Parts:
8x Cutter Strips of 112 diode Cree 3030 Series LEDs
ZPE 250w Constant Current Driver
100k potentiometer
4mm thick aluminium sheet (60cm x 60cm)
Auto/marine two-wire cable (2m)
DC plugs for connecting and disconnecting the driver from the light
Extra wire (I reused some of the wire that came with the strips, as they were prewired)
Adhesive thermal tape
Heatsink compound (thermal grease)
I've divided the 8 strips into two groups of 4. The centre is 11cm wide and divides the two groups. There is a strip every 7cm.
Everything lights up and works, including the 100k potentiometer for dimming. It even dims to off! I still haven't figured out how to get a microcontroller to interface with the driver, but it seems to be much more difficult than anticipated, as my ESP8266 (Wemos D1 Mini) runs on 3.3/5v. I can't make sense of the PWM section of the driver datasheet, but if I'm reading correctly, it does 3-in-1 dimming, so 10v resistive dimming or PWM or something else.
I managed to kill a plant and rip a hole in my tent while trying to hook it onto the yo-yo hangers I have. It was like a guillotine.
![Sad :(](./images/smilies/icon_e_sad.gif)
![Rolling Eyes :roll:](./images/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif)
I still need some strong S hooks and chain to mount it. I don't think the the yo-yo hangers can really handle that much weight.
I'll post some pictures of the finished light soon. Needless to say, it is VERY bright at "max" i.e. 700mA. Theoretically these strips can go even higher with a more powerful driver and heatsinks...