HurricaneX dimming and off with COB led setup

024deeweed420

024deeweed420

Active Member
Ive been seaching but cant get the answer i need.
I have purchased a hurricanex led controller from steves leds

http://www.stevesleds.com/HurricaneX-LED-Controller_p_237.html

to dim and primarily to use as a timer to switch on and off for day/night cycles. I thought you just connected it directly to the main drivers dimming connection but reading up and asking around i think i need something else inbetween? Im also guessing as my light setup will be six cobs using one of these drivers in simple series connection that i will only need to use one of the 16 channels of the led controller?

This is a description of the driver its a zpe from cutter electronics

PF-P400CC-C140-S-DM
400 watt Hi Voltage Constant Current Led driver, ideal for high Voltage COB series Strings, drives 171 to 286 Volts output, will drive 8 x 36V cobs

  • √ Wide Input Voltage:90～305Vac
  • √ High Efficiency up to 94.0%
  • √ APFC (Active Power Factor Correction): 0.99 Typical
  • √ 0-10V/PWM/Resistor/Time 4 in 1 Dimmable
  • √ Programmable Output Current with Constant Wattage Design
  • √ Lightning Protection 6kV √ Waterproof: IP67
  • √ 100% Full Load Aging Test for 4 Hours @Ta=45℃
  • √ Safety Design Compliant to UL8750/IEC61347 √ Thermal Optimized Aluminum Case with Potting
This is a DM version for 0-10 or resistive Dimming


I really need a some help , if you can help a total electronics luddite id be much in your debt. Got the tent , got the fans, filters, got the watering/nutes setup and reservoir ( going to do coco grow drain to waste with the nutes delivered via a diaphragm pump on a seconds timer ), got the seeds, just need to get these lights and set em up good.

Steves Leds also sell this and im wondering if i need this in between the controller and the dimming leads of the driver

http://www.stevesleds.com/HurricaneX-10V-PWM-Converter--16-Channel-version_p_335.html
 
024deeweed420

024deeweed420

Active Member
Victor6634 said:
I believe you need this because drivers for cobs are 10 volt dimming and hurricane is 5 volt dimming without this. This is from steves
Click to expand...
Cheers for reply
Yes I did have that link for that converter at the bottom of my post, so is that it? No other drivers or pcbs?
Just the hurricanex connected to the

hurricane x pwm 10v converter connected via a single chsnnel ( 2 wires)

to the dimming wires of the ZPE Driver?
 
HalfBee

HalfBee

Well-Known Member
You should talk to Mark at Cutter... it looks like the driver will accept the PWM signal directly and doesn't require the 10v converter.
It will take ANY of the methods of dimming... potentiometer • 0-10v signal • PWM signal • Not sure what it means by time in specs.

Hurricane is nice, but costs a big chunk of change for a single signal output.
 
024deeweed420

024deeweed420

Active Member
HalfBee said:
You should talk to Mark at Cutter... it looks like the driver will accept the PWM signal directly and doesn't require the 10v converter.
It will take ANY of the methods of dimming... potentiometer • 0-10v signal • PWM signal • Not sure what it means by time in specs.

Hurricane is nice, but costs a big chunk of change for a single signal output.
Click to expand...
Cheers, I have spoken to Mark and steves leds who said i would meed the converter, with mark I didnt get a definative answer and he hasnt got back to me with my other questions via email yet so i thought I would get other opinions. Yes expensive but they on special $70and I can always add more channels. Far reds and maybr uv in future. Ive bought it anyways so im gonna use it. I guess my main concern is that it may not dim to 0v (off) because all those constant current drivers only dim to 10% when u look at the specs. Yes it should do it all, even sunrise sunset and cloud simulation but Im not sure if it will just turn off without more stuff.
 
R

rhygin77

Member
I'm not sure I understand totally what your goal is, but it seems like an important first question is whether the driver can be dimmed to 0%. For example, with a meanwell hlg, you can only dim to 10% using the driver circuitry. If you want to turn the driver totally off, you need a separate system (e.g. a switch on the ac power). I don't know if your zpe driver is different.

For example, see the dimming section of: http://www.mouser.com/ds/2/260/HLG-185H-C-SPEC-806161.pdf
 
024deeweed420

024deeweed420

Active Member
It doesnt dim to zero thats why im asking. I think none of these types of drivers do. But people use this types of controllers for grow lights so I thought there must be a simple solution. I have searched rollitup, found nothing that I can understsnd yet. My goal is to use it to turn the lights on and off! If I can add a sunrise sunset dimming function thats a bonus. Secondary function would be to dim the cobs if needed because I will have them in a small tent and they may be too bright at full power.
 
R

rhygin77

Member
Yeah, I think people who use a controller to turn the lights off are either: a) using a microcontrolled ac switch (like the link), or (b) using LDD drivers (which can be dimmed to 0%, that's why so many people use the PWM dimmers for reef lighting driven by LDDs).

There may well be other methods that others can share, but this is the best I can offer.
 
024deeweed420

024deeweed420

Active Member
rhygin77 said:
Yeah, I think people who use a controller to turn the lights off are either: a) using a microcontrolled ac switch (like the link), or (b) using LDD drivers (which can be dimmed to 0%, that's why so many people use the PWM dimmers for reef lighting driven by LDDs).

There may well be other methods that others can share, but this is the best I can offer.
Click to expand...
Ok thanks much appreciated, yeah well I was told that ldd drivers is a way but can you explain where they fit in the circuit? Mark from cutter told me to use this
http://www.cutter.com.au/proddetail.php?prod=cut3074
And this
http://www.cutter.com.au/proddetail.php?prod=cut3040
But didnt give me details.
I'm really uncertain where these go on the circuit. And do I only need 1 driver for the series of cobs or one per cob?
 
R

rhygin77

Member
Yeah, he's saying that you can use LDD drivers INSTEAD of the zpe driver. If you have the zpe driver, it's a lot more complicated and expensive to switch now to LDD, and you'd be better off with the power switch I linked to previously.

If you don't have the zpe driver, here's a super brief summary of an LDD system: it consists of two basic components, an ac to dc power supply (e.g. http://www.rapidled.com/mean-well-se-350-48/, although that may or may not be right one for you, depending on your setup) and an LDD driver (the second link in your post above). The power supply output dc power and the driver adjusts the current (someone with more electrical knowledge can explain better). The driver is connected to the cobs.

If you want to learn how to size the bits of LDD system, refer to this link: http://menarilighting.com/rapidled/documentation/LDD-H-4 Board.pdf. It's really pretty simple, but most people here aren't using them. They are more popular for reef lighting or supplemental (mono) grow lighting.
 
024deeweed420

024deeweed420

Active Member
wietefras said:
It's not just the LDD drivers . All new Mean Well drivers that have been coming out have the new dimming module with Dale and dim-to-off.
Click to expand...
Ok cheers, so if I went with a meanwell constant current driver with dim to off to run my cobs in series then i could run this driver to off directly with the hurricane x maybe? I havent bought any drivers yet btw only the hurricanex, got it because it seemed a bargain at the time.
 
024deeweed420

024deeweed420

Active Member
rhygin77 said:
Yeah, he's saying that you can use LDD drivers INSTEAD of the zpe driver. If you have the zpe driver, it's a lot more complicated and expensive to switch now to LDD, and you'd be better off with the power switch I linked to previously.

If you don't have the zpe driver, here's a super brief summary of an LDD system: it consists of two basic components, an ac to dc power supply (e.g. http://www.rapidled.com/mean-well-se-350-48/, although that may or may not be right one for you, depending on your setup) and an LDD driver (the second link in your post above). The power supply output dc power and the driver adjusts the current (someone with more electrical knowledge can explain better). The driver is connected to the cobs.

If you want to learn how to size the bits of LDD system, refer to this link: http://menarilighting.com/rapidled/documentation/LDD-H-4 Board.pdf. It's really pretty simple, but most people here aren't using them. They are more popular for reef lighting or supplemental (mono) grow lighting.
Click to expand...
And thanks again!, yeah well its funny because i actually got the impression from what Mark told me and the instructional video on this link just at the last 30 secs or so of the video....
http://www.cutter.com.au/proddetail.php?prod=cut3074

......Mark has a single cob running through this to a stormx controller (almost same as hurricanex) but he says the cob is running on a seperate 36v power supply to the ldd. Which is what you are explaining. Sorta confusing to me, but im not quick on the uptake! Thanks for your time and help.
 
Last edited:
wietefras

wietefras

Well-Known Member
I don't know this Hurricane thing, but if you are looking for dim-to-off drivers then it will say so in the specs of the driver .

Sometimes it is only a few (newer) models which have it though . For instance only the 250W or 300W driver in the series
 
V

VegasWinner

Well-Known Member
LDD drivers use 5v pwm dimming. HLG drivers use 10v pwm dimming. I do not believe you can do both with the controller you have. 3w leds use a LDD driver and a separate power supply, usually 48v and 250w meanwell SP-48-250 to power 3 w leds. For the COBs the meanwell driver does the job. The 10v pwm signal goes to Dim+ and Dim- on the driver. I have not used stevesled, but I have an 8 channel model and developed 6 channel DIY code. there is a thread on on/off functionality for neamwell drivers. good luck. hope this helps.
 
sixstring2112

sixstring2112

Well-Known Member
024deeweed420 said:
It doesnt dim to zero thats why im asking. I think none of these types of drivers do. But people use this types of controllers for grow lights so I thought there must be a simple solution. I have searched rollitup, found nothing that I can understsnd yet. My goal is to use it to turn the lights on and off! If I can add a sunrise sunset dimming function thats a bonus. Secondary function would be to dim the cobs if needed because I will have them in a small tent and they may be too bright at full power.
Click to expand...
i bet @VegasWinner can help answer some of these questions for you. lol edit ^^^ there he is now (:
 
024deeweed420

024deeweed420

Active Member
VegasWinner said:
LDD drivers use 5v pwm dimming. HLG drivers use 10v pwm dimming. I do not believe you can do both with the controller you have. 3w leds use a LDD driver and a separate power supply, usually 48v and 250w meanwell SP-48-250 to power 3 w leds. For the COBs the meanwell driver does the job. The 10v pwm signal goes to Dim+ and Dim- on the driver. I have not used stevesled, but I have an 8 channel model and developed 6 channel DIY code. there is a thread on on/off functionality for neamwell drivers. good luck. hope this helps.
Click to expand...
Hi VegasWinner, i checked your site out, your growgreen led is something I should have bought before I got this hurricanex! ( the hurricane x is steves leds upgrade from the typhon) the growgreen looks great and Im all for your philosophy of making a growroom work well so you can focus on growing. Im planning a fairly tiny grow room but I want it to be as efficent and automated as it can be because I wont be abke to get to it every day.
So I have a question, I did find that thread regarding on/off functionaliity and it seems for what I want to do an easy way would be to buy and install this?

http://yourduino.com/sunshop2/index.php?l=product_detail&p=218

Then i would be able to turn the HGL DRIVER to off?
To be honest even buying that and attempting to connect it is slightly daunting but if thats a simple way I will give it a crack! I did install a PID temp contol kit onto my coffee machine a few years back and didn't kill myself so Ive got that on my side:)
Thanks for the help.
 
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