Lighting Is it ok to mix different CoBs/LEDs with different voltages in series, on a constant current driver?

[Jimmy McGill]

Hey guys.

Is it ok to mix different CoBs/LEDs with different voltages, in series, on a constant current driver?

Details of my build: The CoBs are CREE cxa2540n/cxb2540n and the LEDs are CREE XHP50/XHP50.2.
So, I want to reuse my mars hydro drivers (55v-100v, 0.69A-0.72A) with 2 CoBs (36vdc) and 2 XHP50 (12vdc) in series per driver. If I am not mistaken, that chain should use 36vdc x2 + 12vdc x2 = 96vdc, right? Is it safe to mix these together?

Assuming that it is, is it possible to put a switch in the middle of the chain? I mean, I want to put the cxa/cxb COBs in series, then an on/off switch and then the XHPs so I can switch those on and off in the chain if needed.

About cooling, these will all go on a 300mm/140mm/20mm (12"/5.5"/0.8") heatsink, activelly cooled by a 120mm pc fan, so it should stay nice and cool.
This buil is foar a micro grow (1.3sqft), these are all parts that I already have and I want to mix them in order to get maximum availlable power and mixed color temperatures. (cxa2540n @ 3500k. cxb2540n @ 4000k, xhp50 @ 6500k, XHP50.2 @ 3000k).

Any help is greatly welcomed.

 

[MickJ]

@BigSm0 is your man

 

[BigSm0]

it Is possible to do so. I for sure wouldn’t do it this way though. A couple things I might add. Since the mars drivers are the cheapest of cheap I’d suggest maybe just running the leds on them. For the cobs I’d buy a bit better driver or run them on a Separate mars driver. It’s not good to mix the two. It’s not even good to mix cobs with different temps. The cree 2530 is a fairly inexpensive cob. I found them for .81 cents on eBay. A big Autocob knock off company puts them in their $1200 lights too lol. I think with the lower efficiency of the 2530 and the 88% efficient driver you may see a difference at the end that might not be worth the work. Then again I don’t know the financial situation either. All in all it’s an upgrade over the epistar leds but a bit short of the standard today.

 

[Jimmy McGill]

Hey BigSm0, thanks for your help. To be honest, I am not looking for top of the line efficiency right now, as it is for a micro grow of 1.3sqft and my growing budget is inexistent at this time so, I just want to use some of the spare parts that I have around from past impulse purchases.
Even though the 2540 (a bit more efficient than the 2530 from what i've seen) I have are not great, they are probably much better than this Mars "easy bake oven" hydro 300w that I got so I will probably just stick to them for now, 2 per driver, same series, same temp to make sure it is all safe and nice. Even with the poor drivers this should bring this build to about 90w which is not too shaby for 1.3sqft. I'll most certainly upgrade all this next year so, as long as it gives me a couple of nice grows, I'll be happy.
Thanks again for the help, mate, see ya around the forums.

 

[Fitzy]

If u are looking for cree cobs ive used 2540s also from ebay 25 for 5 free shipping bunch of diff kelvin options 36v lmk how your build goes and if u got any ? I can help you if you want/need it good luck

 

[BigSm0]

If u are looking for cree cobs ive used 2540s also from ebay 25 for 5 free shipping bunch of diff kelvin options 36v lmk how your build goes and if u got any ? I can help you if you want/need it good luck

I found some cree 2530’s on eBay $7.11 for 10 of them. .71 cents per cob. Not the best but inexpensive. They are the same cobs in the expensive optic led lights. Think the optic 2&6 use them.

 

[Fitzy]

Also u may be better off doing a small build but reusing wat u can for a better spread from cob to cob also im not sure how much money u are willing to spend look into 54v cobs then u could atleast reuse them i was looking into xml2 crees to make my own pannel but @ $5 bucks a piece ro much $ for me

 

[Archaic]

To get back to the original question though, is it ok to run lights with different voltage in series off of a single driver? I'm thinking about adding "wings" to my QB and getting a more powerful meanwell driver to run it all off of a single power source. Mainly I just don't want extra cords in my tiny space. Basically it entails taking apart my HLG 100, adding rails and adding additional lighting on either side (maybe some Growmau5 pucks or just additional HLG 288 panels), upgrading to a larger driver and running the whole thing in series.

I'd love to run cobs in my cabinet, but I am so vertically challenged that QBs run without heat sinks are really my best option.

 

[Fitzy]

To get back to the original question though, is it ok to run lights with different voltage in series off of a single driver? I'm thinking about adding "wings" to my QB and getting a more powerful meanwell driver to run it all off of a single power source. Mainly I just don't want extra cords in my tiny space. Basically it entails taking apart my HLG 100, adding rails and adding additional lighting on either side (maybe some Growmau5 pucks or just additional HLG 288 panels), upgrading to a larger driver and running the whole thing in series.

I'd love to run cobs in my cabinet, but I am so vertically challenged that QBs run without heat sinks are really my best option.

They say u can run dif voltage but I don't to cut down the cords I wire up with a t shaped one of these water proof connector so it runs 2 drivers u could also use a distribution block or wire the 2 drivers to an wall outlet then use a 3 way plug so u can plug 2 drivers in and still have a slot open

these come in t shape