LED FAQ) Building and DIY

[Three Berries]

You should get a power watt meter to see what the watt draw is.

But if you are using 10 ga from a 120v outlet you better have 10 ga feeding it from the mains.

 

[xet]

You should get a power watt meter to see what the watt draw is.

But if you are using 10 ga from a 120v outlet you better have 10 ga feeding it from the mains.

whaaaoww! nice save! That answers my question on setting up 120 or 240 outright because no chance my 120 has 10 ga and if I am going to wire new from the mains then 240 it is.

I will for sure get a power watt meter and thank you for the reassurance on that front.

The driver itself is rated at only 90.5% efficiency. 708w = 640.74w? In either case I build for the 708 so I am only forecasting possible grams/watt

 

[Three Berries]

Always go +10%.

The NEC AWG table is a bit easier to understand for US use.

And stranded wire can carry more load than solid.

The wiki has a good table.

American wire gauge - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[xet]

Always go +10%.

The NEC AWG table is a bit easier to understand for US use.

And stranded wire can carry more load than solid.

The wiki has a good table.

American wire gauge - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Does that look right

 

[xet]

As an aside would it be advisable to use a transformer or a surge protector?

like this tripp lite for 240 https://www.amazon.com/Tripp-Lite-International-Protector-EURO-4/dp/B00006HZ4M/

 

[Three Berries]

I use a surge suppressor as the first thing out of the wall though just a cheapy but has an indicator. The drawing looks good but should include a ground from mains to light frame. Tripp Lite makes good stuff.

 

[xet]

I use a surge suppressor as the first thing out of the wall though just a cheapy but has an indicator. The drawing looks good but should include a ground from mains to light frame. Tripp Lite makes good stuff.

After reading a lot about Tripplite I wanted a really good excuse to use Tripp Lite.

How do you mean mains to light frame? I am ignorant of a lot of electrical knowledge (obviously lol) so please excuse my electrical french when I call something a really dumb name.

Is the wall plug the light frame?

I am tempted to add all the other stuff here like dimmers and switches and what-not but i want to keep the sketch really zoomed-out technically for my own understanding. I may just use the dimmer on the driver and I really want to program the PCB to make the lights do things but that is perhaps for a later thread.

 

[exploziv]

How do you get from the right sizing to being unsure again? And why would u need 10 gauge on AC input side?

 

[Three Berries]

The metal frame of the light needs to be grounded. The ground wire from the outlet to the frame.

 

[xet]

@Three Berries did I get the 14 and 10 backwards here?

 

[Three Berries]

@Three Berries did I get the 14 and 10 backwards here?

No the 30A is on the driver output. So that's where you need the big wire.

 

[xet]

No the 30A is on the driver output. So that's where you need the big wire.

Good, thank you. I was like wha I already memorized half amps on main side and total amps on cob side how did I get it flipped.

 

[Koondense]

Dude, please double-triple check everything before doing anything, I'm getting worried.

 

[xet]

Dude, please double-triple check everything before doing anything, I'm getting worried.

I will. Still going to twist my electrician friend's arm to review my work before soldering anything.

 

[xet]

Do people add this goop onto their driver connections or cob soldering connections?

 

[xet]

For what it's worth I am already 6 years, $2,000, 6 months of manufacturing, and thousands of hours of research into this project. I literally left the how to plug things in part of this learning process for last

No details will go overlooked in the end. Something really special is being made

 

[f-e]

The mains flex is sized for the fuse protecting it, not the device it's powering.

The fuse needs to be big enough to power the device. The cable big enough to carry what the fuse may supply in a fault condition.

In many countries, the wiring codes are abysmal. Allowing cable that can burst into flames without the fuse blowing first.


It's conceivable that even with a 240v plug on this, somebody could use a 240/110 adapter. So depending on the target user, it might need cabling for the 110v supply. Which itself might only have a fuse at the board. What size that might be is steering cable choice.
Isn't a 110 15A ? so a bit of 1.5 will carry the power the fuse can deliver.

 

[xet]

I am currently reading up on silver-plated copper wire.

Everything About Silver Plated Copper Wire | Ganpatiwires

Silver-plated copper wires are extensively being used in both industrial and domestic electrical requirements. They have many other applications apart from electronics like jewellery designing and high-temperature instruments. Silver-plated copper wires are made by concentrically plating silver...

www.ganpatiwires.com

 

[exploziv]

The price diference is probably not worth it! You might go a few gauges down and get thicker wire for a more efficient transfer, and still be cheaper. Tinned copper conductor is available and probably has many of the advantages of silver platted.

 

[f-e]

Power distribution doesn't warrant oxygen free copper. Though brass is better for contacts. It oxidises less.
Silver plate really comes into play with high frequencies, which tend to travel on the surface of a wire. This is outside the scope of this thread.

The driver in use has monitor wires that can look for voltage drop and correct for it. Making even the over sizing of long cable runs mute.