Yeh i know, i took a chance but only because it was so cheap. The sellers say it’s for driving 24v strips and i thought even if it does cause run away i can probably keep it for doing a quick test on individual strips. Maybe a current limiting resistor could be used but i don’t have anything suitable to hand and i’m not up for spending more on a resistor than that driver cost to buy
I originally ordered an HLG-40H 24B for that cab but it was from an ebay seller who let me down. I will get the meanwell driver for it soon though cos i want a 3500K Solstrip in there. The 30w cfl that’s in the cab instead just now will probably do for another couple of weeks though.
Good news the Mrs has splashed the cash for an HLG-40H for that starter cab cos i blew my own budget on another extractor and parts for yet another solstrip rack.
I’m going for as close to a full spectrum as i can get this time so it’s having 4 x 2700K, 2 x 5000K and a red/blue X1 strip in the middle that @anon58740919 kindly donated some time ago.
The purpose of this build is mainly to try out a full spectrum against my existing all 3500K twin rig and to give me another project to do cos i’m a hopeless photon addict
I’ve been measuring & marking the alloy for my next solstrip build today and i decided to go for 9 strips instead of 7 so it’ll be almost identical to the one i built for the Mrs.
Also i got the starter cab finished except for the piece of thin hardboard i need for the door.
I finally got to see those X3 Solstrip rigs i built for a friend in action last night in his 1.2 x 1.2 x 2M tent. The twin cooling fans make the bars cool to touch even at nearly 300w each. He’s very impressed and says they make his old 600w hps look like a candle i’ll need to remember to get some pics of his setup.
Beautiful SolStix Rack you’ve got there. Looks like you are using every CCT? (2700K, 3500K, 5000K) What is your spacing? Have you measured the PPFD or lux output?
Your wiring harness is very clean - did you solder wire-to-wire or use a connector?
Thanks pal that means a lot to me. It has 4 x 2700K, 2 x 3500K, 2 x 5000K and that X1 red/blue in the middle and they are 4 inches apart. The takeoffs are all wrapped then soldered to the main busbars. I even made wee pins from some 1mm solid core for the ends of the takeoff leads so they plug securely into the molex terminals on the strips.
I don’t have a lux meter but i have a pretty good idea just how effective a rig like this is. It’s almost the same as the one i built for my Mrs except hers has 2 x 2700K and 7 x 3500K. Her rig running at 240w has outproduced the 400w hps/cooltube she had previously.
The solder and insulate works really well on the looms don’t you think bro? I’ve not really come across a “hot” wire since I started. Looks damn good brother @Albannach. Definitely looks the business. I ordered a hlg120h 1050b for the tardis this evening. 47 quid. No point buying a bigger driver as that will run at capacity nicely. (Not very often and may not need to but nice to know it can) anyhow. What you getting that beauty over?
Cheers bro yeh solder and heat-shrink tube is the best way to make a neat loom i recon. I’m going to hang it in my 2 x 4 tomorrow to see how those plants deal with as close to a full spectrum as i can give them. My twin rig is dam good but i don’t need the 500w it can produce. It’ll keep till i have a use for it
btw I am almost jealous of those X3 rigs i built for my old pal, those bars are actually cold with the drivers at max, well impressive
Good news on that driver then eh, i’m looking forward to seeing that led cooltube up and running cos i think it’s a sound idea, in theory anyway
The Chemdawg under that red/blue X1 strip is showing signs of stress so i swapped it out and fitted a 5000K strip. It’s quite a bit brighter in there now.
Also i just nailed an HLG-240 cheap on ebay, it should put out around 270w on our mains. I’m thinking the cooler weather over winter should allow me to drive that rig a bit harder
Hey @anon58740919 it’s been a while since you posted this. And I’m sorry to @Albannach for jacking his thread, but I had a question on your setup. I see that you wired 5 solstrips to a single 240h-24b. On their website they say the solstrips can only handle 48w and 5 x 48 is only 240w but I know these 240h can do 260w. Did you run into any issues?
Reason I ask is I’m expanding my LED room and 10 solstrips would work perfect in conjunction with my 4 qb304s. I figured on using 2 240h-24a to run those 10 which is what you are running except you have dimming.
Morning mate. I ran into absolutely zero issues along the way running strips hard. Most the time it’s spent cranked up past % you will be absolutely fine running them all at
Full power
Five X2 SolStrips on a 240w driver is a standard configuration on our SolSheet X lights. Probably our most popular configuration. We’ve sold dozens to happy customers…
Going to pick up 12 of them. Debating spectrum. Be for only flowering so was thinking a mix of 2700 and 3500k.
A little more pricey than quantum boards from HLG but I like the spread better. It will be ran side by side a same wattage setup (4 QB304s) so we will see if the spread helps.
Does your stix come mounted already? I saw people mention thermal paste…I just screwed my quantum right to the heatsinks and they are running fine
Actually, diode-for-diode, SolStrips are about 30% less than HLG’s boards. And the spread definitely helps A mix of 2700K and 3500K will give you are great spectrum for flowering.
SolStix come pre-tapped for mounting the strips with included nylon screws. No paste or thermal tape needed. The heatsinks have mounting holes at each end for mounting to a metal frame or a SolStix Rack kit.
I could grab (4) qb288 V2 which is the equivalent of (12) X2 for $300 scratched heatsink. Or the V1s for $250. And since they are wired in series you need less wagos and wiring.
I see where the costs are going with the extra heatsink due to a bigger spread…I also feel this would lead to a better product. But not sure where you are getting 30% cheaper from. Maybe just comparing the boards? The QBs are on sale so maybe no sales. Your site appears to be down so I cannot reference.
the Mrs has splashed the cash for an HLG-40H for that starter cab cos i blew my own budget on another extractor and parts for yet another solstrip rack.
yeh solder and heat-shrink tube is the best way to make a neat loom i recon. I’m going to hang it in my 2 x 4 tomorrow to see how those plants deal with as close to a full spectrum as i can give them. My twin rig is dam good but i don’t need the 500w it can produce. It’ll keep till i have a use for it 
% you will be absolutely fine running them all at
A mix of 2700K and 3500K will give you are great spectrum for flowering.