HurricaneX dimming and off with COB led setup

@024deeweed420 , Good that you got it to work. It's a bit of a puzzle with all those components together

@VegasWinner, What? True 0-10V PWM dimming doesn't need a relay. That's the whole point. Doesn't matter which continent you use it in.

Also, HPS timers don't "cost" because of wattage demands, but because of inrush. An HPS pulling a 4A load will have a 50A inrush. The 4A isn't the issue, but the 50A is. In reality those timers "cost" a lot mostly because it's a ridiculous high margin business. Led drivers actually also have a significant inrush and, contrary to some people's beliefs, this is not mitigated by dimming the driver output.

Not sure how it's a challenge to combine a timer and a relay. You can simply Google for an Arduino timer with relay example or go to the Arduino forum. I think I even saw some examples of that here on the forum. Including the complete source code of an old version Typhon controller.

Bit of a puzzle but it works great, mostly thanks to VegasWinner. Going to pop those two circuits in a neat little clear topped electronics enclosure ontop of the growlight. Im running a long cable from the lights to the hurricanex so the hurricanex will sit outside the tent on a wall for easy access.

You can make your relay contacts last longer if install an RC series Snubber circuit across the normally open contacts. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snubber This is a trustworthy brand of snubbers. http://www.alliedelec.com/cornell-dubilier-104m06qc100/70186536/?mkwid=ssOUWVOPl&pcrid=30980760979&gclid=CjwKEAiAjvrBBRDxm_nRusW3q1QSJAAzRI1tu8q7aWVA9fecIqRcjVm7ucjx7mAMo9HsVhGKGV_HOhoCmBfw_wcB

Isawthelight said:

You can make your relay contacts last longer if install an RC series Snubber circuit across the normally open contacts. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snubber This is a trustworthy brand of snubbers. http://www.alliedelec.com/cornell-dubilier-104m06qc100/70186536/?mkwid=ssOUWVOPl&pcrid=30980760979&gclid=CjwKEAiAjvrBBRDxm_nRusW3q1QSJAAzRI1tu8q7aWVA9fecIqRcjVm7ucjx7mAMo9HsVhGKGV_HOhoCmBfw_wcB

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Ok thanks, is that between normally open and common contacts? Sorta like this?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snubber#/media/File:Snubber.jpg yes

VegasWinner said:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snubber#/media/File:Snubber.jpg yes

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Thanks for the reply, yeah I did google the snubber sorta understand it, and been looking on youtube and otjer stuff, not sure if this is relevant but check out vid on nosparc.....
https://www.arcsuppressiontechnologies.com/arc-suppression-facts/nosparc-in-action/

Ok I have a question for any electronics experts, with my setup running with the relay the dimmining cuts out a lot higher than if I take the relay out of the circuit. The relay also makes quite a noise as the light dims lower. With the relay taken out of the circuit the leds dim significantly lower before flickering and turning off and there is no noise so the noise is coming from the relay.
My question is , if I just dont use the relay and just using the dimming, when the pmw signal to the leds is 0 the lights are actually off but there probably is still 10% voltage flowing through the circuit because the tech specs of the driver says its dimmable down to 10% . Is this dangerous to not bother with the relay?

That's why you shouldn't hook up a relay to a PWM signal to begin with.

Can't you use another channel on the Hurricane and set that to 100% all the time while the lights are on and 0% when the lights should be off? Then basically that's a digital signal which you could use for the relay.

024deeweed420 said:

Ok I have a question for any electronics experts, with my setup running with the relay the dimmining cuts out a lot higher than if I take the relay out of the circuit. The relay also makes quite a noise as the light dims lower. With the relay taken out of the circuit the leds dim significantly lower before flickering and turning off and there is no noise so the noise is coming from the relay.
My question is , if I just dont use the relay and just using the dimming, when the pmw signal to the leds is 0 the lights are actually off but there probably is still 10% voltage flowing through the circuit because the tech specs of the driver says its dimmable down to 10% . Is this dangerous to not bother with the relay?

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correct you have 10% circuit voltage yet to turn off and your cobs are not all then way off. I wold recommend to turn ramping up and down to a lower number so that your relays can move past that initial phase, above 10% go figure. Does your cob go off and the area has no light. it would seem you have some light still enough to disturb your grow operation.

VegasWinner said:

correct you have 10% circuit voltage yet to turn off and your cobs are not all then way off. I wold recommend to turn ramping up and down to a lower number so that your relays can move past that initial phase, above 10% go figure. Does your cob go off and the area has no light. it would seem you have some light still enough to disturb your grow operation.

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Yes thats what I thought (regarding circuit still on) . The ramping is fairly limited you cant start at a certain % it just gives you a time and the minimum is 2mins.
The cob seems to be emitting 0 light at 10% , i guess the question is, is it safe to have it like this for 10 hours in the off/ dark phase?

wietefras said:

That's why you shouldn't hook up a relay to a PWM signal to begin with.

Can't you use another channel on the Hurricane and set that to 100% all the time while the lights are on and 0% when the lights should be off? Then basically that's a digital signal which you could use for the relay.

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Hey, yes good idea and I do have it on a separate channel currently but unfortunately the hurricanex has more limitations than I thought it had. It only has sunrise and sunset settings and a ramp up/ down setting for sunrise:sunset. The sunrise and sunset settings are for all channels you cant change each one individually.
The ramp up and down time doesnt go to 0, the minimum is 2 minutes.
You can delay separate channels but this is also limited because if you delay a chanel you can only delay its start time, for example:30mins so it will switch on 30mins later but this will also means it switches off 30mins later.
The other limitation is this ramp up ramp down setting is for all channels at once as well so the sunrise sunset feature is not really useable with the relay . Currently got it set for the minimum 2 mins so each on and off cycle the relay does the buzz noise for around a min each cycle.

024deeweed420 said:

Hey, yes good idea and I do have it on a separate channel currently but unfortunately the hurricanex has more limitations than I thought it had. It only has sunrise and sunset settings and a ramp up/ down setting for sunrise:sunset. The sunrise and sunset settings are for all channels you cant change each one individually.
The ramp up and down time doesnt go to 0, the minimum is 2 minutes.
You can delay separate channels but this is also limited because if you delay a chanel you can only delay its start time, for example:30mins so it will switch on 30mins later but this will also means it switches off 30mins later.
The other limitation is this ramp up ramp down setting is for all channels at once as well so the sunrise sunset feature is not really useable with the relay . Currently got it set for the minimum 2 mins so each on and off cycle the relay does the buzz noise for around a min each cycle.

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I never liked the hurricane controller, that is why I developed the GrowGreen with all that you describe on individual channel controls. I can set ramp up/down easily for each channel, eight max channels. check it the video.
[MEDIA][MEDIA]

024deeweed420 said:

Hey, yes good idea and I do have it on a separate channel currently but unfortunately the hurricanex has more limitations than I thought it had. It only has sunrise and sunset settings and a ramp up/ down setting for sunrise:sunset. The sunrise and sunset settings are for all channels you cant change each one individually.
The ramp up and down time doesnt go to 0, the minimum is 2 minutes.
You can delay separate channels but this is also limited because if you delay a chanel you can only delay its start time, for example:30mins so it will switch on 30mins later but this will also means it switches off 30mins later.
The other limitation is this ramp up ramp down setting is for all channels at once as well so the sunrise sunset feature is not really useable with the relay . Currently got it set for the minimum 2 mins so each on and off cycle the relay does the buzz noise for around a min each cycle.

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A retriggerable monostable timer buffer can convert the PWM signal into something that doesn't make your relay chatter when the PWM is ramping up and down. The monostable buffered relay will work as long as the PWM signal is between 1 to 99%, never 0 or 100 because these will not retrigger the monostable. Link tells how to design your monostable circuit...https://m8051.blogspot.com/2013/02/retriggerable-555-timing-circuit.html and how to drive a relay with a 555 chip http://www.555-timer-circuits.com/driving-a-relay.html

....im too curious about the inside view of hurricaneX controller...can someone show me her inside view...
...what PCB uses ... can share the both sides of this controller?....
NOTE...i've noticed in the web they use the coralux software....wow... but they use the v2.8 version...
...the new firmware version for the coralux StormX or Storm its the v3.0..... downloable in her site... ...awesome to my eye... they continue evolution on the code for the Storm or StormX...great work...and its public... rare on this days... but a great help for diyers... i love Coralux boys... thanks to share ...big apreciate... .

...then posibly... the hurricaneX its an stormX modificated a bit....the rotary encoder have other position...

...pics or vids are welcome... share her pcb image ...both side please...

Pd...but basically are an arduino, an rtc ds1307 with batery backup...an PCA9685 module...an digital rotary encoder...and an lcd 16x2 HD44780 compatible... ...similar an typhoon on arduino way...http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/321511-typhon-based-led-controller-on-the-cheap-seriously/#entry4214446...

http://i451.photobucket.com/albums/qq231/ajmckay2/LED array/Arduinotyphonwiringdiagram02-2013_zps785476a1.jpg

...change the botoms for the rotary encoder... the rtc for the ds3231... add the PCA9685 module... etc....



Saludos

VegasWinner said:

I never liked the hurricane controller, that is why I developed the GrowGreen with all that you describe on individual channel controls. I can set ramp up/down easily for each channel, eight max channels. check it the video.
[MEDIA]

[MEDIA]

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,
Mmm very tempted to buy one! So your fade is the ramp up/down time? And it can be set to zero.
How do you switch the pwm signal from 5v to 10v?
Looks awesome!

No one answered my question though, is it electrically safe to leave a circuit on at 10% of its potential voltage whist in the dark phase? Could i burn down my grow room?

With all the effort you put in by now you could have built an Arduino based controller yourself It's really no more difficult than what you did so far. Especially if you forego the display and inputs since you can simply program it by connecting it to a computer.

wietefras said:

With all the effort you put in by now you could have built an Arduino based controller yourself It's really no more difficult than what you did so far. Especially if you forego the display and inputs since you can simply program it by connecting it to a computer.

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All your posts are so helpful.

Do you need to solder? Ive done everything so far without any soldering.

024deeweed420 said:

,
Mmm very tempted to buy one! So your fade is the ramp up/down time? And it can be set to zero.
How do you switch the pwm signal from 5v to 10v?
Looks awesome!

No one answered my question though, is it electrically safe to leave a circuit on at 10% of its potential voltage whist in the dark phase? Could i burn down my grow room?

Click to expand...

I use an additional circuit driver with a 10v power supply to create both 5v and 10v pwm same channel

Found this here https://www.acuitybrands.com/products/detail/257121/fresco/fresco-dxt/assemblies-for-high-performance-dmx-networks/-/media/products/fresco/257121/document/0-10vdc-best-practice_pdf.pdf.
With this tidbit.....

"On driver data sheets, it is not unusual to see the term “Full Range Dimming”. Further it is easy to assume that the term “Full Range Dim- ming” means that the driver dims from 100% to 0%, but that is often not the case. This means that as control descends through 10%, the driver will stop supplying power to the LEDs. “Low End Cutoff” is an often used term that refers to the point where the driver ceas- es to supply power to the LEDs. "

So maybe a relay isnt needed

024deeweed420 said:

All your posts are so helpful.

Do you need to solder? Ive done everything so far without any soldering.

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You don't have to, but if you just plug in the wires you do run some risk that you pull a wire out by accident. I have a few Arduino devices where I never bothered soldering things too. Another option is to put it in a box.

024deeweed420 said:

"On driver data sheets, it is not unusual to see the term “Full Range Dimming”. Further it is easy to assume that the term “Full Range Dim- ming” means that the driver dims from 100% to 0%, but that is often not the case. This means that as control descends through 10%, the driver will stop supplying power to the LEDs. “Low End Cutoff” is an often used term that refers to the point where the driver ceas- es to supply power to the LEDs. "

So maybe a relay isnt needed

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Does look like it yes. Why not just try it? If you have a Watt meter it should be easy to be sure.