Bridgelux EB Series Build

Yes the home hardware lampwire is definitely stranded, but I just thought I'd suggest it as a convenient backup source for something that will at least get the job done, and can be found locally. They sell it at the counter off of 'bulk' rolls.\

And I'm having some very odd behaviour with this last rogue strip. I rewired the strip to the driver and it would light up normally for about 10 seconds, and then would start to blink slowly and irregularly (i.e. not the rapid regular blinking that I was getting when the strip was overloaded)..

EDIT: I just tried giving the strip a quick wipe down with my fingers, rubbing over the TC points, and after plugging back in the strip appears to stay lit up! Is it possible some dust or something was causing a short, or maybe a temperature misreading was causing the light to blink?

Is there an instruction manual for these lights? I assume that the different blinking patterns are trying to tell me something?

A guy on Kijiji is selling a couple HLG-240H-48B as well as 30B, 36B and 54B.
Which of these would be best suited for a small clone light using 2ft strips?
Maybe a 2x2 light roughly.

Serva said:

Randomblame explained it here:
https://www.rollitup.org/t/bridgelux-eb-series-build.928676/page-64#post-13875671

Do you have a led controller? Otherwise I would suggest the A version, with build in poti, because 120w = 30w/sqft as veg light seems to be too much. I am using 10w/sqft as pure veg light 14 strips/50w (2 x 2.5 ft).

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Thanks for the reply. Yeah I was doing the math as though i needed 30-40w/spft i guess that is only during flower. I'll have to find a driver with a little less current

StreetPreacher said:

Yes the home hardware lampwire is definitely stranded, but I just thought I'd suggest it as a convenient backup source for something that will at least get the job done, and can be found locally.

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If you want solid copper wire locally go to an irrigation supply store. They use 18 gauge solid copper wire in their applications. It's actually the only place I have found locally that has solid copper wire in 18 gauge. They sell it here for about 15 cents a foot.

CanadianDank said:

A guy on Kijiji is selling a couple HLG-240H-48B as well as 30B, 36B and 54B.
Which of these would be best suited for a small clone light using 2ft strips?
Maybe a 2x2 light roughly.

Click to expand...

Strips have 21-22v, so 48 seems to work in this case. But 240w for a small clone light? 2x2? What‘s the size of the clone area?

Serva said:

Strips have 21-22v, so 48 seems to work in this case. But 240w for a small clone light? 2x2? What‘s the size of the clone area?

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It's undertimined..
Yeah I guess I wasn't thinking 240w is crazy for a small space haha.
I was just trying to figure a way I could put these to use. I've never wired parallel and I don't quite understand how that would work.
I'm very new to this, but just though maybe I could build the light around the driver if that makes sense.

So if i'm growing peppers as well do you still think 10w/spft is Ok. I will be using part of my closet as a veg spot and also the permanent home for up to 3 peppers. It's a 2.5x5 area. I want 12 of the 2' EB series with 6 each on a HLG120H-24A (I want build 2.) So around 17.6w/spft think that good enough to fruit pepper plants while not killing my vegging plants?

Serva said:

F562B vs Q562B (4000K)
25,8 vs 9,9 V (Power Consumption)
4500 vs 2000 lm (Luminous Flux)
175 vs 203 lm/W (Luminous Efficacy)
72 vs 40 (LED‘s)

Wave length charts don‘t show any major diffrence.

https://www.samsung.com/global/business/business-images/led/file/product/products/201607/Data_Sheet_LM561C_Rev.7.0.pdf
https://www.samsung.com/global/business/business-images/led/file/product/products/201709/Data_Sheet_LM301B_CRI80_Rev.2.3.pdf

Just because of the numbers, I would always prefer Q over F. My reason: 100 LED‘s @25W, covering 2,5x more space than F series. This allows me to have a more diffuse light. So please tell me more, why F series is better?!

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You need to move 10000 Lbs of rosin from Sonoma to LA and you have a choice - Diesel F250 with 10 mpg or Prius with 50 mpg. - great difference in efficiency, right? But F250 will be more effective in doing so with less runs, bottom line - less $ spend on gas with F250 and less time spent due to the fact that you will need to make way less runs with F250 instead of your efficient Prius to get this task accomplished...

And that's not even including the cost of losing your reputation and status as a man for driving a Prius and the emotional scarring that will have ramifications for years to come.

Serva said:

Strips have 21-22v, so 48 seems to work in this case. But 240w for a small clone light? 2x2? What‘s the size of the clone area?

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Would I be able to wire 8 2ft strips on parallel to a 240h-48?

I guess I would need a resistor to bring the voltage down to about 21 volts right?

I'm trying to learn so I appreciate your patience haha

CanadianDank said:

Would I be able to wire 8 2ft strips on parallel to a 240h-48?

I guess I would need a resistor to bring the voltage down to about 21 volts right?

I'm trying to learn so I appreciate your patience haha

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You shouldn't need a resistor, the voltage is adjustable

Ok, I will try... Someone correct me please, if I am wrong!

The voltage is divided in a series circuit. So you need series circuit, to get in a proper voltage range (48/2=24). So either 2 cluster of 4 strips in parallel, which are connected in series, or 4 cluster of 2 strips in series, connected parallel.

But you will run the strips near maximum (~1300/1400ma), so I would suggest atleast some c-channel as heatsink to be safe, though the latest measurment we saw, were pretty awesome relating this topic!

And also read this post: https://www.rollitup.org/t/bridgelux-eb-series-build.928676/page-64#post-13875671

Serva said:

Ok, I will try... Someone correct me please, if I am wrong!

The voltage is divided in a series circuit. So you need series circuit, to get in a proper voltage range (48/2=24). So either 2 cluster of 4 strips in parallel, which are connected in series, or 4 cluster of 2 strips in series, connected parallel.

But you will run the strips near maximum (~1300/1400ma), so I would suggest atleast some c-channel as heatsink to be safe, though the latest measurment we saw, were pretty awesome relating this topic!

And also read this post: https://www.rollitup.org/t/bridgelux-eb-series-build.928676/page-64#post-13875671

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Thank you, I was thinking there may be a way I could wire them to divide the voltage, but was not sure.

For me, in Canada, the shipping and taxes when the drivers are imported here gets pricey, so I would really like to make use of what I can source locally.

I will consider this

Serva said:

Ok, I will try... Someone correct me please, if I am wrong!

The voltage is divided in a series circuit. So you need series circuit, to get in a proper voltage range (48/2=24). So either 2 cluster of 4 strips in parallel, which are connected in series, or 4 cluster of 2 strips in series, connected parallel.

But you will run the strips near maximum (~1300/1400ma), so I would suggest atleast some c-channel as heatsink to be safe, though the latest measurment we saw, were pretty awesome relating this topic!

And also read this post: https://www.rollitup.org/t/bridgelux-eb-series-build.928676/page-64#post-13875671

Click to expand...

Would the current be different depending on which way you wired the lights. Like with the 2 clusters of 4 strips wired in parallel, the 5 amps would be divided by 4 right and shared between the 2 clusters. Just thought it through and I guess either way there is a 4 way parallel wiring to divide the current.

CanadianDank said:

Thank you, I was thinking there may be a way I could wire them to divide the voltage, but was not sure.

For me, in Canada, the shipping and taxes when the drivers are imported here gets pricey, so I would really like to make use of what I can source locally.

I will consider this

Click to expand...

mouser.ca ships orders over $100 for free
futureelectronics ships for $7.50 up to 100lbs

Kenny Grows said:

Would the current be different depending on which way you wired the lights. Like with the 2 clusters of 4 strips wired in parallel, the 5 amps would be divided by 4 right and shared between the 2 clusters. Just thought it through and I guess either way there is a 4 way parallel wiring to divide the current.

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I think it would result into the same. Maybe there is some electronic/physic rule, so you should prefer one way, but I don‘t know! Maybe @Randomblame may help you? Before I tell you some bullshit, getting you in danger...

@Kenny Grows
Screenie below shows a series parallel circuit with 6 clusters of 4 strips in parallel. When each strip need 22,5v, 6 clusters in series would need 135vf. The current, 1750mA in this example is divided thru the 6 clusters and each cluster/each strip would run at 291,67mA.
Do not mind the fact that this is a CC driver, it works the same way with a CV/CC driver. We only have a lower voltage that only lasts for 2 strips in series.

If you take a 48v driver you need to wire two strips in series to match the driver voltage. A-Series Meanwells with 48v are only adjustable within 43 and 53v also it's constant current region is between 24 and 48v. It would not work with 8 strips in parallel and the strips would probably only starts blinking.
So in pricip you need only to copy the way the first 2 clusters are wired. The HLG-240H-48A is a 5,2A driver, so each strip would get around 1,3A. The voltage at 1,3A should be ~23,3v for each strip, total voltage of the circuit would be 46,6v@65°C. When switched on at 20°C they suck up to 48v or more so I would recommend to turn up the voltage potentiometer to at least 49v (or up to the stop when you do not own an A/V Meter). The strips takes only as much voltage as they need also with voltage poti fully open. The voltage poti is only for adjusting the minimum voltage and the current poti is for dimming within 50 and 100%.

@Serva
Thanks for all the links and help.

@Randomblame
Thanks for holding my hand and guiding me through combination wiring. I see now that wiring the main clusters in series i would multiply the Vf of a single strip by the number of clusters to find my needed output V. Then just divide the driver's current by number of clusters to get each strips mA. You just saved me $40 and hrs of troubleshooting. Is there any benifit to having the cluster wired together in parallel?

My digi-key shopping cart changed, and I got a date now for EB gen2 1ft 3500+5000:

12/27/2017

So a few more weeks...

Kenny Grows said:

@Serva
Thanks for all the links and help.

@Randomblame
Thanks for holding my hand and guiding me through combination wiring. I see now that wiring the main clusters in series i would multiply the Vf of a single strip by the number of clusters to find my needed output V. Then just divide the driver's current by number of clusters to get each strips mA. You just saved me $40 and hrs of troubleshooting. Is there any benifit to having the cluster wired together in parallel?

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Lower voltage are not lethal. That's the main benefit!
Therefore, I generally recommend using a CV / CC driver with a voltage between 12-54v, especially if you have no clue in electronics. You can use them for COB's with up to 50v, like Vero29b, or for 12v flex strips and hardstrips like F- or EB-series with 24v. They are available in many options and the higher voltage ones, above 36vf, are usually a bit more efficient.