Mars SP3000 Driver too hot to touch !!!

Canadian Joe

Well-Known Member
This light is really nice but that driver is so damn hot it’s making me nervous. It replaced the old style Mars lights with the fans built in and I’m pondering putting those blurples back in although I don’t want to. I may try a fan specifically for the driver. The Amazon ad said the driver is MeanWell but mine came with one that is MarsHydro brand. Are these drivers supposed to get too hot to touch?
 

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Canadian Joe

Well-Known Member
You got a different driver than my light. I ran the light for 5 months. Never got hot like yours. Why does your light have a different driver.
It seems they have their own branded driver now. I hope it’s not a cheaper alternative to the Mean Well.
Rijkmus1, can you post a photo of your driver or the model number of the Mean Well driver on your SP3000. I may snatch a spare and compare with the new one as temps go.
 

MarsHydrofactory

Well-Known Member
This light is really nice but that driver is so damn hot it’s making me nervous. It replaced the old style Mars lights with the fans built in and I’m pondering putting those blurples back in although I don’t want to. I may try a fan specifically for the driver. The Amazon ad said the driver is MeanWell but mine came with one that is MarsHydro brand. Are these drivers supposed to get too hot to touch?
:hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug:
please do not worry, Mars Hydro Team has upgraded SP 3000 led grow light in 2022. The newest driver comes with a mars hydro logo.

And the new driver has a higher quality and longer lifespan:
1. High efficiency, up to 95%
2. The components are made of high-quality materials, with stronger heat dissipation. And the temp of the driver is lower than 60℃.
3. with a longer lifespan
4. stronger safety and more reliable, and it has passed the corresponding safety certification: ETL, CE...
5. It is specially customized for mars hydro led lights, which is more suitable.

Why not use the 300W Meanwell power supply? There are the following reasons:
1. The power of this Meanwell power supply cannot be adjusted too high when the voltage is low, it will reduce the lifespan.
2. When the current is too large, the heat generated by the internal components increases. It is easy to trigger over-temperature protection and burn out the power supply.

The newest driver is more suitable for mars hydro led lights. Hope you will like it.

Hope the above information is good for you and hope we could do some help for you.
We are here to help.
Best Regards! :hug::hug::hug::hug::hug::leaf::leaf::leaf::leaf:
 

MarsHydrofactory

Well-Known Member
This light is really nice but that driver is so damn hot it’s making me nervous. It replaced the old style Mars lights with the fans built in and I’m pondering putting those blurples back in although I don’t want to. I may try a fan specifically for the driver. The Amazon ad said the driver is MeanWell but mine came with one that is MarsHydro brand. Are these drivers supposed to get too hot to touch?
by the way, summer is coming. Light housing's temps would become higher after working several hours. Do not touch the operating lamp.
and can set up the driver and dimming boxes outside the light to get better cooling results
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hope the above information is good for you:)
 

rijkmus1

Well-Known Member
Here is a picture of my driver. I did have some problems with my light. I turned it up to 100% and injured my plants. I really don't have any complaints.
 

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Dodgey99

Well-Known Member
I've switched from blurples to the FC-E6500 and the driver is outside the tent. It's very hot to touch, but I'm not concerned. It has a 5 year warranty....

The results, are staggering. I'm still in disbelief. I've yet to weigh up. Just finished harvesting today, but I had at least 12 buds the size of a baby's arm, and for the 1st time ever, their wet weight pulled my drying net rack down to the floor when the velcro let go.

I run at 100% and the buds were growing up between the lights, and perfectly happy.
 

Canadian Joe

Well-Known Member
I've switched from blurples to the FC-E6500 and the driver is outside the tent. It's very hot to touch, but I'm not concerned. It has a 5 year warranty....

The results, are staggering. I'm still in disbelief. I've yet to weigh up. Just finished harvesting today, but I had at least 12 buds the size of a baby's arm, and for the 1st time ever, their wet weight pulled my drying net rack down to the floor when the velcro let go.

I run at 100% and the buds were growing up between the lights, and perfectly happy.
That sounds like a good idea. I’m looking to see if the cord on the driver is long enough to run outside my tent.

The one thing different about this light is the distance recommendations. I’m used to dropping my LED’s right down above the canopy but this one recommends large distances 16” to 24” above the canopy seems huge. I also have it at 100%.
 

Delps8

Well-Known Member
That sounds like a good idea. I’m looking to see if the cord on the driver is long enough to run outside my tent.

The one thing different about this light is the distance recommendations. I’m used to dropping my LED’s right down above the canopy but this one recommends large distances 16” to 24” above the canopy seems huge. I also have it at 100%.
"I also have it at 100%." - that's one reason why it's so hot. You're running it right at the limit of its safe limit so I'd expect it to get pretty warm. As other posters have recommended, you can aim a fan at the driver to help cool it and you might want to move the driver out of the tent. I grafted a long extension to the cable that goes from the driver and to the light. It worked out quite well.

Canadian, eh? I went to Mt A but live in SoCal now. Slight change of climate! :-)
 

Horselover fat

Well-Known Member
:hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug:
please do not worry, Mars Hydro Team has upgraded SP 3000 led grow light in 2022. The newest driver comes with a mars hydro logo.

And the new driver has a higher quality and longer lifespan:
1. High efficiency, up to 95%
2. The components are made of high-quality materials, with stronger heat dissipation. And the temp of the driver is lower than 60℃.
But op said in post #8 that they measured 65c. Should they worry or not?
 

Star Dog

Well-Known Member
I've a different light but it's a 300w led the meanwell driver is running at 100% and it's measuring 44/46c after running for hours.

The reply from Mars says the "upgraded driver" has the Mars logo does that mean its not a meanwell driver?
 
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