Time for a voluntary product review on an item I chose to use this fall because of my new interest in videotaping my hunts.
Retail Price: $24.99 (3 pack)
Good: The product is extremely easy to install and has such a large selection to fit such a wide array of manufactured arrows you can easily find one to match your arrow exactly and not have to tinker and make it fit with modifications.
I never once fired my bow and failed to have the Lumenok come on.
Bad: The light went out within 5 seconds of impact on 3 of my 5 archery shots this year in which I used a Lumenok. In one case, the Lumenok was shattered by the movement of a doe’s shoulder going back and forth so I can understand why it blinked off. In the other two cases, the arrow was carried off for 30-50 yards as the animal ran off and the Lumenok was off when the arrow fell to the ground.
The Lumenok works by creating a circuit with the arrow itself and any wiggling back of the Lumenok disconnects the circuit and Lumenok lighting. Other lighted arrow nocks work by other mechanisms. I know some work by passing by magnet activation and I would be very curious to see how consistently they work after impact is made.
Recommendation: I haven’t tried other lighted arrow nocks so I don’t know how their post-shot performance measures up to the Lumenok but I do plan on trying out another manufacturer when my last Lumenok is no more.
I hesitate to give the Lumenok a grade because I don’t have a reference to compare it to, but I will give it a B+. I have a very hard time finding a product that I don’t have at least some complaint about, so that grade will allow me wiggle room on both sides to review another lighted arrow nock in the future and compare it relative to the Lumenok.
If you shoot lighted arrow nocks, please let me know what your experience has been with post-impact performance in the comments section of this post. Be sure to specify which brand you are using. Thanks.
