Wiring help: troubleshooting a Quantum Board

[BirdieNumNum]

Just bought a used HLG QB288 V2 single Quantum Board.

I own several non HLG QBs

This one is running at about 30 to 50% brightness.

I suspect it has been mis wired - Can you help ?

The two wires (Grey and Black) from the Dim cable coming from the meanwell HLG=150H-54B driver have been joined via electrical connector block. So no potentiometer or dim switch has been fitted ( I have one on order)

The mains power cable is fine.

The board is wired to the Meanwell driver power out cable as in the pics.

What is wrong with it ?

Thanks in advance....

 

[TorturedSoul]

I own several non HLG QBs

Well, no you don't; Horticultural Lighting Group owns the patent on the Quantum Board. You might own a illegal clone/counterfeit, though, or a "near version" product.

This one is running at about 30 to 50% brightness.

I suspect it has been mis wired - Can you help ?

The two wires (Grey and Black) from the Dim cable coming from the meanwell HLG=150H-54B driver have been joined via electrical connector block.

Is there a resistor soldered in place at the connection point between the two wires? According to page 4 of this document:

https://www.meanwell.com/Upload/PDF/HLG-150H/HLG-150H-SPEC.PDF

...there are three possible dimming methodologies - applying 1 to 10 VDC additive voltage between the two dimming terminals, 10V PWM signal, or a resistor. Looks like, with only one power supply in the loop, a 30K one would reduce the output to 30% and a 50K one would reduce it to 50%. There is more in the document, including wiring diagrams, specifications, and how to add a switch and a relay to add an on/off function. I assume it will have the information you need.

 

[bluter]

when i open it in a separate window it looks like the dimmer side is wired to a nail

just what is that down there ? put a dimmer in for sure.

 

[BirdieNumNum]

Thank you both...


The dimmer wires (grey and black) are effectively just connected together - so no resistor - as per p4 of

https://www.meanwell.com/Upload/PDF/HLG-150H/HLG-150H-SPEC.PDF

So...as such (with no potentiometer/dimmer - or other 2 options as per above) it is running at 50 percent ?

If I install the correct potentiometer ..prob solved..?

So.. the dude that I bought it off possibly ...bought a DIY kit but didnt pay for potentiometer option and/or otherwise sourced the driver himself etc etc ... (no wonder hes selling it - unless something else is the issue)



As a complete electric/electronics novice...what is going on in a potentiometer / driver that varies the output with a potentiometer fitted but reduces to 50% output when dim wires are connected together ?

 

[TorturedSoul]

Come to think of it, ZERO resistance and an open circuit (which is normal, not connected to anything or each other) are two entirely different things. I'm surprised it's producing any light, or more than very little. Are you measuring its output with a PAR meter such as an Apogee MQ-500, something a lot less accurate... or your eyes? If the latter, those are notoriously inaccurate, lol, and it might be producing a lot less than you think.

If I had to guess, I'd guess that it's probably not causing any damage. But if you're running it like that, you should probably use one of those IR thermometers or something to check the maximum temperature of the case after it's been running for ten minutes or so, then let it completely cool, and do the same thing with that connection broken. <SHRUGS> or just disconnect the wires.

 

[BirdieNumNum]

I just got it. Turned it on for a minute a couple of times and noticed immediately that it is very dim. It is 4k too.

 

[BirdieNumNum]

ledgardner on youtube... buried in the comments the answer is there.....the grey and black dimmer wires should NOT be joined. They should be seperate and just capped off.

Now the question is - has the driver or the board been damaged by running it for a month in this incorrect configuation?