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Building New Panels - Sharing the Process

rives

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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.

picture.php
 

rrog

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HO-LY SHIT!!!!

That seems like a lot more than drivers, a fuse and a Spike Arrestor... Looks like it will warm coffee and a sandwich
 

rives

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Not a lot more than that, actually. There is switching on the panel across the top for each led bar/PLL pair, the six drivers are on the left, then a terminal strip and below that a full-wave bridge, voltage regulator and a DC-loss detection relay (kills the LED power if the fan's power supply quits), then a fuse block, below that is the control transformer for the 12vdc, cooling fan, then on the far right are the two ballasts for the PL-L lamps, with the power switching and the master fuse on the bottom panel.

There are more pics in my Hybrid fixture album.
 

rrog

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I will check out your Hybrid fixture thread. Curious, how close is the work box to the LED panel? You could mount this on a wall with leads to the panel, or does this generally get attached to the panel? I don't see any fans, so I assume this box is remote.

Again, I'll check out your thread for some tips. Very neat layout and cable management.
 

rives

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The control enclosure is mounted to the top of the LED panel. There were too many wires going back and forth to do a remote mount - if you look at the pipe nipple between the fuse block and the transformer, you can see all of the wiring going into the other portion of the fixture. You can't see the fans in that shot because of the way the picture is cropped.

 

rrog

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Ah! Thanks again. Gives us all something to shoot for. Very tidy. I like the screen covers over the fans.

Curious where you sourced the panels and boxes aside from the heat sink.
 

rives

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The main fixture enclosure was fabricated out of aluminum flat stock from McMaster-Carr (mcmaster.com). The control enclosure was purchased from par-metal.com.
 

rrog

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Great- thank you very much. Really makes for such a professional presentation, and keeps sensitive items out of harms way.
 

rrog

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Looking for MOV varistor blocks to connect these. Is that the right term- "MOV block?"

From the AC source, before the Driver, the current flows through a fuse block and then a MOV block? Or is the MOV first, then the fuse?

I'm sure they are intuitive when you're holding the "blocks."

The resistor is installed along the hot lead. The MOV is installed across the hot and neutral leads.
 

rives

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Here's a link to MOVs - http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail...=sGAEpiMZZMv1TUPJeFpwbqv972/9Y7lsOyAVmk76Yr8=

You can put the MOV at either spot. If you put it between the fuse and the driver, the fuse can help protect other components if the MOV blows up. There are two leads on the MOV as you will see above, one attaches to the hot wire and one to the neutral. Don't forgets some shrink tubing to insulate the leads.

You will also want some zener diodes to protect the DC side in a similar fashion. You will pick them after you know what voltage driver you are using.

What resistor?
 

rrog

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Hi Rives, per your very helpful find the other day, the drivers will be:

25.2-42 volts, 2.15a, 90.3 watts
Meanwell LPF-90D-42
http://www.trcelectronics.com/Meanwell/lpf-90d-42.shtml

When I said "resistor" I meant fuse... See what a newb I am? Sorry.

You gave me that MOV link before, and the use of heat shrink, etc, but I'm wondering about the "block" or whatever that these MOVs plug into. Like the fuse block you sent a picture of.

Thanks- This helps a great deal.
 

rives

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Ah. Terminal block, or strip.

These are available from Radio Shack and quite a bit less expensive than the industrial versions. They have several different sizes, and they can easily be cut down.

http://www.radioshack.com/product/i...terName=Cable+type&filterValue=Terminal+strip

For that driver, I would get zeners that are about 3 volts over the highest voltage that it will put out. It goes from 25.2-42v, so a 45v zener or whatever the next standard voltage one above that would work well.
 

rrog

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The MOV legs fit in the terminal block somehow. Cool. I'll head over to the Shack and see how they all work.

Good info on the Zeners!!

Thanks again.
 

habeeb

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^ yeah, just as rives said insulate or heatshrink the exposed leads..

terminal blocks are great, easier then connecting by other means, and offers re-usability in the case later down the road if you ever change out..


hows the plans coming along RROG? I'm excited to see what you do..
 

rrog

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Hello Habeeb-

I still need to visit Radio Shack to get a better idea how the terminal blocks work with the fuses and MOV.

Also I need to pick the specific LEDs since they have different designations. "U", etc. I don't recall them at the moment, but I have to pick them.
 

habeeb

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^ well are you thinking XM-L for the chips?

you want to get the highest bin possible when your building, if you have money.. as it only makes sense to get the highest level now, as in a year or two it will be 'old', and the older the chip the more money your burning, and less light you could be achieving..

so let me give you an example. I have 1 bar. 16 LED. the new lights are 20% more efficient give or take.. so 16 chips at 20% more gives us = 3.2 chips for free , so basically 13 watts for free if I change to better LED, so take into account compound effect ( more you have ) the more you have the better results you get, so my 2 bars, if I switch I now basically gain 26 more watts for free.. yes the chips costs, but I like the ideas of 26 more watts in my tent or 6.4 chips more, for using the same amount of electricity when I started, and same amount of chips... this is the way LED works, every new chip makes the old ones even worse..

excuse me if I leave out money, as I just don't worry about it

if your picking up XM-L, I know some sites if you like, unless you already have some.. that or I'm not sure how much planning still, but I consider waiting for the XM-L2 to come out, being as you have so many watts in there, or possibly even minimizing some chips given that they are 20% better then the XM-L.. I'm sure there's such a thing as too much light... haha . I showed you a link for the cool in XM-L2 ( highest bin ) but waiting for the neutral / warms to appear.
 

rrog

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Ya, I'm planning for mostly NW, but also WW and CW. So if I buy now, I'll be looking at 10W XM-L with the highest bin, whatever that bin would be called. I'd be very interested where to purchase.
 

habeeb

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the bin numbers will be on the data sheet.. data sheet is at link 2 if you care to see.. also need to see data sheet for configuring watts used, there is a section that will show forward voltage for amps used..

the exception being the cool white has a U3 bin.. not listed on data sheet. those are sourced outside of US though... so you know, no where I know stocks them in the USA..

here's some places to find top bin XM-L..

1
2

there's more but they are outside USA..
 

budlover123

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Has anyone else here tried eldoLED drivers? I bought some of there stuff becasue I needed to have a DMX controllable LED driver. They make really good stuff. The 100W powerdrive 106 I bought powers 4 different dmx controllable lines, up to 55V per line, and configurable between 350mA- 1050mA current. My experience has been pretty good with them so far.
 

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