Led build

[KBennett]

What do you mean by shut them off then?
I had problems with blinking once.  Turned out that some of the solder joints on my diy pcbs were too close together and the reference voltage was leaking into the pwm signal.  What drivers are you using? 

 

[harleymike]

[quote author=harleymike link=topic=7150.msg72859#msg72859 date=1386807491]
Got them hooked up. Very white color.
Also potentameter works good. But when i turn it all the way off they pulse on and off.
is this normal

What are you driving them with?  If it is just a variable voltage supply, the forward voltage lowers as it cools - they turn on, heat up, vf goes up and they shut off again.

This could also happen with a constant current supply that is on the edge of Vf.  I think most will actually shut down when it gets too low.  How many do you have per string and what are their forward voltages?
[/quote]

using Maxwell s0602003b
110 v input
dc output .3 to 76 volts 680ma  12 to 20 3watt leds.
I"m running 12 led's on it.

 

[harleymike]

Going to pick up some 1.5 inch flat alumminum and put a skirt around the bottom so I'm not starring at led's everytime I walk by.
Might pull one uv out and put in an actinic in. I'll give it a few days first.

 

[KBennett]

Do you have a link to a datasheet?  I can't find specs on it.

 

[harleymike]

I can't either. The pot meter has 3 prongs. I am connected to the centre and one outside tab. Would this matter.

 

[KBennett]

Is the pot the 0-10v reference, or is it in series or parallel  with the string?
If it is a reference, one tab should be at 10v, one at ground, and the middle one going to the driver.
Look up voltage divider on the net for an explanation.
It's hard to tell without a schematic.

 

[harleymike]

This is the driver. It has two white wires that come out and go too the pot. In the schematic it shows one going to the middle and one going to an outside post. The third post on the pot is not used. I tried switching from one outside post to the other and it didnt matter. Only thing I havn't tried is using both outside posts. I was worried I might screw something up.
I think that when i turn it down I am going past that section and into the 3rd pin area and it screws the lights up. If that makes sense. They dim fine until I go past off I guese is what im saying.

 

[Boga]

This is the driver. It has two white wires that come out and go too the pot. In the schematic it shows one going to the middle and one going to an outside post. The third post on the pot is not used. I tried switching from one outside post to the other and it didnt matter. Only thing I havn't tried is using both outside posts. I was worried I might screw something up.
I think that when i turn it down I am going past that section and into the 3rd pin area and it screws the lights up. If that makes sense. They dim fine until I go past off I guese is what im saying.

Switching from one post to the other will change the direction only. Leave it the way that is making sense for diming (CW vs CCW). Do not connect both outsides together, if the schematic does not call that. You will reduce the total resistance of the potentiometer and loose output. I could not figure out what driver model you are using. There might be a typo, or that is the serial number? It could be the way that the driver works. Are you able to post a picture of the setup, please?

 

[KBennett]

Yes, don't hook anything up externally.  Sounds like there is an internal resistor, or that port is constant current.
Are you sire its Maxwell, not meanwell?

 

[harleymike]

Here is the link. I meant to post this and forgot.
http://www.aquastyleonline.com/products/Maxwellen-LED-Dimmable-Driver-%287%252d12%29x3w.html

Thanks or the help
Mike

 

[Boga]

You did the potentiometer wiring correct. If you have an ohmeter, I would measure the resistance beteen each LED pin and heat sink. It shall be infinite.  Uf you have readings of ohms or kohms then try to clean the solder point or resolder.

Sent from my SGH-I747M using Tapatalk

 

[KBennett]

Looks like a current mirror controller.  The voltage output at the pot terminals should be constant.  The current through the LEDs is a multiple of the current going through your resistor. Maybe the pot is shorting when you have it all the way to one side.  Or maybe it just doesn't have quite high enough resistance to turn it off completely.  I'm still not 100% sure what you mean by shutting it off vs dimming down to zero.

 

[Neopimp]

Some drivers will only drop to 10perxwnt with dimming control.  Never turning off.  The meanwells are this way most of them.  To actually turn all light off you need to pull the power.  They will not dim all the way to zero.  Some drivers do some don't.

 

[Neopimp]

My set up is that way.  I dim everything down. Then have a time clock that kills he power and turns them completely off.

 

[harleymike]

It dimms down. Then if I keep turning the dimmer knob it shuts off and then they blink on and off every second.

 

[harleymike]

Skirt added. Much nicer now.

 

[Duke]

It dimms down. Then if I keep turning the dimmer knob it shuts off and then they blink on and off every second.

ya just dont dim it down that low,set it and forget it, throw it on a timer and your good to go. looks great.. cant wait to see that crazy fish in there, hopefully you can get us some go pro video of it

 

[harleymike]

Question.
My diy kit cam with 20 gauge wire. I am running short. Can I use 18 gauge wire.
Also, can i mix and match led brands. Just as long as they are all 3w led
s.

 

[Neopimp]

Ya 18 will be fine. 

You can mix and match LEDs as long as the current the driver is putting out doesn't exceed the max current for the LEDs you are using.  It may also become an issue I you are very close to maxin the voltage the driver is capabl of putting out.  If the LEDs you are mixing in create more of a voltage drop and puts you over the available driver capacity then you may have to remove one led from the circuit.

 

[Boga]

OK for the wire.
Are you going to have a second LED driver? I think the maximum number of LED's that your driver can run is 12.