Going commercial

[wietefras]

Yeah mine is supposed to provide 400W to the leds and it's drawing 440W from the wall. That's way too much for the rated efficiency.

But then I read that the output can be between 102% to 108% when you leave the DIM wires unconnected. Haven't checked the actual power going to the leds but that could be causing the higher than expected output and draw.

 

[AquariusPanta]

All the ones I've tested have been over the rated current.

The rated current of the driver itself? Can you give me an example?

@wietefras

Are you running anything else from the wall with that cob setup, such as fans+fan for driver?

 

[Airwalker16]

240-1750 and 185-1400 at the moment, 320-2100 when it's available in Spring.

Can I run a single 12v fan too? What do you need to do to have the cobs and fan all turn on with one wall plug? Also, where the 185-1400 & 240-1750 both have max output of 143v, you can JUST run 4 3590's right? So what's the difference between the two? Just that the 240 runs them at a higher wattage?

 

[Fastslappy]

A good % compromise would be a 185 -1050 to drive 4 3580's
If I've done my reading & correctly understood it ;/

 

[dionysus4]

Can I run a single 12v fan too? What do you need to do to have the cobs and fan all turn on with one wall plug? Also, where the 185-1400 & 240-1750 both have max output of 143v, you can JUST run 4 3590's right? So what's the difference between the two? Just that the 240 runs them at a higher wattage?

fans need constant voltage so no u need another driver

 

[Rahz]

The rated current of the driver itself? Can you give me an example?

What I'm saying is that if you are comparing the actual wattage to the expected wattage it would be a mistake to assume higher than expected wattage is waste. Have you been testing the current on the DC side? I've gotten between 102 and 105%. Never tested a HLG that used 100% or less. If you have examples of that I look forward to seeing the test results in one of your threads. I assume you don't use HLG drivers?

Can I run a single 12v fan too? What do you need to do to have the cobs and fan all turn on with one wall plug? Also, where the 185-1400 & 240-1750 both have max output of 143v, you can JUST run 4 3590's right? So what's the difference between the two? Just that the 240 runs them at a higher wattage?

Split the AC to your drivers with a terminal block or some wago connectors. The 240-1750 has a higher current (thus wattage) than a 185-1400.

 

[wietefras]

@wietefras

Are you running anything else from the wall with that cob setup, such as fans+fan for driver?

Probably, but would that really matter? The watt meter should correct for distortions of the sine wave caused by the device itself.

I guess I should measure the actually power on the output to be sure where the issue is.

 

[Airwalker16]

What I'm saying is that if you are comparing the actual wattage to the expected wattage it would be a mistake to assume higher than expected wattage is waste. Have you been testing the current on the DC side? I've gotten between 102 and 105%. Never tested a HLG that used 100% or less. If you have examples of that I look forward to seeing the test results in one of your threads. I assume you don't use HLG drivers?



Split the AC to your drivers with a terminal block or some wago connectors. The 240-1750 has a higher current (thus wattage) than a 185-1400.

Okay and higher wattage means less lumens and more heat? And home depot sells some sweet terminal blocks ( http://m.homedepot.com/p/Contractor-s-Choice-Purple-6-Port-Push-In-Wire-Connector-50-Pack-67245-0/204071445 ) but what do you mean split it? So if you don't run a fan, the ac side is where you connect the common neutral and ground to the wall plug? & if you do run a fan, you have to do what? You mean pair the grounds, hots, and neutrals together, individually, and then connect the paired wires of both drivers to the 3 wires of the walls plug?

 

[Airwalker16]

185-1400 is 50ish watts & 240-1750 is 61ish right?

 

[Rahz]

Okay and higher wattage means less lumens and more heat? And home depot sells some sweet terminal blocks ( http://m.homedepot.com/p/Contractor-s-Choice-Purple-6-Port-Push-In-Wire-Connector-50-Pack-67245-0/204071445 ) but what do you mean split it? So if you don't run a fan, the ac side is where you connect the common neutral and ground to the wall plug? & if you do run a fan, you have to do what? You mean pair the grounds, hots, and neutrals together, individually, and then connect the paired wires of both drivers to the 3 wires of the walls plug?

Yes, you will use the terminal blocks to connect the LED driver and fan driver to a common AC cord.

185-1400 is 50ish watts & 240-1750 is 61ish right?

That's right, 50 ish and 62 ish.

 

[Rahz]

Okay and higher wattage means less lumens and more heat?

Higher wattage always means more heat. It may or may not mean more lumens, depending on what's causing the increase in power usage.

 

[Airwalker16]

I meant to reply to a different post om sorry rahz haha.

 

[Airwalker16]

Yes, you will use the terminal blocks to connect the LED driver and fan driver to a common AC cord.



That's right, 50 ish and 62 ish.

So in the picture of that home depot wago, would I need just 3 hole connectors so I could connect the like wires with the acs? Adding 2 holes for each additional fan and driver I'd want to run on 12v or split the driver for 2 fans at 6v each right?

 

[Rahz]

That's running at just barely 37-39 watts. Too low for my liking where they can handle 138W or so.

I'm not sure what you mean.

So in the picture of that home depot wago, would I need just 3 hole connectors so I could connect the like wires with the acs?

Yes, a couple 3 port connectors would do the trick for 1 fan driver and 1 led driver.

 

[Airwalker16]

I'm not sure what you mean.



Yes, a couple 3 port connectors would do the trick for 1 fan driver and 1 led driver.

I meant to reply to another post I'm sorry haha.




Yeah they do look tacky though. Soldering and heat shrinking is the best and cleanest looking way huh.

 

[Airwalker16]

A good % compromise would be a 185 -1050 to drive 4 3580's
If I've done my reading & correctly understood it ;/

That's running at just barely 37-39 watts. Too low for my liking where they can handle 138W or so.

 

[Rahz]

The look neat enough. How will you use shrink tubing to wrap 3 wires?

 

[Rahz]

That's running at just barely 37-39 watts. Too low for my liking where they can handle 138W or so.

Agreed. the 185-1050 can accommodate 5 rather than 4. Good if you don't mind springing for the extra cob.

 

[Airwalker16]

The look neat enough. How will you use shrink tubing to wrap 3 wires?

Well electrical tape for the final wrapping between the wall cord and all the soldered wires that have been individually soldered and shrink wrapped.

 

[Airwalker16]

Agreed. the 185-1050 can accommodate 5 rather than 4. Good if you don't mind springing for the extra cob.

I will be buying 12 cobs total. 9-4000k and 3-5500k. I've read too much about 3000s and 3500s really not being that great for flowering.
But anywho, 3 36" 5.886Width heatsinks with 4 cobs (3&1 lensed cobs on each). Just like growmau5's set up. His are passively cooled and seems to work but I want to add a fan in the middle for the hell of it. I also plan to add 2-"U"shaped pieces of sheet metal, 1 on either side of the fan the length of the rest of the heatsink that wrap around the end fins and screw into place. (Fan being roughly 5" 120mm) I guess 2 pieces at 15 1/2". This makes the fan blow down the fin channels more efficiently instead of blowing and not reaching the end cobs. Does that make sense and do you think that's a good way to cool the heatsinks? Even though it's not needed. I would just mount the drivers to one of the pieces of sheet metal. Or since there's about a 1/2" gap on either side of the width from the edge of the fan to edge of heat sink, I could just have one solid 36"x7.886"(5.886" with the bends) U shaped piece of sheet metal with a hole cut through the center for the fan. That'd probably look cleaner.