Help me choose a driver (w/ MS Paint schematics)

Treeckle

Treeckle

Member
Hello!
I've posted this in another users help thread, but I see that it requires more discussion, and because I am trying not to blow things up I am starting my own thread.
I hope I can get some useful input from more experienced people here!

Anyways, I want to run 16 Samsung LED strips on one Meanwell driver, and I need help choosing the right one. The strips pull 28-30W when run at 1400-1500mA(which is how I want to run them)

Link: https://www.led-tech.de/en/50cm-Alustripe-with-98x-Samsung-LM301B-LEDs-3500k-and-connectors

I'd also like to ask about white/red/blue strips. I'd like to run 8 of those, at 700mA, and I am really not sure about the drivers for them.

Link: https://www.led-tech.de/en/50cm-MIXED-alu-stripoe-with-60x-Samsung-LM301B-3500K-4x-Osram-OSLON-Square-hyper-red-1x-Osram-OSLON-SSL-deep-blue-LEDs


SAMSUNG LED STRIPS PLANS:

EDIT: Please note that I have changed plans to use only 16 instead of 20 strips! (read below)

On the other thread I got a response from @GBAUTO, who opened my eyes to the possibility of parallel and series wiring. I've only done series wiring so far, so this is where it gets interesting.
GBAUTO said:
Ten parallel strings of two strips in series(10p2s) on a HLG600h-42 should be able to provide ~ 1400mA / string @ 40v.
Click to expand...
Since I don't want to mix things up, I drew a schematic in Paint only for the Samsung strips, ignoring the 8 Red/Blue strips.
Here it is:
wiring1.png


FULL FIXTURE PLANS:

After discussion below, I have come up with a plan for the full fixture, and would like your opinion on the best driver(s) for this situation, please!

Here is the schematic(not too confusing I hope):
fixture1.png

I would prefer to run the WHITE ONLY strips using a single driver. Their total power draw is around 480W, and with two strips wired in series the voltage is about 40V. I'd rather use a constant current driver, but a constant voltage driver will do fine too.
There is also the option to just ditch the two separate fixtures idea, and just have one, with 4 strips running in series, in case that makes driver selection simpler.

The WHITE/RED/BLUE strips can either be run with one driver(likely producing deadly voltage) or two drivers(not drawn here). They must be run in constant current, so CV is not an option here! Their total power draw is about 140W, and with all 8 in series the voltage comes up to 200V.

The links for both LED strips are on the top of this post.

Please suggest some drivers, I would really appreciate it! :peace:
 
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Rocket Soul

Rocket Soul

Well-Known Member
You want to use a A type, or AB type driver for this to getnonboard dimming of V and I. The schematics ms paint look good, its correct.

Youd need another driver for reds/blues, and those strips you quoted look like older diodes, checknif they can hook you up with osram squares.

Also look into the samsung+osram strips on their web, they might be a good idea aswell.
 
Treeckle

Treeckle

Member
Rocket Soul said:
You want to use a A type, or AB type driver for this to getnonboard dimming of V and I. The schematics ms paint look good, its correct.

Youd need another driver for reds/blues, and those strips you quoted look like older diodes, checknif they can hook you up with osram squares.

Also look into the samsung+osram strips on their web, they might be a good idea aswell.
Click to expand...
Oh thank you, I will get the 42A driver then! And thanks for confirming my schematic!

I've looked around on the website for some solder-less options and I found a OSRAM Square hyper-red single LED, but not the deep-blue.

Link to Square HYPER-RED: https://www.led-tech.de/en/Osram-OSLON-Square-hyper-red-Plug-and-Light-Star-Horticulture
Link to SSL 150 DEEP-BLUE: https://www.led-tech.de/en/OSRAM-Oslon-SSL-150-Deep-Blue-Plug-and-Light-Star

I guess I would then need to wire 64 reds and 16 blues to compensate for 8 of those strips. But I figure that I can't wire these on one driver, or am I assuming wrong?
 
Rocket Soul

Rocket Soul

Well-Known Member
dont put your colored leds on the same driver as your main whites, best to avoid.
the AB version brings you the best of both worlds, onboard V and I dimming, and external I dimming.

Re osram square: write to led tech and they will make you the strips you want.
 
Treeckle

Treeckle

Member
Rocket Soul said:
dont put your colored leds on the same driver as your main whites, best to avoid.
the AB version brings you the best of both worlds, onboard V and I dimming, and external I dimming.

Re osram square: write to led tech and they will make you the strips you want.
Click to expand...
Oh yeah, my bad for poor wording choice, I meant to get another driver that would run the colored LEDs, but I was not sure if I can put the Square red and SSL blue together on it. The whites are going to be separate of course.
I do wish I could get my hands on an AB driver, but there is only HLG-600H-54AB, the 42 version is either A or B. I'm planning on ordering from mauser, as led-tech doesn't have such powerful drivers. EDIT: In fact they do have a 600H driver, but it is also 42A.

I didn't know they can make me the strips! I'll ask them, and hopefully the price isn't something crazy. Thanks for the idea!
 
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Rocket Soul

Rocket Soul

Well-Known Member
Then go for a version.

Led tech can set you up woth either mixed reds and blues or separate, its just a matter $$

One of the easiest spectrum tweaks that can be donne is adding far red, for supplementation and end of day treatment, which should knock a few days or even a week off your flower cycle
 
Treeckle

Treeckle

Member
Rocket Soul said:
Then go for a version.

Led tech can set you up woth either mixed reds and blues or separate, its just a matter $$

One of the easiest spectrum tweaks that can be donne is adding far red, for supplementation and end of day treatment, which should knock a few days or even a week off your flower cycle
Click to expand...
I've got a feeling I might be paying an arm and a leg for those custom strips, so I'm thinking of other options that I have. Those strips that you mentioned, that have whites reds and blues all mixed in might be a good way to go about this. I saw that they have 60 white leds, 4 red(square) and 1 blue(SSL 120). But by looking at the specs it seems like the whites are driven way lower(700mA) than the 98 white leds on the other strips that I'll be having(1400mA). I'm guessing that means getting a different driver for these again. I really wish these things were more simple!

Anyways I drew a schematic with those lights, and thought I'd swap out 2 all white stripes for 4 white/red/blue. No wiring this time.
fixture1.png

The more I do this, the more I'm thinking those older LED strips can't be that bad haha! At least I'm getting good in MS Paint!

I've also been reading things regarding far reds these past few days, and what I took from it is that you can then run 13 hours of light instead of 12, which is what makes the plants grow faster. However it also requires wiring up more drivers, and that makes my head spin! :eyesmoke:

EDIT: I forgot to link the white/red/blue stripe: https://www.led-tech.de/en/50cm-MIXED-alu-stripoe-with-60x-Samsung-LM301B-3500K-4x-Osram-OSLON-Square-hyper-red-1x-Osram-OSLON-SSL-deep-blue-LEDs#
 
Rocket Soul

Rocket Soul

Well-Known Member
It kinda depends on what bin you get in the old strips, theres like 20% difference within the ssl series. Find out from ledtech which bin for the old strips, both blue and red.

The newer strips are real efficient, close to 3
ppf/j

and in any case you should have them a bit better spread out.
 
Treeckle

Treeckle

Member
Rocket Soul said:
It kinda depends on what bin you get in the old strips, theres like 20% difference within the ssl series. Find out from ledtech which bin for the old strips, both blue and red.

The newer strips are real efficient, close to 3
ppf/j

and in any case you should have them a bit better spread out.
Click to expand...
I've done some more youtube led driver binging, and I tried to determine a driver for the white/red/blue strips. It must be ran at constant current, so I'd pick a 700mA driver, with each of the 8 strips pulling 17,5W(in total 140W). I think the HLG-185H-C700A is what I need to go for(they don't make HLG-140H unfortunately). Then somehow figure out how to wire all 8 strips in series, going over two light fixtures.. but that's not a driver issue.

In total I should then have about 620W of power lighting up my 20sqft space, which is over 30W per sqft! Yay!

In regards to spreading them out better, I'm going to be placing these strips on a 100cm long and 75cm wide fixture, and seeing that each strip is 50cm long but only about 2cm wide, I am looking at about 10cm spread between the strips. Don't look at the schematic for that! However if you believe this still is not good, I am always very open to suggestions!
 
Rocket Soul

Rocket Soul

Well-Known Member
Remember to think about wall clearance, hangiing and how to access all sides of your light, its tricky with a big llight in a tent.

That driver introduces +200V into your growspace, be carefull, ground your fixtures and insulate the connectors
 
1

1212ham

Well-Known Member
Treeckle said:
Oh yeah, my bad for poor wording choice, I meant to get another driver that would run the colored LEDs, but I was not sure if I can put the Square red and SSL blue together on it. The whites are going to be separate of course.
I do wish I could get my hands on an AB driver, but there is only HLG-600H-54AB, the 42 version is either A or B. I'm planning on ordering from mauser, as led-tech doesn't have such powerful drivers. EDIT: In fact they do have a 600H driver, but it is also 42A.

I didn't know they can make me the strips! I'll ask them, and hopefully the price isn't something crazy. Thanks for the idea!
Click to expand...
Many people use two HLG-320's rather than the 600. It's available with AB dimming, slightly cheaper, more power, and two drivers offers more flexibility.
 
Treeckle

Treeckle

Member
Rocket Soul said:
Remember to think about wall clearance, hangiing and how to access all sides of your light, its tricky with a big llight in a tent.

That driver introduces +200V into your growspace, be carefull, ground your fixtures and insulate the connectors
Click to expand...
I will have to think about getting 2 drivers for this. Maybe not even HLG, but I am hesitant in looking at others, since everybody always talks about the HLGs. I have updated my plans on the first post in hopes of specific driver recommendations.

1212ham said:
Many people use two HLG-320's rather than the 600. It's available with AB dimming, slightly cheaper, more power, and two drivers offers more flexibility.
Click to expand...
I've changed my plans around a bit, so now I'll use 16 white led strips, which makes the 480W drivers an option. I would much rather play around with constant current drivers rather than constant voltage. The top post has been updated with new schematics!
 
1

1212ham

Well-Known Member
Treeckle said:
The WHITE/RED/BLUE strips can either be run with one driver(likely producing deadly voltage) or two drivers(not drawn here). They must be run in constant current, so CV is not an option here! Their total power draw is about 140W, and with all 8 in series the voltage comes up to 200V.
Click to expand...
They can be powered with CC or CV, both have been done countless times.
 
Treeckle

Treeckle

Member
1212ham said:
They can be powered with CC or CV, both have been done countless times.
Click to expand...
I'm not sure why, but like @Rocket Soul said, led-tech say it should be used with CC. Taken from the website: "ATTENTION! For use with constant CURRENT only!"

I'm thinking it might be because the voltage changes are so minimal while the current goes up. Might be easy for a beginner to mess it up and blow up the strip. It's like a 0.3V change per 100mA, from looking at the chart. It's just my thinking tho, could be a totally different reason.
 
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Treeckle

Treeckle

Member
1212ham said:
I prefer a driver that can't kill me. ;-)
I was hit with 400 volts DC about 40 years ago. It's not something one forgets, ever!
Click to expand...
Oh yes, I definitely agree with you! That must have been some serious voltage too, damn! I'd rather buy two non-deadly drivers for the series wiring, than one which can become deadly, I'm always paranoid when it comes to electricity. Good thing you survived man!
 
1

1212ham

Well-Known Member
Yeah, electronics was my hobby as kid and I've been zapped a few times, but that one was bad. I sat there for a few minutes waiting for my heart to stop pounding, quite the experience. Hope I didn't come on too strong, but high voltage is no joke.

I wouldn't worry about led-tech's statement about constant current. The great thing with A or AB drivers is the ability to set a voltage limit, it can prevent all parallel wired strips from drawing excessive current. Parallel wiring with a low voltage driver is a little more wiring, but the LEDs are safe with a voltage limit.
 
Treeckle

Treeckle

Member
1212ham said:
Yeah, electronics was my hobby as kid and I've been zapped a few times, but that one was bad. I sat there for a few minutes waiting for my heart to stop pounding, quite the experience. Hope I didn't come on too strong, but high voltage is no joke.

I wouldn't worry about led-tech's statement about constant current. The great thing with A or AB drivers is the ability to set a voltage limit, it can prevent all parallel wired strips from drawing excessive current. Parallel wiring with a low voltage driver is a little more wiring, but the LEDs are safe with a voltage limit.
Click to expand...
I'll take your word for it man! I don't intend on playing around with deadly electricity.
I'm now looking for two drivers to run 4 strips in series each. I found Meanwell's HLG-80H-C700A that I think could run the 4.
But I am wondering, is it correct to only be looking at HLG drivers for these LEDs or are other drivers also going to work good? Getting a 70W one would be ideal, since the 4 strips require exactly that much.
 
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