ThatKidiscrying
Active Member
Seems like mean well would provide a ground on the DC side.
Not another strip build
- Thread starter a2lute
- Start date
ThatKidiscrying
Active Member
I’m sitting here basically quarantined looking at 3 drivers and 12 boards and have a stack of AL. Angle.
I used thermostat wire to wire my last 4 pack of quantum 132 v2’s, driver mounted on fixture, I think I’m going to buy a roll of SJOW or cut up some 14ga extension cords with ground and use them for remote mounting the drivers.
I used thermostat wire to wire my last 4 pack of quantum 132 v2’s, driver mounted on fixture, I think I’m going to buy a roll of SJOW or cut up some 14ga extension cords with ground and use them for remote mounting the drivers.
cobshopgrow
Well-Known Member
isnt the DC out of the menawell driver electrically isolated from the AC side anyway?
therefore the DC out voltage wont float over the ground anyway.
therefore the DC out voltage wont float over the ground anyway.
cobshopgrow
Well-Known Member
depends on what the driver can do and what you allow to be burned as heat on the wires.
you can multiply the voltage drop calculated with the ampere and have the watt lost on the cable.
below 1% should be fine.
ThatKidiscrying
Active Member
It won’t use the ground unless it becomes short circuited
Airwalker16
Well-Known Member
But they don't. Which is why you gotta bring one from the frame down to the plug side of driver, or mount the driver on the fixture, as long as it's metal. I like to remotely mount them though.
cobshopgrow
Well-Known Member
i think the plus of the dc out can only float back over the coresponding minus not over the ground which your AC will use.
the driver acting like a isolating transformer, that was the opinion of a teacher for electricians.
ground never hurts, as long its clean, depends a bit on how good your wiring is and where you are.
in some countries he wont touch the ground at all he said.
he also said the extra GFCI is the best you can probably do.
ThatKidiscrying
Active Member
If the positive got shorted to the fixture without a ground and you touched the fixture and are grounded you’d get popped.
I don’t think a GFCI would help you on the DC side. Maybe some internal overcurrent protection but I doubt it’s made to protect you.......
cobshopgrow
Well-Known Member
"If the positive got shorted to the fixture without a ground and you touched the fixture and are grounded you’d get popped. "
sure about that if the driver acts as a isolating transformer?
"With an isolated power supply, like any of the Mean Well LED drivers, I can take the wires meant for the LEDs and take them right to ground potential with no problems, no damage, and no current flow (it is the current that kills). This is a safety test I do with most everything I analyze if I'm actually digging in to a light fixture. "
quoted from here
www.reddit.com/r/Hydroponics/comments/fasukb/a_strong_warning_about_removing_the_domes_from/
"Use GFCI/RCD protection with hydro setups in particular, people! "
the GFCI only on the AC side of course, as intended, ready to use unit.
oh and if you ground the frame you better check the resistance with a mutlimeter as anodized aluminium isnt very conductive (due to the anodizitation).
guess yours isnt anodized, should be fine.
sure about that if the driver acts as a isolating transformer?
"With an isolated power supply, like any of the Mean Well LED drivers, I can take the wires meant for the LEDs and take them right to ground potential with no problems, no damage, and no current flow (it is the current that kills). This is a safety test I do with most everything I analyze if I'm actually digging in to a light fixture. "
quoted from here
www.reddit.com/r/Hydroponics/comments/fasukb/a_strong_warning_about_removing_the_domes_from/
"Use GFCI/RCD protection with hydro setups in particular, people! "
the GFCI only on the AC side of course, as intended, ready to use unit.
oh and if you ground the frame you better check the resistance with a mutlimeter as anodized aluminium isnt very conductive (due to the anodizitation).
guess yours isnt anodized, should be fine.
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a2lute
Well-Known Member
So I got a bit more done, here i have a panel with all holes drilled & tapped, then a panel with the strips installed with thermal compound & the driver on the back, quick connector for power on the side there.
I got the power wires made up for connecting the panels to 240VAC, but I forgot to get any pictures of those. Nothing too special anyways
I got the power wires made up for connecting the panels to 240VAC, but I forgot to get any pictures of those. Nothing too special anyways
ThatKidiscrying
Active Member
I think it would shock the shit out of you.
cobshopgrow
Well-Known Member
really dont think so, the guy i quoted above is spot on.
a2lute
Well-Known Member
Since you said positive, I'm assuming your talking on the DC side, 24VDC won't shock you. I think the cutoff for low voltage DC needing grounding is 50v. I may be wrong but I'd have to look up code to be sure.
cobshopgrow
Well-Known Member
he isnt refering to the output voltage.
24V is safe to use (up to 60V) as it wont creep through your skin.
but despite the output voltage the question is how sensefull it is to ground your frame as safety measuremnt as AC nd DC are glvanic isolated anyway.
the plus of the driver output just looking to flow over the minus of the output and wont float over the GND.
In an isolated LED driver the Input (AC side) & Output (LED side) are separated by power transformer which provides galvanic isolation.
Isolated power supply transform the 110/220V AC voltage to the lower voltage by means of an isolation transformer.
any meanwell i know works like this.
24V is safe to use (up to 60V) as it wont creep through your skin.
but despite the output voltage the question is how sensefull it is to ground your frame as safety measuremnt as AC nd DC are glvanic isolated anyway.
the plus of the driver output just looking to flow over the minus of the output and wont float over the GND.
In an isolated LED driver the Input (AC side) & Output (LED side) are separated by power transformer which provides galvanic isolation.
Isolated power supply transform the 110/220V AC voltage to the lower voltage by means of an isolation transformer.
any meanwell i know works like this.
ThatKidiscrying
Active Member
I’m talking about running 4 quantum boards with the voltage being aroundd 144v dc with a couple amps DC.
cobshopgrow
Well-Known Member
still the same applies.
The primary and secondary coils of transformer are not electrical connected by a wire, track etc. This topology can pass high voltage test.
if that wont be the case, menwell would give instructions what to ground and what not in their datasheet and they will get problems with their CE/FCC declaration for their usecase.
The primary and secondary coils of transformer are not electrical connected by a wire, track etc. This topology can pass high voltage test.
if that wont be the case, menwell would give instructions what to ground and what not in their datasheet and they will get problems with their CE/FCC declaration for their usecase.
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ThatKidiscrying
Active Member
So you’re saying that the mean well driver is going to protect you from being shocked on the dc output ?
cobshopgrow
Well-Known Member
the technical construction of the driver will prevent i get shocked if i touch the DC output plus and GND to what you where refering to, yes.
if i touch plus and minus of the driver you can get shocked, GND play no role.
all well described in the link i gave above..
if i touch plus and minus of the driver you can get shocked, GND play no role.
all well described in the link i gave above..
ThatKidiscrying
Active Member
I just read some info on mean wells website. It states that if a driver has an isolated ground then it’s safe. If it’s not isolated then it’s not safe without a ground. That’s basically what it said.
I was also reading that adding a ground on the dc side might cause noise.