DIY with Quantum Boards

[PadawanWarrior]

Ballast finally came in. 14 days after it shipped. Gosh USPS is slow this time of the year. I wonder when they switched from HLG to XLGs. This 240-M-AB came with a screw pot sensor inconveniently located on the bottom that mounts to my Slate 2 and an external pot sensor.

Question 1: Which wire on the pot sensor is the negative and which is the positive?

Question 2: Which dimmer trumps the other? Does the external trump the internal screw dimmer? Never used external pots before so forgive my basic question.

I imagine i just use a wago to connect the blue from the ballast to the positive and white to the negative

1. I don't think it matters which one is negative and positive.

2. Good question. I left the internal screw turned all the way up, and just use the potentiometer for dimming. I think if you set the internal dimmer low, then the potentiometer would be limited by the amount of current the internal dimmer is set for. But I could be way off here.

I wondered about this stuff. Nice post.

 

[Boatguy]

Question 1: Which wire on the pot sensor is the negative and which is the positive?

Doesnt matter. Resistance between the two is all that matters.

Question 2: Which dimmer trumps the other? Does the external trump the internal screw dimmer? Never used external pots before so forgive my basic question.

The one on the driver controls the base levels. The dimmer just dims the driver level adjustment to zero

 

[firsttimeARE]

1. I don't think it matters which one is negative and positive.

2. Good question. I left the internal screw turned all the way up, and just use the potentiometer for dimming. I think if you set the internal dimmer low, then the potentiometer would be limited by the amount of current the internal dimmer is set for. But I could be way off here.

I wondered about this stuff. Nice post.

Sounds accurate. I just hope the screw patterns are the same.

Also hope the wire is stripped back enough so I dont have to redo the tinning since I had to borrow someones soldering iron

 

[PadawanWarrior]

Doesnt matter. Resistance between the two is all that matters.


The one on the driver controls the base levels. The dimmer just dims the driver level adjustment to zero

So I said that correctly? I wasn't totally sure.

 

[Boatguy]

So I said that correctly? I wasn't totally sure.

You did. If you dial down the driver, the dimmer just goes from there to zero

There is no positive and negative wires though on the dim end. If they arent connected you get full power, the more resistance applied the less output from the light

 

[PadawanWarrior]

Sounds accurate. I just hope the screw patterns are the same.

Also hope the wire is stripped back enough so I dont have to redo the tinning since I had to borrow someones soldering iron

I was lazy and didn't tin any of my wires. I was just careful with the wires and twisted the ends like I always do.

 

[Boatguy]

I was lazy and didn't tin any of my wires. I was just careful with the wires and twisted the ends like I always do.

if you dont want to solder, you can just crimp some small female spade connectors onto the wires and slide them on the pot. If they arent super tight a pair of pliers will fix that

 

[PadawanWarrior]

if you dont want to solder, you can just crimp some small female spade connectors onto the wires and slide them on the pot. If they arent super tight a pair of pliers will fix that

My pot already had the wires attached so I just spliced the two wires together and taped it up. I know you're supposed to use solder, but I rarely ever do. I've always installed my stereo equipment and car alarms like that and never had an issue.

 

[Boatguy]

My pot already had the wires attached so I just spliced the two wires together and taped it up. I know you're supposed to use solder, but I rarely ever do. I've always installed my stereo equipment and car alarms like that and never had an issue.

Not probably an issue. Just a bad connections are potentially more resistance, so dimming may be effected. If your light dims to zero, or you are just running it dimmed and turning it off at lights out you really have no worries.

 

[pop22]

Two things to keep in mind when your comparing other drivers to Meanwell drivers, Warranty and efficiency. Meanwell offers a 7 year warranty, that alone makes the price worthwhile. I've looked at other drivers and most are not as efficient. Don't know about warranties but I'd bet none offer 7 years.

 

[PadawanWarrior]

Not probably an issue. Just a bad connections are potentially more resistance, so dimming may be effected. If your light dims to zero, or you are just running it dimmed and turning it off at lights out you really have no worries.

Mine won't go all the way to zero. It goes as low as 10%, so my 260 watt drivers can be dimmed to about 26 watts on the ones that have the pots.

 

[Boatguy]

Mine won't go all the way to zero. It goes as low as 10%, so my 260 watt drivers can be dimmed to about 26 watts on the ones that have the pots.

Sounds like you have a low budget potentiometer, or the wiring is lousy. Most meanwells will dim to zero.

 

[PadawanWarrior]

Sounds like you have a low budget potentiometer, or the wiring is lousy. Most meanwells will dim to zero.

It was the pot that HLG sent me. The driver is an XLG, and I think they only dim down to 10%.

 

[Boatguy]

It was the pot that HLG sent me. The driver is an XLG, and I think they only dim down to 10%.

That rings a bell. havent been building anything lately but some dont dim to zero

 

[Sinfor]

You did. If you dial down the driver, the dimmer just goes from there to zero

There is no positive and negative wires though on the dim end. If they arent connected you get full power, the more resistance applied the less output from the light

Dim ends do have polarity, the Potentiometer doesn't and the more resistance or voltage applied the more current you get.

 

[2com]

Sounds like you have a low budget potentiometer, or the wiring is lousy. Most meanwells will dim to zero.

A lot only dim to 10%. Some (or most) a-types dim to 50%, right?

edit: if you go to the driver's datasheet and scroll down a page or so, you'll see a really basic looking graph in section called dimming, eg: https://www.meanwell.com/Upload/PDF/HLG-320H-C/HLG-320H-C-SPEC.PDF
It'll tell you if it dims to 10% or 0%.

 

[PadawanWarrior]

That rings a bell. havent been building anything lately but some dont dim to zero

I was actually really happy to see the last 2 260's they sent me had the XLG's. I was expecting to get the HLG's that came on my earlier 260's. The first 2 don't have the pot, so I can only dim those to about 50%.

I was really excited to see the pots. Even if I can't dim lower than 10%, I'm still happy.

 

[firsttimeARE]

So like this then? Wires were tinned with the perfect amount of room. Insulation just past the terminal metal

 

[firsttimeARE]

I was actually really happy to see the last 2 260's they sent me had the XLG's. I was expecting to get the HLG's that came on my earlier 260's. The first 2 don't have the pot, so I can only dim those to about 50%.

I was really excited to see the pots. Even if I can't dim lower than 10%, I'm still happy.

Yeah...they are cheaper so a no brainer. I was a little shocked when I got it...but I guess they switched their 260 kits.

I kinda wanna sell my 4 QB304 rig. Not sure what a 3 year old rig goes for

 

[PadawanWarrior]

So like this then? Wires were tinned with the perfect amount of room. Insulation just past the terminal metal

Nice. This is what I did to mine. I threw a piece of shrink wrap tubing over my splicing job.