frequently asked questions

What's the difference between Halogen, HID and LED? How does HID and LED work?

A lot! Halogen is a filament based lamp, which means the electricity passing through the filament excites it to create light, and HEAT. Halogen was a big step forward for incandescent lamps and is very affordable but it's basically just the newer, smaller version of what Thomas Edison invented over 100 years ago. HID (High-Intensity Discharge) on the other hand uses an arc of electricity passing between 2 points to create light very similar to a spark plug or welding arc and can be quite expensive. It takes 5000 volts to get the arc to jump and 90 to keep it there; however it uses far less power to produce the light. Typically a metal-halide type HID is 2.5 times brighter than a halogen and double the wattage. Example: company old 50 watt HID was 2.5 times brighter than company 100 watt halogen or the equivalent of a 250 watt halogen! So company new 25w HID is 2.5 times brighter than company 50 watt halogen or the equivalent or 125 watts of halogen light. Company HID is Metal-Halide vs. Xenon found in many passenger cars. Company lamps are more like warehouse lighting you'd find hanging from the ceiling at Home Depot than what's in your neighbors BMW. Fortunately Metal-Halide is about 20% more efficient than Xenon. The life expectancy of the lamps is about the same for Halogen and HID, about 1500 hours. LED is different again in that it uses a diode and creates the light at the atomic level. All diodes create light, even the ones in your computer! You just can't see it due to the casing they use. LED's are just designed to use that light created so you can use it. They are illuminated solely by the movement of electrons in a semiconductor material which releases photons (aka light), and they last just as long as a standard transistor. The lifespan of an LED surpasses the short life of an incandescent bulb by thousands of hours. In company case we go from about 1,500 hours for Halogen and HID to 50,000 on LED!

Do any of your HID's have internal ballasts?

Yes! Company Dominator HID's are internal ballast.

If my quad doesn't have a battery can I run HID's?

The way your quad sits now no. HID's require steady DC current between 10 and 14.5 volts to operate. You will need a rectifier (an electronic device that converts AC current to DC current, and either a 12v battery of some variety or a capacitor (to supply steady current). A small 12v lead-acid battery would work best. Currently Lazer Star is working on a conversion kit for bikes with no battery.

If my quad doesn't have a battery can I run LED's?

Yes! Any of LED's will work on AC bikes, including the LX LED bars.

Can any ATV's run both the stock lights and Lazer Star's?

Only a couple have the capacity to run both;

• Bombardier DS650- can add 2 75w lights and run the stock headlight
• Honda TRX250R - Can add 2 50watt lights and run the stock headlight
• Yamaha Raptor 660/700R - Can add 2 35w lights and the stock headlights OR switch between the stock lights and 50w Lazer Star's

Do you have lights for ATV's with the stock stator?

Yes. All of kits are designed for use with the stock stator. Company have lights available separately for higher output systems. Company also have new LED ATV kits.

Your LED Light Bar description says 9-32V input. Will 24V DC input shorten the life span of the LED?

No, since the LED circuit is designed to operate within the 9-32V parameter, 24V will have no adverse effects on the LED life span.

Why don't most of your lights come with detailed instructions to mount them on my bike?

Company do supply instructions for lights that are for vehicle specific fitments, and all lights come with general installation guidelines. However, a vast majority of lights are universal fitment and fit such a huge range of bikes and vehicles that it would be impossible.

Which wattage should I use if I'm running Halogen?

• Motorcycles: Company recommendation for most motorcycles is 50 watts per light. This is the best "all around" wattage as it gives you the best visibility for you and other drivers without over-taxing your bikes charging system. If additional light is wanted then the 75 watt units can be run but usually not for long periods. If you plan on using your lights only on the open road then this may be the wattage for you. 75 watts is also the maximum wattage recommend for any Harley-Davidson. Generally do not recommend the 100 watt units for any motorcycle unless your are the serious long distance rider with an upgraded charging system.
• Off-Road/Sandrail: 90+% of customers run 1 pair of 100 watt lights on their sandrails. The 100 watt light is specifically designed for dune running and is far and away the most popular and a must for the serious night duner. Even older VW generators should easily handle a pair of 100 watt lights. You could also go with the less expensive option of 75 or 50 watt if you do not do much night driving. Many customers use these "Just in case I get caught out there after dark."
• ATV: ATV's without a battery run on AC current, halogen lights are AC compatible, which means no upgrade to the charging system is necessary. In experience with stock ATV stators on most models, we recommend a total of 70 watt maximum. All of stock stator ATV kits come with dual 35watt lights, with one being a spot beam and one a flood beam; which allows phenomenal coverage for most riding situations. On some models it is possible to run a higher wattage, check your owners manual to find out what your bikes stator output is
• Street: Most states have a 55-watt per light maximum. So, what company recommend is 50-watt, available in the Bullet or Shorty housing styles.

Where should I mount the lights?

• Motorcycles: Depends on the type of bike (most state laws require no higher than the headlight) Sport bike suggested mount is near the mirrors Cruisers (Harley) can mount on a spot light bar, fork clamps, or crash bars Cruisers (Harley) can also mount turn signals off the bottom of the mirror stem. Full touring bikes have a number of locations available, use your imagination!
• All Others: Company strongly recommend that you DO NOT MOUNT ANY LIGHT ABOVE EYE-LEVEL. Company still recommended even though many like the look of placing log LED bars above the windshield on Jeeps and Trucks. But, if you come across a highly reflective situation, such as dense dust or fog, you will not be able to see past the front of the vehicle with those high mounted lights on. Company recommend that your primary use lights be mounted just below eye-level and as far apart as possible. (i.e. at or on the bar at the base of the "windshield" or A-pillar). Some might even want to go with a secondary pair of lower power flood lights at the extreme front of the vehicle. This will assist in eliminating any shadows being created by the frame, shock towers, and tires.

What's the difference between the Converters and the Illuminator?

The converters give any 20 watt or LED Lazer Star turn signal 2 functions. Dim (running) and full brightness (turn or brake) and each unit works 2 lights. The Illuminator is manufactured by Badlands and differs from the converters in many ways. It still gives you the basic dim and bright but it also can make the bright mode work in 2 ways: turn and brake. So, if you were to use all the functions of the Illuminator on the rear of your vehicle your rear turn signals would give you the 3 functions of run/turn/brake. The Illuminator also has a built in load equalizer and it can be used in conjunction with the Converters (converters on front turns, Illuminator on rear turns) for maximum visibility and safety. The Illuminator is offered in plug-in for many Harley models and wire in for Metric and custom applications and the converter is wire-in only.

What's the difference between Halogen and LED Billet signal lights?

Let's preface this by saying that the only drawback to LED over Halogen is the price. As you may know halogen type lamps use a filament style lamp that is filled with halogen gasses to produce an intense white light. In case this light is collected and directed by the integrated reflector. To obtain the correct color for turn signals and or taillights that light must be filtered through a colored lens. LED (Light Emitting Diode) on the other hand does not use a filament but rather certain chemicals on the surface of the diode that produce the desired color. Clustering these together eliminates the need for any sort of reflector or colored lens. The result is nearly identical brightness in a clean unique looking package. LED costs run about 50 to 70% more than its halogen counterpart. Every other comparison is in the favor of LED. For instance the rated life in hours of halogen is 500-1000; LED is 100,000! LED's should last you 10 years! Vibration is also not as big of an issue because there is no filament to shake and break. The heat in halogens in full bright mode can reach in excess of 200 degrees while the LED's will barely get above room temperature. One of the big plus's for LED's is the amount of power they use. Typical 20 watt halogen turn signal uses 1.2 amps per light. The typical LED cluster in lights uses only 0.05 amps! It is feasible to leave these on for days and still be able to start your car or bike. LED boards are coated in a silicone sealer so that if necessary they would work very wet or even submerged, the halogen could not handle such abuse simply because the excessive heat would shatter the lamp. We are so confident in the LED system that we offer a 3 year replacement warranty vs. the 90 day warranty offered on halogen lamps. Should any one of your LED's fail within 3 years we replace the entire cluster.

What is the warranty on Lazer Star Lights?

• LIFETIME limited on all metal components (includes light housings and mounting hardware)
• Halogen Lamps - 90 days
• LED signal arrays - 3 years
• LX LED's - 3 years
• HID Lamps - 1 year
• HID Electronics - 1 year
• Wires, seals, lenses - 90 days
• Chrome or Black finishes - 1 year
• All others not listed - 90 days

A good rule of thumb to remember is that if you decided to open the light and do more damage, it won't be covered by the warranty. If you have an issue, DON'T OPEN IT! If you do your warranty is void. Also, if you wrecked and broke it, it's not going to be covered.

HID Warranty supplement: The regular Weekend Concepts warranty is in full effect EXCEPT for the following provisions: Lamp - 1 year from date of purchase. Warranty covers failure only; color temperature, spots, flickering and wire damage are not covered. Ballast - 1 year from date of purchase. Warranty covers failure only; wire damage, over volt damage, and damage from crossed polarity are not covered. If the light fails within the time frame of the warranty it MUST be serviced by Weekend Concepts. Removal of the light and sending it in for service is REQUIRED, NO EXCEPTIONS. As stated above the light is not serviceable by the customer and any damage or evidence of dis-assembly by the customer voids all warranties.

LX LED Warranty supplement: The regular Weekend Concepts warranty is in full effect EXCEPT for the following provisions: LX Arrays - 2 years from date of purchase. Warranty covers complete failure only; color temperature, spots, flickering and wire damage, over volt damage, and damage from crossed polarity are not covered. If the light fails within the time frame of the warranty it MUST be serviced by Weekend Concepts. Removal of the light and sending it in for service is REQUIRED, NO EXCEPTIONS. As stated above the light is not serviceable by the customer and any damage or evidence of dis-assembly by the customer voids all warranties.

There is a lot of lights out there similar to Lazer Star. Why should I stick with you?

Company been in the light business now for over 21 years. Company are the ORIGINATOR of the billet light for sandrails, ATV's, and motorcycles. Company strive to offer the best possible product and back it up with the best possible customer service. Check out Mission Statement. Don't be fooled by the imitations by those others, they do not and cannot produce an original product, let alone a top quality product. Company HID is priced the same or better as national retailers and are covered by warranty and customer service. Company LX LED's use top bin Cree LED's which are the absolute tip of leading edge in LED's. Company optics are of the latest design and will constantly be updated as the technology progresses. Company are the ONLY LED manufacturer to offer 3, 5 and 10 watt LED technology (Spoiler: 15w) Remember motto: "The POWER of LIGHT" Did you know? Did you know that Lazer Star products are all original designs and are not a product already being produced then purchased from another company? As an example the "cheap" LED's that seem to be flooding the market are literally copies of legitimate designs by real lighting company's. These lights are commonly referred to as "Common Tool" and produced overseas by hundreds of different companies all offering the same basic design with few changes. Every seller in the USA of this type of cheap LED is no more than a dealer or retailer and should you have questions or trouble, you're likely on your own. Even if you don't choose Lazer Star, choose a legitimate lighting company that has been around and supports your sport and creates US jobs. The old adage "You get what you pay for..." holds very true.

I want to keep my stock turn signals and was thinking of changing them to LED, do you have anything for this?

Yes. Company make LED retrofits for a wide variety of bikes and vehicles that use 1156. 1157, and 3157 based lamps, including side or right hand socketed units designed with Harley FL's in mind. Our straight socket designs have are unique in that they have a ring of LED's that shine outward perpendicular to the end lights, thus utilizing the stock reflector and filling the lens with light, no more "dot" in the middle of your light. On our 1157M unit the ring of LED's is white to utilize the clear window in your taillight thus illuminating your license plate.

I want to do accent lighting like neon under my ride and on my motor, do you have anything like that?

Yes. Company have FlexLED flexible LED line that is available in several lengths from 1" to 8.5" in Red, Amber, Blue, White and Green. LED is not as fragile as neon and uses a fraction of the power.

I have self-canceling turn signals on my Harley. Do I have to use a load equalizer?

That depends, you have several options:

• If you are running only 1 pair of Lazer Star halogen lights either front or rear and retaining the stock on the opposite end, then NO do you do not need a load equalizer unless you have a factory alarm.
• If you are running 1 pair of Lazer Star halogen lights and some other aftermarket turns then YES you will have to use a load equalizer, UNLESS the other aftermarket units utilize the stock type lamp. Unless you have a factory alarm.
• If you are using Lazer Star halogen lights front and rear you have 2 options: For H-D models WITHOUT FACTORY ALARM run 20 w all the way around and use the Biketronics Frontrunner (run/turn) on the front and Tailbones (run/turn/brake) on the rear. You will not need any equalizer.
• Run 20 watt all the way around. YES you will need an equalizer. BUT you may also run an Illuminator. This will give your rear lights 3 functions of running/turn/brake and it has a built in load equalizer. Unless you have a factory alarm.
• If you run any LED you MUST use an equalizer or no load flasher UNLESS you have a late model Harley-Davidson with the can-bus system. Then a simple program is all that is required. Call us for more on this.
• Biketronics units are for H-D models only. Badlands units are for any bike or vehicle.

I have a Harley-Davidson with a can-bus electrical system. Do I need an equalizer too?

No. Can-bus late model Harley's do not need load-equalizers to add aftermarket turn signals of any type. A simple reprogram of the system using the handlebar controls is all that is needed.

I have a Harley with the factory alarm; how do I make the turn signals work correctly?

H-D did a number on us aftermarket light guys when they came out with their alarmed bikes. The alarm is tied directly into the turn signal system and if the load is not correct, the alarm doesn't work and the alarm light on your dash stays on. So, either a Badlands Load Equalizer 3 or Biketronics Smart Equalizer 1 are designed to make your turn signals work with LED or other types of aftermarket lights.

I am looking for a backup lights for my Truck/Jeep. What do you recommend?

Currently there are 3 very popular back up lights available:The LXK20012, 10-watt LED light kit, sold in pairs,the LXK23042 4" 3-watt double row sold in pairs or the LX03042 6" 3-watt single row, sold separately.

Do I really need a Wiring Kit?

Company have several kits available for most driving/off-road applications. If your running 50-watt lights or less, or less than 32" LX Bar then a relay kit is not required. Just be sure you are running at least 14-gauge for halogen and 16-gauge for LED and use a fuse. However, strongly recommend a relay kit for any driving/road/off-road lights. Most of kits utilize a relay, which directly connects the lights to the battery without draining from any circuit. Company have simple kits available for LX LED's that do not use a relay but do include a switch, fuse and wire for an easy install. On Harley's because they have a 30-amp circuit breaker means that if you connect the lights to anything other than the battery you run the risk of overloading the circuit breaker and having the whole bike go dead in the middle of your ride. Using a wiring kit also give you great flexibility in what you want to activate your lights since the relay only requires 500ma to operate. You could use for example, your low or high beam circuit or the "on" position of your key switch (which highly recommend). Also, if you are replacing your stock passing lamps with Lazer Star lights you can wire them into the wiring your old lights used, but DO NOT EXCEED 50 WATTS PER LIGHT. On sandrails it's important to use off-road kit because of the sheer amount of wire involved causes resistance which degrades the performance of your lights halogen or LED.