sifuentes31 Posted September 24, 2012 Author Share Posted September 24, 2012 SO i hooked up my lights this past Sunday and wired everything in parallel. Once everything was ready i plugged it in and all the leds did was flash. Did i hook them up wrong? I know Neutral (White) hooked up to Blue on the Driver. and L (brown) hooked up to black (hot) and of course red and black to - & +. So what gives? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 Do those LEDs come with lenses? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timfish Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 Not sure, did you hook the LEDs to the driver first then plug it in or did you plug in the driver first then hook the LEDs tothe driver? By the way regarding our conversation at the ARC meeting Saturday, Ozarkawater got his LEDs from here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-40mil-10W-Super-Actinic-Blue-Hybrid-Led-Panel-Aquarium-/270973152319?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f17422c3f And I looked at this website but haven't bought naything from them: http://www.wayjun.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=53_194&sort=20a&page=2 And Mike Frame just emailed me this link: http://www.dealextreme.com/p/10w-700lm-led-emitter-metal-plate-white-10v-11v-39957 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victoly Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 SO i hooked up my lights this past Sunday and wired everything in parallel. Once everything was ready i plugged it in and all the leds did was flash. Did i hook them up wrong? I know Neutral (White) hooked up to Blue on the Driver. and L (brown) hooked up to black (hot) and of course red and black to - & +. So what gives? I used to get a flash on mine when powering down (a capacitor is discharging all the juice to reduce shock/fire hazard). Is your ballast dimmable? If so, it probably has to do with a voltage source not being applied. If not, there's really not a whole lot to be done aside from checking connections, and then individually testing each LED. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sifuentes31 Posted September 25, 2012 Author Share Posted September 25, 2012 I checked each LED before i wired with a 9v battery and each one lit up on there own, (to make sure i soldered it correctly) I might have to redo the wires again and check for a loose connection. Thanks Tim for the info. Looks like he Ozarka used a hybrid light which is cool. Going to check out deal extreme for the whites now. Maybe i'll have better luck with them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+o0zarkawater Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 The last set of LED I used were from the exact same supplier as JakeDoza. aliexpress.com seems to have them cheaper than DX, and MUCH quicker shipping. Anything you order from DX will be 3+ weeks until you receive it. In my experience the flashing means too much current. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sifuentes31 Posted September 25, 2012 Author Share Posted September 25, 2012 LOL took me a month and half to get the blue ones from Alliexpress. Oh well, So any thoughts why it's blinking like that? I hooked everything up first before plugging in the wall and checked the output voltage and amperage on the driver and everthing matches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sifuentes31 Posted September 25, 2012 Author Share Posted September 25, 2012 Why is it too much current if i matched up the driver to what the LED can handle. The driver is not dimmable but is there a way to tone down the juice? Using a pot? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timfish Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 For starters wattage is determined by voltage X current (aka amps) LED drivers have to work with varing numbers of LEDs so to match the required voltage to the specified current it has to start the voltage low and raise it until it senses the current it's set for. If the driver does not have a load (is not attached to LEDs) it raises the voltage to it's maximum voltage. If it is attached to a string of LEDs it may be applying excessive voltage before it adjusts and fry the LEDs. For example a driver may run any number of LEDs between 3 and 12 at 700ma. If the voltage for the specified LED is 3.3 volts @ 700ma the driver needs to put out 9.9 volts. If it is driving 12 LEDs it needs to put out 39.6 volts. If it is plugged in and is putting out 39.6 volts then is attached to a string of 3 LEDs the LEDs will momentarily see 13.2 volts (39.6 / 3 ) and will probably be damaged. Checking the 10 watt LEDs with the 9 volt battery should verify they are still good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sifuentes31 Posted September 25, 2012 Author Share Posted September 25, 2012 My 10w LEDs are rated at 9-11V output / 1000mA and my driver is rated at output 12V / 5A. In your example i guess you are wiring the leds in series correct? So i followed Jakes formula and ran them parallel so that my Voltage stays at 12v but runs at 5A to power the five LEDs. And Yes i did attach all the LEDs prior to plugging the driver to the wall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bimmerzs Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 Running parallel reduces the number of drivers you need but is also really not the best choice for those new to led's unless you fully understand all key point's surronding this method. If you do have wiring issues then you could wind up with a very expensive flash bulb if the current distribution becomes unbalanced between the string's. Adding resistors and fuses provides protection but is not necessary but would be a good idea to protect your led's against damage. As mentioned, it may be a good idea to go back with the 9V and check a few led's per string to make sure they are ok, then use your multimeter to check the integrity of each string. You can use this as a guide to help troubleshoot common issues also. http://reefledlights.com/trouble-shooting/ Cheers, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timfish Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 My 10w LEDs are rated at 9-11V output / 1000mA and my driver is rated at output 12V / 5A. In your example i guess you are wiring the leds in series correct? So i followed Jakes formula and ran them parallel so that my Voltage stays at 12v but runs at 5A to power the five LEDs. And Yes i did attach all the LEDs prior to plugging the driver to the wall. This brings up a good point. The drivers I usually work with have outputs up to 45 volts but there are many different LED aplications drivers can be designed for. It sounds like your's will drive up to one 50 watt LED panel (COB). With the output your driver is design for the only way your all LEDs will work is to hook them up in parrellel like you did. If the driver is not dimmable and you have verified all your LEDs and all your connections are good1 try just hooking up one LED. It's possible your driver is mislabeled or has a problem. If you feel like experimenting you can put a potentiometer in series between the driver and the LEDs to dim the LEDs but it will have to be a high wattage to handle the current and I would not consider advisable, it would be better to get a driver that is designed to be dimmable. I don't see any difference in hooking LEDs up in parrallel or series as these high power LED panels do exactly that internally to achieve the wattages they have. Like Bimmerz pointed out though it is imperative to know the voltage and current ratings of the drivers and LEDs and how wattage is determined by multiplying voltage x current2 1 You probably already know this but for anybody reading this who is unfamiliar when hooking up LEDs in series they are hooked up + to - and in parallel it's + to + and - to - 2 Agian for those who may be reading this who are not familiar this is known as Ohm's law and is used to determine voltages, currents, wattages and resistance in circuits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sifuentes31 Posted September 25, 2012 Author Share Posted September 25, 2012 So if i hook up one led to the driver will the LED be hurt by so much amperage going through it? I will check the output of the driver tonight to see if it is in spec or close to spec. If it fails then looks like i'll be hunting down another driver. Maybe a meanwell this time for relability. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timfish Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 No, just make sure to hook the LED up first before applying power to the driver. LED drivers are basicly smart power supplies that adjust voltage and current to keep the LED from being over driven and burned up. The problems arise when a driver is powered up first it then will try to adjust the voltage to get the correct current flow and when no load is present it will run voltage up to it's maximum output (for some drivers this can be quite high). When an LED is then connected it will momentarily be overdriven and can fry before the driver can lower it's voltage. An LED can also be cooked if it is hooked up to a driver that cannot output a low enough voltage and/or drive current for it. An example is a driver that has a minimum voltage output of say 9 volts, it would be safe to hook up 3 - 3.3 volt LEDs in serial to it but not the same three LEDs in parallel (however it may be safe to hook up 9 of the same LEDs in a parallel/series configuration). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timfish Posted September 25, 2012 Share Posted September 25, 2012 This strikes me as a moot point but just to let you know your options about your LEDs. If you look at them you will notice they are aray's of 9 LEDs in each panel. Internally the LEDs are hooked up as 3 strings of 3 connected serially. You will notice each string of three has a lead exiting the package and the three leads on each side are connected together giving you a parallel/series aray. If for some reason you felt really industrious and wanted to use three drivers to control the five LED panels you have you could do so by disconnecting the 3 strings from each other on each panel then connecting each string to a driver. You would end up with driver 1 connected to the first string of LEDs in each of the five panel and each of those five strings of three would be hooked up in parrrallel. The second driver would be hooked up the same way to the second set of three in each panel and the third likewise. You could then have three different light settings depending on how many drivers were powered on. This method might be more applicable to some of the hybrid LED panels where you could control the colors seperately but not have to have seperate panels for each color. OOOPS! My Bad! Many of the LED panels are connected in parallel internally so to do this you have to cut through the silicone conformal coating as well to isolate the strings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sifuentes31 Posted September 26, 2012 Author Share Posted September 26, 2012 I hooked up one last nite to the driver and it turned on without a hitch. Super bright!! Next i hooked up two in parallel and started blinking again. I think i'm just going to look for a better driver and maybe run everything in series. I did hook up the meter to the +/- side of the driver and it did put out 12V. Maybe i'll save the driver for something else later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timfish Posted September 26, 2012 Share Posted September 26, 2012 Yup, bad driver if it's rated at 5 amps but won't handle more than one 10 watt LED. What kind of hassle is it to send it back to China? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sifuentes31 Posted September 27, 2012 Author Share Posted September 27, 2012 EH I'll just eat the cost and go with a meanwell i guess. At least that won't take long to get. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
(Bio)³ Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 often on aliexpress you can send a complaint and they will just send out a new driver to try... happened to me when I got DOA items. I was gonna send it back and they said to not bother. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sifuentes31 Posted September 27, 2012 Author Share Posted September 27, 2012 Just send an e-mail and he wants me to test it. So i'm gona tell him i did and hopefully get a new one. If that doesn't work i found a meanwell forward v 12v5A for the same price and might just get that one after all. I'll just save the other one for something else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sifuentes31 Posted October 10, 2012 Author Share Posted October 10, 2012 I e-mailed the guy on the bad driver and he is going to send me another one. Just for fun i hooked it back up to 1 LED and it turned on nice and bright for about 10 seconds then SNAP CRACKLE & POP!!! Man i burnt a hole right through that thing and i stunk up the garage... I thought my LED was toast but i checked again with a 9v battery and it lit up right away. Close one. Hopefully my new driver comes in soon. I also ordered the whites again. This time i got the 6000k-7000k cool whites 10w. I ordered 5 of them for $12. Real cheap, but have to wait the month to get them on it's slow boat from China. I'm going to order the Meanwell driver from E-bay. It's a dimmable ELN-60-12 driver at 12v5A. At least i can tone it down when i first start it up. That should work right off the bat.....i hope.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
(Bio)³ Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 make sure to turn down the internal pot on the meanwell if that model has one. makes it a lot easier and safer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sifuentes31 Posted October 10, 2012 Author Share Posted October 10, 2012 Yeah it has one. Just the cheap driver from China for the blues is constant. It says it's Los Angeles right now so hope i get it in a few days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sifuentes31 Posted October 13, 2012 Author Share Posted October 13, 2012 Got in my whites. They're 6500k-8000k cool whites. Already mounted them and wired. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sifuentes31 Posted November 15, 2012 Author Share Posted November 15, 2012 Got in my Meanwell drivers i ordered. I never did get the other drivers from China. Should have just ordered them here in the states. I've hooked everything up and the LEDs are Super Bright. I'll take Pics tonight and post them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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