Introducing CobKits.com - specializing in DIY and Citizen COBs

[CobKits]

link it

 

[pop22]

"
AWM wire styles are selected by end-product manufacturers based on their specific voltage and temperature
ratings, mechanical abuse, environmental exposure, flame ratings, etc. AWM has not been evaluated for general
wiring applications in accordance with the NEC." which means it is also not UL listed. I'd get rated wire just for safety purposes


Here is more than you ever wanted to know about wire ratings...lol! Good info

https://industries.ul.com/blog/updated-wire-and-cable-marking-guide

Found out some good info I think with regard to safety. First off its pretty cheap even though it may be overkill. Also I may have misinterpreted some of the electrical code (I'm talking about NEC class 1 wiring methodology). My boiler uses awm rated wire 600v (one component relay with 1000v) I think for two reasons temp and ampacity requirements and in a particularly thin gauge of wire 16 or 18. Most of us use 18 in our builds, this awm rated wire runs about 40 bucks for 500 ft in 18g, i could only find it at a wire distributor.
I will be rebuilding the led side of my lights with this wire as I only used about 150 ft of it to relocate my boiler power vent and hopefully make buildung inspector boy happy so we can move on with the rest of the remodel project.

Anyway, Thoughts on awm rated wire?

 

[CobKits]

happy customer

 

[SSGrower]

"
AWM wire styles are selected by end-product manufacturers based on their specific voltage and temperature
ratings, mechanical abuse, environmental exposure, flame ratings, etc. AWM has not been evaluated for general
wiring applications in accordance with the NEC." which means it is also not UL listed. I'd get rated wire just for safety purposes


Here is more than you ever wanted to know about wire ratings...lol! Good info

https://industries.ul.com/blog/updated-wire-and-cable-marking-guide

Your right more info than i ever wanted!

But UL does test awm wire
https://industries.ul.com/wire-and-cable/appliance-wiring-material

And as you state its use is dependent on environmental conditions. For an appliane to be ul certified its wiring must pass whatever testing ul dictates for that appliance or class of appliances. The wire that I am speaking of has higher ratings (105 deg C, 600v) than any wire availble through typical means avilable to the general consumer. It also meets other standards (MTU) but the temp rating was I was after. There are far more strands translating to lower resistance and less heating, and it has a tangible "feel" of quality when handled. What type of wire would be better?

 

[SSGrower]

link it

Cant really link a weeks worth of research and chasing rabbits down holes, NEC chapter 3? Table 402.5 (curent limits for gauge size) mostly my objective was to maintain the same rating of wire that was in the boiler out to the blower vent location, since it followed the bvent flue exhaust that reqired certain clearnces from combustable materials, so that meant conduit was requred in addition to a high temp rating on the wire.

 

[pop22]

Ahh its stranded? interesting! And thanks for the info! So this is available to contractors only? Or only available in large spools?

Your right more info than i ever wanted!

But UL does test awm wire
https://industries.ul.com/wire-and-cable/appliance-wiring-material

And as you state its use is dependent on environmental conditions. For an appliane to be ul certified its wiring must pass whatever testing ul dictates for that appliance or class of appliances. The wire that I am speaking of has higher ratings (105 deg C, 600v) than any wire availble through typical means avilable to the general consumer. It also meets other standards (MTU) but the temp rating was I was after. There are far more strands translating to lower resistance and less heating, and it has a tangible "feel" of quality when handled. What type of wire would be better?

 

[SSGrower]

Ahh its stranded? interesting! And thanks for the info! So this is available to contractors only? Or only available in large spools?

Can't get at home depot and the like, even QED electrical supply did not have but they sent me to a place called All Cable, they normally have a50 dollar minimum purchase but dude was nice and helped me out.

 

[HEEVES]

Still reading all this but just wanted to say thank you! Amazing thread!

 

[pop22]

Sorry, wrong thread

 

[Cedru]

@CobKits what are your recommendations for a 5' x 5' x 6.5' FLOWER ONLY tent?

I already have most of my veg tent complete, placed the next to last order today - so now it's time to prepare for flowering in 2 months.

Quantum boards or COBs? How many of each and which driver(s)?

Thanks in advance,
*.*.* Cedru *.*.*

 

[dabby duck]

I call bullshit. Your numbers do not add up. If the parallel voltage applied was higher than both Vf's of your 600mA individual tests, then BOTH would have pulled more than 600 mA at 34.9V. You are either lying or incompetent.

wow, no I know the stigma of the LED thread?

is inexperience incompentence, I hesitate to ask questions if thats the answer.....
[im sorry, I am new and dumb, but the vile just rolled of the screen with that post......]



@CobKits
would you happen to carry Adjustable Ratchet hangers for a DIY light? I am in need of at least 4, or maybe 3 sets of 4?
Please let me know at your convenience and IM is okay too if you prefer, Really Awesome Thank Youuuuu!

 

[CobKits]

I dont, but i should!

try amazon/ebay

 

[verticalgrow]

happy customer

i would be happy too, looks like 60 happy & healthy plants.

How many watts

 

[CobKits]

thats 12 rigs of 8 luminus cxm22 on hlg-600h-54B drivers

 

[dabby duck]

I dont, but i should!

try amazon/ebay

Eh, Fudge amazon personally and Ebay eh....

I was hoping maybe you had some downlow on a particular style or set....No prob though thanks for the reply, I will keep looking

 

[TD816]

@CobKits you are the man!! Order came in today, sooner then I expected. Thank you for hooking me up with the screws also (didnt expect that) and for refunding some of the shipping.

Any idea when you might get in a Meanwell HLG-240H-C 1400ma driver in?

Looking forward to doing more business with you.

 

[GrowLightResearch]

I just ran a test on two CoBs. At 600 mA the measured Vf were 33.4V and 34.2V powered by a HLG-60H. At 1200mA wired in parallel the currents were 768mA and 463mA respectively and the forward voltage 34.9V (higher than either of the individual Vf).

I call bullshit. Your numbers do not add up. If the parallel voltage applied was higher than both Vf's of your 600mA individual tests.

I would have thought the same thing. I ran the test twice and confirmed the parallel Vf was higher. Current was supplied no voltage was applied as the voltage is a function of the LED's Vf. The max voltage was 54 from the HLG-60-54A.

then BOTH would have pulled more than 600 mA at 34.9V.

If I drove the parallel LEDs with 1200mA. How could it be possible for each LED to draw more than 600mA which would require more than 1200mA?

How much variation do you think there is between COBs (you say "significantly different")? They are built to a spec with certain tolerances, I'm wondering if its 2%, 5%, 10% +/- is the normal variation from one to the next?

Significantly different? I doubt it. I

Yes significantly. In the test I described the currents @ 1200 mA the individual currents were 764mA and 463mA. When I ran the same test on strips of 16 white Luxeon Rebel White, the results were similar
Vf = 43.29 and 43.85.
Two test currents = 375mA, and 770mA.
Measured current @ 375ma = 240mA and 135mA. @ 770mA = 450ma and 320mA. Significantly different.

Also, in your second sentence you say, "When wired in parallel they will all have the same voltage because they are all connected to each other." Did you mean to say "in series"? Otherwise, I'm confused.

When Vf is measured individually they voltages were 33.4V and 34.2V. When run in parallel the Vf parallel must be the same because the anodes and cathodes are connected together. The surprise was the parallel Vf was higher than the individual Vf.


Test Circuit

As shown the current measured through the shunt resistor is for both LEDs.
When the switch is flipped, it measures only the current through LED1
LED2 current = Iboth - ILED1

Shunt voltage @ 600mA = 0.0045V
Shunt voltage @ 1200mA = 0.009V







0.015Ω Shunt Resistor




Two Strips of 16 Luxeon Rebel White LEDs

 

[pop22]

can you measure the V and Ma for individual cpobs? See if it is a cob issue, wiring or cob holder connector resistance, etc, It would seem pointless to use Cv drivers if this is common.

I would have thought the same thing. I ran the test twice and confirmed the parallel Vf was higher. Current was supplied no voltage was applied as the voltage is a function of the LED's Vf. The max voltage was 54 from the HLG-60-54A.



If I drove the parallel LEDs with 1200mA. How could it be possible for each LED to draw more than 600mA which would require more than 1200mA?




Yes significantly. In the test I described the currents @ 1200 mA the individual currents were 764mA and 463mA. When I ran the same test on strips of 16 white Luxeon Rebel White, the results were similar
Vf = 43.29 and 43.85.
Two test currents = 375mA, and 770mA.
Measured current @ 375ma = 240mA and 135mA. @ 770mA = 450ma and 320mA. Significantly different.



When Vf is measured individually they voltages were 33.4V and 34.2V. When run in parallel the Vf parallel must be the same because the anodes and cathodes are connected together. The surprise was the parallel Vf was higher than the individual Vf.

 

[GrowLightResearch]

can you measure the V and Ma for individual cpobs?

See prior post with test circuit.
.
When wired in parallel the anodes and cathode are wired to each other so the voltage must be the same.

I measured the current to both then measured the current in one LED and calculated the other's current.

It would seem pointless to use Cv drivers if this is common.

A CC driver was used: HLG-60H-54A

That's why I'm a big fan of using series cc drivers. You ALWAYS know what the current is. That way I can use cobs from different batches, temps, even different manufacturers.

Only if wired in series, not when wired in parallel unless you include a shunt resistor to measure the current in each CoB.

if it is a cob issue, wiring or cob holder connector resistance, etc

It is not an issue with the CoB or a wiring error. The issue is wiring in parallel two LEDs with different forward voltages forcing the voltage to something other than the LEDs actual forward voltage. Due to the dynamic nature of the Vf, the interaction between the two LEDs is complex.

 

[CobKits]

can you start a new thread for your experiments?

thanks