$2 f-series strips

J232

Well-Known Member
At least you will have a job, and are still working. My wife's uncle worked for Caterpillar for a long time.
I am fortunate to have a career, I took 4 months off this spring for covid when school shut down, miss that free time, never had that much time. Built my new grow room then lol.
 

J232

Well-Known Member
Kept a roof over my families head and food on the table. Thank you. I've been retired for awhile, my electronic principles are rusty...lol. I was an instructor for a long time also.
I’m starting to only remember when I have to :lol:

I think we have sufficiently derailed this thread... :roll: Nice typin to ya.
Ditto, here I will fix it.. lol

You can fake a load to change configuration by using resistors to act like a “strip” if you need to meet certain voltages or amps, you could mix different voltage strips in series and parallel and unless I’m mistaken, the sky is the limit if you have the knowledge.
 

raratt

Well-Known Member
I’m starting to only remember when I have to :lol:



Ditto, here I will fix it.. lol

You can fake a load to change configuration by using resistors to act like a “strip” if you need to meet certain voltages or amps, you could mix different voltage strips in series and parallel and unless I’m mistaken, the sky is the limit if you have the knowledge.
Resistors drop voltage, inductors resist current.
 

J232

Well-Known Member
Resistors drop voltage, inductors resist current.
Yessss, see you remember. Lol.. but adding a load will reduce current in the circuit but not total current, well depends but I’m thinking parallel. I’m actually wondering how to protect these f strips i rigged up from runaway, without a shit show of wiring again, like fusing each strip or transistors or something along that line. Wonder if they make really little fusable link. Prob something I could wire in to limit current if the strip failed. Would need 20 1 amp fuses :lol:
 

raratt

Well-Known Member
I believe that the odds of a strip going to a dead short are highly minimal, if anything I think an LED would burn out causing an open and isolating that leg if doing a parallel circuit. That would cause an increase in voltage to the other legs of the circuit. Even an LED failure in my mind would happen rarely.
 

J232

Well-Known Member
I believe that the odds of a strip going to a dead short are highly minimal, if anything I think an LED would burn out causing an open and isolating that leg if doing a parallel circuit. That would cause an increase in voltage to the other legs of the circuit. Even an LED failure in my mind would happen rarely.
Well I soldered all connections and double checked my strips so I should be ok. Just finished this eve.
2D385867-7796-465A-A2F4-3B55C2E16CB5.jpeg
 

ilovereggae

Well-Known Member
In DC world, voltage is the danger. I have hybrid training that deals with high amp 500 volt systems, we were taught back in the day that voltage is the electrical push, I will take a hit from 54 volts and 6 amps before I would try 500 volts and 1 amp. If that makes any sense.
totally. i think I realize what i was missing now and see why parallel is safer now.

please correct me if I am wrong but I am going to sum all the technical shit you and @raratt just broke down as simply as I can.

on the DC side, in the event of just getting a split second shock, low voltage/high current is going to have little effect, whereas a high voltage/low current could still fuck you up pretty good. and if you for some reason grabbed it for more than a few seconds, your going to be screwed with either one of them.
 

J232

Well-Known Member
totally. i think I realize what i was missing now and see why parallel is safer now.

please correct me if I am wrong but I am going to sum all the technical shit you and @raratt just broke down as simply as I can.

on the DC side, in the event of just getting a split second shock, low voltage/high current is going to have little effect, whereas a high voltage/low current could still fuck you up pretty good. and if you for some reason grabbed it for more than a few seconds, your going to be screwed with either one of them.
DC voltage clamps unlike AC, at higher amp and volt it’s almost always deadly, when making high voltage disconnects on hybrids we are suppose to have someone with a hook to pull us away if we were to get shocked, kinda dumb because you wouldn’t survive. I don’t know the potential these 2-300 volt ballast have but at a amp output and having a 120 feed in, I’m not willing to try.

I grabbed my bare lead driver at 3.2 amps and 45 volts with dry hands and nothing, I will skip the wet hands but would expect a burn sensation like the 9v batteries on the tongue. At some point the the voltage will be high enough to push that little amperage threw your dry skin, everyone is different up to point. Basically high amps is safe at low voltage and high voltage is safe at low amps.. a static spark when you switch the light off or get zapped by the fridge handle is 50 plus thousand volts, just missing any type of amperage to be dangerous, under a mA.. Half a amp at 300 volts can easily kill you and there’s no letting go of a DC shock.
 

J232

Well-Known Member
And the only thing I can add is I have no clue on the ability of a driver to release a large load like a lithium battery, which makes hybrids so dangerous. It goes back to the voltage being the electrical push. I don’t know limits and what’s safe on these ballasts but my danger senses are high on those CA drivers once i figures out what they are (led noob) :lol:
 

Rocket Soul

Well-Known Member
Re the whole safety/voltage discussion. The community guideline around here is to avoid high voltage. How high? I work generally between 40-100V and never over 200V. DC can cause life threatening zaps.
Also the connectors usually have a max voltage rating of 300V or less.


The "series is safer" argument: i can agree that this kinda connections will normally result in wiring which have less chance of producing problems, its much easier and less connections. But the whole 'if something goes wrong it shuts down' argument might be a bit moot when you think that the thing going wrong is you getting electrified. I saw someone quote 430V a few pages before, please dont do that.
If you insist on series theres ways of doing series/parallel mix, where you have several strings of say 6 or so strips in series connection, and then connecting the strings in parallel. This way you can avoid the massive sea of cables if connecting +20 strips to the same driver, while working with not insane voltage.

Also, if you didnt know about it please ground your frame, it will make life a lot safer.
 
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