DiY LEDs - How to Power Them

[Observe & Report]

I like the heat shrink enclosures for your drivers. I was wondering how you make them a little more stoner proof without spending a fortune or an eternity.

 

[spazatak]

Im going to ask a completely noob question but for those who build DIY leds... are you always testing your Amps, voltage ETC with a multimeter after assmebly or do you buy a bunch of LED's be it Cobs or Chips and know that if you wire it up correctly with prior calculations to your driver it will be powered how it is supposed to be


started looking more seriously into DIY and watched a bunch of vids on YT....

After you do all the calculations first... do you still go back and check after your light is built?

cheers...

 

[only1realhigh]

spazatak, as a noobie I did all the calculations first to find and purchase the drivers, but as Supra pointed out one should go thru and check the voltage,amps, and calculate the wattage of each circuit/driver. It is not needed by some, but it does let you know how all is performing ( correctly or not ) if one writes these first numbers down than later when you take readings again you can see the increase or decrease in the function of the driver or LED's.
I also wrote out a data card for each LED and each driver on 3x5 index cards along with manufacture and where I purchased them from just in case I needed the info. For me I have to much $ involved in my DIY project not to due the extra steps.

 

[spazatak]

thanks man...

 

[bicit]

Supra- What do you think about the Meanwell PLP series of drivers? The PLP-60-48 looks like it would be a fit for a vero 29, no?

 

[SupraSPL]

Hey Bicit, very nice driver! The Vero 29 would be cutting it close to the 36V lower limit so it may be able to be dimmed. The CXA3070 would a little bit more breathing room but probably could not be dimmed much (unless the driver has a loose vF range).

 

[Positivity]

Im going to ask a completely noob question but for those who build DIY leds... are you always testing your Amps, voltage ETC with a multimeter after assmebly or do you buy a bunch of LED's be it Cobs or Chips and know that if you wire it up correctly with prior calculations to your driver it will be powered how it is supposed to be


started looking more seriously into DIY and watched a bunch of vids on YT....

After you do all the calculations first... do you still go back and check after your light is built?

cheers...

I find you can easily build a DIY light without checking everything with a mutimeter.

The numbers are all there in the datasheets. If you use a inventronics or meanwell driver and give 15% for ineffiencys should be no problem. Ebay stuff...yah you better check..

Crunch the numbers from the datasheets correctly. Put it together. Check with a kill a watt at least to check your getting the anticipated draw at the wall. Done. Works every time.

 

[spazatak]

I find you can easily build a DIY light without checking everything with a mutimeter.

The numbers are all there in the datasheets. If you use a inventronics or meanwell driver and give 15% for ineffiencys should be no problem. Ebay stuff...yah you better check..

Crunch the numbers from the datasheets correctly. Put it together. Check with a kill a watt at least to check your getting the anticipated draw at the wall. Done. Works every time.

before buying anything I would run it past or at least ask you guys for some help..

I feel quite confident I could build something of use but will go the manufactured light first and perhaps build some supplemental lighting...

 

[only1realhigh]

spazatak, you can do it. I built all my hoods and some grow systems to save money. Jumped feet first on LEDs, wish I had found this site first, but Positivity helped me a lot and I am proud of my new LED tower. It is everything I wanted and not updated LED's, but it will provide for me. ( I can feel it in my bones)

 

[zangtumtum]

Expensive, but these might work
http://ac-rc.net/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=23_35&products_id=67

thanks for info, there is another interesting, but In have not test:
AC85-265V / DC 30-36V 1.5A 50W Dimmable LED Driver
do you think it can run one CXA3070 at 1.5 with dimming to 0>100%?
it's possible that 30-36V it's an approximation?
I'm searching a realy compact size near 40/50w with dimming function for CXA3070,
this is the smallest I've found,
thanks for the suggestion!

 

[zangtumtum]

and about the Cincon LDP25A360-P070BR


what is the best for a 3070 at 700ma?

 

[bicit]

Hey Bicit, very nice driver! The Vero 29 would be cutting it close to the 36V lower limit so it may be able to be dimmed. The CXA3070 would a little bit more breathing room but probably could not be dimmed much (unless the driver has a loose vF range).

Unlikely, all the other MW drivers you've tested have been hard capped have they not?

The HLP drivers are a much better fit with the vF range, options, and efficiency. However they are also double the price....

 

[SupraSPL]

That was supposed to say may "not" be able to be dimmed. Some of the Meanwells have a hard cap on the upper limit but not on the lower limit (HLG-185H-C1050A was like that)

 

[Greengenes707]

So I was looking over AT's AC wiring and how they hooked it all up to their switch(going to punk it for my project)...and first thing I noticed is that they have both the AC(red and white) driver leads connected in one "quick slide" then in to the switch. And the fan's are both in to one connection too.

Can someone explain exactly what is going on here...


EDIT:
I think I am getting it. I wasn't seeing how the circuit was getting completed. But now I am seeing it clearer.

 

[SupraSPL]

So it looks like the switch is interrupting the AC power for both drivers (red and white). So the red must be the hot wire for one driver and the white is the hot wire for the other driver. And for the neutral side, one is black and one is red. Does that check out on the driver side?

 

[Greengenes707]

That is they way I though it should be, but not really by the looks. Sorry, should have included the driver side...


Both drivers hot and neutral going to the hot...and both fans hot and neutral is going to neutral???

 

[SupraSPL]

Oh I get it, the red that is tied in with the white is from the fan PSU and the red that is tied in with the black is from the drivers. The confusion happens here where they pull a switch-aroo

 

[Greengenes707]

Bingo! Clarity. Hard to tell/trace. Took me tree times just now. Thank you.

 

[Greengenes707]

Does anyone know the amperage pull @12v for the arctic cpu fans(the 11plus)? I need to figure out who many I can run on the power supply I have.

 

[SupraSPL]

I can get that for you, one sec

Should be no more than .19A each