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Cheap dimming (voltage) solution for Meanwell "D" models?


redfishsc

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EDIT: FOUND AN EVEN EASIER ANSWER TO THIS ISSUE FOR THOSE OF US WHO STILL USE MEANWELLS.

 

Just use any given 5-7 volt cell phone charger and crank up the SRV2 screw. I am getting 700-800mA out of mine right now this way (and... on a "P" model, with no pwm signal at all).

 

I helped a friend rig up his system using a 6 volt phone charger and got an easy 1,000mA out of the Meanwell, and another user on Plantedtank.net is getting 1100mA out of a 5 volt.

 

 

Stop fretting over the input voltage, ANYTHING STABLE from around 5v and up will work just fine, just pop open the casing, attach the Multimeter for current, and crank up the SRV2 screw.

 

 

 

 

ORIGINAL POST BELOW:

 

 

 

This is for all the folks struggling to find a power supply for the Meanwell dimmer input that actually gives a stable, reliable voltage output (without having to wire up a voltage regulator circuit).

 

 

I just sent an email to the guys at sparkfun to see if they could verify this for me.

 

If these regulated 9v wall-warts are TRULY a well-made regulated power supply, they should realistically only give you around 9v. See the link at the end.

 

The problem with most 9 or 10v wall warts (ie, unregulated) is that they usually throw off a lot more than 9 or 10v. I have some 9v that actually give 18v with no load.

 

I am using a product just like the Sparkfun regulated 9v supply on my Meanwell. It gives a constant 9.1v and says "9v Regulated" on the back.

 

 

To get FULL 1,000mA out of your Meanwell, you simply need to set your 10K potentiometer (spliced into the wall-wart line) to full power, and turn up the SRV2 screw inside the Meanwell cover until you get something close to 1,000mA (multimeter hooked up inline in the circuit to verify).

 

This is soooooo much easier, cheaper, and predictable than wiring up the LM317 circuit. Just turn the SRV2 screw up while watching your multimeter.

 

 

http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_i...products_id=298

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FYI,

 

The variable voltage AC adapters we ship with our systems and sell at our store are also truly regulated to 9.2v when 9V dial is set.

 

Sorry to butt in. someone had called saying that they got that reading or thought that was the reading from our standard PST-1200MF power adapter.

 

Rock on redfish.

 

 

Chris

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can we get a pic of what you did

 

Unfortunately not, I don't have a pic of it, but it's pretty simple.

 

Here is what Evilc66 told me on wiring up the 10K potentiometer.

 

One outer pin to PS+, other outer pin to PS-, center pin to DIM+, DIM- to PS-.

 

 

Basically you solder the power supply positive to one outer pin of the pot.

Power supply negative AND the dimmer wire negative to the other side.

Dimmer positive to the middle.

 

 

FYI,

 

The variable voltage AC adapters we ship with our systems and sell at our store are also truly regulated to 9.2v when 9V dial is set.

 

Sorry to butt in. someone had called saying that they got that reading or thought that was the reading from our standard PST-1200MF power adapter.

 

Rock on redfish.

 

 

Chris

 

 

Chris, that is very, VERY good to know. This would be a nearly plug-n-play option. Just click the mechanism to whatever voltage you want for dimming. You would only get "dim, kinda bright, HOLY CRAP!" most likely, but it would probably work fine for acclimating corals and stuff.

 

Can you give me a link to this variable voltage PS? I may be placing an order soon and may use your supply if the price is reasonable.

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So could you split the + lead out into parallel circuits with a pot on each, and dim several meanwells off the same PS? This would be an awesome, easy, inexpensive solution to independent array dimming if so.....

 

THANKS!

Tim

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@dcmix5- yes. that is it. we wish there was more graduation than it offers, but the signal is pretty clean and the adapter have been in use here for fans, etc for at least 5 years with minimal issues.

 

@therman- yes. from what we've seen in the shop, as long as your meanwell dim signals (~3 ma each) don't exceed the power supplys rating, you are in good shape.

 

in house, we've been kicking the idea of tapping off of our fan power and using a potentiometer to do dimming. that orbitech patent leaves our hands a hit tied.

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That's awesome news. Way easier than a bunch of LM317s!

 

@therman- yes. from what we've seen in the shop, as long as your meanwell dim signals (~3 ma each) don't exceed the power supplys rating, you are in good shape.
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^That I don't know, except that the Meanwell dimmer only draws about 3-4 mA, which is a pitifully low amount of current. I'm pretty sure any 10K pot will work.

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redfishsc

Therman, let us know how those work out. Be sure to test them all with no load to see what they throw off.

 

I found some switching 9v supplies that also give 9.1 to 9.2v, so I'll use these on my next project.

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I'll test them individually tonight. I just set the SVR2 pot on 8 Meanwell Ds using the sparkfun 9V as the dimming current source, and they all held rock steady at the mA I set them to.

 

If anyone else is doing this with these parts....the 10k pots from sparkfun dim them down to a minimum in the 300ish mA range when the max is set to ~1000mA.

-Tim

 

Therman, let us know how those work out. Be sure to test them all with no load to see what they throw off.

 

I found some switching 9v supplies that also give 9.1 to 9.2v, so I'll use these on my next project.

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redfishsc
I'll test them individually tonight. I just set the SVR2 pot on 8 Meanwell Ds using the sparkfun 9V as the dimming current source, and they all held rock steady at the mA I set them to.

 

You're running multiple Meanwells on one power supply? How many can you run on a single 9v? I assume a LOT since the power draw is so pitifully low on the dimmer input.

 

If anyone else is doing this with these parts....the 10k pots from sparkfun dim them down to a minimum in the 300ish mA range when the max is set to ~1000mA.

-Tim

 

 

That is odd. With mine set to a max of 960mA, mine go way low. I can't recall the low number, but the LED's almost totally power off. They just stay slightly dim.

 

That'

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Hmmm, I don't think you can split the 9 volts from a single switching wall wart into two separately circuits each with their own pot to control two separate ELN-60-48-Ds. Can you?

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redfishsc
Hmmm, I don't think you can split the 9 volts from a single switching wall wart into two separately circuits each with their own pot to control two separate ELN-60-48-Ds. Can you?

 

Not each Meanwell having a dimmer, but I think he's saying that he has a bunch of Meanwells on the same dimmer/pot. It would be cool to be able to dim ALL of the blues independantly of the whites if you have a BUNCH of Meanwells controlling the LED's.

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That makes sense. But there's no way to supply two Meanwell's worth of LEDs with a single 9 volt supply split into two separate circuits, each with their own pot, true?

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Hmmm, I don't think you can split the 9 volts from a single switching wall wart into two separately circuits each with their own pot to control two separate ELN-60-48-Ds. Can you?

 

Yes you can. That's what my first post in the thread was referring to. This build is just a few solders away from being done...44 xpg, 44 xre rb, with whites and blues independently dimmed in 4 quadrants by 8 meanwells and one 9V power supply with 8 pots on parallel circuits. I'll post mon or tues with photos.

 

FWIW I did check the voltage on the two sparkfun supplies, one read at 9.12V, the other at 9.24V.

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redfishsc
Yes you can. That's what my first post in the thread was referring to. This build is just a few solders away from being done...44 xpg, 44 xre rb, with whites and blues independently dimmed in 4 quadrants by 8 meanwells and one 9V power supply with 8 pots on parallel circuits. I'll post mon or tues with photos.

 

That is AWESOME.

 

FWIW I did check the voltage on the two sparkfun supplies, one read at 9.12V, the other at 9.24V.

 

That's very good to know also! Thanks for checking!!

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Yeah, but you are controlling the all of the Meanwells for your 44 RBs with a single 9 VDC supply and all of the Meanwells for your 44 CWs with another single 9 VDC supply, right? I have just two Meanwells, one for the blues and one for the whites. Can I control them separately using two pots and a single 9 VDC supply?

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Crazy Tiki
Yeah, but you are controlling the all of the Meanwells for your 44 RBs with a single 9 VDC supply and all of the Meanwells for your 44 CWs with another single 9 VDC supply, right? I have just two Meanwells, one for the blues and one for the whites. Can I control them separately using two pots and a single 9 VDC supply?

 

I could be wrong, but I thought he stated that he was controlling all 9 meanwells of one wall wart. just paralleling the 10k pots to the persecutive driver or groups of drivers.

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