Getting caught up. Your pics, documentation, and presentation are excellent. Lotta love for the plant and passion for our craft. I really like how you’re so detailed and tell your story of your journey. Very well put together great job man ?
Gah I miss hydro and especially a recirculating like RDWC. Ain’t it fun?
View attachment 165067
SCORE!!!!!!...Speaking of hydro...
Dunno whether it was Serendipity or Synchronicity, but I think the hydro Gods heard us, and decided to give a wink and a nudge...
Check out what I found going out to somebody's curb this morning!
No pumps or timers, but I scored a nice 4x8 table, and 4x4 50 gal rez!
God bless the quitters...
View attachment 165162
I also got the frames for my new veg lights built.
The tough part is gonna be disassembling the strips from the old light, and figuring out how to rewire them back up into 2 separate lights.
Wish me luck!
Take pics , someone here def gonna be able to help ,?The first major concern I had regarding disassembly was how easily I could remove the strips from the thermal tape, and/or frame. Thankfully, the first one I tried came free relatively easily. Whew! Glad that hurdle wasn't too hard to jump.
So, now, there's another issue holding me up, and I'll need the help of someone better with electricity than I am.
The current light is configured series parallel, with 3 sets of 4 strips per string, running about 700ma per string of strips (I think?).
All 12 strips are currently on 1 frame, powered by a Meanwell HLG-240H-C2100B.
Now, I don't remember or understand the details of why exactly they're configured that way, but I think it was so that each string of 4 strips didn't go over 700ma, and the total stayed safe at 2100ma?
Anyway, with the new configuration, I need to split the groups of strips between 2 fixtures running off the 1 power supply. 6 strips per light.
Long question shorter: Can I still safely wire these strips into groups of 3 instead of 4? So, I would have 1 fixture with 6 strips, wired 3 in a series each? Like, 4 sets of 3, rather than 3 sets of 4 strips going to the power supply? So, 2 fixtures, 6 strips per fixture, 3 strips series + 3 strip series?
I hope that makes sense...I'm still confused even figuring how to ask what I'm trying to lol
Don't think so. The reason they are in series is to set the voltage to what the driver can output. IDK what the output range is on the driver or what the requirement of your strips are but it's possible the stars align and you can adjust the driver to hit the right voltage?The first major concern I had regarding disassembly was how easily I could remove the strips from the thermal tape, and/or frame. Thankfully, the first one I tried came free relatively easily. Whew! Glad that hurdle wasn't too hard to jump.
So, now, there's another issue holding me up, and I'll need the help of someone better with electricity than I am.
The current light is configured series parallel, with 3 sets of 4 strips per string, running about 700ma per string of strips (I think?).
All 12 strips are currently on 1 frame, powered by a Meanwell HLG-240H-C2100B.
Now, I don't remember or understand the details of why exactly they're configured that way, but I think it was so that each string of 4 strips didn't go over 700ma, and the total stayed safe at 2100ma?
Anyway, with the new configuration, I need to split the groups of strips between 2 fixtures running off the 1 power supply. 6 strips per light.
Long question shorter: Can I still safely wire these strips into groups of 3 instead of 4? So, I would have 1 fixture with 6 strips, wired 3 in a series each? Like, 4 sets of 3, rather than 3 sets of 4 strips going to the power supply? So, 2 fixtures, 6 strips per fixture, 3 strips series + 3 strip series?
I hope that makes sense...I'm still confused even figuring how to ask what I'm trying to lol
Yeah, I'm working on getting pics together now, to hopefully clear things a bit...Don't think so. The reason they are in series is to set the voltage to what the driver can output. IDK what the output range is on the driver or what the requirement of your strips are but it's possible the stars align and you can adjust the driver to hit the right voltage?
The first major concern I had regarding disassembly was how easily I could remove the strips from the thermal tape, and/or frame. Thankfully, the first one I tried came free relatively easily. Whew! Glad that hurdle wasn't too hard to jump.
So, now, there's another issue holding me up, and I'll need the help of someone better with electricity than I am.
The current light is configured series parallel, with 3 sets of 4 strips per string, running about 700ma per string of strips (I think?).
All 12 strips are currently on 1 frame, powered by a Meanwell HLG-240H-C2100B.
Now, I don't remember or understand the details of why exactly they're configured that way, but I think it was so that each string of 4 strips didn't go over 700ma, and the total stayed safe at 2100ma?
groups of 6 wont work out w the driver.Anyway, with the new configuration, I need to split the groups of strips between 2 fixtures running off the 1 power supply. 6 strips per light.
Long question shorter: Can I still safely wire these strips into groups of 3 instead of 4?
I had to do some more reading about the goals. Lol. Confused myself with it for a minute. Lmfao.So, I would have 1 fixture with 6 strips, wired 3 in a series each? Like, 4 sets of 3, rather than 3 sets of 4 strips going to the power supply? So, 2 fixtures, 6 strips per fixture, 3 strips series + 3 strip series?
I hope that makes sense...I'm still confused even figuring how to ask what I'm trying to lol
Had to go back and read up a bit to see what the goal was again. LolYeah, I'm working on getting pics together now, to hopefully clear things a bit...
Here's the only details on the strip packaging
View attachment 165189
Some of the best example shots of the wiring that I could get. They just follow suit around the cylinder.
A positive red wire to 1 strip, then neg to pos for the next 3 strips, then neg out of the 4th strip, to dimmer wire, I think.
Every set of 4 strips runs at 700ma, for a combined total of 2100ma for the 3 sets of 4 strips.
View attachment 165190 View attachment 165191 View attachment 165192
The driver is a Meanwell HLG-240H-C2100B. Couldn't get a pic of mine, because it's still inside the light fixture.
Here's some info from a site called RapidLED though:
SKU : HLG-240H-C2100B
Output Voltage (DC) : 59-119V (2-3 X 36V COBs Or ~20-39 X 3V LEDs)
Max Output Current : 2100mA
Input Voltage (AC) : 90-305VAC
AC Current : 2.5A/115VAC, 1.3A/230VAC
Dimming Signal : 0-10V Analog, 10V PWM, Resistance
Efficiency : 93.5%
Dimensions : 9.62" X 2.68" X 1.53"
Weight : 2.86 lbs
Thanks for stopping in!
I'm hoping it works out that I can split the strips into 2, 6 strip lights, but if not, I'll figure some way to make another single fixture spread out more.
Works, but lowers overall power to each strip. Edit never mind, keeps it the same with 175ma to each strip done this way.Running them 4 sets of 3 in series is what you want to do?
Yes that way would work out wiring wise, but it'd push each strip harder than currently set up. New 1050 ÷ 5 vs old 700÷43 strips in series will be 60-75V, this is at the lower end of your driver, typically less efficient.
Looks like amps you will be alright as long as you have at least one parallel circuit. In other words if you hook two series strips in parallel the current limit will be 2400ma so long as you can manage the heat.
Looks like you could run 2 sets of 5 in series and have 2 extra strips.
@JL2G check my math it's 4/20 n all.
Yes, just like that is good to go imho.Ok, hopefully you guys can follow my arrows and visualize the goal a bit better now, and this isn't just abstract art lol
This is what I picture, but with the shortest wire paths possible.
View attachment 165208
Yes, just like that is good to go imho.
Recap of the math to verify.
3 strips in series @ 20-28v = 60 to 78v Total per group.
Meets driver specs of 59 to 119, all good.
4 groups in parallel of 3 strips wired in series, so 2100÷4 = 525ma per three series set, 525÷3= 175 ma per strip,all good mang. Running at same power as before changes.
I was exciting with new lighting. Especially custom! ?? Can't wait to see
Awesome news! Thanks again for taking the time, guys, and understanding the electro-math better than me!
I'll be trying to slap these things together and get em over the seedlings tonight...
One last little concern- I wanna make sure the thing is grounded properly. Do I run the green wire to the frame, or...?
I'll get some pics up, hopefully sometime tonight, as I get them together...once I get the old fixture torn apart, anyway.