Cheap LED Strips : A Viable Alternative

[TerpSneeze]

Sooo…Anyone wanna chime in on a proposed wiring layout for an EB2 Array?!?

The idea is that each driver will power 8 strips. I will be running in 2 parallel series of 4 X 1120mm Bridgelux EB2 strips and a Mean Well XLG 240 M AB. I am hoping to use the built-in “reusable” connectors and solid core wire to make jumpers from negative on one board to positive on the next in the series for a maximum of 4 strips per series. I then show 2 splits in both positive and negative from the driver which would put another series of 4 strips connected in parallel with jumpers.

I am not an electrician by a long shot, I don’t know if I am describing it right or using the right words so here is a diagram… I think this checks out math wise on my end, with limited understanding IDK. Suggestions, limitations and insight are all welcome. The image does work just needs a click

[Gpaw]

I assume that you are looking at the 700mA, 38V strips.

The XLG-240M AB driver handles 1.4A - so 2 strings of .7A is fine.
The voltage range is 90 ~ 171V so 4 x 38V is cool as well. The AB version is 6 bucks more than the A model but allows you to put the dimmer pot where convenient.
Your wiring is fine, I would have put the jumpers together on the ends but that makes no difference electrically (perhaps dictated by specific installation).

(edit) The wattage looks a little tight but the Mean Wells are known for being able to be over-driven, just keep the shell temperature (of the driver) under 65C (based on the lifetime curve) & you are good

Cheers
G

[TerpSneeze]

Thanks @Gpaw. I should also note that I have the drivers and strips merely looking to wire them correctly. This is actually where I got confused and needed the second check, the strips I am running BXEB-L1120Z-XXXX4000 B3, strips seems to have 2 values associated with it.

[Mr.Sparkle]

@TerpSneeze nominal and max ratings, for the M series you’ll want two strings in parallel of 4 in series exactly like you have drawn in your picture, just double up the jumpers and have them on both sides of the strips between them jsut casue you have the long ones, not that its needed but just helps with making it pull a little more even, also put the positive and negative leads to each string on opposite corners aka positive on the bottom and negative coming off the top just to even it out.

[TerpSneeze]

@Gpaw

Your wiring is fine, I would have put the jumpers together on the ends

@Mr.Sparkle

just double up the jumpers and have them on both sides of the strips between

Many Thanks you two for the clarification !!!

[Gpaw]

Hi Mr. Sparkle,

Glad you stopped by, I have a couple related questions to ask you if I may.

I’m looking at using the BXEB-L0590U-50E1500-C-C3 strips in clone and seeds sprouting areas.
What wattage per Sqr. foot would you recommend for that application?

I was looking at 10 strips of BXEB-L1190U-50E3000-C-C3’s in the veg area (about 34W/Sqr. foot). What is your opinion of that?

(Good points on the extra jumpers)

Thanx & Cheers
G

[Mr.Sparkle]

Looking at the gen 3 slims hey, looks like the 1190mm ones are the better deal if you can fit them, but saying that they still have the Gen 2 5000k 1120mm ones in stock at a little more than half the price of the slims…

As for wattage, personally my plants have been doing good at reduced outputs of 25 and 20w/sqft and thats for flowering autos at 18/6, so for veg and clones at similar light schedules id say same would apply and if using the slims consider that 10% increase in efficiency so 20w/sqft would probably be more than enough just consider your hang height above your plants though, further away you are the more power you should need.

[Gpaw]

Digikey has ‘tweaked’ their filter section & I’m stumbling slightly (until I get ‘normalized’…)
But I’m not locked in on anything yet.
I was thinking one or two strips over a 4 foot square area (3.4W or 6.8W/ sqr. foot) for the seed and clone areas. Is that too little?

Thanx
G

[Mr.Sparkle]

@Gpaw sorry i stand corrected the 1190mm gen 3’s are a better deal than the 590mm ones , looked them up but one went to the .ca site and other .com so prices were off

[Gpaw]

LOL, I can’t count how many times I’ve done that!

Cheers
G

[Daytripr69]

Someone check my math here please I’ve got 8 39v 3500k 1120mm strips on xlg240 l ab driver x4. Strips are wired series. So wired series it’s 39*8= 312v *.7a= 218w factoring in driver loss that would be roughly 211.84w per 8 strips correct? After seeing others builds I went way way overboard with 4 of the above mentioned setups in a 4x4 lol. Here I thought I wouldn’t have enough lol

[Mr.Sparkle]

Reason why we warned you lol

Your numbers are just a bit off and would be going the other way as its 218w / efficiency

So 218 / 0.91 = 239w is what you should be seeing from the wall roughly, would probably be less than that just cause the strips are probably running at a lower voltage than the stated 39v at .7a as manufactures cant really understate values they can be held to.

But if your trying to max out your drivers you can adjust the Io screw to get that full 240w to the strips, they will probably go higher but i won’t recommend it as you’ll be pushing the driver harder than it was designed for.

[Daytripr69]

So turning the internal pot up was probably a bad idea then huh? Lol I’ve got external pots that I’m running damn near wide open. Plants seem to LOVE it. Got the frames about 12" above

[Mr.Sparkle]

turning it to max yeah that would be, but if it was just to adjust the current to get a full 240w from the driver nah.

Internal pot is just to set your max output, and your external for adjust ability otherwise.

[Daytripr69]

That’s what I did was turn it all the way up thinking I could adjust with the pots since I have my drivers mounted on an aluminum plate so adjustment later would be a bitch. The drivers themselves run about 124* and the plate 90. That’s the highest temps on both

[Mr.Sparkle]

Just a warning i have had a driver go flaky on me from driving it too hard like that reason i suggest just going to max rated and not over-driving it, but hey they are your lights so do what you will with them, Indiana Jones lost ark brightness and all lol

[Daytripr69]

I didn’t know better but will be pulling the drivers and adjusting the drivers to their max rating

[Daytripr69]

I’m running 3500k and thinking about doubling my space to a 4x8. Technically I could use what I have for that, but me being all for gross excess so what would you add to the 3500k to boost flowering? Forget that I can be seen from space already lol think of it as a new build. I’d love to add some UV and IR but don’t know if any strips or cobs to accomplish that

[BudSy]

Here are some pucks you can add. However, they are noticeably more expensive than the strips. They have UVAs, Deep reds and far reds…

https://www.rapidled.com/search.php?search_query=puck&section=product

[GramTorino]

Could not resist sharing these “strips”.

Garden scorchers!