Matching Drivers and COBs

swiftkillpapa

swiftkillpapa

Well-Known Member
So I'm really new to all of this. I found growmau5's page last week. I watched every post then I moved to greengenes videos. So I'm look at cutter.com and mouser. I don't get some stuff so I figured I'd ask what I'd like to know for each part in their correlating areas. So I know I watched the diy for noobs by growmau5 but I can't figure what part I'm adding together to find the driver needed or how many I can put on a driver, I'm also curious about the numbers that both the cob and the driver have and if they signify anything (i.e. 185h-c700/ 3590). I see the chart on the first page so I don't have to do my own math, which helps me because i fell asleep during basic of electronic class everyday, but I want to clerify. So for example the hlg 185h-c700 can run 8 cxb3590 @ 36v with 94% efficiency? Is that how to read the chart?
I don't know if this was answered bc I haven't sifted through all 46pages of this thread. Thanks for the help. I hope to one day join the march in the community.
 
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Airwalker16

Airwalker16

Well-Known Member
HLG-185H-C1400B

HLG=model type (unimportant in any sense)
185H=watts the driver can ouput.
C=Constant Current
1400=the amperage of that current.
B= what dimming capabilities it has such as this one being seperate dimming leads you add your own potentiometer (dimming knob ) to.

To find what driver can run what cobs, you take the Forward Voltage of the cob you want to use and multiply it by the amperage.
CxB3590 are 36ish volts.
So 36 x 1400milli amps (1.4amps)
=50 WATTS. Now that you know the wattage, you see how many can you fit? An HLG185, is ACTUALLY a 200watt driver. Data sheet is always good to check.
So 200/50=4. Tah-Dah!
 
CobKits

CobKits

Well-Known Member
ttystikk

ttystikk

Well-Known Member
CobKits said:
and? you said money isnt an object. that works both ways


CLU046 is an old series. i sell the clu048-1212 for $12 after riu discount

https://cobkits.com/product/citizen-clu048-1212-80cri-choice-of-color-temps/
Click to expand...
It seems such low chip prices might encourage some special RIU kind of insanity, like 24 x 25W apiece, thereby gaining that last lil bit of extra efficiency.

Cost no object means throw your wallet at it, not that I'm a proponent of this approach by any means; I firmly believe that a big part of real progress is cost cutting.

Not sure there's much to be gained, maybe you could enlighten me?
 
CobKits

CobKits

Well-Known Member
i think more chips in a given area give better coverage. if you want pure lumens per watt replace those 1212s with 25 3618 and save some nickels on your electric bill. you'll get the same result as ether one can push past 1500 ppfd
 
ttystikk

ttystikk

Well-Known Member
CobKits said:
i think more chips in a given area give better coverage. if you want pure lumens per watt replace those 1212s with 25 3618 and save some nickels on your electric bill. you'll get the same result as ether one can push past 1500 ppfd
Click to expand...
EXACTLY. Past a certain point, the cost to incremental benefit ratio runs away from you. I believe one of the main keys to great design is coming as close as possible to that diminishing return, all while minimizing costs.
 
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