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LED dimmer help needed > Again

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote phys Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 14 2015 at 9:03pm
you're not wrong fatman lol
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Fatman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 15 2015 at 8:48am
Phys and Krazy, thanks. I was up all night with a graph paper notebook working through it all and wondering where I had gone wrong.

I still think we should sacrifice one or two of the LEDs to learn something about this system. Maybe hook the drivers to an o'scope to see what it has is also a good idea.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Baghtal Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 16 2015 at 12:43am
Man, work a few 10 hour shifts over the weekend and miss all the fun! Glad to hear that the heat confusion was an equipment mistake I was starting to second guess everything I knew about PWM also!

For the record, I really do not think the drivers are pushing that high of amperage. I'm just playing with numbers and seeing "how bad could it be".
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mark Peterson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 18 2015 at 7:13am
Ok here are the specs:

AC Adapter model: LE-9702B +6012
Input: 100-240 VAC  1.5A 
Output: 12 VDC  5A  60W max

What do y'all think would work?

Aloha,
Mark Hug
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Krazie4Acans Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 18 2015 at 7:53am
I've got info on a great manual dimmer that will work on it for about $6. Handles 12-24v and upto 8amps. Will work great for your application and has head room so it should last forever.

https://www.amazon.com/12V-PWM-Manual-Knob-Dimmer/dp/B0082J5H36/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1447858485&sr=8-5&keywords=Manual+12v+LED+dimmer

BTW this information tells me that the way that this light is configured is every 4-5 LEDs are in serial and then there are 5-6 parallel strings on the fixture. Very common configuration.


Edited by Krazie4Acans - November 18 2015 at 7:56am
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Fatman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 20 2015 at 8:43am
Krazie, nice find. I need to get one, strip it down and see if I can control it with a microcontroller in place of the pot.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Krazie4Acans Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 20 2015 at 8:46am
Just use a digital pot in place of the manual one. I built a couple like that a while back. Works pretty good.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mark Peterson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 20 2015 at 9:37am
Yes, there are six circuit boards, each with three LED's, two white and one blue.

I may get one of those dimmer units. Thanks. I wondered about that one when I saw it on the day before the OP.

As usual, I couldn't wait so yesterday I wrapped black electricians tape loosely over 5 of the 18 3W LED's effectively reducing the unit from 54 W to 40 W of light output on the tank. The old LED light was 36 1W LED's that had gone dim, I figured this would be a decent wattage at which to start the acclimation.

Thanks for all your help. I'll try to remember to give an update on how it's going.

Aloha,
Mark  Hug
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Krazie4Acans Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 20 2015 at 9:43am
Be careful with the electrical tape. It acts as an insulator and traps heat in the LED. Watch for any rippling in the tape to know if its getting too warm.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Baghtal Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 23 2015 at 3:43pm
2nd Acan's pot link. I've used them on several LED Projects (Including one that really did pull a full 8A from a 12v source) and haven't ever had any troubles with it.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote phys Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 23 2015 at 6:16pm
You're probably going to melt some adhesives onto the LED surfaces...
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mark Peterson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 24 2015 at 8:37am
Thanks. The $6 PWM manual dimmer unit should arrive today.
FYI, the electrical tape is wrapped around the light strip, hanging below the LED's as a shade. It's not touching the LED lenses. Smile

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Baghtal Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 24 2015 at 9:39am
Don't forget pictures to show off what you end up doing with it :D
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Mark Peterson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 25 2015 at 4:12pm
As I was going through all the pics of this tank, I realized that I had enough for a build thread. Smile

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mark Peterson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 13 2016 at 2:29pm
It's been 13 months and the PWM is now at 100%, because the light output from this Hamilton 18x3W LED seems to be gradually dropping. This happened before with the previous Hamilton 27x1W LED fixture which was partially corrected by a new power supply, but it also diminished after a year or so. 

I suppose the lower light is partly due to LED's losing intensity, possibly up to 10% per year, but I believe it's also due to diminishing output from the power supply. The current power supply is rated at 12V x 5A, 60W 

I plan to buy a new power supply. My question is this:
Will a slightly higher amperage power supply, 12V 6A 72W, work well and might it last longer using the PWM to reduce the output until it too begins to show it's age with diminishing power?

Aloha,
Mark



Edited by Mark Peterson - December 13 2016 at 2:46pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Krazie4Acans Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 14 2016 at 8:45am
Never run electronics at 100%. I rarely build things that are above 80% of maximum. So if your LED's need 4.6A I wouldn't go less than a 6A supply. Also the power supplies from laptops and such in the black plastic cases deteriorate due to excessive heat in the plastic case. If you really want a long lasting power supply then I would go with a MeanWell style (metal cage style) power supply that is rated at least 20% higher than what you need. It will run cooler at the lower output which will extend it's life and make it more efficient.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mark Peterson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 14 2016 at 3:50pm
That's kind of what I thought.

Because it was beginning to look like I was going to have to swap these out every year, I was already thinking of putting a female barrel connector on the input to the PWM, to use this:

$6.90 Kastar LCD AC Adapter 12V 6A with 3-Prong Power Cord Power Supply for LCD Monitor and LCD TV


or I could spend more up front for this:

$34.67 MEAN WELL GS90A12-P1M 3-Wire Regulated AC-to-DC Switching Table-Top Power Supply, 12V, 6.67 Amp, 80W, 1.5"

Both found on Amazon
What do you think?

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote phys Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 15 2016 at 12:59am
The meanwell will last longer and give you a more stable power signal. They usually have power spike protection and reverse polarity protection. Its a much better supply in every way.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Krazie4Acans Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 15 2016 at 7:31am
Agreed. The Meanwell will be the last power supply you have to put on that tank. The Kastar has mixed reviews on quality and does not state whether it is regulated or not which means the voltage and current can fluctuate with input voltage changes.

I have that same Meanwell power supply on an LED light setup that has been running 24/7 for the last 7 years (accent lighting on stairs and hallway in basement). It hasn't failed that entire time.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mark Peterson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 15 2016 at 7:39am
Ok, I believe you're both telling me to go with Mean Well. I believe that is sound advice, but which driver should I use? To see the rest of the story, go to the build thread here:

Edited by Mark Peterson - December 15 2016 at 8:05am
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