Driver help 3X QB96

My new space is 2.5x5'. walls are Panda film. It's a sealed room with CO2.

I've got a pair of QB288 I'd like to supplement with three QB96. The 288 have range of 85-260W. I'm targeting about 45W per square foot, or around 550W or so.
My planned board configuration is 96/288/96/288/96. I'm wanting the three 96 engines with pinned heatsinks for symmetry reasons. I also supplement with four QB11 (two blue, two deep red) and a couple of QB3 for far red. And I have two 24" fluorescent reptile bulbs for UVB.

I'd like to stick with the MeanWell brand.
The two drivers I was looking at are the HLG-480H-54A and the HLG-320H-54A. Both are dimmable.

I'm really leaning towards the 480H, as I'd rather dim down than be under powered.

Thoughts/Suggestions welcomed.

.RootDown said:

My new space is 2.5x5'. walls are Panda film. It's a sealed room with CO2.

I've got a pair of QB288 I'd like to supplement with three QB96. The 288 have range of 85-260W. I'm targeting about 45W per square foot, or around 550W or so.
My planned board configuration is 96/288/96/288/96. I'm wanting the three 96 engines with pinned heatsinks for symmetry reasons. I also supplement with four QB11 (two blue, two deep red) and a couple of QB3 for far red. And I have two 24" fluorescent reptile bulbs for UVB.

I'd like to stick with the MeanWell brand.
The two drivers I was looking at are the HLG-480H-54A and the HLG-320H-54A. Both are dimmable.

I'm really leaning towards the 480H, as I'd rather dim down than be under powered.

Thoughts/Suggestions welcomed.

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Always go bigger. Dimming can take you down, but if you don't have the power there in the first place, you're sol.

That's a lot a light for that size area, I would use 3 x QB288, 2 x QB96, (288, 96, 288, 96, 288, [|-|-|), or even 4 x QB120, 2 x QB96, (120, 96, 2 x 120 side by side, 96, 120, [--=--]). And I am only saying that because after repeated similar grows, (growing the same strain from clones, and growing the same number of plants, and vegging the same amount of time), using anything over 45 watts per square foot while using Co2 is a complete waste of electricity because your results won't increase even if you used 55 watts per square foot. In other words you don't need to use more than 45 watts per square foot when using Co2, or 35 watts per square foot when not using Co2 to give your plants all the light they can actually handle to maximize their bud production!

I like the 3x288 suggestion. If I add a third 288 I know I'd need to get a new driver, do I need to be concerned with one of the boards being newer than the other two? Assuming I'm adding like-for-like and not adding a v-spec board etc.
My current 288s are about a year old now.

.RootDown said:

I like the 3x288 suggestion. If I add a third 288 I know I'd need to get a new driver, do I need to be concerned with one of the boards being newer than the other two? Assuming I'm adding like-for-like and not adding a v-spec board etc.
My current 288s are about a year old now.

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If you're on a constant current driver, technically, as long as it fits within the voltage range ita fine.
If it's a constant Voltage driver, then the boards need to be the same or close voltage. Which in sure they are, but make sure.
CV would be beat for your situation, cause you'd just add the board, the other two would lose a bit of current and give it to the other new board where they'd all equal out to the same without any extra wattage. You wouldn't need a new driver. Chances are you're close to the voltage maximum if you're on a CC driver though and would need a different one with either less current output and more voltage Max.

Please tell me if these drivers are ideal for my setup:

Target: around 560W, dimmable
2x QB96 run around 130W each, HLG-320-54-A
3x QB288v2 (not the R-spec) run around 100W each, HLG-320H-C1750A

Should I run these in parallel or series?

.RootDown said:

Please tell me if these drivers are ideal for my setup:

Target: around 560W, dimmable
2x QB96 run around 130W each, HLG-320-54-A
3x QB288v2 (not the R-spec) run around 100W each, HLG-320H-C1750A

Should I run these in parallel or series?

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Parallel the voltage stays the same. Series, voltage increased and amps stay unchanged.
You should have a good understanding of the basics if you want to build your own light. I may be coming off like a dick but it's not intentional

.RootDown said:

Please tell me if these drivers are ideal for my setup:

Target: around 560W, dimmable
2x QB96 run around 130W each, HLG-320-54-A
3x QB288v2 (not the R-spec) run around 100W each, HLG-320H-C1750A

Should I run these in parallel or series?

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First off, a 240 is what you want for 260w of 96's. 320 leaves too much on the table making the driver run less efficiently. you wanna Max out drivers.

Boatguy said:

You should have a good understanding of the basics

Click to expand...

I'm working on it... Thanks for the refresher for sure. I'm planning on running parallel.

Airwalker16 said:

a 240 is what you want for 260w of 96's

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I was worried about giving up the 20W by going with the 240. I know the A drivers have a bit extra in them. I'll going to go with the 240 like you said.

I was way off base with the 1750A as well.
The HLG-320H-48-A seems like a better choice. At 48.96V and 2100mA the boards should run at 102W each. That driver is 43-52V 6.7A.
Right?

.RootDown said:

I'm working on it... Thanks for the refresher for sure. I'm planning on running parallel.




I was worried about giving up the 20W by going with the 240. I know the A drivers have a bit extra in them. I'll going to go with the 240 like you said.

I was way off base with the 1750A as well.
The HLG-320H-48-A seems like a better choice. At 48.96V and 2100mA the boards should run at 102W each. That driver is 43-52V 6.7A.
Right?

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24-48v,man. It's only 50%dim on any CV driver. It's a 48V driver on the first place. Don't know where Ya got your numbers.

Airwalker16 said:

24-48v,man. It's only 50%dim on any CV driver. It's a 48V driver on the first place. Don't know where Ya got your numbers.
View attachment 4430437

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The numbers are further down, 5 lines down. It does go up to 52 acccording to datasheet
Anyone whoo wants to know what a meanwell actually outputs should check the Report sheet on the meanwell webpage, not the driver datasheet. Its usually more accurate.

Edit: also dimming usually goes down a bit further than 50%

Airwalker16 said:

24-48v,man. It's only 50%dim on any CV driver. It's a 48V driver on the first place. Don't know where Ya got your numbers.

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No, 50% is only with "A" type dimming.

1212ham said:

No, 50% is only with "A" type dimming.

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That is for CURRENT DIMMING, known as "Constant Current Region". I'm talking about vO Voltage adjustment. Which you can't do at all with B version. Unless it's an AB.
And after looking closer it's only a range of 43-52 so @Rocket Soul you are correct.

Airwalker16 said:

That is for CURRENT DIMMING, known as "Constant Current Region". I'm talking about vO Voltage adjustment. Which you can't do at all with B version. Unless it's an AB.
And after looking closer it's only a range of 43-52 so @Rocket Soul you are correct.

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Doesnt b type driver do the voltage adjustment on its own? It senses and adjusts on its own within its range, unless im misunderstanding the documentation.
For example, the b type hlg-480h-54b has a voltage range of 24 to 48v. Same driver a/ab has a range of 40.8 to 50v.

Edit: maybe i am wrong on that account also and the a/ab auto ranges but with the adjustment you can change max from between 40.8 to 50

If I understand correctly:
24-48v: constant current region you can run any chip that has a voltage in this region

The shorter span: voltage adjustment region: you can use this type off dimming to set an upper voltage limit for your chips. This means you set max voltage and thus also max amps per chip so youll never have to worry about one chip failing and passing its power to the rest of the chips. Basicly setup your driver and chips in parallel, go to max amps and voltage of your driver for max output. Then lower the Vo adjustment slightly to the point where you just start seeing some lightlevel droppping. That way you set upper voltage and amps on your system. Easier done with some multimeter.

It is also usefull if you have chips which go over 48V.

And although meanwell specify 50% dimming in reality its a bit more, its all in the report section on the meanwell datasheet webpage

Airwalker16 said:

It's only 50%dim on any CV driver.

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A type dimming is 50-100%. B type dimming is either 0-100% or 10-100%.

Rocket Soul said:

set max voltage and thus also max amps per chip so youll never have to worry about one chip failing and passing its power to the rest of the chips. Basicly setup your driver and chips in parallel, go to max amps and voltage of your driver for max output. Then lower the Vo adjustment slightly to the point where you just start seeing some lightlevel droppping. That way you set upper voltage and amps on your system. Easier done with some multimeter.

Click to expand...

Save this in your notes guys.