Trail Hound Frequently Asked Questions
What are the functions of each button?
How much energy do the lights use?
The lights are incredibly energy efficient. On max power, they only use 3.5 watts of power.
To estimate how large of a battery you will need:
A good rule of thumb is, you will get at least 1 hour of light on max brightness for every 1,000 mAh in the battery. The lights on max brightness use about 700 mAh / hour. (ie: an 8,000 mAh battery should get you between 8-10 hours of light)
When I plug the lights in they just blink. How do I change the setting?
Click the bottom reset arrow button to return to solid light mode.
Click on the button with the three dots to change to a different mode. You can also adjust the speed of the mode by clicking the +/- button.
When I plug my lights into my battery, they turn on but shut off after 30 seconds?
Press the +/- button on the dimmer to turn the lights to a higher brightness. On the lowest dimmer settings, the lights require such little power to run that some portable battery packs don’t register anything as being plugged in and auto shut off.
Are the Trail Hound lights waterproof?
Yes, the Trail Hound lights are waterproof up to the electronic connection point. While the lights ARE waterproof, they are not intended for underwater use.
Do the multi-color lights have a white light option? And are they programmable?
The multi-color lights do not cycle through different colors and are not programmable. Each individual light on the strand is set as a certain color (warm white, cool white, red, green, etc.).
Can multiple strands of the Trail Hound lights be strung together/daisy chained end to end?
No. However, you can run multiple lights off one USB port with a 3rd Party USB hub or USB line splitter. Additionally, if you have a power source with multiple USB ports, you can plug in multiple strands placing the power source in the middle.
How much power does the Trail Hound lights draw?
The patented technology in the Trail Hound Lights is designed to give you the brightest light over the longest distance while using the least amount of energy off a standard 5V USB power source.
- The lights on MAX power and brightness take on average ~3.5 Watts to run. (5V, 0.7A)
- Some of the colored chips can have a slightly lower power draw (~3Watt).
- The built in dimmer allows you to conserve energy.
- The dimmer the setting, the longer they will run before your power source needs to be recharged.
- Each step down on the dimmer reduces power draw by roughly 12% power.
- We recommend a battery around 8,000mAh for a reliable full night of max brightness
- For reference, our 8,000mAh Day Tripper Solar Pack will run our soft white lights on max brightness for about 6 hours, and one step down on the dimmer will add about one additional hour of run time.
Are the color changing lights programmable?
No
What’s the difference between ‘warm white (dimmable) and warm white (natural)?
There is no difference. All lights except color change have been upgraded to include the built in dimmer and mode function.
Do the lights have to be plugged into a power source to work or can they be charged? What kind of power sources work?
Yes, the lights do need to be plugged into a 5V USB power source (i.e. solar pack, portable battery pack, USB wall socket, USB phone adapter, computer, etc). We recommend our Day Tripper Solar Pack .
The wires on my Trail Hound have broken, how do I repair them?
Please do not try to repair broken lights. Instead, email support@revelgear.com to start a warranty claim.
Do you have any tips on how to unspool the Trail Hound lights?
Take your time with the first unspooling!
Undo the velcro tie, and locate the end of the strand that is farthest from the USB cable. Gently uncoil the farthest end of the strand until it is free to unravel.
Hold the bundle of lights in one hand and use the other hand to begin guiding the farthest end outwards and away from the bunch. Go slowly and it will uncoil smoothly without getting tangled.
Once your light strand is fully extended, carefully run your fingers along the strand to remove the wire’s memory and straighten the line. This will make it easier for all future use.
Do you have any tips on how to respool the Trail Hound lights for storage?
Locate the end of the strand that is farthest from the USB cable. Use your hand as a “spool” and begin winding the wire around your hand in a circular motion.
Important: Leave approximately 3 inches of slack at the farthest end of the strand which will later be used to secure the bundle of lights once all 30 feet are wound up.
Carefully wind up all 30 feet of wire around your hand until you reach the USB cable.
Take the 3 inches of slack from the farthest end of the strand and recoil it around the bundle of lights.
Lastly, secure the USB cable to the bundle of lights using the included velcro tie.
Any other PRO Tips?
-Buttons function by a quick push of the button, no need to push and hold.
-Each dimmer level reduces power consumption by ~12%
-Dimming the lights one level can save you energy without a noticeable change in brightness.
-Some portable batteries have automatic shut off features if they do not detect a plugged in device. On the lowest settings, our lights use so little energy that some batteries will automatically turn off thinking that nothing is plugged in.