There are 8 whites in each string (4) running on a HLG 185-42.
If it was a bad connection on the POT I would have though it to effect all the strings?
DIY LEDs - The write-up
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There are 8 whites in each string (4) running on a HLG 185-42.
If it was a bad connection on the POT I would have though it to effect all the strings?
TheFishMan65
New member
True, I had assumed each string was on an ELN. Check your solder joints in the low string. Most likely somewhere in the string is a a resistance connection and it is dropping most of the voltage.
der_wille_zur_macht
Team RC
+1 to that diagnosis. Check the solder joints visually, and measure voltage drops on the string if you can't find it visually.
Ok guys I need some help. I am having trouble understanding how to run one of the automatic daylight programs that are preprogramed into a RapidLed DDC-01 controller. I am either doing it wrong or mine is not working properly. I finished my array this week and am on the 2nd day of trying to get it to come up and run the 3 daylight program.
What should I do when I first apply power to the controller? Thanks for all your help. Mike/KD9RG
What should I do when I first apply power to the controller? Thanks for all your help. Mike/KD9RG
DDC-01 controller question
DDC-01 controller question
Ok guys I need some help. I am having trouble understanding how to run one of the automatic daylight programs that are preprogramed into a RapidLed DDC-01 controller. I am either doing it wrong or mine is not working properly. I finished my array this week and am on the 2nd day of trying to get it to come up and run the 3 daylight program.
What should I do when I first apply power to the controller? Thanks for all your help. Mike/KD9RG
DDC-01 controller question
Ok guys I need some help. I am having trouble understanding how to run one of the automatic daylight programs that are preprogramed into a RapidLed DDC-01 controller. I am either doing it wrong or mine is not working properly. I finished my array this week and am on the 2nd day of trying to get it to come up and run the 3 daylight program.
What should I do when I first apply power to the controller? Thanks for all your help. Mike/KD9RG
TheFishMan65
New member
Did you cycle power to the controller. IIRC you must have it on a timer to come on each day.
TheFishMan65
New member
You have the P version of the ELN?
All your Dim + to the top screw?
Does it work once and then quit? Have you tried cycling power to the controller and the ELNs.
The way I read it when your fist apply power all 3 strings will come on to your desired levels (what ever you last programmed). There is not dawn and dusk the way I (quickly) read the manual.
All your Dim + to the top screw?
Does it work once and then quit? Have you tried cycling power to the controller and the ELNs.
The way I read it when your fist apply power all 3 strings will come on to your desired levels (what ever you last programmed). There is not dawn and dusk the way I (quickly) read the manual.
Quartapound
New member
Morning guys. I apologize for the edits/ formatting, tried to post this question from my phone, technical difficulties...
Would the eln behave this way if it were overloaded?
Would I be better off driving the leds in parallel?
Or is this amp draw normal with 14 leds?
Thanks in advance Guy's
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TheFishMan65
New member
What is the output voltage of the ELN when 14 LEDs are connected. I would think you could reach 700ma with 14 LEDs. But measuring the voltage should answer that.
Quartapound
New member
Thanks for the tip,
I will check this and report back,
Am I correct that the forward voltage drop of xpe RB is ~ 3.5@1000mA. ... so 14 should consume ~49v
widmer
Drug Enthusiast
This is a little bit off-course, but has anyone made a (terrestrial) plant light with the Cree LEDs?
I'm almost finished building mine - it's got 20 royal XP-Es, 4 warm white XP-Gs, 10 degree lenses, 2x MW LPC-700s, aluminum 1x2 square tubing. Like my other fixtures, it's designed to be up on the ceiling, out of sight out of mind. I can post pics if anyone's interested.
Anyone do anything similar? I'd really enjoy seeing...
I'm almost finished building mine - it's got 20 royal XP-Es, 4 warm white XP-Gs, 10 degree lenses, 2x MW LPC-700s, aluminum 1x2 square tubing. Like my other fixtures, it's designed to be up on the ceiling, out of sight out of mind. I can post pics if anyone's interested.
Anyone do anything similar? I'd really enjoy seeing...
ReefEnabler
Premium Member
Yea I made a fixture for growing some habanero pepper plants.... it was working great and growing nice plants until friggen spider mites got in on the party 
Nothin fancy, using mostly leftover LEDs from my aquarium build (and all the other bits as well), just had to buy some warm/red ones.
Finally killed the spidermites and plants growin again.
One thing I noticed and found weird, is that the parts of my plants under the direct light grow the slowest... once the plant branches outside of the intensity zone the branches get way longer. I don't think plants need anywhere near the same intensity as corals to thrive but I have way too many other issues going on to say that definitively yet.
Nothin fancy, using mostly leftover LEDs from my aquarium build (and all the other bits as well), just had to buy some warm/red ones.
Finally killed the spidermites and plants growin again.
One thing I noticed and found weird, is that the parts of my plants under the direct light grow the slowest... once the plant branches outside of the intensity zone the branches get way longer. I don't think plants need anywhere near the same intensity as corals to thrive but I have way too many other issues going on to say that definitively yet.
CJO
New member
You'd do better to measure it with a voltmeter. It can vary quite a bit from LED to LED.
CJ
widmer
Drug Enthusiast
Love the recycling!
Questions:
1) What lenses?
2) How far away were the plants?
3) What drive current?
4) What photoperiod?
5) Those reds - 630 or 660 nm?
I have read a lot about people experimenting with the LEDs, and am under the impression that there are a couple ''bottlenecks'' that I'm going to have to watch out for -
1) photoinhibition - once the plants get a certain amount of light in a time frame, it's not just pointless to supply more, but it is also detrimental. This might be why you ran into the growth you describe.
2) serendipitous wavelengths - it seems that when people build their fixtures with ONLY blue and red LEDs, a lot of them run into poor/weird growth at some point. When they add full spectrum light ie HPS/MH/fluoro, the growth returns to normal/great. This makes it appear that certain plants may require certain other wavelengths, maybe not for energy, but to ''flip switches'' or regulate growth somehow.
So why is my fixture 20x royal blue & 4x warm white? The royal blues are ridiculously efficient at turning electricity into photons - 1/2 of the electricity that goes into them comes out as photons, centered at one of the active peaks of chlorophyll. Plus they are dirt cheap on a group buy @ <$3 each, as compared to the red 660s that are at least twice as $$ and less efficient... I added the warm whites partly for aesthetics and partly to hopefully fill in some of these serendipitous wavelengths, although the fixture will be suspended over plants that are sitting near a window...
Questions:
1) What lenses?
2) How far away were the plants?
3) What drive current?
4) What photoperiod?
5) Those reds - 630 or 660 nm?
I have read a lot about people experimenting with the LEDs, and am under the impression that there are a couple ''bottlenecks'' that I'm going to have to watch out for -
1) photoinhibition - once the plants get a certain amount of light in a time frame, it's not just pointless to supply more, but it is also detrimental. This might be why you ran into the growth you describe.
2) serendipitous wavelengths - it seems that when people build their fixtures with ONLY blue and red LEDs, a lot of them run into poor/weird growth at some point. When they add full spectrum light ie HPS/MH/fluoro, the growth returns to normal/great. This makes it appear that certain plants may require certain other wavelengths, maybe not for energy, but to ''flip switches'' or regulate growth somehow.
So why is my fixture 20x royal blue & 4x warm white? The royal blues are ridiculously efficient at turning electricity into photons - 1/2 of the electricity that goes into them comes out as photons, centered at one of the active peaks of chlorophyll. Plus they are dirt cheap on a group buy @ <$3 each, as compared to the red 660s that are at least twice as $$ and less efficient... I added the warm whites partly for aesthetics and partly to hopefully fill in some of these serendipitous wavelengths, although the fixture will be suspended over plants that are sitting near a window...
reefermad619
New member
Cree recommends a max current of 700ma for the rb. At least for longevity purposes.
der_wille_zur_macht
Team RC
The max current was retroactively changed to 1000 mA in a datasheet revision some time last year. It's totally safe to run these at 1A and you'll still get projected lifespans and performance from them.
Quartapound
New member
the output voltage is 46.81V when connecting 14 in series, adjusting the SVR2 pot I can only reach amp draw as high as 422mA. (it reaches this number about halfway through the travel of the SVR2 potentiometer, turning it the rest of the way doesn't increase current any further) (dimmer pot set to 10V)
the output voltage is 42.04V when connecting 12 in series, with SVR2 set to 700mA (easily acheivable) and dimmer pot set to 10V
I was referencing Cree's XP-E white paper, where it states the typical forward voltage drop of a RB XP-E @1000mA is 3.5 volts (for reference purposes)
I could do this but not sure how it would help in my "resolution". I don't have any more extra LED's to swap out for ones with a lower voltage drop.
Still not sure if things are good the way they are, or if I should rewire things to give me 2x9 LED's in parallel with each circuit protected by a 1amp fuse.
The second driver/string was going to power 10 CW XP-G's and the remaining 4 RB. (to maintain a colour ratio of 2:1 RB to CW)
if I wired all the RB on one Driver (2x9 parallel) this would also allow me to control the colours completely independently... (i've also heard its not a good idea to mix LED's on a single driver, however the 14 I'm trying to power up at the moment are all RB).
confused as to which step I should take next!! (wish it would just say 700mA!!)
...just updating, I can achieve 700mA with 13 LED's also... it's only when I add that last one that current draw won't exceed 450mA or so...
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kcress
New member
Quartapound; Sounds like your ELN is maxing out it's voltage a little low.
Use a jumper to short out one LED and see what happens to the current. If it goes up markedly then topped-out-voltage is the problem. The solution is to try a different ELN, or run one less LED, in the string (14 is always a cr@p-shoot), or swap out a few of the LEDs having the highest Vf.
Use a jumper to short out one LED and see what happens to the current. If it goes up markedly then topped-out-voltage is the problem. The solution is to try a different ELN, or run one less LED, in the string (14 is always a cr@p-shoot), or swap out a few of the LEDs having the highest Vf.
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