Hooking up 2 Nanobox LED lamps to a single driver box

[rsucre]

Hi.  I'm sorry to double post, but it seems that Nanobox (Dave Fason) is no longer in business and perhaps my question will not get answered in the Nanobox forum.

 

I would like to connect two Nanobox Duos together to a single Nanobox driver box.  My driver box runs with a 48V power supply and has 6 drivers.  If I connect the channels from both Duos in series, the max intensity drops dramatically, which I assume is normal.  Is there a way to "fix" or mitigate this?   Perhaps the max power of each driver is "capped" for a single Duo and there is a way to increase the max power to compensate for the double amount of LEDs on each channel?

 

The end result would be like the attached picture (which is not mine, but exactly the same setup I want to make).  I just need to know how to do the wiring inside the driver box and know if there is anything else to be done.

 

 

[mitten_reef]

17 minutes ago, rsucre said:

 

Hi.  I'm sorry to double post, but it seems that Nanobox (Dave Fason) is no longer in business and perhaps my question will not get answered in the Nanobox forum.

 

I would like to connect two Nanobox Duos together to a single Nanobox driver box.  My driver box runs with a 48V power supply and has 6 drivers.  If I connect the channels from both Duos in series, the max intensity drops dramatically, which I assume is normal.  Is there a way to "fix" or mitigate this?   Perhaps the max power of each driver is "capped" for a single Duo and there is a way to increase the max power to compensate for the double amount of LEDs on each channel?

 

The end result would be like the attached picture (which is not mine, but exactly the same setup I want to make).  I just need to know how to do the wiring inside the driver box and know if there is anything else to be done.

 

 

You can figure about 30-35 watts per nanobox array.   what's the max amp and watts are on your power brick (assuming that's what you meant by driver)?  48V power adapter should be able to run 4 arrays in series without any drop in intensity - that's the voltage on the quad adapter.  but if you don't have enough amp and watts to run all 4 arrays, then that might be the cause for dimming. 

as per the other thread question, I'd try running it in parallel - at least that's what the picture appears to be showing.  if the two lights in picture were run in series, there'd be a "wire" coming out of the driver then one goes directly between the two fixtures.  

[rsucre]

Hi Mitten, 

 

By driver I mean the box that containes the Mean Well drivers that power the LEDs.  The power adapter powers the series of drivers.  Each driver is a channel.

 

I know what you mean that in the picture it seems they are in Parallel, but you can actually connect them in series by connecting the wires differently inside the driver box.  I know it is counterintuitive, but I did it.  When connected in parallel, the lights behave erratically/uneven.  When connected in series, both light up evenly, but with about half the power (100% becomes about 50%). 

[mitten_reef]

1 hour ago, rsucre said:

Hi Mitten, 

 

By driver I mean the box that containes the Mean Well drivers that power the LEDs.  The power adapter powers the series of drivers.  Each driver is a channel.

 

I know what you mean that in the picture it seems they are in Parallel, but you can actually connect them in series by connecting the wires differently inside the driver box.  I know it is counterintuitive, but I did it.  When connected in parallel, the lights behave erratically/uneven.  When connected in series, both light up evenly, but with about half the power (100% becomes about 50%). 

What about your power supply?  You’re essentially are trying to power up a quad.

here’s my quad power supply. 
 

[rsucre]

I have exactly that same power supply. If I could see the insides of a quad driver box, I would clarify all my doubts. 
 

also, I think that I exaggerated a little bit. When I arrange the connections in series (not parallel) the light power diminishes a bit, but not 50%. It is most noticeable on the white LEDs. The Royal Blue seems unaffected. I think it is acceptable, since I don’t power the whites that much. 

[mitten_reef]

24 minutes ago, rsucre said:

I have exactly that same power supply. If I could see the insides of a quad driver box, I would clarify all my doubts. 
 

also, I think that I exaggerated a little bit. When I arrange the connections in series (not parallel) the light power diminishes a bit, but not 50%. It is most noticeable on the white LEDs. The Royal Blue seems unaffected. I think it is acceptable, since I don’t power the whites that much. 

If you just wanna see the wiring, don’t mind the actual drivers and the layouts. I bought this used from a diy guy so the arrangement and wire colors might not be exact same as from Dave. Topside comes in from bluefish.  
it is possible that the whites dim a bit, as your led voltage (total 48) pushes the limit of what the power supply can handle, since you have to take some small losses thru driver and bluefish also takes a lil juice too. 

[rsucre]

Hi Mitten,

 

Thank you for the picture.  If possible, can you share a pic where I can also see the two bunches of cable that go to the actual lamps?  That way I can see where the negatives and positives go.  You have a moonlight channel, isn't it?  Its most likely the second driver from left to right, the 300 one.

 

Thank you.

[rsucre]

I connected the two Duos to the single driver box successfully last night.  They look like in the picture that I posted before, like if they were coming out of the driver box in parallel, but the wiring is really in series.

 

My only issue is that the White channel (driver by a 700mA driver) is much dimmer now, to the point that even at 100% I'm unable to achieve the overall color that I'm used to in my tank. As a result, it is now too blueish to my liking.  The Royal Blue channel (driven by a 700mA driver too), is much more intense -- as well as the other channels.

 

Is there any recommendation?  The power supply is delivering 48V.

 

 

[rsucre]

I know this thread is more like a monologue, but I will keep updating it just in case it is helpful for someone in the future.  

 

I solved the issue with the dim white channel by keeping the white channel from each Duo lamp on a separate driver/channel.  To do that, I had to sacrifice my dedicated moonlight channel.

[mitten_reef]

1 minute ago, rsucre said:

I know this thread is more like a monologue, but I will keep updating it just in case it is helpful for someone in the future.  

 

I solved the issue with the dim white channel by keeping the white channel from each Duo lamp on a separate driver/channel.  To do that, I had to sacrifice my dedicated moonlight channel.

Didn’t get a chance to reply. My nanobox unit is packed away for our impending move and too much a pain to dig it out. so no pic there, but looks like you got it figured out. 
 

I never had dedicated moonlight, I just run cyan channel on low (2-3%) for moon light. 
 

 

[rsucre]

1 minute ago, mitten_reef said:

I never had dedicated moonlight, I just run cyan channel on low (2-3%) for moon light. 

That is a good idea!