Will you check my buckpuck wiring? (I'm a noob to this)

[Bongo Shrimp]

I'm adding two colors of LEDs to my fixture. Both will be separately controllable with pots and both have their own buck puck. However both buck pucks will be connected to the same power supply. I made this diagram of one circuit to be sure I do it right. Just imagine an identical one also connected to the power supply with the VIN+ VIN-.

 

I really have no idea what I'm doing and this diagram is my understanding from looking around and reading.

 

I used these threads to help:

 

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...p;hl=led+wiring

 

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...p;hl=led+wiring

 

 

 

 

I just don't want to fry the LEDs or do anything else wrong . Again I'm not savvy with this stuff yet.

[Bongo Shrimp]

Anyone? I really don't want to shock myself or fry anything.

[sfnt125]

Anyone? I really don't want to shock myself or fry anything.

First off, keep wiring simple. Not necessary but I would keep all negatives black and positive from main power source red. Any additional positives make different colors. As stated not necessary but more organized and easier to follow as person playing with a bunch of wires. Just basic electrician operating procedure.

 

I haven't wired led lighting before but have installed a sprinkler system in my yard and I can tell you that it it wrong based on your diagram. Put it this way. Everything must run in circuit. What does that mean? Negative terminal from buck puck must go to negative terminal on puck then to next negative terminal on each subsequent LED fixture. The positives must be run same way. From positive to positive to positive and so on.

 

I'm assuming both the LEDs that are hooked up on diagram you want to control together, right? If so than this is the way. If buck puck allows for more control, and you would like to be able to control them seperately than they cannot be run parallel like that and the positives must be seperately connected. But the negatives can be run in circuit. But I don't think this is your objective anyways.

 

Also, what's up with other two LEDs not hooked up in diagram.

Hope this helps.

 

Ok I just re read thread. Both those LEDs will not be seperately controllable. Do the LED pucks come hooked up in twos? Is that why you only have the reds and not blues hooked up?

 

Don't worry, we'll get you hooked up!

[Bongo Shrimp]

First off, keep wiring simple. Not necessary but I would keep all negatives black and positive from main power source red. Any additional positives make different colors. As stated not necessary but more organized and easier to follow as person playing with a bunch of wires. Just basic electrician operating procedure.

 

I didn't choose to use the yellow, blue, gray... those wires come that way attached to the buck puck driver.

 

I haven't wired led lighting before but have installed a sprinkler system in my yard and I can tell you that it it wrong based on your diagram. Put it this way. Everything must run in circuit. What does that mean? Negative terminal from buck puck must go to negative terminal on puck then to next negative terminal on each subsequent LED fixture. The positives must be run same way. From positive to positive to positive and so on.

 

I'm pretty sure that I do have the LEDs wired to each other correctly because I just copied the LEDs already on my system which were wired by nano tuners way back when. They work as they are supposed to. I can take a pic of the wiring of the LEDs I already have if you want to see. They are wired to a different kind of driver though but I don't think that matters.

 

 

Also, what's up with other two LEDs not hooked up in diagram.

Hope this helps.

 

Ok I just re read thread. Both those LEDs will not be seperately controllable. Do the LED pucks come hooked up in twos? Is that why you only have the reds and not blues hooked up?

 

Ok I think you are a little confused here so let me try to explain it better. I am going to have the two reds hooked up together to one buck puck and the two blues hooked up together to another buck puck. They will be totally separate from each other and both have their own pot for dimming control. For example if I turn the pot which is connected to the reds, both will dim together.

 

I just didn't hook up the blues in the diagram because they will be wired separately but in the same way as the reds. So once I figure out how to hook up the reds, I will do the exact same thing for the blues.

 

Make more sense?

[sfnt125]

I didn't choose to use the yellow, blue, gray... those wires come that way attached to the buck puck driver.

 

 

 

I'm pretty sure that I do have the LEDs wired to each other correctly because I just copied the LEDs already on my system which were wired by nano tuners way back when. They work as they are supposed to. I can take a pic of the wiring of the LEDs I already have if you want to see. They are wired to a different kind of driver though but I don't think that matters.

 

 

 

 

Ok I think you are a little confused here so let me try to explain it better. I am going to have the two reds hooked up together to one buck puck and the two blues hooked up together to another buck puck. They will be totally separate from each other and both have their own pot for dimming control. For example if I turn the pot which is connected to the reds, both will dim together.

 

I just didn't hook up the blues in the diagram because they will be wired separately but in the same way as the reds. So once I figure out how to hook up the reds, I will do the exact same thing for the blues.

 

Make more sense?

Haha, sorry for confusion. Yup, especially after I re read thread. It's early here and good German beer can be blamed.

 

Ok so each two color pucks will be controlled together. Two blues and two reds. Got it.

 

After looking at photos of buck pucks online it makes more sense.

 

What you are doing is wiring in a series. I was explaining parallel wiring. Both work and will work for your application. I just thought you wanted each color dimmable individually. That's where in a parallel with different positives and using same negative would come into play.

 

But after re reading post and hearing your explanation and actually looking at the puck you purchased from RadioShack you have it right. That wiring in series will work.

 

Just do same with blues and when wiring up your other buck puck, tie in your pos/negs to main power source.

 

Also, I believe that you may have to hook up blue negative coming out of buck puck to the potentiometer (where you said "nothing?"). Basically just bridging it into your circuit.

[Bongo Shrimp]

Haha, sorry for confusion. Yup, especially after I re read thread. It's early here and good German beer can be blamed.

 

Ok so each two color pucks will be controlled together. Two blues and two reds. Got it.

 

After looking at photos of buck pucks online it makes more sense.

 

What you are doing is wiring in a series. I was explaining parallel wiring. Both work and will work for your application. I just thought you wanted each color dimmable individually. That's where in a parallel with different positives and using same negative would come into play.

 

But after re reading post and hearing your explanation and actually looking at the puck you purchased from RadioShack you have it right. That wiring in series will work.

 

Just do same with blues and when wiring up your other buck puck, tie in your pos/negs to main power source.

 

Also, I believe that you may have to hook up blue negative coming out of buck puck to the potentiometer (where you said "nothing?"). Basically just bridging it into your circuit.

 

Now I'm confused. I want each color individually dimmable. Thats what I bought two buck pucks, and two pots. I am however going to hook up both to the same power supply.

 

And for the pot, on the third connection, I should have a wire connected to the LED- on the buck puck?

 

Sorry this is so difficult. I've never done this before. I appreciate the help.

[Singlefin]

I'm not familiar with buck pucks, but just wired up my inventronics drivers. 4 of them with pots on each. Going by the two threads you referenced, it looks like you got it right. The inventronics uses the three terminals on the pot. Looks good.

[sfnt125]

Now I'm confused. I want each color individually dimmable. Thats what I bought two buck pucks, and two pots. I am however going to hook up both to the same power supply.

 

And for the pot, on the third connection, I should have a wire connected to the LED- on the buck puck?

 

Sorry this is so difficult. I've never done this before. I appreciate the help.

 

Each color will be individually dimmable. Both blues and both reds. But you won't be able to control the blues seperate-just together. Same thing with reds. One buck puck and pot for blues and one buck puck and pot for reds. We're good on this and both buck pucks can be hooked up to same power source.

 

Now, as for the third connection on pot. Normally a resistor like device is wired right into series. Meaning, without buck puck the pot would be in series connected with LEDs, the third terminal on the pot is a ground. I just read that with buck pucks the third terminal on pot doesn't matter-only matters with meanwells. Since you have buck puck that is labeled LED-, keep the wiring the way you have it, connected to LED- on light.

 

The yellow and grey going to pot are coming right outta buck puck and it is good the way you have it. Internals of buck puck take care of keeping your pot in the series circuit.

 

I hate forums sometimes. I don't communicate very well by typing. We are on same page now though.

[Bongo Shrimp]

Ok thanks guys. I'm going to get it done in the next few days.

[sfnt125]

Ok thanks guys. I'm going to get it done in the next few days.

Good, good. Attach pics when it's finished.

[firebirdude]

Looks right to me. And LEDsupply sells pots right along side the buckpucks. All wired up ready to go.

[Bongo Shrimp]

Looks right to me. And LEDsupply sells pots right along side the buckpucks. All wired up ready to go.

 

Thanks. And I got the pots at radioshack cause I heard the pre-wired ones tend to break. BTW the radioshack ones are HUGE. (I like HUGE)

[Sub]

wiring looks ok but the blues arent hooked up. Its just a chain = to - and so on till you return to the driver.

 

I've used the buckpuck with the pot connected and it works great. So tiny!

[Bongo Shrimp]

wiring looks ok but the blues arent hooked up. Its just a chain = to - and so on till you return to the driver.

 

I've used the buckpuck with the pot connected and it works great. So tiny!

 

I know I just couldn't fit all the other wires and the second buck puck in the pic . It will be wired exactly the same as the reds.

[firebirdude]

FWIW, I used the buckpucks with the LEDSupply dimmers for years without a problem.