Strip build for 2x1.5ft vegging space

[PeteR_1]

Ok benefit of the stranded wire being flexibility I presume?
How would I go about adding a proper dimmer to this setup then?
Cheers

One of the "Major" benefit of stranded wire is availability, I have lots on hand.

A 100K Ohm single turn Potentiometer is connected per above diagrams.
A typical 100K Ohm POT... https://www.digikey.com/en/products/det ... A1/4733104

[Nishing21]

Oh I missed the dimmer in the diagram.

I also have lots of cables/wires so sure I'll find something suitable.

So as long as a Potentiometer says 100k ohm it's good?

Think I'd like to find one in a nice housing, that metal one scares me

Thanks

[Nishing21]

Actually I'll get the one you linked, noticed a nice knob for it in the "you may also be interested im" section.

For heatsink I'm going to get an aluminium sheet, seems to more cost effective and will be easier to mount it all, any ideas how thick Alu sheet needs to be to be rigid?

Plus I'll need thermal pads won't i? Is there a goto product on digikey, struggling to find something suitable.

Cheers

[PeteR_1]

Actually I'll get the one you linked, noticed a nice knob for it in the "you may also be interested im" section.
For heatsink I'm going to get an aluminium sheet, seems to more cost effective and will be easier to mount it all, any ideas how thick Alu sheet needs to be to be rigid?
Plus I'll need thermal pads won't i? Is there a goto product on digikey, struggling to find something suitable.
Cheers

I've screwed LED Strips directly to 16 and 18 gauge Aluminum bun pans, but the lights are always run under 50% max rated current (Watts).


viewtopic.php?f=32&t=5872

[Nishing21]

Cool idea, I might struggle to find a 2ft pan for cheaper than the alu sheets tho. Like the idea of screwing directly to the alu, do you need special screws or washers for these strips ?

My concern is laying the strips out for the best coverage, once they screwed/stuck down it be annoying to hav to rearrange them.

Just ordered driver and strips anyway

[PeteR_1]

Cool idea, I might struggle to find a 2ft pan for cheaper than the alu sheets tho. Like the idea of screwing directly to the alu, do you need special screws or washers for these strips ?

My concern is laying the strips out for the best coverage, once they screwed/stuck down it be annoying to hav to rearrange them.

Just ordered driver and strips anyway

No special screws, just #6 sheetmetal (never over-tightened)...
The layout is based on Commercially available fixtures, Linear High Bays but can be modeled off any other types.

[R^2]

I'm running 9x gen3 slim strips with 800x400x3mm aluminium sheet. I can run the strips with 1.4A without the sheet getting too hot touch. Now there is no reason to run them that hard and usually i run them around 1A. Using that as reference point I think we can safely assume you can run your 4 strips with 400x400x3mm alu sheet and still be able to run it fairly hard if you so wish.

EDIT: I should probably clarify that the strip length used is 340mm in my system...

[Nishing21]

So i recieved all the bits, except I forgot connection blocks.

Only just looked properly at the wiring diagram,
the title 2 series / 5 parallel through me off.

Do i just follow that diagram ignoring the extra six strips ?

[PeteR_1]

... Only just looked properly at the wiring diagram, the title 2 series / 5 parallel through me off.
Do i just follow that diagram ignoring the extra six strips ?

Yes, your 4 strips would be wired in a 2-Series / 2-Parallel circuit if using the XLG-50-AB Driver. Good luck.

[Nishing21]

Built the light, it's amazing!

Just wanted to thank you for all the help!

Is there a way to know how many umols it should put out, I have a lux meter and used a conversion factor for 4000k high cri leds, but can't be sure how accurate the meter is.

I'm getting 26k lux at 4 1/2" which the calculator tells me is 463 umol.

Does this sound accurate as I wasn't expected it to be so high.

Bare in mind the grow cab is lined with something called orca film which is supposed to be the most reflective material available (according the manufacturers at least)

Thanks again.