Fanleaf's Huge 42 COB Array Build Plus Other Builds

[fanleaf]

I gotta check my source voltage, when I installed my 100a sub panel I was getting 122v, according to display meter I'm at 119v. I have a Vd somewhere

Hey man. 1 thing I noticed with these meters that we all use. If you turn the power down on the driver you can
usually see the wall voltage reading go up a volt or 2. Them as you crank up the power you will see it fall again. This is just shhowing a slight bottleneck in these meters. It's nothing to worry about really. All of these meters do it. I still love to use them.

 

[Buckshot317]

Hey man. 1 thing I noticed with these meters that we all use. If you turn the power down on the driver you can
usually see the wall voltage reading go up a volt or 2. Them as you crank up the power you will see it fall again. This is just shhowing a slight bottleneck in these meters. It's nothing to worry about really. All of these meters do it. I still love to use them.

Yes, I've noticed the same readings, turn down voltage goes up, turn up goes down. Has anyone tried the D.C. Displays. I bought 10 of them to try. I was wanting to use a dc per driver, then 1 ac for group of drivers. That way I can see wall pull, and the power going to cobs. I got a little worried earlier when I saw low bolts, but all is good.

 

[fanleaf]

I run 4 vero29 se's on hlg240-1750's and see 220w all day long.. I have 4 of these strings, all the same.. Yes forward voltage is being limited a bit, but works just fine for me...

Guys, this is Ohms Law and cannot be argued. Ohms law is Ohms law. It's not my law. It's settled science.
Look guys. This driver has ONLY 143 volts to be used and stay within constant current mode. 143 volts divided by 4 cobs is 35.75 volts per chip that the driver can output and stay constant current. At 35.75 volts the 29SE chip runs at about 1.2 amps or 1200,mA. You cannot make the chip run at 1.4 amps or 1.5 amps or anything in between at 35.75 volts. That is simply ohms law. If this chip is provided 35.75 volts the maximum current it can use is 1.2 amps. This is not for debate it's Ohms law. 35.75X1.2=42.9 watts per chip or times 4 chips is 171.6 watts give or take a few watts for driver specs at the drivers peak constant current mode voltage!

This is simply the wrong damn driver for 4 of the 29SE chips. Just because it lights up and looks pretty don't mean it's right. If you are seeing more than 175W from 4 of the 29SE chips you are nothing but lucky but at the same time your driver is no longer in Constant Current mode like it should be.

 

[fanleaf]

Yes, I've noticed the same readings, turn down voltage goes up, turn up goes down. Has anyone tried the D.C. Displays. I bought 10 of them to try. I was wanting to use a dc per driver, then 1 ac for group of drivers. That way I can see wall pull, and the power going to cobs. I got a little worried earlier when I saw low bolts, but all is good.

I have some but haven't used them yet. The reason I havent used them is the convenience of having the AC meters up by the controls without adding a shit ton of wire in my case. What's the max DC voltage on the ones you got?

 

[Buckshot317]

Up to 300v, here's a pic off amazon, can get cheaper on ebay

 

[fanleaf]

That's AC bro.

 

[Buckshot317]

Yea that's why I haven't used yet, cluster of wires. I have a 36 in by 36in by 8in deep stainless Hoffman box, thinking about using. Would like to have all controls in one box. Getting ready to put drip system in, I think whole system will look cleaner in one box

 

[fanleaf]

Yea that's why I haven't used yet, cluster of wires. I have a 36 in by 36in by 8in deep stainless Hoffman box, thinking about using. Would like to have all controls in one box. Getting ready to put drip system in, I think whole system will look cleaner in one box

By the way... I sent you an email.

 

[Buckshot317]

I have the D.C. Ones for sure, I'm not close to my equipment to take pic. I jumped on amazon to get pic, sorry snapped wrong pic.

 

[fanleaf]

I have the D.C. Ones for sure, I'm not close to my equipment to take pic. I jumped on amazon to get pic, sorry snapped wrong pic.

Gotcha. I kinda figured that but thought I should mention it. Yeah, to use them you have to increase the length of wire from the output of the driver to wherever you want the meter and then wire back to the chips. Wire loss can add up quick doing that so I haven't done it.

 

[Buckshot317]

Yes, I'm using #14 and #16 tinned silicon jacketed wire now. I'm running a little over 20 feet of wire between chips and drivers. That's why I went such big wire, I do a lot of overkill when it comes to wire size

 

[fanleaf]

Yes, I'm using #14 and #16 tinned silicon jacketed wire now. I'm running a little over 20 feet of wire between chips and drivers. That's why I went such big wire, I do a lot of overkill when it comes to wire size

Nothing wrong with that man. I keep my stuff under 1% loss as well.

 

[Buckshot317]

Here's a great book to have, everyone in electrical trade has, but comes in handy for these lights also.

 

[fanleaf]

Here's a great book to have, everyone in electrical trade has, but comes in handy for these lights also.

Loook at that Bro....Ohms Law right in the center! lol

 

[jr21]

Yes. I always run my 5000k's on a slightly bigger driver because they will run a bit cooler than the 3000k anyways. All my 5000k chips can run at 80w per chip and stay plenty cool. With 4 of them in a 4x4 room you can veg with just the four 5000k's if wanted. Myself I always still run my 3000k chips but really low.

4x80w on the 5000k chips can veg at 320 watts all by itself.

NICE!!! Thanks Fan


I'm getting ready to order my drivers and came up with this on excel:

I'm wondering why the HLG 480h-1400b is not used as often? Besides price, wouldn't this driver make large cob builds easier to manage/build?

For my 18 cob setup, I'm considering :
(1) HLG 480H-1400B (12 - 3000k cobs) = $140
(1) HLG 240h-2100b ( 6 - 5000k cobs) = $65 ($205 total)

vs.
(2) HLG 240h-1400b : for all 3000k = $130
(1) HLG 240h-2100b : for all 5000k = $65 ($195 total)

Am I missing something? Can someone shed some light on why buying more drivers is the norm?

 

[Buckshot317]

I didn't notice a 480h-1400b, I'm going to check in on that. You have more independent control from multiple drivers, more wires also lol

 

[Buckshot317]

NICE!!! Thanks Fan


I'm getting ready to order my drivers and came up with this on excel:

I'm wondering why the HLG 480h-1400b is not used as often? Besides price, wouldn't this driver make large cob builds easier to manage/build?

For my 18 cob setup, I'm considering :
(1) HLG 480H-1400B (12 - 3000k cobs) = $140
(1) HLG 240h-2100b ( 6 - 5000k cobs) = $65 ($205 total)

vs.
(2) HLG 240h-1400b : for all 3000k = $130
(1) HLG 240h-2100b : for all 5000k = $65 ($195 total)

Am I missing something? Can someone shed some light on why buying more drivers is the norm?

This spread you made. What milliamp did you use. I'm using 240h 1400b it only has 179 output volts

 

[jr21]

Sorry about that buck... I was doing this late last night and was using the rated power on the meanwells data sheet. I'll update in a bit.

 

[fanleaf]

NICE!!! Thanks Fan


I'm getting ready to order my drivers and came up with this on excel:

I'm wondering why the HLG 480h-1400b is not used as often? Besides price, wouldn't this driver make large cob builds easier to manage/build?

For my 18 cob setup, I'm considering :
(1) HLG 480H-1400B (12 - 3000k cobs) = $140
(1) HLG 240h-2100b ( 6 - 5000k cobs) = $65 ($205 total)

vs.
(2) HLG 240h-1400b : for all 3000k = $130
(1) HLG 240h-2100b : for all 5000k = $65 ($195 total)

Am I missing something? Can someone shed some light on why buying more drivers is the norm?

The 480h will push a crap load of amperage yes but its very low voltage so you run all of your chips in parallel not in series. Running them in series like 95% of us do is much safer for the LEDs. If you run them in parallel and one chip is not quite in line with the other ones and starts running hot it will go into what is called thermal Runaway. Basically a lot of money can go down the drain quickly. There are ways to deal with that but it's much quicker and safer to go in series.

 

[fanleaf]

Also running lower voltage but higher amperage with all of your chips in parallel means you have to run much thicker wires otherwise you are losing a lot in wiring. The higher the voltage the smaller the wires can be.