How hot do drivers get?

Just wondering where to place my driver as i am using both timber and aluminium to make my led frame and it will be easier if i can place the driver on a piece of timber, but will it get too hot for the timber?

(i would have put this in new to LED thread but its been hijacked with arguments.)

If you can I would suggest placing the drivers remotely outside your grow area. The drivers will add heat and has been my biggest hassle with my lights. Lesson learned.

People screw drivers to boards around here all the time. They don't get super hot. That looks like a nice driver, 90+ percent efficiency, so max 24 watts of heat spread out over a pretty big chunk of aluminum. Should be fine.

Also, what @Evil-Mobo said.

If I don't have a fan on my HLG's they get pretty hot to the touch for sure.

J Bleezy said:

If I don't have a fan on my HLG's they get pretty hot to the touch for sure.

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Same, I just don't think hot enough to catch fire

Thanks for the replies. i was worried about having the drivers too far away if it cause anything like voltage drop or some sort of change in the power.
But i will do that i think.
Nice bud in your picture J Bleezy, was that grown with LED's?

Stealthstyle said:

Thanks for the replies. i was worried about having the drivers too far away if it cause anything like voltage drop or some sort of change in the power.
But i will do that i think.
Nice bud in your picture J Bleezy, was that grown with LED's?

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Just use at least 16 AWG and keep the run as short as you can and you will be fine.

No suffering of voltage drop until at least 50' of wire via meanwell data sheets.

Airwalker16 said:

No suffering of voltage drop until at least 50' of wire via meanwell data sheets.

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Eh? I have power supplies that do that, but they use sensing wires on the load end to achieve it.

Where does the data sheet say that?

JorgeGonzales said:

Eh? I have power supplies that do that, but they use sensing wires on the load end to achieve it.

Where does the data sheet say that?

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Haven't personally seen it but I think it was either @Rahz or @Growmau5 that said it.

Just finished installing the chains for supports etc and decided to keep the driver on the frame.
i cant believe how cool they run. but they dont seem as bright as i expected. i only have four cree 3070's.
Im not sure what height to set them up at.
im guessing about 10 inches above plants? ? i saw it some where but cant find the thread.


Im only growing peppers and tomatoes at this stage untill its legal (soon) in my country. ive had trouble with the law before so i cant grow canna at this stage.

Looks like i have to either raise the plants or lower the light. I was planning on trying out bubblers on chillies and the 5 or 6 gallon buckets shoud raise a lot.

So 4x 3070 at 2200ma? Those should be bright. Like, as hard to look at as the sun bright.

I love growing veggies. Looks like you have four separate chains? Maybe attach your chains together at a centerpoint for easier adjustment, if it hangs level that way.

I think cutter set them to 1400 milliamps as thats what i asked him a while ago. i would now like them brighter but i dont know how. i might go down to the electronic store and see if he can attach the dimmer or turn them up to around 2000 milliamps.

Thanks for the tips.

Stealthstyle said:

I think cutter set them to 1400 milliamps as thats what i asked him a while ago. i would now like them brighter but i dont know how. i might go down to the electronic store and see if he can attach the dimmer or turn them up to around 2000 milliamps.

Thanks for the tips.

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If that was the Inventronics programmable driver, you need the programming tool to change the current settings, or shoot it back to me and I can reprogram to max 1.8 Amp drive current.
Cheers
Mark

Dunno where I got 2200ma from 240W.

But even so, 1400ma is BRIGHT, like 7-8000 lumens in the size of a quarter bright. If they don't hurt your eyes to look at something is up.

How big is your space?

Thanks for the response it might be just me comparing them to HPS as i used to use 600watters.
Ill get a light meter to test out the lumens.

The space is 50 inches squared where my plants are and light is now sitting 40 inches above the plants.

I didnt solder the tips of each cable before inserting into the cob holders (solderless) and had some trouble with strands bending and the cables not being secure in a couple of holders. they feel very secure now but i was thinking maybe if they are not secure it could effect the current going through.

Oh yeah and the leds are too bright to look at directly just it appears not as much light as i thought reaching the plants compared to what im used to with HPS. nor coming out through all the holes etc in the tent and zipper.

Stealthstyle said:

Thanks for the replies. i was worried about having the drivers too far away if it cause anything like voltage drop or some sort of change in the power.
But i will do that i think.
Nice bud in your picture J Bleezy, was that grown with LED's?

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Thank you. Negative, it was one of my last runs with hps. Strain is Fruity Juice from sensi, 2 of the 4 females had stupid big buds.

@Stealthstyle Well 200W of led isn't going to replace 600W of HPS. So that makes sense.