Solar Centre FALMOUTH User Manual

TROUBLESHOOTING
Solar lights won't turn on when it is light!
Solar lights turn on automatically at night and o� automatically when it's light. If you want to test your solar
light, but you are outside during the day or you are in a lit room, you will need to trick the solar panel into
thinking it is dark by covering the solar panel completely.
Reality check...
The Leaf has been designed to work year-round in the UK using solar power alone so long as it is in a good
enough location to charge and so long as the weather isn't too dull for too long. We use a simple formula
based on how much power the solar panel can produce each day versus how much power the LEDs
consume after dark. We then factor in the average amount of sun hours in the UK (not much) and an
average customer solar panel location. Sadly, there are two things we can't control. 1. The weather. 2.
Where the customer decides to position their light. There will be dull periods in every year where even the
best positioned and best performing lights will struggle, so if you are looking for a product that will light up
all night, every night, no matter where the panel is placed and no matter what the weather does, then solar
lights are probably not for you. If you encounter any issues with a bulb not lighting up, please
double-check that it has been properly screwed into its holder.
Location, location, location!
Solar panels positioned in clear south-facing locations always perform best, but we know that is not always
desirable even if it is achievable which is why we have added USB charge, Powersaving and two extra battery
bays to the Leaf. Most people buy a solar light to light up a speci�c location and that location might not be
a textbook solar-friendly location. So long as the solar panel gets reasonable direct sunlight through-out
the day you will get reasonable performance in Autumn, Spring and Summer. If you are looking for
reasonably consistent winter performance then you will need an unshaded south-facing spot and/or be
prepared to USB charge.
The bottom line
We have been selling and designing solar lights for 16 years now and in our experience solar lights that work
are hardly ever faulty! That might seem like we're stating the obvious, but it is so true. Lights that only work
for half an hour after dark or lights that only turn on occasionally are just struggling to get enough charge
99% of the time. To test this turn the light o� for three days (ensuring at least one sunny day has passed)
and then turn it back on and see how long it works for that night - or USB charge if you can.
Another thing to look out for is nearby light. Light coming from another outdoor light or even light coming
from inside a house can be enough to stop a solar light from turning on automatically. You can test that by
completely covering the solar panel to see if it then turns on.
Ultimately, if your light doesn't work after a few sunny days in a completely unshaded spot, or after a full USB
charge and you have tested for nearby light interference, you may well have a very rare fault so please
contact your retailer or contact us on the details below.
FALMOUTH
SOLAR USB FESTOON LIGHTS
USER GUIDE
Thank you for choosing the Falmouth USB Solar Festoon Lights. Please read these instructions carefully
before you begin.
HOW THE LEAF WORKS
Leaf is one of the most advanced solar panel systems currently available for home solar light setups.
During the day the sun's rays are absorbed by the Leaf's solar panel which charges the 18650 Lithium-ion
battery. After dark, the battery provides power for the light. Leaf has been designed to work year-round
using solar power alone, but you can also fully charge Leaf's battery (or batteries) quickly and easily by using
the supplied USB-C cable (see 'USB charging' below).
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
Although not essential, we thoroughly recommend fully charging your Leaf battery via USB before enjoying
your light for the �rst time. If you do not have access to a USB charging device, such as a computer or a USB
wall plug adapter, we advise installing your lights and leaving them to charge outside for 3 days prior to �rst
use. During this initial charge up period, please ensure that your Leaf is switched o� (see diagram below).
LEAF LAYOUT
1. BATTERY BAYS
Your Leaf comes supplied with a single
18650 battery, but you can add one or
two more batteries to either double or
triple your total charge capacity.
2. POWER SWITCH
Pressing the switch towards II will power
the lights at full brightness. Pressing the
switch towards I will power the lights at
half brightness which doubles runtime.
Centring the switch on O will turn the
lights o� completely, but they will still
charge.
3. LIGHT CONNECTOR
5-pin connector to connect your
Chester light to your Leaf solar panel.
4. BALL JOINT SOCKET
Socket for ball joint which attaches to
your stake or wall/deck mount
7. USB CHARGE INDICATORS
The charge indicator lights let you know
exactly how much charge your Leaf
battery has.
6. MODE BUTTON
7
This button does not have a function on
1
the Falmouth Festoons. Stay tuned for
future updates that will bring further
6
possibilities.
5
2
3
5. USB CHARGING PORT
4 Use the supplied USB-C lead to speed
charge your Leaf battery by plugging it
into the USB port on your computer, or
by using a USB wall plug adaptor. Do not
leave your Leaf unattended when it is
charging by USB.