HLG-185H or 240H?

Prawn Connery

Prawn Connery

Well-Known Member
I'm about to order some parts for two Samsung F Series veg frame builds. The HLG-185H-48A maxes out at 200W - which is all the power I need. The 240s can obviously be dialled down to 200w, and are what I'm running at the moment. I've tested them as high as 280W.

Apart from saving a few $, is there any advantage (efficiency gain?) to running a 185W driver maxed out compared to a 240W dialled down? Excess heat/longevity issues?

This is what I'm building. The new frames will either be exactly the same - 4x SI-B8R521560WW (5000K 560mm x 40mm double-row) - or they'll have an extra strip (5x), as it's more cost effective to buy 10 at once. Each 4 or 5-strip frame will be run by one 185W or 240W driver for a total of around 400W.

The frame I've already built below is running nowhere near capacity, and is currently set at about 120W draw. 200W is the absolute max I'd need the new frames to run. Thanks for any tips.
Vegstripfront.jpg
 
Prawn Connery said:
I'm about to order some parts for two Samsung F Series veg frame builds. The HLG-185H-48A maxes out at 200W - which is all the power I need. The 240s can obviously be dialled down to 200w, and are what I'm running at the moment. I've tested them as high as 280W.

Apart from saving a few $, is there any advantage (efficiency gain?) to running a 185W driver maxed out compared to a 240W dialled down? Excess heat/longevity issues?

This is what I'm building. The new frames will either be exactly the same - 4x SI-B8R521560WW (5000K 560mm x 40mm double-row) - or they'll have an extra strip (5x), as it's more cost effective to buy 10 at once. Each 4 or 5-strip frame will be run by one 185W or 240W driver for a total of around 400W.

The frame I've already built below is running nowhere near capacity, and is currently set at about 120W draw. 200W is the absolute max I'd need the new frames to run. Thanks for any tips.
View attachment 4092311
Click to expand...
I'd get the 240,gives you the option for more power later.
 
I've thought of that, but I already have three of these frames running at the moment (2x flower, 1x veg) each running 240W drivers, so I know I don't really need the extra power and am unlikely to require it later on. A couple of 185s will save me about A$40 over the 240s. Unless there's another good reason to buy 240s, I'm inclined to go with the 185s this time.
 
Im an led noob that is also planning an f strip build.

But from what ive heard is that you waant your driver running close to its max while the lights you want to run at 75% of their max.


Take it with a grain cuse im still learning led :)

Hopefully ill be ordering soon im just trying to get the brains of it figured out for led controllers lol
 
I think you are right. .
If your NOT going to expand
Later on.

push the driver at close to 100 and the lights at 75% this way you cant max out the lights either ....again led NOOB HERE l
 
Yeah, I'd read that. The 185 is also a little more efficient to begin with - 94% vs 93% - but I was wondering if there was anything else to consider, all else being equal.
 
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