth up to 10 metres.

Q38 - Are Lumishore lights approved?                                                                 Return to list of questions
Yes. Our lights are all CE-marked, certified to IP68 and manufactured to ISO 9001 standards. Al external driver electronics are sealed. tested and certified to IP 67.

Q39 - How far apart should Lumishore lights be positioned ?                                 Return to list of questions
This really is down to individual choice. All of our products produce string even beams and invariably you will need less units than competitor offerings for a similar effect. We would readily accept that more units produce a bwtter effect so we would always advise more units of lesser power rather than one or two units more powerful units.

Q40 - How do you ensure that all lights are protected from water ingress? Are they waterproof?   Return to list of questions
We employ the Lumishore Quad-Seal process to ensure against water ingress protects our Thru-Hull lights. There are 4 levels of sealing to minimize the chance of any water ingress. This ensures that in the unlikely event of damaged lens the light unit remains sealed to IP68 to protect the vessel from any water ingress. Our lenses are sealed to the bodies using a 3-part process to ensure the strongest bonding possible. The unit is sealed immediately behind the LED array and the entire body is potted with a polyurethane sealant. Just to make sure and to protect the electrical connections from water within the hull the connector at the rear of the light is also IP-68 rated. You can choose your Lumishore lights with peace-of mind.

Q41 - Do Lumishore lights get hot?                                                                    Return to list of questions
Lumishore lights, properly installed, should not overheat. It is a myth that LEDs do not produce heat. They do. Unlike traditional lighting where heat is produced in front of the light source the electrical activity creating heat occurs at the back of the LED unit. It is this heat and electrical management that is at the heart of the Lumishore HICOB LED array. In normal use the lights should not overheat however in the event that they do through prolonged exposure to air they will switch themselves off to conserve LED life. This what happens if the LEDs hit our maximum approved operating temperature: -
• The lights will switch itself off
• The light will periodically flash three times to indicate an over temperature situation
• The light will switch themselves back on when a lower operating temperature has been reached
This ensures that Lumishore LED underwater lighting will achieve its life and the LEDs are not subject to premature failure

Q42 - Do you have a fish attracting strobe light?                                                 Return to list of questions
Yes. Our Colour- Change lighting systems have 2 Green and 2 Blue controllable modes that are strobing applications. Each colour has two modes, fixed frequency and random flash. Each of these modes is itself controllable in terms of frequency. Obviously our color-change systems also come with preset colors, color cycle and color palette modes so that they are not just restricted to fish attraction.

Q42 - Is there a wait for the lights to get up to maximum performance?                Return to list of questions
NO. Lumishore LED lights immediately operate at the maximum output unlike other lighting systems. They do not require a startup current.

Q43 - What is the hole cut out size for the Lumishore Thru-Hull models?               Return to list of questions
The hole cutout required is only 26mm. In designing our lights with a small cutout we ensure integrity of the vessel hull and the small diameter shaft also ensures that Lumishore LED lights can be installed in restricted or unusually shaped transom interiors where competitor products cannot.

Q44 - Should the lights be anti-fouled?                                                               Return to list of questions
Yes. We recommend all our Thru-Hull lights are anti-fouled. This can then be routinely done at the same time as the hull antifouling is performed.

Q45 - Where can I purchase the lights?                                                              Return to list of questions
We have a global network of dealers and agents. For your closest dealer / agent then please contact us directly.

Q46 - How many lights should I get?                                                                  Return to list of questions
That really is a matter of personal taste. We pride ourselves that the efficient, high output design of Lumishore lights that you will not need as many light as competitor offerings for any given effect. If you want any specific recommendations then please contact us.

Q47 - What color should I buy?                                                                         Return to list of questions
We produce Blue, White, Green & Red lights – however if you are having difficulties choosing then buy our Color-Change lights and you can match the light colour to the prevailing water conditions and your current mood! `It is generally believed that Blue is the most enjoyable color where a wide range of water conditions are encountered. Green works particularly well where the water is highly colored (e.g. the Bristol Channel where our lights were originally developed!) and on inland waterways. White works particularly well over shallow sandy bottoms. Red makes the water ‘come alive’ .

Q48 - I have a metal hull – can I use Lumishore lights?                                        Return to list of questions
Yes. We provide a range of isolation sleeves so that our lights can be used with metal hulls.

Q49 - What voltage do the Lumishore lights use?                                                Return to list of questions
All Thru-Hull models are for use between 10 and 31 volts whilst our Drivelite models are available in either 12 or 24 Volt versions.

Q50 - Can I operate my lights using AC power?                                                   Return to list of questions
Yes. These are manufactured to order only. If you wish to use AC power then please Contact Us

Q51 - What is the power consumption?                                                              Return to list of questions
The power consumption of our units is as per the following tables for standard marine power systems:-

24 Volt

Q52 - What is the warranty period?                                                                   Return to list of questions
All Lumishore lights and drivers  are warranted for 2 years.