CUTTER Strip build wiring questions

diggs99

diggs99

Well-Known Member
Hey, getting ready to build these lights, want to have everything ready when the strips show up.

I plan to run 18 strips per 480w driver ( 3x4 fixture) i will be building 3 of them.
So 9 x 48" heatsinks per fixture, I was originally gonna solder my wiring, but now thinking i may just go with wagos with it being my first time.

Question one. which wagos do i need for this build? 5 ports? using 18g sold core wire. I think running everything in parallel.

I will be using the 1p68 waterproof connectors and junction boxes for ac/dc connects and remote dimmer if i go that route. May just go with the A drivers.

Are these power cords sufficient to buy/use? https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B003OQVGP0/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=A3DWYIK6Y9EEQB&psc=1

Last question, is there any good articles/diagrams/youtube videos that that could help show me how i will be wiring these strips in prallel?. I think i got the general idea, but would like to study and confirm i know wtf im doing before i start building.

I think the idea is all black (-) are tied together via a run(s) back to the - on driver
All red (+) tied together on a run(s) back to + on driver

Hopefully we can fill this thread with a bunch of good info so many newbs coming after me can utilize it.
 
Rocket Soul

Rocket Soul

Well-Known Member
For parallel connection resource check out Ledgardeners strip tutorial. Im pretty sure its googleable but you might just end up with strippers or stripper school.

For 18 strips? Im assuming you dont have 10 or 20way wagos. Lemme think about how to do this qnd get back to you
 
S

Stray Dog

Active Member
For lots of parallel connections I would go with din rail terminals with linking strips. There is a million brands of them and the come in screw type and spring type, I prefer the spring type, Wago or Phoenix are good brands but something like the following from amazon will work. Sorry cant post links yet.
Dinkle Combiner DK2.5N-BL 10 Gang Power Distribution Dk2.5N-BL 10 Gang Box Connector DIN Rail Terminal Blocks, 12-22 AWG, 20 Amp, 600V Solar Combiner
 
diggs99

diggs99

Well-Known Member
Rocket Soul said:
For parallel connection resource check out Ledgardeners strip tutorial. Im pretty sure its googleable but you might just end up with strippers or stripper school.

For 18 strips? Im assuming you dont have 10 or 20way wagos. Lemme think about how to do this qnd get back to you
Click to expand...
Ya ive searched a bit, no stripper school lol

Ive studied ledgardeners strip builds article lots, the picture shows how the parallel looks, but dont really answer how its done. I attatched a pic below showing ledgardeners parallel example. I assume where the board wire meets the driver wire is we connect the wagos? but how they all go connected together is fooling me up.
Rocket Soul said:
Whats the max size wago you can comfortably get? I had 8 way wagos from sonewhere but they aint cheap. If you can find some it would be th easiest solution.
Click to expand...
I have only been using Amazon to look for the wagos so far, biggest i have seen on there are the 5 way wagos. i havent seen any 8s or 10s.
Stray Dog said:
For lots of parallel connections I would go with din rail terminals with linking strips. There is a million brands of them and the come in screw type and spring type, I prefer the spring type, Wago or Phoenix are good brands but something like the following from amazon will work. Sorry cant post links yet.
Dinkle Combiner DK2.5N-BL 10 Gang Power Distribution Dk2.5N-BL 10 Gang Box Connector DIN Rail Terminal Blocks, 12-22 AWG, 20 Amp, 600V Solar Combiner
Click to expand...
Thanks, will check them out

Airwalker16 said:
http://ledgardener.com/diy-led-strip-build-designs-samsung-bridgelux/
Click to expand...
Bro im tried of looking through that article lol, its def a good place to start, but it dont clarify much on the parallel wiring or how to do it.

I watched greengenes build vid on youtube, it certainly helped me understand alot, but he wired everything in series. so didnt help with me trying to figure out the parallel way.
 

Attachments

Rocket Soul

Rocket Soul

Well-Known Member
Stray Dog said:
For lots of parallel connections I would go with din rail terminals with linking strips. There is a million brands of them and the come in screw type and spring type, I prefer the spring type, Wago or Phoenix are good brands but something like the following from amazon will work. Sorry cant post links yet.
Dinkle Combiner DK2.5N-BL 10 Gang Power Distribution Dk2.5N-BL 10 Gang Box Connector DIN Rail Terminal Blocks, 12-22 AWG, 20 Amp, 600V Solar Combiner
Click to expand...
This looks interesting for a clean solution. I googled and i think i i found it. It seems to do 2 sections of 10 i think? But i cant under stand if those two 10 sections are connected or one is for + and -. Anyways i think 2 of these for every 18 strip light. Anyways youre using too much power for a 4x3. We done runs with just over half that and great results.

Is your space a 3x12 or 4x9?

I encourage you to make your light (at least in the electrical/parallel) more modular. Either 4x2 or 3x2 sections. If you wanna frame them together as 3x4 go a head. But try to have smaller modules for parallel. That way you have the flexibility to use one driver for 2x 3x2' (or 4x3) but when you see how much light you have you can also use one driver for 3x 3x2.

It is much more preferable to have 2 drivers running your light at max dim than using 3 drivers dimmed down.
 
diggs99

diggs99

Well-Known Member
Its a 3x12 table full of clones,they will be strictly flowering lights, week or two of veg each run max.

I used @whytewidow latest builds as the template. Using parts from tnutz for frame and ordering my heatsinks from heatsinkusa

I planned to run the strips the 12` way. 3 fixtures equaling 12`... rough layout below.

I====I====I I====I====I I====I====I
I====I====I I====I====I I====I====I
I====I====I I====I====I I====I====I

Maybe i should consider making them smaller, if it means being easier to build. Being my first time ever really messing with diy builds, maybe i should go the easiest route possible lol. Only thing i dont have ordered yet is the drivers.
 
diggs99

diggs99

Well-Known Member
Rocket Soul said:
This looks interesting for a clean solution. I googled and i think i i found it. It seems to do 2 sections of 10 i think? But i cant under stand if those two 10 sections are connected or one is for + and -. Anyways i think 2 of these for every 18 strip light. Anyways youre using too much power for a 4x3. We done runs with just over half that and great results.

Is your space a 3x12 or 4x9?

I encourage you to make your light (at least in the electrical/parallel) more modular. Either 4x2 or 3x2 sections. If you wanna frame them together as 3x4 go a head. But try to have smaller modules for parallel. That way you have the flexibility to use one driver for 2x 3x2' (or 4x3) but when you see how much light you have you can also use one driver for 3x 3x2.

It is much more preferable to have 2 drivers running your light at max dim than using 3 drivers dimmed down.
Click to expand...
you think 480w per 3x4 section is too much? From all of the lights i have seen being built and/or bought, it seemed 480w was being used most frequently for flowering a 3x4 or 4x4 footprint i thought.
 
Rocket Soul

Rocket Soul

Well-Known Member
Ok. Parallel is driver + to a wago and from that wago to + on all strips. Same thing with the negative side.

The problem is youd need a 19way wago. So you have to get creative or buy serious equipment.

This is my suggestion. For electrical: units of 9 strips. For this youd need for every 2 foot section 2x 10way wagos. 10 way wagos are hard to come by and expensive.

Watch out cause this gets complicated ;)
You could also do it with combos of wagos. As you have 9 strips i suggest you divide them into 3 groups of 3. Each group gets a 4 way wago, 3 for strips and one for the driver (but it wont go directly to the driver). Connect up the strips and the 3 driver leads (3 for + and 3 for -) go to another 4 way wago. 3 to the wagos connected to the strips and one to the driver (but again it wont go to the driver directly). Now you have one wire that divides the current even between 9 strips. Repeat this for both plus side and minus. And then repeat it for 6 sections.

Now you can power your sections, using the same principles, using 1, 2 or 3 drivers.

As you can see thats a lot of connecting. I did this on a 12 strip build andnits a bloody ratsneet. I encourage you to go for the 10 wago solutiin.

You can also daisy chain wagos butni try to avoid it.
 
diggs99

diggs99

Well-Known Member
Rocket Soul said:
Ok. Parallel is driver + to a wago and from that wago to + on all strips. Same thing with the negative side.

The problem is youd need a 19way wago. So you have to get creative or buy serious equipment.

This is my suggestion. For electrical: units of 9 strips. For this youd need for every 2 foot section 2x 10way wagos. 10 way wagos are hard to come by and expensive.

Watch out cause this gets complicated ;)
You could also do it with combos of wagos. As you have 9 strips i suggest you divide them into 3 groups of 3. Each group gets a 4 way wago, 3 for strips and one for the driver (but it wont go directly to the driver). Connect up the strips and the 3 driver leads (3 for + and 3 for -) go to another 4 way wago. 3 to the wagos connected to the strips and one to the driver (but again it wont go to the driver directly). Now you have one wire that divides the current even between 9 strips. Repeat this for both plus side and minus. And then repeat it for 6 sections.

Now you can power your sections, using the same principles, using 1, 2 or 3 drivers.

As you can see thats a lot of connecting. I did this on a 12 strip build andnits a bloody ratsneet. I encourage you to go for the 10 wago solutiin.

You can also daisy chain wagos butni try to avoid it.
Click to expand...
I guess I could build 6 fixtures, all 2' x 3'.... 9 strips per 240w drivers. Each fixture would be much easier to wire and keep clean looking.

I was originally gonna solder everything, after reading your post about the rats nest, I'm wondering if I shouldn't just solder it as whytewidow did and keep it clean.

Thank you very much for that detailed description of the wiring, that actually answers some of the important questions I was unsure about.
 
diggs99

diggs99

Well-Known Member
Any links to where I could buy the 10 way wagos?

No luck on amazon.ca

I'm just looking to build the lights as easy as I can and still get the coverage for the entire table.
 
Rocket Soul

Rocket Soul

Well-Known Member
Google this: Dinkle Combiner DK2.5N-BL 10 Gang Power Distribution Dk2.5N-BL 10 Gang Box Connector DIN Rail Terminal Blocks, 12-22 AWG, 20 Amp, 600V Solar Combiner

From stray dogs reply. Im not sure but i think it does 2x 10 ways so one per 3x2 section


Also note, you can still easily hang them together as a 4x3 fixture. But its quite easy to make 2 smaller sections and then hang them together using a alu extrusion T-channel. Its real nice to be able to adjust height individually for section. It also keeps weight down. Remember that you will have to stretch 3 feet in to raise the back of the fixture and that can be cumbersome if the fixture is big.

But the main point im making is that theres t way to build it so you can have it all, 2 feet, 4 feet or even 6 feet sections, and still be able to power it in a flexible way.
 
Airwalker16

Airwalker16

Well-Known Member
diggs99 said:
Ya ive searched a bit, no stripper school lol

Ive studied ledgardeners strip builds article lots, the picture shows how the parallel looks, but dont really answer how its done. I attatched a pic below showing ledgardeners parallel example. I assume where the board wire meets the driver wire is we connect the wagos? but how they all go connected together is fooling me up.


I have only been using Amazon to look for the wagos so far, biggest i have seen on there are the 5 way wagos. i havent seen any 8s or 10s.


Thanks, will check them out



Bro im tried of looking through that article lol, its def a good place to start, but it dont clarify much on the parallel wiring or how to do it.

I watched greengenes build vid on youtube, it certainly helped me understand alot, but he wired everything in series. so didnt help with me trying to figure out the parallel way.
Click to expand...
Bruh, you must be blind. This is how Ya use 5 pole wagos. So I don't know what you're "TIRED" of?
 

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Rocket Soul

Rocket Soul

Well-Known Member
diggs99 said:
I guess I could build 6 fixtures, all 2' x 3'.... 9 strips per 240w drivers. Each fixture would be much easier to wire and keep clean looking.
Click to expand...
Id use bigger drivers and spread the power over several sections. Whytewiddow uses an exceptional amount of power and that works for him. We used as little as hlg240 for 6x 100ish g plants using 2700k 90 cri. And it outgrew trays with +350 watts. The watts never tell the entire story. Well designed strip builds with good light distribution means you can get the light closer and use less watts

I suggest using one hlg480 for 2-3 sections depending on what works for your strain. And while their still clones even less. If you give fresh clones 40w / square foot theyre thing to shit their pants in no time.

The two things that people seem to mess up on their first led grow is too much intensity too fast and underestimate the importance of environment, transpiration and watering times
 
diggs99

diggs99

Well-Known Member
Whytewidow is who helped me design the light, 40w/sq ft max during flower is what we figured on going with, having everything on dimmers, I can dim and control the lights as needed.

3 fixtures and 3 drivers just seems like it will be easier for me to figure out . I already have all the parts for frame and sinks cut to size for 3x4 fixtures, would rather not have to mess with them.
 
diggs99

diggs99

Well-Known Member
Airwalker16 said:
Bruh, you must be blind. This is how Ya use 5 pole wagos. So I don't know what you're "TIRED" of?
Click to expand...
I must elaborate I guess, I'm tired of not understanding it. Yes visualization is great, but even sometimes a picture don't help unless someone explains what your actually looking at. I have never wired anything like this before. Want to make sure I get it right.

Thanks for taking the time to reply and link me tho, appreciate it.
 
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