smokey the cat
Well-Known Member
Ok I'll bite, this talk about drivers is exactly what I'm trying to get my head around in designing a tiny DIY solution using vero. I've been looking at them for a micro grow - 2.2 square feet, only 90cm high. I'm envisaging a dimmable Vero string with 3 emitters in 3500k or 4000k, and a dimmable 16W string of red+far-red osram.
I want to be able to veg and flower so I need some with a bit of blue in the spectrum, so will be choosing slightly cooler Vero and having seperate red. The colder Vero are more efficient than the 2700k, which is nice.
Ok - Vero choice. I had been thinking of 3 x Vero 13 and running them at "max" current - say just over 1000ma. This gives me about 90W, though efficiency drops near max - the data sheet shows is only 180% when current is 200% of nominal.
Thinking about this though - the Vero 18 is around the same voltage, it just runs on twice the current. Wouldn't I be better of running 3 x Vero 18 and running them gently - say at the nominal 1050ma? Price difference is negligible.
The costly part of this is the driver. I'm looking for an a/c dimmable driver that puts out around 30V with enough current to drive three Vero in parallel. Here is Meanwell:
HLG-100-30 - 3.2A max - enough for 3x Vero13 @ max current 1060ma, or 3 x Vero18 at nominal
HLG-120-30 - 4A max - 1300ma per Vero
HLG-150-30 - 5A max - 1650ma per Vero - enough to push the Vero 18, but not to "max"
I'd love a regulated DC PSU like you have Pico, but I'm downunder and they're hard to find second hand. So I'll probably buy meanwell from the states and get pay heaps for shipping.
What driver-emitter combo looks good? I'm thinking Vero18 and the 100W @ 1060ma or 150W @ 1650ma Am I thinking of too much power? I only have 2.2 square feet.
Any thoughts?
To refresh everone's brain here is the Vero range, "max" current/watts is ~2x nominal, with headroom above that again.
Vero 10
Nominal Current 350mA, 26.7V, 9.3W
Vero 13
500mA, 32.5V, 16.2W
Vero 18
1050mA, 29.5V, 31W
Vero 29
2100mA, 38.6V, 81W
I want to be able to veg and flower so I need some with a bit of blue in the spectrum, so will be choosing slightly cooler Vero and having seperate red. The colder Vero are more efficient than the 2700k, which is nice.
Ok - Vero choice. I had been thinking of 3 x Vero 13 and running them at "max" current - say just over 1000ma. This gives me about 90W, though efficiency drops near max - the data sheet shows is only 180% when current is 200% of nominal.
Thinking about this though - the Vero 18 is around the same voltage, it just runs on twice the current. Wouldn't I be better of running 3 x Vero 18 and running them gently - say at the nominal 1050ma? Price difference is negligible.
The costly part of this is the driver. I'm looking for an a/c dimmable driver that puts out around 30V with enough current to drive three Vero in parallel. Here is Meanwell:
HLG-100-30 - 3.2A max - enough for 3x Vero13 @ max current 1060ma, or 3 x Vero18 at nominal
HLG-120-30 - 4A max - 1300ma per Vero
HLG-150-30 - 5A max - 1650ma per Vero - enough to push the Vero 18, but not to "max"
I'd love a regulated DC PSU like you have Pico, but I'm downunder and they're hard to find second hand. So I'll probably buy meanwell from the states and get pay heaps for shipping.
What driver-emitter combo looks good? I'm thinking Vero18 and the 100W @ 1060ma or 150W @ 1650ma Am I thinking of too much power? I only have 2.2 square feet.
Any thoughts?
To refresh everone's brain here is the Vero range, "max" current/watts is ~2x nominal, with headroom above that again.
Vero 10
Nominal Current 350mA, 26.7V, 9.3W
Vero 13
500mA, 32.5V, 16.2W
Vero 18
1050mA, 29.5V, 31W
Vero 29
2100mA, 38.6V, 81W