DiY LEDs - How to Power Them

Randomblame

Well-Known Member
Ok. Id be a bit carefull, ive seen people using cv drivers with higher voltage than the cob getting very high temps on their push-in or wago connectors. The cob side should be ok, as you soldered them, but check your connections on the driver side for high temps. The energy from the last 12 volts gotta go somewhere
Nope, there is no magic voltage loss, its just no used. The constant current area is 24-48v so the COBs just take around 36v at max. current(10,4A/~2,1A per COB). Even if the driver works in CV mode they only take 36v but the risk to get thermal runaways are higher.
For this reason he get only around 380-400w net. and don't use the full potential of the driver. All the rest is correct!

If there is only a 0,2v difference and one COB needs lets say 35,8v instead of 36v this COB would run a lil higher like the other 4(because he needs more current at 36v, which is the voltage of the circuit and the difference gets higher with increasing case temps. Remember the part of the datasheet where it says, the voltage of the driver depends on the circuit design of the end system. Lets say one COB fails and there would be only 4 COBs the voltage would immediately jump to 38v or so and each COB would run with 2,6amps.
Screenshot_20181113-114554.png
 

Rocket Soul

Well-Known Member
Nope, there is no magic voltage loss, its just no used. The constant current area is 24-48v so the COBs just take around 36v at max. current(10,4A/~2,1A per COB). Even if the driver works in CV mode they only take 36v but the risk to get thermal runaways are higher.
For this reason he get only around 380-400w net. and don't use the full potential of the driver. All the rest is correct!

If there is only a 0,2v difference and one COB needs lets say 35,8v instead of 36v this COB would run a lil higher like the other 4(because he needs more current at 36v, which is the voltage of the circuit and the difference gets higher with increasing case temps. Remember the part of the datasheet where it says, the voltage of the driver depends on the circuit design of the end system. Lets say one COB fails and there would be only 4 COBs the voltage would immediately jump to 38v or so and each COB would run with 2,6amps.
View attachment 4232410
Didnt know that, good info. I was under the belief that the A type meanwells let you set the voltage firmly, not setting a "max" voltage for the cv range.
But still, why would the wagos get so hot? My wagos, parallel conections with properly matched voltages, doesnt get hot really. And ive been pushing 750 w thru an 8 way wago. And this guy is the second ive seen around getting excessive heat in wagos/pushin connectors when they use a higher voltage driver than they need.
 

GBAUTO

Well-Known Member
But still, why would the wagos get so hot? My wagos, parallel conections with properly matched voltages, doesnt get hot really.
Only reason a connection would generate any heat is resistance. If any of the connections on that buss have a poor connection, eventually the heat generated will damage the wagos. That added resistance must be overcome by the driver with more voltage. Snowballs...
 

Shua1991

Well-Known Member
My led setup seems perfect, the heatsinks are doing their job, the only thing that is really warm is the driver, ive had it on for 36 hrs now, no issues.
 

Randomblame

Well-Known Member
View attachment 4230680 Citizen CLU048-1212 90CRI GEN6 - 2700K
Citizen CLU048-1212 90CRI GEN6 - 3000K

I'm tryi
Didnt know that, good info. I was under the belief that the A type meanwells let you set the voltage firmly, not setting a "max" voltage for the cv range.
But still, why would the wagos get so hot? My wagos, parallel conections with properly matched voltages, doesnt get hot really. And ive been pushing 750 w thru an 8 way wago. And this guy is the second ive seen around getting excessive heat in wagos/pushin connectors when they use a higher voltage driver than they need.
If you use the voltage regulator to set a limited voltage you reduce the risk for thermal runaways.
Lets use the same example and say one COB has lower voltage/resistance and you allow max. driver voltage this COB would run higher like the other COBs, he gets warmer and takes even more current, gets again warmer and zack, thermal runaways. Therefor there is more current flow and the corresponding Wago gets hotter.
Without voltage limit this can destroy this COB but only if the driver voltage is high enough to allow too much current flow. Thats especially possible when you use the wrong driver. If you limit the voltage you can make this behavior impossible because voltage limits current flow and vice versa. Therefor the circuit voltage gets reduced when you dimm the light down.

But thats only possible in CV mode. With this setup the COB's would run in CC mode and at ~2,1A(5 COB's) each COB takes around 36 or 37v. With all 9 each COB gets ~1,15A and the circuit would run with 35-36v/10,4A or 375w net..
 

pan2707

Well-Known Member
hi, can anyone tell me the difference between a HLG-185H-48B and HLG-185H-C1400B as have ordered the latter by mistake for 3 samsung h-infux strips.
would the c1400b still run those strips
 

Rocket Soul

Well-Known Member
hi, can anyone tell me the difference between a HLG-185H-48B and HLG-185H-C1400B as have ordered the latter by mistake for 3 samsung h-infux strips.
would the c1400b still run those strips
How many strips and the run at what voltage?
And how many strips you got and whats the max amps per strip? It can be done but i doubt its ideal.
 

pan2707

Well-Known Member
The difference will be the voltage and current that the drivers provide, look at the specs.

Depends which strips exactly. Three L09 in series will work, the smaller sizes won't.
yeah their L09 LM301B strips 3 of them says 75w max 1.6a max current
 

pan2707

Well-Known Member
The -C1400 will work just fine with them in series. You'll get 137V@1.4A, 192watts, which happens to be a bit more than you'd get on the -48 driver at 177W.
brill thank you very much will get me head round it all in a few years.
would i still be able to add another strip this way in future and would it make it more efficient
 

pan2707

Well-Known Member
You would only be able to add more strings of 3 L09 strips in series, in parallel to the existing string, for a total of 6, 9, etc. Voltage stays the same, current is shared. Efficiency would jump from 170lm/w to 185. Check out the Samsung Engine Calculator.
 

chatoo123

Well-Known Member
Hi all you guys help me and tell if u all know if an inventronics EUD-240s320DT it has built in 3 in 1 dimming it and has a 15 minute timer for the end of day I (guess) I think it is for the far red initiators maybe.and it says it set to default 0-10 volt dimmer but I don't have the programmer for them and I'm hoping when I get the 0-10 volt dimmer I will be able to use it full power cause I hooked it up and it wouldn't put barely any power out. So I read somewhere that it will work once I get the 0-10 volt dimmer. Hopefully you all know if it will and anything else about it sry if I posted it wrong I just ain't sure we're to post it thanks
 

Randomblame

Well-Known Member
Hi all you guys help me and tell if u all know if an inventronics EUD-240s320DT it has built in 3 in 1 dimming it and has a 15 minute timer for the end of day I (guess) I think it is for the far red initiators maybe.and it says it set to default 0-10 volt dimmer but I don't have the programmer for them and I'm hoping when I get the 0-10 volt dimmer I will be able to use it full power cause I hooked it up and it wouldn't put barely any power out. So I read somewhere that it will work once I get the 0-10 volt dimmer. Hopefully you all know if it will and anything else about it sry if I posted it wrong I just ain't sure we're to post it thanks
This driver should have an USB connector to connect it to a PC(windows). Open a browser window and use the IP adress mentioned on the driver to enter its UI. Maybe there is a tool(app) available on the inventronics website to download and install. With according meanwell drivers it works this way, Inventronics I've not used till now.
Rapidled has a nice little 0-10v dimmer for 6,50$, btw. Without a dimmer connected the driver output should be 100%. If nothing happens you did something wrong with wiring of the connected LED's.
 

Randomblame

Well-Known Member
I want to build a light using a
HLG-320H-C1750A driver
https://www.trcelectronics.com/View/Mean-Well/HLG-320H-C1750A.shtml
1.75A 91 ~ 183 V Constant Current LED Driver AC DC
With 7 F-Series Gen3
https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/6624001
vF 23
Would work, bro, but the diodes would run pretty hard. Thats almost max. current and you need at least 1x 1x 1" alu c-channels to cool them properly. Efficiency would go down to just above 150lm/w and vF of each strip would increase to ~25v or so. Should be around 330w at the wall; maybe a bit more.
But I would take the B version of this driver cuz he's dimmable down to off(standby), costs the same and external dimmers are pretty cheap. Rapidled has a nice wired 0-10v dimmer(6,50) you need only to connect to the dimming wires. You can also use a cheap B100k potentiometer from e3ay, 5pack costs only 2 bucks or so.. But you want the one with the highest resistance to get the maximum out of the driver (110k would fit perfect). With a 90k poti you only get 90% driver output. With the rapidled dimmer there is no need for something like that therefor I've recommended this one at first.
 
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