I need help with DIY LED wiring

newby_reefer

New member
I am wanting to wire up 24 solderless 3W cree LEDs form rapidled in two parallel strings on one Mean Well ELN 60-48D dimmable driver. I have attached a diagram of how i think the setup should be. It should be noted that the areas where the black and red wires cross there is no electrical contact (I wasn't sure how to draw that part accurately). I am looking for advice from any one who has done this or has an electrical background and can tell me if my circuit will work. (please excuse my drawing as i know that it is not accurate from a electric schematic point of view, I are a mechanic) The plan is to split the output leads from the driver with a DC jack y-splitter and wire DC plugs into the heat sinks to plug the jacks into.

Questions:
Will this set up work?
Can the driver support 24 LEDs wired in parallel (or is it series parallel)?
What will the voltage to each LED be?
What will the current to each LED be?

Parallel LED String.jpg
 
I based my drawing off of the one in the link. The major difference is that I am wanting to use solderless leds from rapid led which is where the confusion is coming in.
 
I agree. I am just trying to wrap my head around it. The solderless LEDs from rapid led have two wires going between the LEDs with a jumper on the last one on the string to complete the circuit. So the positive and negative terminals from the driver only attach to the first LED in the string. I am currently using this setup on a smaller light fixture with 24 LEDs and two drivers. If at all possible I would like to reduce the number of drivers on a larger fixture that I am thinking about building when I get a bigger tank. I was hoping that a series/parallel setup would accomplish this. I am obviously clueless on this whole thing.
 
I posed this question to Rapid LED without the diagram and this is what they had to say:

"Yes, you can do that. Make sure the strings are identically balanced. You can get two strings at 650mA max using this method, or simply adjust the SVR2 down to the current level you need and run one string.

For solderless LEDs just make two strings like you normally would, then simply take both red wires from the two driver jumpers and wire them to the driver's red V+ wire, then take both black wires and wire them together with the drivers black V- wire. Keep in mind there will be some risk when wiring in parallel as if one string blows all the current gets put to the remaining string, and that string can possibly blow from excess current as well. Thus, the vaunted "domino effect". A fast acting fuse could help prevent that from happening."

How do I ensure that the strings are balanced? Does that just mean that I have an equal number of the same types of LEDs, such as all Royal Blue, on both strings? Or is it more complicated than that?
 
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