HLG-480H-48B wiring: series or parallel?

[jon]

I have contacted HLG manufacturer and asked them what is the safest wiring for HLG-480H-48B with 4x QC288. They answered series wiring is recommended.

However I am confused after watching LEDGardener recommend parallel wiring in this video He said "if you can do it like this I think it's a better way to go".

What am I missing? Could you explain me the advantages of series wiring compared to the wiring diagram suggested in LEDGardener video? http://prntscr.com/kt8sl2

The kit I bought from Kingbrite ( KB-QB288*4-LM561C ) came pre-wired in parallel http://prntscr.com/kt8uyi ... Should I follow HLG recommendation and rewire the boards in series or should I go with LEDGardener suggestion and use parallel wiring?

I want a solution that won't have any risk with thermal runaway or overpowering if one of the board dies or is disconnected.

Thanks!

[LEDG]

Series is safer but that 480H-48 is not the ideal driver for series wiring. You’d likely want multiple constant current drivers instead.

[jon]

Thanks for the reply,
Which drivers should I buy?

[sdfoster22]

Thanks for the reply,
Which drivers should I buy?

I'm assuming you meant 4 qb288's. If you want series wiring 2 HLG-240H-C2100. That would run rach board at about 100w. That's about 60-70% of max for these boards. Remember since you are going over 50w per board. A heatsink is recommended.

[jon]

sorry for the typo, yes I meant 4 qb288

how does 2 HLG-240H-C2100 compare to 1 HLG-480H-C1400B? Would I get the same lighting power & efficiency?

I am also wondering what is the difference between HLG-240H-C2100B and HLG-240H-C1400B?

[sdfoster22]

If you use the hlg-480h-c1400b you'll get about 70w max per board wired in series. For a total of about 280w max. You could achieve the same results with 4 boards hooked up to the hlg-320h-c1400b. Or you could get 2 hlg-120h-c1400b, and hook up 2 to each driver for the same result.

You could use the Hlg-480h-c2100b and get about 107w per board, and 400w max total. Or you could get 2 hlg-240h-2100b for the same result.

If you choose either 480h drive. Just make sure all your connections are sealed well, as you'll be dealing with 200-220v while the thing is running. You could use 1 100kohm linear taper potentiometer to dim this driver.

If you choose the 320h driver you'll still have around 200v. Use the same potentiometer.

If you decide to use the 2 120h or 2 240h drivers, it is the safer choice because you'll be dealing with around 100v while running. If you want to dim both drivers simultaneously, get a 50kohm linear taper potentiometer, and hook it to both drivers dim leads. To dim separate, get two 100kohm potentiometers.

Of course running the c1400's will be more effecient because you are running them softer, but at the cost of less wattage. It all depends on the size of your space as well.

[jon]

Thank you so much for taking the time to explain everything, it was very helpful!

2x HLG-240H-C2100B definitely looks like my best option. If I understand correctly, I would be getting 107w max per board, which is even better than the 70W per board that I would be getting if I used the original driver that came with my kit

I am also planning to add fast blow fuses to the boards for optimal safety. I have been told I will have to find out the maximum current of each board and buy fuses rated just above that... But I am unsure what will be the maximum current with 2x 240H?

One more question - the kit came with very small wires (not sure which size, its written 0.5mm on the wires). Should I upgrade to solid core 18 gauge wires? Seems to be the recommended gauge in this guide: http://ledgardener.com/choosing-wire-fo ... ob-system/

Also from the same guide - there is a warning about constant current drivers.

Voltage Drop
Although it’s an excellent conductor, copper does have inherent resistance. The longer your run of cable, the more resistance (measured in ohms) you’re going to see on your circuit – just due to the cable itself. Also, as your wire gets smaller, resistance increases, since there is a smaller area for electrons to flow through. So why does this matter? Well, due to Ohm’s law, as resistance increases, voltage will decrease. If your wire is too small and the run too long, you may find that the 36V your driver is putting out is actually only 35V by the time it’s traveled the length of the wire. This voltage drop could cause problems in a constant voltage system where small changes in voltage can produce large changes in current.

Can I have this problem with my setup?

[atreum]

Thank you so much for taking the time to explain everything, it was very helpful!

2x HLG-240H-C2100B definitely looks like my best option. If I understand correctly, I would be getting 107w max per board, which is even better than the 70W per board that I would be getting if I used the original driver that came with my kit

I am also planning to add fast blow fuses to the boards for optimal safety. I have been told I will have to find out the maximum current of each board and buy fuses rated just above that... But I am unsure what will be the maximum current with 2x 240H?

One more question - the kit came with very small wires (not sure which size, its written 0.5mm on the wires). Should I upgrade to solid core 18 gauge wires? Seems to be the recommended gauge in this guide: http://ledgardener.com/choosing-wire-fo ... ob-system/

Also from the same guide - there is a warning about constant current drivers.

Voltage Drop
Although it’s an excellent conductor, copper does have inherent resistance. The longer your run of cable, the more resistance (measured in ohms) you’re going to see on your circuit – just due to the cable itself. Also, as your wire gets smaller, resistance increases, since there is a smaller area for electrons to flow through. So why does this matter? Well, due to Ohm’s law, as resistance increases, voltage will decrease. If your wire is too small and the run too long, you may find that the 36V your driver is putting out is actually only 35V by the time it’s traveled the length of the wire. This voltage drop could cause problems in a constant voltage system where small changes in voltage can produce large changes in current.

Can I have this problem with my setup?

https://www.calculator.net/voltage-drop ... &x=92&y=16

Here's an online calculator for voltage drop over a length of copper wire. I typed in some values for the HLG-240H-C2100 and 10-feet of wire, and it results in a 0.27V drop. So unless you're running like dozens of feet of wire, you're probably fine.

Also to note, the max wire gauge these board connectors take is about 18-gauge.

[unkle_psycho]

Nice one with the calculator. Was wondering about an under-performing driver, and it seems the combination of skinny wire and a long cable is very bad. Calculator says I should have a voltage drop of 2.94, resulting in 21.6v instead of 24v. Seems skinny wires are at least as much of a problem as the distance itself.