Chronikool
Well-Known Member
This is incredible isnt it folks...i mean look at this 'emerging triumph of bud' under only 100w of power....! NUTZ!Day 41 12/12, coming along pretty nicely for only ~100W of COB
This is incredible isnt it folks...i mean look at this 'emerging triumph of bud' under only 100w of power....! NUTZ!Day 41 12/12, coming along pretty nicely for only ~100W of COB
No that would be a short circuit on the amp test. You have to run either the positive side or negitive side threw the meter. When you plug into the amp jack on the MM you would take the positive from driver and run it to one lead then the other lead would go to the positive on the LED. Or you can do that on the negative side also. But never touch both positive and negative with the MM in amp mode you will cause a short circuit. Having said that testing CC drivers can be done but if you slip off while the driver is powered up it will damage or fry it. So it is quite risky testing current with a MM unless you can attach the wires so you know they wont come off.I realized that I forgot to hook up the Kill A Watt to my COBs after swapping drivers from MW LPC-60-1400s to the $13 JHX drivers.
CXA3070 3000K Z2 & Z4 bin one of each
w/ MW LPC-60-1400s 0.63 PF 121W 1.6A 191VA
w/ JHX "1500mA" drivers 1.00PF 119W 1.0A 119VA
Only 2 less watts even with what is supposed to be better efficiency drivers but a huge decrease in amperage pull with the power factor corrected drivers. I wonder if the current is a hair higher from the JHX drivers than the Mean Wells causing the wattage at the plug to be so close. I should hook up my multi-meter to see actual current output from drivers. Thing is I didnt test the current from the Mean Well but we can assume it is within spec since its Mean Well. For testing the current output of the driver, how do I do that properly just positive lead from MM on pos wire and negative lead from MM on neg wire from COB to test vF and positive lead from MM to pos from driver and negative lead from MM to pos on COB for amperage? Obviously switching the positive wire port for the amperage reading.
Ive used a multi-meter before for many things I just dont want to do something stupid and short the circuit out or fry something lol.
Thanks for the info. I suspected the JHX drivers run the COBs just a hair harder than the LPC-60-1400s.Good data thanks BT! The current decreases a bit as the drivers warm up and the vF of the COBs decreases as they warm up and decreases as the driver warms up, so the readings can change a bit until the temps stabilize.
The JHX drivers put out 1420-1460mA once warmed up and are ~90% efficient. I have not tested a Mean Well LPC-60-1400 but the spec sheet says 85% efficient. I do have a Mean Well LPC-60-1050 and it puts out 1040mA at 88% efficiency (spec sheet claims 87%). So based on that, I suspect the JHX are driving the COBs slightly harder than the Mean Well.
Most multimeters have poor accuracy measuring current (and voltage and impedance for that matter) so don't be concerned if the measurements make no sense lol. What meter are you using? To measure current you can bug into the circuit at any point that is convenient and put your meter in series. Your description is correct.
There is one thing to watch out for that can confuse driver efficiency measurements. The multimeter adds some vF load to the circuit while measuring current, which can slightly change the drive current of the driver and changes the power draw, potentially skewing your calculations. If you check the kill-a-watt with and without the multimeter attached you can see this effect (if it affects the drivers drive current). For example, this is especially noticeable on the Fasttech "50W" drivers where a slight change in vF makes a huge change in driver current because the vF range is maxed out with a cxa3070 connected.
I thought that is what I typed. I meant pos of MM to pos driver an neg MM to neg driver for vF measurment and pos MM to pos driver and neg MM to pos COB for current.No that would be a short circuit on the amp test. You have to run either the positive side or negitive side threw the meter. When you plug into the amp jack on the MM you would take the positive from driver and run it to one lead then the other lead would go to the positive on the LED. Or you can do that on the negative side also. But never touch both positive and negative with the MM in amp mode you will cause a short circuit. Having said that testing CC drivers can be done but if you slip off while the driver is powered up it will damage or fry it. So it is quite risky testing current with a MM unless you can attach the wires so you know they wont come off.
Thanks for the heads up. Checked my 2nd batch out and they are longer then the first batch. Still have to test them out just been too damn busy here lately. But i need to do it soon you wait longer then 45 days on ebay and your SOL.Java, I love that driver but I am having a problem with the seller. They sent me a shipment of drivers that are slightly longer than the original I tested. These new drivers were defective. Vf range only goes up to 25, they only put out 700mA @ 37vF and the operate at 83% efficient. To be honest I am angry at the seller. Normally I just eat it when I get a dud, but I felt tricked in this case and it was a whole batch so I pursued a refund. They made me return the drivers to China at my cost to prove my complaint, despite photos of the multimeters and I have been working with them for over a month to try and get (half) my money back. Hopefully other DIYers dont get anything from that defective batch.
View attachment 3177178
This driver on the other hand, has been performing great, puts out over 1400mA and runs up to 40vF. So far not a single dud out of 52 drivers, although they have yet to be tested for reliability.
Well doesn't look good, because that is a carbon copy of how my second order went. First Order took right at a month to get here and the second only took a week.I am still fighting with them for a refund. They told me their engineers checked out the drivers and that they work fine and offerred me $25 leaving me out $55 and nothing to show for it. I explained that they output 1400mA under 25vF but not above. They replied that their engineers will check them out again. Normally I get great service from a 99.5% eBayer.
Hopefully yours are not from that batch (this batch shipped quickly from the US, completely unprotected inside an envelope) If you have a power meter you will know if it is a bad batch if they are drawing ~35W each. If they are working correctly they should be drawing about 63W each.
I've been getting mine here,looks like they have a meanwell sale right now.On that note any discounts or sales on meanwell drivers anybody know about , please share.