Hlg elite 96 wiring help

Fluffyhead22

Fluffyhead22

Well-Known Member
Ok so I want to get 3 or 4 of these and wire them in series. The picture I'm foigo to put up is from a gromau page. using pucks. I just need to know if this would work. I'm reffrefer to the last picture with 6. But it would work the same way with 3 or 4. Hlg elite 96 boards. Thanks for amy helpScreenshot_20181208-211837.png
 
Fluffyhead22

Fluffyhead22

Well-Known Member
Ok I want to do 3 boards in series because it seems easier to wire. I need help getting the right stuff. I can build the frame out of angle iron. Easy stuff. Getting the right stuff and qiriwi not so easy
 
ChiefRunningPhist

ChiefRunningPhist

Well-Known Member
I'd recommend paralell wiring, it's not hard, its simply positive to positive, negative to negative, uses 2 wires connecting lights instead of 1 wire that goes from positive to negative and connects 2 lights. Twice as much wire, but paralell wiring imo seems to be more versatile with these drivers and LEDs, as it's mostly the amperage you push that regulates light intensity, not voltage. You'll get voltage limited quick with series wiring, meaning you typically can't run as many lights per driver as parallel (I think CC drivers are lil more expensive than parallel CV drivers too), but series will work too if you're set on it.

It looks like the hlg 96elite is 54v and up to 6amps, so you'd need a driver that'd supply enough volts for however many lights your running. For 3 lights it'd be 162v (3 x 54), or 216v (4 x 54v) for 4 lights. If you try to run the 4 lights with only 162v, no matter how much amperage you push none will light up. That's why I'd recommend parallel as you can get every light to light, but it's the intensity that will change, whereas if you wire in series and added a light you might not see anything because the voltage would now be to small to light any of the lights. Wattage = volts x amps.

HLG 480h 54a wired in parallel will work with 2-4 lights and give you versatility to add from the 3 lights you were suggesting to 4 lights without having to worry about a new driver, just dim it as you like..

Series (1 wire, + to - )...
painted.png DSC06875-1.jpg

Paralell (2 wires, + to +, - to - )...
parallel.png DSC06879-1.jpg
 
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Fluffyhead22

Fluffyhead22

Well-Known Member
I really need the help I feel like a chump. It says on the website what driver to get if your running 4 boards in series not 3. So if I get that board will it be good to run 3 also. Super newb
 
Fluffyhead22

Fluffyhead22

Well-Known Member
ChiefRunningPhist said:
I'd recommend paralell wiring, it's not hard, its simply positive to positive, negative to negative, uses 2 wires connecting lights instead of 1 wire that goes from positive to negative and connects 2 lights. Twice as much wire, but paralell wiring imo seems to be more versatile with these drivers and LEDs, as it's mostly the amperage you push that regulates light intensity, not voltage. You'll get voltage limited quick with series wiring, meaning you typically can't run as many lights per driver as parallel (I think CC drivers are lil more expensive than parallel CV drivers too), but series will work too if you're set on it.

Series (1 wire, + to - )...
View attachment 4247667 View attachment 4247665

Paralell (2 wires, + to +, - to - )...
View attachment 4247668 View attachment 4247664
Click to expand...
Not set just want to do what works best
 
ChiefRunningPhist

ChiefRunningPhist

Well-Known Member
Fluffyhead22 said:
Not set just want to do what works best
Click to expand...
How big your grow area? In a tent? For 12ft2 or less just get a HLG 480 54a, and wire in parallel. Then you can buy 3 and if you want to add a 4th the HLG 480H 54a will work with that configuration too. Because it supplies 54v to each light when wired in parallel you can add as many or as few lights as you want and they will all light. But the thing to remember is that while they may all light they're sharing the total wattage from the driver, so if the driver is 480w (hlg 480 54a) and you have 10 lights, that's only 48w/ light and won't be very bright per light, on the other hand if you had 2 lights then that'd be 240w per light and very bright. So if you wire in parallel the things you need to worry about are what the forward voltage (min voltage needed to light up) of your lights are and then about how many watts you want to run per light. The 480H 54a means its rated at 480w and at 54v. The 600H 54a means its rated for 600w and 54v. If your area is bigger than 12ft2 I'd recommend the hlg 600h 54a as I try to hit 125-155w/plant or 4ft2.
 
Fluffyhead22

Fluffyhead22

Well-Known Member
ChiefRunningPhist said:
How big your grow area? In a tent? For 12ft2 or less just get a HLG 480 54a, and wire in parallel. Then you can buy 3 and if you want to add a 4th the HLG 480H 54a will work with that configuration too. Because it supplies 54v to each light when wired in parallel you can add as many or as few lights as you want and they will all light. But the thing to remember is that while they may all light they're sharing the total wattage from the driver, so if the driver is 480w (hlg 480 54a) and you have 10 lights, that's only 48w/ light and won't be very bright per light, on the other hand if you had 2 lights then that'd be 240w per light and very bright. So if you wire in parallel the things you need to worry about are what the forward voltage (min voltage needed to light up) of your lights are and then about how many watts you want to run per light. The 480H 54a means its rated at 480w and at 54v. The 600H 54a means its rated for 600w and 54v. If your area is bigger than 12ft2 I'd recommend the hlg 600h 54a as I try to hit 125-155w/plant or 4ft2.
Click to expand...
These are the new qb elite boards. If that matters. I feel like all this is ovwr my head
 
ChiefRunningPhist

ChiefRunningPhist

Well-Known Member
Fluffyhead22 said:
These are the new qb elite boards. If that matters. I feel like all this is ovwr my head
Click to expand...
Series wiring divides the entire voltage being supplied by the driver by the number of lights wired up while keeping the amperage constant. These are properties of series wiring.

Paralell wiring divides the entire amperage being supplied by the driver by the number of lights wired up while keeping voltage constant. These are properties of parallel wiring.

Wattage = volts x amps

LEDs require a minimum certain amount of voltage to light up. Once that voltage requirement is met then the light will shine but will be dependent on how many amps are being pushed to determine how bright it is.

The new elite96 that I'm referring to is this...
Screenshot_2018-12-11-20-29-21~2.png Screenshot_2018-12-11-20-29-34~2.png
(Says it can handle 6000ma or 6amps total, and looks to have a forward voltage of 54)

If it can run 6000ma and has a forward voltage of 54v, then that means (if we multiply 6.0amps by 54v) that the light can handle at most 324w.

So as long as you have a driver that puts out 54v you'll be able to run 1 or multiple of those lights, and with the ability to dim the current (current is same as amps) on the driver you can buy a 600w 54v driver and dim it to 324w if only running 1 light (324w max rating of that light but most ppl run their QB's that size at 125w to 175w), or turn it up if you have more lights.

The 3 digit number at the beginning of the driver is typically its wattage, then the second number is either its constant voltage being supplied or its constant amperage being supplied, the "a" or "b" at the tail end signifies if there's a dimmer switch on the driver (a) or if you have to buy and add one yourself (b).

480h 54a = 480w 54v a dimmer built in
(Constant Voltage or C.V. driver)
480h 54b = 480w 54v dimmer not built in
(Constant Voltage or C.V. driver)
600h 36a = 600w 36v dimmer built in
(Constant Voltage or C.V. driver)
240h 2100a = 240w 2100ma dimmer built in
(Constant Current or C.C. driver)

...
I think you get the idea..

It would depend on how big your grow area is to determine how many lights and then how big your driver would need to be.

How big your grow area?
 
Fluffyhead22

Fluffyhead22

Well-Known Member
ChiefRunningPhist said:
Series wiring divides the entire voltage being supplied by the driver by the number of lights wired up while keeping the amperage constant. These are properties of series wiring.

Paralell wiring divides the entire amperage being supplied by the driver by the number of lights wired up while keeping voltage constant. These are properties of parallel wiring.

Wattage = volts x amps

LEDs require a minimum certain amount of voltage to light up. Once that voltage requirement is met then the light will shine but will be dependent on how many amps are being pushed to determine how bright it is.

The new elite96 that I'm referring to is this...
View attachment 4247720 View attachment 4247721
(Says it can handle 6000ma or 6amps total, and looks to have a forward voltage of 54)

If it can run 6000ma and has a forward voltage of 54v, then that means (if we multiply 6.0amps by 54v) that the light can handle at most 324w.

So as long as you have a driver that puts out 54v you'll be able to run 1 or multiple of those lights, and with the ability to dim the current (current is same as amps) on the driver you can buy a 600w 54v driver and dim it to 324w if only running 1 light (324w max rating of that light but most ppl run their QB's that size at 125w to 175w), or turn it up if you have more lights.

The 3 digit number at the beginning of the driver is typically its wattage, then the second number is either its constant voltage being supplied or its constant amperage being supplied, the "a" or "b" at the tail end signifies if there's a dimmer switch on the driver (a) or if you have to buy and add one yourself (b).

480h 54a = 480w 54v a dimmer built in
(Constant Voltage or C.V. driver)
480h 54b = 480w 54v dimmer not built in
(Constant Voltage or C.V. driver)
600h 36a = 600w 36v dimmer built in
(Constant Voltage or C.V. driver)
240h 2100a = 240w 2100ma dimmer built in
(Constant Current or C.C. driver)

...
I think you get the idea..

It would depend on how big your grow area is to determine how many lights and then how big your driver would need to be.

How big your grow area?
Click to expand...
It's a 3x3 I would like to to 3 of those boards. I just want to make sure I get the right driver.
 
Fluffyhead22

Fluffyhead22

Well-Known Member
ChiefRunningPhist said:
Series wiring divides the entire voltage being supplied by the driver by the number of lights wired up while keeping the amperage constant. These are properties of series wiring.

Paralell wiring divides the entire amperage being supplied by the driver by the number of lights wired up while keeping voltage constant. These are properties of parallel wiring.

Wattage = volts x amps

LEDs require a minimum certain amount of voltage to light up. Once that voltage requirement is met then the light will shine but will be dependent on how many amps are being pushed to determine how bright it is.

The new elite96 that I'm referring to is this...
View attachment 4247720 View attachment 4247721
(Says it can handle 6000ma or 6amps total, and looks to have a forward voltage of 54)

If it can run 6000ma and has a forward voltage of 54v, then that means (if we multiply 6.0amps by 54v) that the light can handle at most 324w.

So as long as you have a driver that puts out 54v you'll be able to run 1 or multiple of those lights, and with the ability to dim the current (current is same as amps) on the driver you can buy a 600w 54v driver and dim it to 324w if only running 1 light (324w max rating of that light but most ppl run their QB's that size at 125w to 175w), or turn it up if you have more lights.

The 3 digit number at the beginning of the driver is typically its wattage, then the second number is either its constant voltage being supplied or its constant amperage being supplied, the "a" or "b" at the tail end signifies if there's a dimmer switch on the driver (a) or if you have to buy and add one yourself (b).

480h 54a = 480w 54v a dimmer built in
(Constant Voltage or C.V. driver)
480h 54b = 480w 54v dimmer not built in
(Constant Voltage or C.V. driver)
600h 36a = 600w 36v dimmer built in
(Constant Voltage or C.V. driver)
240h 2100a = 240w 2100ma dimmer built in
(Constant Current or C.C. driver)

...
I think you get the idea..

It would depend on how big your grow area is to determine how many lights and then how big your driver would need to be.

How big your grow area?
Click to expand...
I can just buy the one they made for 630. But I can build one with 3 for a bit cheaper. I've been running a 600 watt high pressure sodium. So I have never put together any LED lights I know I can do it it's just a matter of making sure I get the right stuff.
 
ChiefRunningPhist

ChiefRunningPhist

Well-Known Member
pulpoinspace said:
get the 320h-54b or 480h-54b

either one will work fine for 3 boards in parallel
Click to expand...

Fluffyhead22 said:
I can just buy the one they made for 630. But I can build one with 3 for a bit cheaper. I've been running a 600 watt high pressure sodium. So I have never put together any LED lights I know I can do it it's just a matter of making sure I get the right stuff.
Click to expand...
@pulpoinspace is right, any one of the drivers he listed will work.

If you go with a "b" style driver then you'll need to buy an additional pot (dimmer) and require you to wire it in. For simplicity I'd recommend the "a" style drivers with a built in pot (dimmer) so you don't have to worry about pot wiring or buying extra gear.

For a 3x 3, 9ft2, I'd go with the 480h-54a and wire in parallel (or "b" if you'd like to wire up a nicer pot than the lil ones they give on the "a" style, its up to you). You can get by with the 320 but you'll be running it pretty much at full blast and only be saving around $30 initially.

$115 320h-54a...
Screenshot_2018-12-12-14-34-51~2.png
$145 480h-54a...
Screenshot_2018-12-12-14-35-08~2.png

This what I would do if I wanted to run 3 of those lights for the cheapest, you'll need to get the ones with heatsinks too, these...

Screenshot_2018-12-12-14-49-50~2.png

$145 - (1) 480h-54a
+
$297 - (3) QB96 elite V2 w Heatsink
=
~$445 (saves you a lil from $630)
 
whytewidow

whytewidow

Well-Known Member
You guys dont think 480 watts in 3x3 is a tad over kill. That's 53+ watts per square foot. 270w in 3x3 will flower very nice. 325-375 is way more than enough. Going with the 480 being new to LEDs it will b wide open bc that's what people.new to led do most of the time. Bc they are use to running HPS. So they think they need to get as close to the wattage as the HPS they switched out. 480w in a 3x3 of qb96E's o bet bleaches the shit outta plants. The light will have to be higher. I'd rather run like 40+ watts per sqft and run em soft and get really good efficiency out of the light. Get em closer to the plants. Just my theory anyway. Running that way seems to work for me. 6+ zips from a 2gal soft pot. And it costs pennies a day to run.
 
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