Building New Panels - Sharing the Process

[tenthirty]

That is correct.

 

[rives]

That would work, but I would use one power cord feeding them all, fanning out to any switching that you want to select individual drivers, then fuse them individually and hang a MOV (spike suppressor) across each one's power leads.

*edit* I'm referring to all of this being on the line side (the AC side) of each driver.

 

[rrog]

Thanks guys. I will google those terms as well as look into the wiring / soldering process.

I'm doing the LED's in series.

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12580058 Fuse
Plus a 1 ohm-5W resistor?

Isn't this the same as a MOV?

 

[rives]

This is a fuse block that will do (6) 3AG fuses, has a 300 volt rating, but isn't stocked by Mouser - I used something similar, but will have to try and figure out where I got it.
http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Littelfuse/03540006ZXGY/?qs=sGAEpiMZZMukmSYeDOiaDK82%2fMbOC9l0KQK9PO7sBds%3d


An MOV is a Metal Oxide Varistor -
http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Littelfuse/V150LA20BP/?qs=sGAEpiMZZMvLNza9/K/eSDfRIg/QMhc6

Get some small heat-shrink tubing to insulate the leads on the MOVs. One side attaches to the hot wire, the other to the neutral. They appear "open" at normal voltage levels and short out when the voltage of the device (150vac in this case) is exceeded.

 

[rrog]

Thanks Rives. The fuse and the MOV - I thought did the same thing.

I like Habeeb's work box you directed him to.

 

[rives]

A fuse limits the amount of current that is allowed through it. A MOV is for spike suppression (voltage, not current).

 

[rrog]

Thanks. Looks like the little holders make life easier. Cool.

 

[tenthirty]

The leds go in a series string, one string per driver.
A diode is a much faster fuse than a normal fuse.
A resistor is loss, the fuse is redundant.
K.I.S.S.

 

[rrog]

Groovy

 

[rives]

I'm talking about fusing the driver, not the led string.

*edit* And actually, I like having a fuse on the led side. They are of limited functionality as tenthirty said (the chip blows to protect the fuse), but they give a very convenient spot to hook up my meter when I want to change the current levels that the leds are being driven with.

 

[rrog]

I'll find a diagram. It's great safety

 

[hempfield]

WOW, a lot o things have been discussed here since yesterday

Ya- If I can dim the WW for veg, and dim the CW for flower, the panel could be used for both veg and flower.

I figured 10 LEDs per driver

Does the sun changes it's spectral composition during the year ? NOT ! The light is just refracted on the atmosphere due the changes of the angle of the light hitting the earth.

So instead of complicate yourself with dimming of WW or CW, why don't you use just simple switches that put the CW out of the circuit and connect the WW when needed.

 

[rrog]

What? And simplify the process? That's a great point. Why bother with dimming if I can simply shut off a string / turn on a string.

That would look like this:

10 WW Dimmed / Switched

10 WW Constant Current

10 NW Constant Current

10 NW Constant Current

10 CW Dimmed / switched.

If I shut off the CW completely, that would move my output to 260W = 65W / sqft of grow. Still plenty, I understand.

 

[bombadil.360]

you guys think you can cool the leds and drivers with a liquid cooling system? and instead of using a metal heatsink, you can use a high grade plastic or even pyrex?

you can run the hoses on the back of your plastic or pyrex panel, running over every line of components to be cooled.

 

[rrog]

Like PC cooling?

Does anyone recall a thread where the wiring, fuses, etc have been neatly done as per Rives outline? This seems like such a necessary component and I'm hoping someone has pics. If I find them, I'll post it here.

 

[hempfield]

you guys think you can cool the leds and drivers with a liquid cooling system? and instead of using a metal heatsink, you can use a high grade plastic or even pyrex?

you can run the hoses on the back of your plastic or pyrex panel, running over every line of components to be cooled.

Pyrex do not conduct heat so well, it's an insulator (as most of glasses and ceramics are) - this is why the incandescent bulbs have the base made of glass and ceramic. You want to move the heat from the LEDs extremely fast, and this is way the best heat sinks use copper cores to do that.

Indeed, the liquid cooling increase the speed of cooling but makes things a lot more complicated.

In general, over sized heat sinks are the best solution for keeping the LEDs cool and when the volume and weight of the heat sink became a problem (you don't want tens of pounds hanging about your plants, waiting to fall down and crush everything under), active cooling is the solution of choice (using increased surface of the heat sink with more and thinner fins and fans sucking or blowing air over them).

 

[bombadil.360]

rrog, yes, like pc liquid cooling.

hempfield, that's good to know about the glass/pyrex. but what about high quality plastics? like the ones used in kitchen-ware or even clear pc cases?

if you have a liquid cooling system running hoses against all drivers and leds, all neatly arranged, the material and shape of the heatsink becomes less central in importance.

also, with a high quality plastic heatsink, it'd be much easier to work with in terms of cutting, drilling and putting everything into place. maybe some sort of acrylic can do the trick... like an acrylic green-house sheet.

 

[rrog]

To me a plastic heatsink seems like an oxymoron.

 

[bombadil.360]

rrog, I'm not talking about plastic-soldier-toy type of plastic...

heck, you can even use a pvc pipe, and within it run the cooling hoses, between the drivers installed inside of it and over the leds outside.

we just need someone who knows his shit in material technology to school us on which would be the best plastic to use.

 

[rrog]

No offense, but there are some very busy people that I'm hoping can weigh in on my build thread and I'd like to keep the thread clean. Would you start a thread on your topic, please.