LED Gurus please help

Vonkins

Vonkins

Well-Known Member
I noticed one of my led heatsinks (CXB3590s ×4, heatsink usa 6×36) was out about a month ago. So i assumed my driver failed so i purchased another. Hlg 240h c1750b. Cobs still didnt work. They are wired series, so i wired them parallel. Still no lights. Then i hooked them up individually, still nothing. So then, i pulled out my meter and im reading 142.5 volts dc which is correct. Is it possible , somehow i blew all 4 cobs at the same time. I have 4 other bars going hooked up the same way with zero issues. Im also a journeyman wireman so i understand electricity. But this has me puzzled because im dont work with leds at all. Only as my hobby and i dont work on them, i just did on the intinial build 2 years ago. Any advice is appreciated.
 
CobKits

CobKits

Well-Known Member
Vonkins said:
They are wired series, so i wired them parallel. Still no lights.
Click to expand...
not gonna work (well, if at all) with a driver designed for series. might be best to review the fundamentals

Vonkins said:
Then i hooked them up individually, still nothing.
Click to expand...
this also would not work as it is below minimum driver voltage

Vonkins said:
Is it possible , somehow i blew all 4 cobs at the same time.
Click to expand...
unlikely. bad connection or one bad cob more likely

Vonkins said:
Any advice is appreciated.
Click to expand...
the drive should light up 2 at a time in series try taht and see if you can isolate the offender
 
Vonkins

Vonkins

Well-Known Member
CobKits said:
not gonna work (well, if at all) with a driver designed for series. might be best to review the fundamentals


this also would not work as it is below minimum driver voltage


unlikely. bad connection or one bad cob more likely


the drive should light up 2 at a time in series try taht and see if you can isolate the offender
Click to expand...
Dont think its a connection because i was reading 142.5 volts. I thinks its a bad cob. I didnt know my driver worked only in series and cobs in pairs. Thanks for the info brother!
 
Vonkins

Vonkins

Well-Known Member
CobKits said:
measured where? thats expected right off the driver but tells you nothing about the cob/holder connecitons
Click to expand...
I took the power coming in loose on both ends of my bar. I did this just to make sure i had power to this point. U are very correct, it told me nothing about the cob holder connections
 
Vonkins

Vonkins

Well-Known Member
nfhiggs said:
Measure the voltage across each individual COB in the series string.
Click to expand...
I took all the wiring apart cob to cob. Which is only 3 wires. My cob holders have 2 connection points on each side of every cob. Since i only use one on each side, can i stick my meter leads in the open ports on each side of the cob holder to check voltage across the cob? Like i said in the original post, i have no knowledge about cobs. Just trying to be on top of my game.
 
CobKits

CobKits

Well-Known Member
assuming they are ideals your meter leads wont fit in there. and if you stick a second wire in there you cant use the paperclip trick to release either so it will be there for good. id use a paperclip in second hole to eject the first wire and just rewire them

this is another reason i like parallel wiring (but youre stuck with the driver you have so lets figure it out)
 
Vonkins

Vonkins

Well-Known Member
CobKits said:
assuming they are ideals your meter leads wont fit in there. and if you stick a second wire in there you cant use the paperclip trick to release either so it will be there for good. id use a paperclip in second hole to eject the first wire and just rewire them

this is another reason i like parallel wiring (but youre stuck with the driver you have so lets figure it out)
Click to expand...
Yes they are ideal. The wires seem to release ez. Can i just stick a small piece of wire in maybe 4 to 6 inches long stripped off on each end. Plug into the 2nd port and put my leads on each one on each side.
 
nfhiggs

nfhiggs

Well-Known Member
Vonkins said:
I took all the wiring apart cob to cob. Which is only 3 wires. My cob holders have 2 connection points on each side of every cob. Since i only use one on each side, can i stick my meter leads in the open ports on each side of the cob holder to check voltage across the cob? Like i said in the original post, i have no knowledge about cobs. Just trying to be on top of my game.
Click to expand...
I situations were I don't have easy access to an electrical contact point, I use very sharp probe tips to pierce the wire's insulation to get a voltage reading.
 
1

1212ham

Well-Known Member
Sometimes those needle point probes can be slipped in along side a wire and touch the wire or the contacts.

If you check for voltage between the heat sinks and the driver output wires, it would indicate if there are any shorts to the heat sinks. I believe it's been known to happen with Ideal holders. Pics would help.

Vonkins said:
Dont think its a connection because i was reading 142.5 volts. I thinks its a bad cob. I didnt know my driver worked only in series and cobs in pairs. Thanks for the info brother!
Click to expand...
Cobs in pairs? We definitely need pics.
 
Last edited:
Vonkins

Vonkins

Well-Known Member
Now i really cant figure out whats going on. Ive tried wiring them in different pairings. Only one came on then it went off. I have a really good meter that has a great NCV tip on it. Im definitely getting voltage across the cobs. Shouldnt i be able to read continuity across each cob. Kinda like a fuse. Plug a wire in each on each side of the cob then check. Thats the same way the electricity travels through a good cob, correct. In one side and out the other completing a continuous loop of power. My meter read OL which means open line, which means no continuous path, meaning you have a bad fuse, light, heater, lots of things electronic. Please correct me if im wrong someone. This pic is me checking the 2 middle cobs.
 

Attachments

nfhiggs

nfhiggs

Well-Known Member
Vonkins said:
Shouldnt i be able to read continuity across each cob
Click to expand...
Depends on the meter. High end Fluke meters will read a COB like a diode (on the diode setting), but other meters may just see COBs as an open circuit. You also need to check resistance in both directions - forward and reverse. The forward will be lower than the reverse.

I'd be willing to bet the problem is one or more of the holders is not making contact with the cob.
 
Vonkins

Vonkins

Well-Known Member
nfhiggs said:
Depends on the meter. High end Fluke meters will read a COB like a diode (on the diode setting), but other meters may just see COBs as an open circuit. You also need to check resistance in both directions - forward and reverse. The forward will be lower than the reverse.

I'd be willing to bet the problem is one or more of the holders is not making contact with the cob.
Click to expand...
U have any ways off determining which cob holder is not making contact. I have 7 other bars built the exact same way with zero problems. Im stumped. Wonder why the one cob came on then went off. And wouldn't come back on. I checked them in every combination i could think off in pairs. I believe there should only be six ways 4 cobs can hooked up in series in pairs. Correct me if im wrong
 
Vonkins

Vonkins

Well-Known Member
OK I think I got it figured out how to check each cob for voltage. What I will do is plug the incoming power in on one cob and take a wire out the other side and leave it hanging free air stripped off, then take my meter lead and put it on my wire that's free air. Then put the other lead on the opposite end of my bar where outgoing power is. I will continue adding a cob until I lose voltage that should show me which cob is making not contact or bad
 
nfhiggs

nfhiggs

Well-Known Member
Vonkins said:
OK I think I got it figured out how to check each cob for voltage. What I will do is plug the incoming power in on one cob and take a wire out the other side and leave it hanging free air stripped off, then take my meter lead and put it on my wire that's free air. Then put the other lead on the opposite end of my bar where outgoing power is. I will continue adding a cob until I lose voltage that should show me which cob is making not contact or bad
Click to expand...
Thats should work. just make sure the polarity is correct.
 
Vonkins

Vonkins

Well-Known Member
When the one cob came on i had the 2 middle cobs hooked up. The i killed the power and added the far left cob. Turned on power the right middle cob came back on then went off after 45 seconds.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top