frequently asked questions

choosing a light

What's included in a light kit?

Dynamo lighting kits include the light, handlebar bracket or fork crown bracket adapter, connecting cables fitted with the correct connectors including rear light wiring if appropriate, cable ties for tidying wiring up, and instruction manuals.

Battery lighting kits include the light, handlebar bracket, battery, charger, mains cable (power cord) for your country, battery doubler cable for twin battery sets, and instruction manuals.

Will a 1203D or 1203DR work with my dynamo?

The 1203D and 1203DR will work with Schmidt, Shimano and modern Sturmey Archer hub dynamos. They may also work with SRAM hub dynamos but have not been tested with them.

Even though the dynamo is rated at 6 volts, 3 watts, the special electronics in Solidlights can extract more power from it. This does not pose any risk to the dynamo.

They will not work with any bottle dynamos at the moment.

Can I use a 1203D on more than one bike?

Yes, you can. Just order another handlebar bracket and the right connecting cable for the other bike's dynamo and you'll be able to swap the light between more than one bike, even if they have different types of dynamo hub.

How long are the wires on a 1203D or 1203DR?

The cables included with 1203D and 1203DR kits are 1m long to the dynamo and 1.5m long to the rear light. They're the same length in both handlebar and fork crown versions. Some cable ties are supplied so that you can wrap up any spare cable neatly and securely.

Which rear light should I use?

The 1203DR should work with any standard dynamo rear light rated at 6V 0.6W. We use a 1203DR with a Busch and Muller DToplight Plus and it works very well.

Does using a rear light with a 1203DR reduce the power of the front light?

Although the rear light draws a little power from the dynamo, the difference in the brightness of the front light is hard to discern with the naked eye and almost impossible to see when riding, so there's no need to be concerned about it.

Why don't you sell the 1203DR for Shimano hub dynamos?

We do! But there's a catch.

The electronics in the 1203DR provide a constant, smooth supply to the rear light regardless of the variations in power coming from the dynamo. To do this the connections to the dynamo and the rear light need to be kept completely separate.

Shimano hub dynamos have one wire connected to the bike frame, as do the majority of dynamo rear lights. This creates a short-circuit which confuses the electronics in the 1203DR and results in a dim, flickering light.

It's easy to work round this problem with a simple modification to the rear light, shown in this document. However, because this modification is required, we don't sell the 1203DR for Shimano dynamos as standard.

If you are prepared to do this modification and would like a 1203DR to use with your Shimano hub dynamo, please contact us and we'll happily sell you one. The kits (part number 40044 with handlebar bracket, 40055 with fork crown bracket adapter) are the same prices as the Schmidt versions.

What sort of bracket should I use for fork crown mounting?

Versions of the 1203D and 1203DR designed for fork crown mounting are not supplied with the fork crown mounting bracket itself. This is because there are a wide variety of different brackets suitable for different bikes, different brakes, and different positions. A selection of different light mounting brackets are available from most bike shops.

However, we've had good results with the Thorn alloy headlamp bracket from St John Street Cycles. It's a good match for Solidlights in both fit and robustness. Note: we have no connection with St John Street Cycles except as satisfied customers.

technical tips

Can I shorten the wiring to my 1203D?

Yes, you can. It won't invalidate your warranty, but please take care that all connections are clean and firm to avoid unreliability.

Is it OK to use the 1203DR without a rear light connected?

Yes. The electronics in the 1203DR automatically redirect the available power to the front light if there's no rear light connected.

There's condensation inside my light! What should I do?

Although we take great care to keep the weather out of Solidlights, sometimes after prolonged use in the rain a little moisture can creep in as the light cools down. No damage will be done as long as the light is allowed to dry.

Simply unscrew the four side screws holding on the side panel with the Solidlights logo on it and pull off the panel. Leave the light in a warm place such as an airing cupboard for a a few hours and it will dry naturally. Reassemble it being careful to get the seal in place and avoid overtightening the screws.

We've made various improvements to the seals on Solidlights over the years, most notably longer fixing screws and an improved material for the 'o' rings. If you think your light could benefit from upgraded seals, contact us and we'll work out what's best for your light.

What sort of LEDs do Solidlights use?

All current Solidlights products use Lumileds Luxeon III LEDs, which we find give the best combination of reliability, brightness and beam shape. For the technically-minded, we use brightness bin 'T', which means 67.2 to 87.4 lumens per LED under test conditions. See Lumileds data sheet AB21 for more information.

I want to make my own cables. What sort of connectors do you use and how are they wired?

Solidlights use the Binder '710' series of locking connectors, which are available from various electronics distributors including RS and Farnell in the UK. They are wired like this:

2-pin connectors (1203D)

1. (blue wire) dynamo or battery
2. (red wire) dynamo or battery

3-pin connectors (1103 and 1303)

1. (blue wire) battery negative
2. (red wire) battery positive
3. (green wire) remote control/programming data - ignore this one if you're just connecting up a battery

4-pin connectors (1203DR)

1. (blue wire) dynamo or battery
2. (red wire) dynamo or battery
3. (green wire) rear light negative
4. (yellow wire) rear light positive

Note that the 1203D and 1203DR don't care which way round a battery is connected.

I want to use my own battery. What voltages are OK?

Model	Minimum voltage	Maximum voltage
1203D 1203DR	6.5V	20V
1103	6.6V	16V
1303	6.6V	11.5V

sales and export

Can you do tax-free sales for export?

Yes. For sales outside the EU we can remove the 17.5% UK VAT from the prices of lights and accessories. We still have to charge VAT on shipping, but the overall saving is worthwhile. Please bear in mind that taxes may be due when your order enters your country. Contact us if you would like to place an order for export.