FLOWLIGHT-FS :: OPTIMIZATION GUIDE
The flowlight-full spectrum was born of a passion for beauty and movement,
and engineered to meet the need for a high-performance, rechargeable and
durable light source for kinetic activities, personal lighting and entertainment.
The flowlight serves as a versatile, interchangeable pixel of light in the
Flowtoys Modular System of poi, staffs, juggling and martial flow props.
Clip a flowlight to your person, backpack or bicycle. Use it as a flashlight or
for ambient lighting, while you are at a festival, camping, or at home. With a huge range of
modes and color schemes, the possibilities are limited only by your imagination.
OPTIMIZING YOUR GLOW – UNDERSTANDING YOUR BATTERIES
The flowlight runs on a single AAA battery. It amplifies and regulates the voltage – this
means you can use common rechargeable batteries and your flowlights will run at full
brightness for the entire life of the battery, and not dim over the course of the night. Using
higher-voltage disposable alkaline batteries will not increase the brightness, or runtime.
How long does a battery last? This depends a lot on the mode you are in. With freshly
charged NiMH rechargeables, flowlights normally last for 7-24 hours in most modes, 2-4
hours in page 3 “performance” modes, and 1-2 hours in “bolder” and “bold” (all white modes).
Runtimes with disposable alkaline batteries are typically lower, and cheapo disposable
batteries may last less than 30 minutes, as they cannot handle the amperage required.
How long will a rechargeable battery hold its charge? Typical NiMH rechargeables hold a
good charge for a few weeks. After that they may have less than 50% of their charge left, so
we recommend charging batteries within a week of any important uses, like festivals, parties
or performances.
New feature - charge-level indicator: Hold the button while the light is off to see the
charge-level indicator. Green is at least 80% charged, red is at least 80% dead, orange and
other in-between shades are approximate and indicate about 50%. This is intended for NiMH
batteries only - a “green” reading for alkaline disposable batteries may actually mean 50% or
less, due to the voltage difference of the chemistry.
QUICK START GUIDE
• See inside for battery installation.
• Press the button once to turn on your flowlight.
• Press again to change to the next mode.
• Continue pressing to cycle through all 10 modes on the first page.
• At the end, the light will turn off.
• There are many other features, but this is all you need to know to get started!
TROUBLESHOOTING
A truly defective flowtoys product can always be sent back for free repair or replacement, but most
apparently “faulty” flowlight behavior just requires a good battery or a little care!
1. Use only rechargeables or good alkalines. The circuitry is optimized for rechargeables. The
voltage amplifier draws a lot of power, so cheapo batteries don’t last long, and can create faulty
behavior.
2. Your battery is low. Dim orange light? Flashes and turns off? Won’t respond to the button? Try
a battery that you are sure is good, switch your batteries around with other lights to check.
3. There is something obstructing battery contact! Check that the clear battery pull-tab is
blocking the battery contact. Check that your batteries are clear of physical debris. Sometimes
the wrapper on the battery itself tears away and blocks the contact.
4. There is oxidation on your contacts. Do the battery or spring contacts have black marks
or debris on them? This may be oxidized metal dust from the battery and/or battery contacts
caused by friction/vibration. Clean the battery and battery springs with your fingers, a clean cloth
or eraser, and apply a tiny bit of petroleum jelly (vaseline) to the springs. This works wonders to
prevent future oxidation and promote electrical conductivity.
FLOWLIGHT ACCESSORIES
Flowlights were designed as a versatile pixel of light that can be used as a stand alone LED light-
stick, as well as linked together in the Flowtoys Modular System to create poi, staffs, juggling clubs,
martial flow props and more. Visit www.flowtoys.com for the whole range of accessories and
possibilities.
Recommended: Get crystal cases to protect and cushion your flowlights, and
flowmass to add more weight if you like heavier rigs. We also provide quality,
comfortable handles and leashes.
DURABILITY
Flowlights were designed for a high-impact lifestyle. However nothing is indestructible! Flowlights
are electronic instruments - we recommend using one of our protective housings or avoiding very
hard collisions and drops if they are unprotected.
Interesting note: We calculated the impact during a simple “butterfly” poi-move to be over
100mph. The force during impact is equivalent to a 5 ton elephant standing on a cell phone!
Note: Chemical glowsticks release gaseous esters that break down polycarbonate and make it
brittle. This can occur even if an uncracked glowstick is placed near polycarbonate, and is not only a
result of broken or leaking glow-sticks. Avoid exposure!
The Home of Poi Hassle Free Warranty
At Home of Poi we have a free 12 month warranty/replacement process on all items purchased
from us in the unlikely event that a fault occurs. This does not include claims arising from abuse or
misuse. Unlike other warranties we do not ask you to send products back at your cost, we avoid this
hassle by simply asking for photos and/or video of the fault. Once your claim is approved we will
then send free parts/products or apply store credit to help remedy the situation. Most products can
be recycled or reused locally, reducing the carbon footprint by not having to send items back. We
feel this warranty substantially reduces waiting times and expense for you our valued customer.
This really is the HoP hassle free, cost free, environmentally friendly warranty process
2016.11
