Hi all!
I bought this constant-voltage driver for an abandoned project 18 months ago, and it's finally going into service this week in a 2' x 4' oak plywood cabinet I just built.
I'm framing light with two 44-inch pieces of 1-inch extrusion, spanned by 22.5 inch heat sinks (so lights/frame just clears 24-inch depth), 4-6 strips of H inFlux L09 (2 foot, double row LEDs, operating current = 1000 mA/ max=1600 mA / min = slash/no number), wired in parallel.
I know this HLG-480H-48A driver is WAY overpowered for my needs, but if I set the correct current and cap it properly (like LEDG did at end of number 4 video on Mean Well drivers), I should be alright. I want to be as efficient as reasonably possible. Would six, 2-foot H inFlux L09 strips powered down to 75% be efficient enough while still producing enough light for big, fat...uh, tomatoes? Would 6 at 50%? I'm shooting for the sweet spot, but would rather err on the side of enough usable light for fat flowers. This Data Sheet is weird, though, as it shows no minimum Operating Current, but just a slash; does this mean that 1000 mA IS the Minimum Operating Current?
Data Sheet H inFlux (L09 is my strip) https://cdn.samsung.com/led/file/resour ... ev.1.7.pdf
MY UNDERSTANDING, but please tell me if I'm wrong.
I would think If I wanted to run a single one of these strips at 75%, I'd just set up my multimeter and raise Vo pot until the multimeter read 750 mA. Then I can cap at 750 mA by turning the (wide-open) Io pot down until it starts lowering current below 750 mA...which I just stop, move back to 750 then stop...one strip properly capped, and now I use the Vo pot for my dimmer. Furthermore, If I add subsequent strips that I want to keep at 75%, just add 750 mA for each strip, right? I might want to use only 1 or 2 strips for the first month, then add strips as the grow progresses. So, for 2 strips I'd run at 1500 mA (capped, as above), 4 at 3000 mA, 6 at 4500 mA? If not at 75%, what's the sweet-spot for efficacy? Will that give me enough light for good yields?
One more thing...I know I've seen it a bunch of times, but what is the best way to set-up multimeter leads to read mA, so I can
set and cap this light properly? I know I'm moving the lead from volts to amps, but is it just as simple as connecting leads to the start of the pos/neg wires coming right off the driver?
Thanks in advance for any insight!
-JRR
Finishing HLG-480H-48A/H inFlux Build. Please Help Me To Not Burn My House Down!
There is no minimum, they could run at 50mA with the right driver.
The 75% of max rule of thumb is based on the maximum power, in this case 1.6A. So 75% will be 1.2A.
75% will be too much light for a 2x4 space. You'd want roughly 2x4x35=280W, which at 48V is around 5.8A.
Wire all 6 strips up to the driver. Turn up Vo, turn down Io. Get your ammeter wired up and turn Io up until you reach ~5.8A. Done. Fiddle with Vo if you want that theoretical thermal runaway protection
The 75% of max rule of thumb is based on the maximum power, in this case 1.6A. So 75% will be 1.2A.
75% will be too much light for a 2x4 space. You'd want roughly 2x4x35=280W, which at 48V is around 5.8A.
Wire all 6 strips up to the driver. Turn up Vo, turn down Io. Get your ammeter wired up and turn Io up until you reach ~5.8A. Done. Fiddle with Vo if you want that theoretical thermal runaway protection