hey guys, So i've learnt a ton here obviously, but I still have some confusion regarding the best setup although i don't think its going to really affect the grow one way or another regardless of which way i wire this thing.
in summary, im building a fixture using 10 pcs - bridgelux eb gen2 1120mm 3500k strips fV: 39v nominal drive current: 700ma
I have both a HLG 320H C700B - 320w CC driver @ 700ma - output voltage 214-428V
scenario 1: i wire them all in series and end up at 390V @700ma Everyone i talk to tells me how dangerous this is... isn't electrical shock risk just based on amps? 700ma is 700ma regardless of the voltage? why is this voltage so scary to people? am i missing something? folks on other forums are telling me never to build a fixture with this high a voltage for a grow space but ultimately the current is just the same... isnt it? I feel like the numbers work out nicer with the CC driver vs the CV driver see Scenario 2 for my reasoning.
Scenario 2: ---Parallel wiring---- there is no 39V driver... its either 36 or 42v. so i have the HLG 320h-42B (constant voltage) rated to 7.65A so as i understand it,
this will maximize the output current of this driver and it will never be able to put out 42V which i think is good for these 39v strips. According to the volts/amps graph in the data sheet, i suspect it would run all 10 strips at 7.65A (765ma each strip) around 39.4 V. People feel more comfortable working with 39 volts instead of 390.... but i always understood the amperage to be the risk factor.
which would you do? if any? lol i would love your opinions and advice on both the wiring and hazards. Cheers!
Series / Parallel Risk / Reward EB strips
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unclebilly
- LED-Curious
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Thanks a lot. I am going to build it with the 42 but I’m more curious and trying to really understand for future builds.. Could I pick your brain on that?
Why will a constant voltage driver adjust its voltage down to 39? Is it only because there’s 10 strips and that will max out the current output and not allow it to reach 42 volts?
Say I only had one strip on the driver. Wouldn’t it just drive it at 42V and probably fry the strip due to over current?
Thanks a lot
Why will a constant voltage driver adjust its voltage down to 39? Is it only because there’s 10 strips and that will max out the current output and not allow it to reach 42 volts?
Say I only had one strip on the driver. Wouldn’t it just drive it at 42V and probably fry the strip due to over current?
Thanks a lot
High Voltages increase the risks of Electrical Arcing, especially in a humid environment...unclebilly wrote: ↑Wed Mar 03, 2021 2:55 amwhich would you do? if any? lol i would love your opinions and advice on both the wiring and hazards. Cheers!
The Bridgelux and Samsung LED strips have PCB ratings of 60 Vdc or less (Working Voltage) which also maintains their SELV ratings...
Page 4, Note # 3 in Bridgelux EB Gen2 Datasheets... https://www.bridgelux.com/sites/default ... ev%20A.pdf
Meanwell's CV LED Drivers (up to 54 Vdc) are all SELV Rated, the CC drivers are not (typically) SELV Rated...
Wiring the strips for High Voltage actually exceeds the manufacturer's ratings. Good luck.
They do this because they're designed to do it as part of being a LED driver. There's circuitry that monitors the output and adjusts the voltage to match what the LEDs want. The voltage the LED want is determined by the current.unclebilly wrote: ↑Wed Mar 03, 2021 4:59 amWhy will a constant voltage driver adjust its voltage down to 39? Is it only because there’s 10 strips and that will max out the current output and not allow it to reach 42 volts?
If you were to run one strip, yes it would fry but not because of the voltage, just the excess heat generated by the excess current.
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unclebilly
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PeteR_1 wrote: ↑Wed Mar 03, 2021 3:59 pmHigh Voltages increase the risks of Electrical Arcing, especially in a humid environment...unclebilly wrote: ↑Wed Mar 03, 2021 2:55 amwhich would you do? if any? lol i would love your opinions and advice on both the wiring and hazards. Cheers!
The Bridgelux and Samsung LED strips have PCB ratings of 60 Vdc or less (Working Voltage) which also maintains their SELV ratings...
Page 4, Note # 3 in Bridgelux EB Gen2 Datasheets... https://www.bridgelux.com/sites/default ... ev%20A.pdf
Meanwell's CV LED Drivers (up to 54 Vdc) are all SELV Rated, the CC drivers are not (typically) SELV Rated...
Wiring the strips for High Voltage actually exceeds the manufacturer's ratings. Good luck.
This is what I needed to see! Thanks man. I read a lot and watched a lot of videos from led gardener and growmau5. He has done a lot of builds in series with well over 100v but he’s using COBS, so I think it’s a whole different ball game. I didn’t know that also, about the higher voltage having higher arc potential. Makes sense also. Much like the taser I guess. Thanks for your input. Should have my parallel gen2 strip build done within a week. Excited
Hey
Just wanted to mention, that I get completely different advice.
I learned that this limit is theoretical. Drive led parallel has big disadvantages.
Every led is driven with a little different power what can lead to a damage of the ones gets the most power. It’s important to have the same temperature environment for all ur strips for this reason.
If one strip is gone, than the others get even more power and will to to hell too. 1.....2,3,all gone cascade.
Last but not least parallel is less efficient than serial.
So technically all speaks for serial, it’s way better for ur leds BUT parallel is more safe for u human being if u get an electric
There are people going over 200 v dc without any problem and all strips same light.
No offense, just what I learned from very experienced people.
Greets
Just wanted to mention, that I get completely different advice.
I learned that this limit is theoretical. Drive led parallel has big disadvantages.
Every led is driven with a little different power what can lead to a damage of the ones gets the most power. It’s important to have the same temperature environment for all ur strips for this reason.
If one strip is gone, than the others get even more power and will to to hell too. 1.....2,3,all gone cascade.
Last but not least parallel is less efficient than serial.
So technically all speaks for serial, it’s way better for ur leds BUT parallel is more safe for u human being if u get an electric
There are people going over 200 v dc without any problem and all strips same light.
No offense, just what I learned from very experienced people.
Greets
Higher voltage can overcome the resistance of your body easier.
You can touch both poles on a 12V car battery and not feel a thing (unless you are wet maybe) because it cannot overcome your bodies resistance to form a circuit.
My the same toke, higher voltages can overcome the resistance of a damp surface, improperly insulated connection, or anything else easier and for a circuit where there should not be (short) or find its way to you.
You can touch both poles on a 12V car battery and not feel a thing (unless you are wet maybe) because it cannot overcome your bodies resistance to form a circuit.
My the same toke, higher voltages can overcome the resistance of a damp surface, improperly insulated connection, or anything else easier and for a circuit where there should not be (short) or find its way to you.
Yes, you are correct... But at 195 Vf its well over the Bridgelux Gen2 rated LED strip Working Voltage of 60 Vdc