Build Notes

Our Bill of Materials page is the companion 
to these Build Notes. 

Please review that page for information on 
the parts needed to complete your build. 

Interested in one of our EZ-Connect DIY Kits Instead?

Check out the EZ-Connect DIY LED
Grow Light Kit Instructions here!


1) HEATSINKS

Heatsinks are required for all dank light co. DIY LED builds. While the lightstrips could be run at lower current levels and not exceed proper junction temperature, the urge to "Turn it Up" is just too great for most people. Ask me how I know. 😁 Besides that, Heatsinks ensure the longest possible lifetime and the highest possible efficiency for your build.

The 2.079" profile from HeatsinkUSA.com is good to 1.9 amps per strip (or about 100 watts at the wall). 
- DO NOT run higher amperage on this heatsink without "active cooling"  or this will void your warranty.

There are several options for attaching the Lightstrip to the Heatsink....

1) Drilling Holes and Bolting the Lightstrip to the Heatsink:
- The best option in terms of maximizing thermal conductivity, overall efficiency and lifespan of the lightstrips is to attach via the 20 provided screw holes by drilling holes in the heatsink that correspond with the holes in the lightstrip. 

- For holes drilled thru the heatsink (attached with a nut and washer on the fin side of the heatsink) we suggest drill holes with a diameter of .175” or 5mm.
- For holes drilled and tapped with threads directly in the base of the heatsink, we recommend No. 8-36 Machine screws or M4/0.7mm Metric Machine screws.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are bolting the lightstrips to the heatsink, you MUST use nylon washers under the bolts or you may short the lightstrip. We cannot accept returns for users shorting the lightstrips because nylon washers were not used.



- We also recommend sanding the heatsink lightly with 100 grit, then finishing with 220 grit sandpaper to level the surface of the heatsink. This ensures maximum thermal conductivity between the PCB and Heatsink.



- When drilling holes and attaching the heatsink using bolts, for best results we also recommend the use of a Thermal Grease between the PCB and Heatsink to ensure maximum thermal conductivity.
- When using Thermal Grease the goal is to use as little grease as possible to ensure a good connection between the lightstrip and heatsink. We recommend using a putty knife to evenly (and thinly) spread a light layer of grease on the heatsink before you bolt the lightstrip down.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are bolting the lightstrips to the heatsink, you MUST use nylon washers under the bolts or you may short the lightstrip. We cannot accept returns for users shorting the lightstrips because nylon washers were not used.

2) Thermal Glue:
Another method for attaching the Lightstrip to the heatsink is using Thermal Glue or Epoxy to bond the two together.

- NOTE: This is a permanent bond. You will like destroy the lightstrip if you try removing it after the glue has set.
- When using Thermal Glue, the goal is to use as little glue as possible to ensure a good connection between the lightstrip and heatsink. We recommend using a putty knife to evenly (and thinly) spread a light layer of glue on the heatsink before you glue the lightstrip down.
- NOTE: We also recommend drilling and bolting the heatsink with at least the 4 corner drill holes so there is a static mechanical between the heatsink and lightstrip just in case the glue should ever fail.

3) Thermal Tape: 
The final method (and definitely the easiest) for attaching the Lightstrip to the heatsink is using Thermal tape to bond the two together.

- NOTE: This is a permanent bond. You will like destroy the lightstrip if you try removing it after it has been taped.
- When using Thermal Tape, the goal is to lay down the tape directly under the middle of the lightstrip where the diodes are placed ensuring there are no air bubbles underneath the tape. Air bubbles will cause hotspots between the heatsink and lightstrip which could cause LEDs to fail as there is significantly reduced thermal transfer in these areas.
- NOTE: We also recommend drilling and bolting the heatsink with at least the 4 corner drill holes so there is a static mechanical between the heatsink and lightstrip just in case the tape should ever fail.

2) DRIVERS (SERIES) 

Picking a Series driver for your build really boils down to how many strips you want to run and at what current. You may also want to add additional strips to your build later on. If that's the case you can pick a bigger driver now that will run more lightstrips so you won't need to buy more drivers later. 
For Big Red the applicable Meanwell Series Drivers are: 

  • 2 Strips: Meanwell HLG185h-C1400
  • 3 Strips: Meanwell HLG240h-C1400 or C1750 
  • 4 Strips: Meanwell HLG320h-C1400
    • NOTE: Due to the higher forward voltage, Big Red CAN NOT be run in constant current mode on the C1750 driver.
  • 4 or 5 Strips: Meanwell HLG480h-C175
    For Super Blue the applicable Meanwell Series Drivers are:

    • 2 Strips: Meanwell HLG185h-C1400
    • 3 Strips: Meanwell HLG240h-C1400 or C1750
      • NOTE: Due to the lower forward voltage Super Blue CAN be run in constant current mode on the C1750.  
    • 4 Strips: Meanwell HLG320h-C1400 or C1750
    • 4 or 5 Strips: Meanwell HLG480h-C1750

    When looking at a Meanwell Series driver the first number (320 in the pic above) specifies how many watts the driver will dissipate (in this case 320 watts). The second number specifies the total current output in Constant Current mode (in this case 1750 or 1.75 amps). 

    For Big Red and Super Blue we feel that 1.75 amps is the sweetspot in terms of output and efficiency and will result in each strip dissipating 85-95w at the wall.

    For wiring instructions see our:  Series Wiring Diagram 


    Other Notes:
    1) Big Red 110 and Super Blue 110 lightstrips CAN be run together in Series on the same driver.
    2) If you would like more spectrum control, we recommend running Big Red and Super Blue on separate drivers to provide greater spectrum control allowing for independent dimming of the Blue and Red spectrums.

    2A) DRIVERS (PARALLEL)

    When picking a Parallel driver for your build, care must be taken to ensure that the output of the driver DOES NOT exceed the max current (2.3 amps) of the lightstrip when ALL lightstrips are connected to the driver.

    If you are working with a driver like the 320h-48b below (which will deliver 6.7 amps of current), you need to divide the total current output (6.7 amps) by the number of lightstrips (eg. 4 strips).

    6.7 / 4 = 1.675 amps per lighstrip.

    This provides you with the total current each strip will receive when all 4 strips are connected.

    For Big Red the applicable Meanwell Parallel Drivers are: 

    • 3 Strips: Meanwell 240h-48
    • 4 Strips: Meanwell 320h-48
    • 5 or 6 Strips: Meanwell HLG480h-48
      • Please ensure your configuration DOES NOT exceed maximum  current of 2.3A per strip.
    • 6 - 8 Strips: Meanwell HLG600h-48
      • Please ensure your configuration DOES NOT exceed maximum  current of 2.3A per strip.

    For Super Blue the applicable Meanwell Parallel Drivers are:

    • 3 Strips: Meanwell 240h-48
    • 4 Strips: Meanwell 320h-48
    • 5 or 6 Strips: Meanwell HLG480h-48
      • Please ensure your configuration DOES NOT exceed maximum  current of 2.3A per strip.
    • 6 - 8 Strips: Meanwell HLG600h-48
      • Please ensure your configuration DOES NOT exceed maximum  current of 2.3A per strip.



    When looking at a Meanwell Parallel driver, the first number (320 in the pic above) specifies how many watts the driver will dissipate (in this case 320 watts). The second number (48) specifies the maximum forward voltage (in this case 48v). The "Output" current can be seen above (at 6.7 amps).

    For wiring instructions see our: Parallel Wiring Diagram

    IMPORTANT NOTES: 
    1) Parallel drivers deliver ALL of their rated current to however may LEDs are connected when they are powered on.
    2) Before you turn on any Parallel Driver make sure you have the appropriate number of lightstrips connected or you can easily exceed the 2.3 amp max current and destroy your lightstrip and void your warranty!
    3) While Big Red 110 and Super Blue 110 share very similar forward voltage characteristics, they SHOULD NOT BE WIRED TOGETHER IN PARALLEL due to the risk of thermal runaway.
    4) Separate parallel drivers should always be used.
    5) Separate drivers also provide greater spectrum control allowing for independent dimming of the Blue and Red spectrums if you have both in your fixture.


    3) FRAME:

    Frames are actually really easy and inexpensive to build, especially if you choose to use Angle Aluminum like we usually do.


    1) You will need 2 Pcs of Frame Material @  44” - 48” length depending on how large you make your fixture and the space between lightstrips.
    2) The cheapest way to build the frame is with a simple piece of angle aluminum cut and drilled then bolted directly to the heatsink, lighstrip and frame:

    NOTE: When bolting the Heatsink, Lightstrip and Frame together, we recommend using Nylon washers. We place the Nylon washer underneath the nut, underneath the bolt head and in between the heatsink and frame itself.


    3) T-slot extrusions can also be used, but please see the Heatsink Order Notes as you will want to order longer heatsinks and drill an extra hole or two at the end of each heatsink so you can pass a bolt through the heatsink that will tighten into the T-Slot nut (sorry no illustration available at this time).


    4) WIRE:


    We prefer the heavier 18ga SOLID CORE wire for our builds. 


    5) WIRE CONNECTORS:


    While we like the quality Wago offers, the kit recommended on our Bill of Materials contains far fewer lever nuts than the “good” choice above which will work just fine.


    6) CONNECTING HARDWARE: 

    We recommend #8 Machine Screws, Nuts and Washers or 4mm Screws, Nuts and Washers for bolting the PCB to the heatsink and for assembling the frames and heatsinks. 

    You will need approximately 200 nuts, bolts and washers to mount the PCBs to the heatsinks and heatsinks to the frames depending upon the way in which you build your frame.


    See the Bill of Materials for links.

     
    7) MISCELLANEOUS PARTS:

    These parts are here to help you clean up your build, make it safer and generally more pro! They are meant to help clean up connections and give everything a place so you don't just have random wires and connectors going every which direction. Most all of these parts are optional with the exception of the power cord.

    1) An un-terminated power cord is required for your build.

    - See either our Series Driver Wiring Diagram or our Parallel Driver Wiring diagram to see how to wire up your power cord.

    2) We recommend buying a dimmer switch if you buy any of the “B” series dimmable Meanwell drivers.
    - You can also see how to connect both types of available dimmers in the Wiring Diagram links above.

    - A dimmer is NOT used with non-dimmable, A series Meanwell drivers.


    3) LCD Display for Power, Voltage and Current consumption
    - Very cool for monitoring the how many watts your drawing at the wall at different dimming levels. Similar to a kill a watt meter but meant to be integrated into a junction box or some other part of your build.

    4) On/Off Switch
    - Another part you don't need, but it makes it easier than always running over to the wall to pull the plug out. That being said, once your lights are done and on a timer you will rarely use the switch. YMMV. 

    5) Junction boxes are used as a way to provide a connecting point for the different wires (A/C Input, DC Output, Dimmer output) that will be used in your build.


    - Junction boxes can also be used to mount On/Off switches, LCD Displays, Dimmer knobs, etc)


    5) Cable Glands are typically used in junction boxes as a way to pass/hold wires running from the outside of a junction box to the inside.
    - PG7 and PG9 are the most common sizes in DIY LED builds, but make sure to check the diameter of the wires that will be running through the gland to ensure you purchase the right size for your build.


    6) IP67 connectors (as seen on the driver below) are a waterproof cable junction that can be used in the place of solderless lever nuts for most wire connections.


    7)  Zip Ties. Whatever you do, don't forget the Zip Ties! LOL! These are always handy to have for your build.


    For more ideas on using junction boxes, power switches, cable gland nuts, etc to spruce up your Dank Light Co. build we recommend checking out: