StreamLight LITEBOX Operating Instructions page 2

Charge your LiteBox overnight before first use. Charging will occur only when the lamp is "off." While the
lead-acid batteries supplied with the LiteBox have been specifically selected to tolerate deep discharges, the
battery should be charged as soon as possible after use to ensure maximum service life. The batteries should
never be "exercised" in an attempt to erase "memory" which never occurs with lead-acid batteries.
The Power Failure lantern is intended to be used with an AC transformer. If you wish to mount the lantern in
a vehicle and charge it with DC power, it should be wired so that charge power is always available. If con-
nected through the ignition switch, the lantern may turn on when the ignition is switched "off." The power
failure function will work properly only with an AC source.
CHARGE RACKS
Mounting
The charging racks supplied with the LiteBox are meant for permanent installation, depending on the model,
either indoors or in a vehicle. All three models can be charged without racks.
The Standard and Power Failure models include cigarette lighter adapter for temporary non-rack charging in
most vehicles.
Four (4) self-tapping 1 1/4" #8 screws are included with each rack and should be sufficient for most mount-
ing situations. Should your mounting situation require heavier hardware, use #8 machine screws. The recom-
mended mounting positions are from vertical to horizontal, but with the lamp end facing up. Allow enough
extra space above the rack for removing and replacing the LiteBox.
VEHICLE MOUNTED, DIRECT WIRE CHARGE RACK
:
IMPORTANT
1. Never attempt to directly wire any LiteBox charge rack to a 120 volt AC power source. It is intended for
12-15 volts DC only.
2. Before making electrical connections in a vehicle, keep in mind that a shorted battery can deliver hun-
dreds of amperes, which can easily start a fire. Make all connections with insulated solder joints, lugs, or
other devices intended for such use. Be sure that your installation is fused. If you install a separate fuse for
your LiteBoxes, 2 amps per unit are recommended.
Before installation, determine if your hookup is to be switched or non-switched. (Please read Power
Requirements near the end of this manual).
The LiteBox is protected from reverse polarity. If connected backwards, the unit simply will not charge.
The positive lead from the charge rack is solid red or has a red stripe. The negative lead is solid black or
has a black stripe.
LAMP REPLACEMENT
: The inner halogen bulb operates at a high temperature and is pressurized. Allow to cool before
CAUTION
handling. We recommend wearing safety glasses when replacing the lamp.
Two styles of PAR-36 lamps are used in the LiteBox: a one-piece sealed beam with a glass reflector and a
lamp assembly having a replaceable bi-pin halogen bulb.
To remove either style lamp, stand the LiteBox on its back end and pry the black rubber ring from the lamp
housing. Lift out the lamp and carefully remove the slip-on terminals.
If the new lamp is a sealed beam, reconnect the terminals (no need to observe polarity) and replace the
lamp on the housing. Try to dress the lamp wires away from each other and make sure the key on the reflec-
tor fits into its recess in the housing. Replace the rubber ring.
To replace the halogen bi-pin bulb in the metal reflector assembly, unscrew the bulb socket from the reflector
and pull the old bulb straight out from the socket. Align the pins of the new bulb with the holes in the socket
and push until the glass is seated against the socket.
perspiration oil can "smoke" the inside of the lens and reflector, as well as deteriorate the bulb glass.
Reconnect the socket wires; there is no polarity. At this point, if you have the clear "spot" lens, turn on the
lantern and adjust the focus by screwing the socket in or out of the reflector while observing the "spot"
against a wall about ten feet away. The adjustment range is from fully seated to the point where the socket
"O" Ring starts to leave the surrounding screw shell. The "flood" lens need not be focused. Replace the lamp
: Avoid touching the new bulb with your skin as
NOTE
assembly in the lamp housing, trying to dress the wires away from each other as much as possible. There is
no key to align, but the flood assembly should be rotated to obtain a desirable pattern angle. Replace the
rubber ring.
BATTERY REPLACEMENT
Read Safety before replacing battery. The battery compartment is accessible at the bottom of the unit by
removing the six (6) base screws. Remove the base of the lantern and the gasket. Disconnect the old battery,
taking care not to stress the wiring harness or battery tabs. Slowly pull the battery out and remove the foam
pad. Inspect the wiring, making sure that the wires run in their proper channels and are not pinched. This is
to prevent shorting the battery, which may cause a fire. Insert the foam spacer and place the new battery
into the upper half of the lantern with the terminals toward the switch side and the positive (red) terminal
nearest to the circuit board. Connect the red wire to the positive (+) tab of the battery and the black wire to
the negative (-) tab. Reversing these connections will damage the LiteBox. Replace the gasket and cover
using moderate torque on the six (6) base screws.
: The sealed lead acid battery in this product is recyclable. At the end of its useful life, under various
NOTE
country and state laws, it may be illegal to dispose of this battery in the municipal solid waste stream.
Check with your local solid waste officials for details in your area for recycling options or proper disposal.
POWER REQUIREMENT OF VEHICLE MOUNTED SYSTEMS
This section describes the load which a LiteBox puts on a vehicle electrical system and suggests ways to
deal with the situation.
After a complete discharge, charging a single LiteBox will consume 14 ampere-hours (Ah) from a 12 volt
DC source in the first 24 hours, and one Ah each 24 hours thereafter. If the vehicle stands unused, without
supplemental battery charging, the LiteBox will remove the above capacity directly form the vehicle battery if
it is left connected at all times and would eventually drain the battery fully.
The typical car battery is 50 to 70 Ah, while a truck battery may be over 100 Ah. In cold weather, even a
15% loss of vehicle battery capacity could cause hard starting.
We recommend you take one of the following actions to keep your vehicle and LiteBox working well together:
1. Use the vehicle daily which keeps the vehicle battery charged and, in turn, the LiteBox.
2. Wire the LiteBox to the switched side of the ignition. The drawback to this is that while the vehicle battery
does not get drained during periods of inactivity, the LiteBox might never receive a full charge.
3. The best solution is to equip the vehicle with a supplemental trickle charger which is connected to AC
power when the vehicle is standing. The advantages to this setup are that your vehicle battery will
always be topped up, other power accessories can be added to the electrical system, and you may
obtain longer vehicle battery life. Such chargers are available from several manufacturers. Your fire equip-
ment distributor should be able to help.