EB Series™ Gen 2 Build

Zero_OS

Well-Known Member
Series circuits: Add up the forward Voltage for each strip in your build to get your total forward voltage (e.g. 10 strips at 23 volts = 230 total volts). Find a driver that has an upper voltage limit that is greater than your total forward voltage and a lower voltage limit that is lower than your total voltage at the current you want to run at (a Meanwell HLG-240H-C1050 would work for this example...pull up the datasheet to confirm). Series circuits, you add the voltages and the current remains the same through each strip. EQ: Vtotal = #strips * V forward of each strip. Current total = Current strip

Parallel circuit: Multiply the current you will be running each each strip by the number of strips to obtain the total current needed. Confirm the voltage drop of a single strip against the current you will be running in the datasheet sheet (there should be a voltage v. current graph) and look at the typical and max voltage in one of the tables in the datasheet. Find a driver that supplies more than the forward Voltage required (I would use the max voltage) and at least the total current required (e.g. for 10 strips @ 1 A, if Vf of one strip=23v, then a driver that produces 20-26v and supplies at least 10 A would be a match). Parallel circuits are like a manifold, you add the currents of the strips and the voltage across each strip remains generally the same. EQ: Vtotal = Vstrip. Current total = # strips * Current strip
 

Randomblame

Well-Known Member
So I received my metal today. I also got the rounded cornered Aluminum for cheap so I can make a second light.

So originally I was going to go with 18 one foot strips now 24
View attachment 4055061
but now I'm thinking 27 strips
View attachment 4055063
I still can't figure out the math on how to chose the drivers with these 1 foot strips. I've been told what drivers i need but i want to learn the math.
Could someone write out an equation?
Cheer
CCG

How long are these tubes and how much strips per tube. This looks more like 2ft(~60cm) instead like 1ft.(~30cm) tubes.
How much total power watt do you want to have?
To choose a matching driver one need to know which strips you use(part-#, link), how many and how hard you want to drive them.
If one strip is 19,5v and 350mA and you connect 9 in series you need a driver with a Vf of more than 175,5v and 350mA. A HLG-60H-C350B would match and delivers 61,5w net. and 67,5w total(wall watts). If you like to drive them hard, say we at 700mA, you need a driver with min. 178,5v but with 700mA. In this case a HLG-120H-C700 would match and delivers up-to 125w net. and 135w at the wall.
 

Canadain Closet Gardener

Well-Known Member
How long are these tubes and how much strips per tube. This looks more like 2ft(~60cm) instead like 1ft.(~30cm) tubes.
How much total power watt do you want to have?
To choose a matching driver one need to know which strips you use(part-#, link), how many and how hard you want to drive them.
If one strip is 19,5v and 350mA and you connect 9 in series you need a driver with a Vf of more than 175,5v and 350mA. A HLG-60H-C350B would match and delivers 61,5w net. and 67,5w total(wall watts). If you like to drive them hard, say we at 700mA, you need a driver with min. 178,5v but with 700mA. In this case a HLG-120H-C700 would match and delivers up-to 125w net. and 135w at the wall.
Each tube is 35 inches so 3 strips per tube.
I want to be blinded lol
Im eather going with 24/27/ 30 strips
Been watching alot of mean well driver vids today.
Cheers
CCG
 

Randomblame

Well-Known Member
Okay, now let's have a look at parallel wiring.

You could also take a HLG-240 or 320 or 480H-20A, these all are 20v drivers with different current, and connect all the strips in parallel.

A HLG-320H-20A delivers up to 15A, with 30strips in parallel each strip would get 500mA(15A:30strips=0,5A). Vf @500mA is ~20v, so each strip would run at 10w for ~300-320w.

With a HLG-240H-20A(12,5A) and 24 strips it would be about the same 10w per strip, a tiny bit more(12,5A:24strips=520mAx 20V=10,4w), so ~250w total.

A HLG-480H-20A delivers 24Amps, with 27 strips in parallel each would get 888mA(24:30=888) which is already too much. You need at least 34 strips in parallel to run each strip at ~700mA(24A:34strips=705mA per strip, 700mA is maximum for the 1footers).

At 500mA the gen.2 strips run at ~170lm/w(best price performance area, IMO ) with a HLG-320 you would get ~51.000lm. This is enough for a 3x 3' and fits perfect in a 2x 4' tent.

I do not know if it blinds you, but you certainly need sunglasses ...
 

Dave455

Well-Known Member
Series circuits: Add up the forward Voltage for each strip in your build to get your total forward voltage (e.g. 10 strips at 23 volts = 230 total volts). Find a driver that has an upper voltage limit that is greater than your total forward voltage and a lower voltage limit that is lower than your total voltage at the current you want to run at (a Meanwell HLG-240H-C1050 would work for this example...pull up the datasheet to confirm). Series circuits, you add the voltages and the current remains the same through each strip. EQ: Vtotal = #strips * V forward of each strip. Current total = Current strip

Parallel circuit: Multiply the current you will be running each each strip by the number of strips to obtain the total current needed. Confirm the voltage drop of a single strip against the current you will be running in the datasheet sheet (there should be a voltage v. current graph) and look at the typical and max voltage in one of the tables in the datasheet. Find a driver that supplies more than the forward Voltage required (I would use the max voltage) and at least the total current required (e.g. for 10 strips @ 1 A, if Vf of one strip=23v, then a driver that produces 20-26v and supplies at least 10 A would be a match). Parallel circuits are like a manifold, you add the currents of the strips and the voltage across each strip remains generally the same. EQ: Vtotal = Vstrip. Current total = # strips * Current strip
Great information !! Ledgardener also has a great find a driver tool. Compare your calculations above as secondary check.
 

Dave455

Well-Known Member
Okay, now let's have a look at parallel wiring.

You could also take a HLG-240 or 320 or 480H-20A, these all are 20v drivers with different current, and connect all the strips in parallel.

A HLG-320H-20A delivers up to 15A, with 30strips in parallel each strip would get 500mA(15A:30strips=0,5A). Vf @500mA is ~20v, so each strip would run at 10w for ~300-320w.

With a HLG-240H-20A(12,5A) and 24 strips it would be about the same 10w per strip, a tiny bit more(12,5A:24strips=520mAx 20V=10,4w), so ~250w total.

A HLG-480H-20A delivers 24Amps, with 27 strips in parallel each would get 888mA(24:30=888) which is already too much. You need at least 34 strips in parallel to run each strip at ~700mA(24A:34strips=705mA per strip, 700mA is maximum for the 1footers).

At 500mA the gen.2 strips run at ~170lm/w(best price performance area, IMO ) with a HLG-320 you would get ~51.000lm. This is enough for a 3x 3' and fits perfect in a 2x 4' tent.

I do not know if it blinds you, but you certainly need sunglasses ...
Certainly Par numbers would be good...
 

Canadain Closet Gardener

Well-Known Member
So Digikey removed the est date for the release of the Bridgelux Gen 2 strips. I figure if I wait (with my luck) they wont show until February so I'm going with 30 Samsung strips, the price difference is only an extra $75 with the volume discount. They are rated more efficient too.
Cheers
CCG
 

1212ham

Well-Known Member
Below is the post you replied to, I had deleted it as I thought I had some incorrect numbers. I was looking at the F-Series, I now see you are referring to H-Series.

H-series are expensive, $7.95000 for 5.8 watts!
EB gen 2, $4.13000 for 6.8 watts. I wait for these as I have a 42 volt driver that can run them in series/parallel. :cool:

I'm planning the same build for the same tent. Digikey shows 12/23 ship date.

What part numbers are you comparing? I see 175 lm/W for EB gen 2 and 171 lm/W for the F-Series, both at 3500K.
https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/bridgelux/BXEB-L0280Z-35E1000-C-B3/976-1736-ND/7907665
https://www.digikey.com/product-det...-inc/SI-B8U261280WW/SI-B8U261280WW-ND/7649215
 
Last edited:

Canadain Closet Gardener

Well-Known Member
Here is the post you replied to, I had deleted it as I thought I had some incorrect numbers. I was looking at the F-Series, I now see you are referring to H-Series.

I'm planning the same build for the same tent. Digikey shows 12/23 ship date.

What part numbers are you comparing? I see 175 lm/W for EB gen 2 and 171 lm/W for the F-Series, both at 3500K.
https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/bridgelux/BXEB-L0280Z-35E1000-C-B3/976-1736-ND/7907665
https://www.digikey.com/product-det...-inc/SI-B8U261280WW/SI-B8U261280WW-ND/7649215
It's more of an impatience thing for me. They seem to have added the ship date back but I'm still going to go with the Samsung's as I want my tent ready for the new year.
How tall is your tent. Mine is 62 and 2/3 inches tall. It's 1/2 an inch too tall for what I wanted to use it for.

This is the strip I'm pretty sure I'm going to go with.
https://www.digikey.ca/product-detail/en/SI-B8U05128HUS/1510-1585-ND/6149750

Cheers
CCG
 

Canadain Closet Gardener

Well-Known Member
My tent is an iPower 36"x20"x62". I just measured and it's actually 63" tall. BTW, you could probably cut the poles of your tent 1/2" and make it fit.
I might just do that, but i like the excuse of getting another tent :)

I have two rolls on order from different suppliers. I just checked and it looks like one will be delivered tomorrow or Friday :)

I think this tent size will be great for holding my mother plants off site once the law changes here. I have my medical permit. So once it's legal for everyone here to have 4 plants. I'll be able to cultivate multiple strains. I have a few friends and family who wont mind keeping a veg tent as there is really not much of a smell.

How many strips are you going to use in your build?

Cheers
CCG
 

Randomblame

Well-Known Member
Certainly Par numbers would be good...

You can calculate PPF from data below and apply it to your area to get PPFD.

EB Series Gen2 3000K@700mA(87,5mA)
QER=4.84 µmol/J
LER=331.66 lm/W
= 2.55 µmol/J

If you drive the EB Series gen.2 strips with 700mA with a HLG-240H(250w) you get around 635μMol/s PPF. With more strips and lower current the effiency increase but costs also. You can find even more data back in the thread(EB gen1, H and F series)

These are F-Seires numbers at nom. current. Imagine running then at 80mA per diode(same as H-Series) and effiency increase to 180lm/w or ~2,8μMol/J. That's ~700μMol/s PPF from only 250w(same driver, each strip at 720mA).

F-Series Gen3 3000K@1120mA
QER=4.86 µmol/J
LER=321.60 lm/W
= 2.54 µmol/J
 

dnt420

Well-Known Member
I've just read the datasheet and I'm kind of confused in reading correctly this diagram:

EBgen2_560mm.png

so, does this tell us that if, 1400ma, 20.5V are given, get a 200% Luminous Flux, so a 100% more, so double the flux at 700ma, 19.5V ? That would be a huge gain in lumens, double? am I right? cheers.

Would there be any cons?

Some math, don't know if I'm correct, few days in this led world and volt and amps etc etc.. so pardon me

1.4A x 20,5V = 28,7W double the lumens would be 2390 x 2 = 4780lm

4780lm / 28,7W = 166,5 lm/W so efficency drops but cost is great, for 7-8$ is a great price.

Can this be a good estimacy?
 
Last edited:

1212ham

Well-Known Member
Initially I thought of 18 or 20 gen 2 strips. Obviously I made a math error as 26 are needed for 35 watts/ft at the nominal power of 6.8 watts. I'm rethinking and may hang some vertically in the corners and possibly the side walls also.

Questions for the experienced guys running strips...
I would expect less power needed with the excellent light spread and efficiency of strips, what is good watts/ft?
For a 63" (160cm) tall tent what would be a good length for vertical strips? I'm thinking 560mm/22"?
 

Randomblame

Well-Known Member
30-40w/sft is enough and the 2ft strips are as good as the 1ft or 4ft strips. How big is your tent? 2x 4'?
1050mA(170lm/w) seems the sweet spot and you get ~20w per strip. A HLG-240(12 strips) or 320H-C1050(15 strips) would be a good choice.
 
Top