Remote locating LED drivers

[Grumpy Toad]

I'm considering my 4' x 4' tent space for next run. I'm wondering about moving the LED drivers to outside my tent to keep temps down. I have a HLG 260 watt and two HLG 135 watt lights. HLG recommends using a heat sink if you move the drivers. They have a heat sink for $35.00 US that would work.

My question is: Has anyone done this? Was it worth the time and money? At this time I can't run my lights at full because of temperature. I can run at 400 watts if the weather is favorable, 300 watts if we are having a heat wave. I know I can run my schedule to take advantage of cooler times of day. But I like the convenience of having lights on during daylight hours. I have my desk, computer, guitars and amps etc in the lung room.

I'm not looking to reinvent the wheel. Just continually tweaking my grow to be as stable and efficient as possible.

[Marcus]

I ran my led driver on a shelf above the lights, I never thought it would need a heat sink. It doesn’t get that warm.

I just extended it with some 1mm cable if that helps?

[anova.330]

Grumpy I have never done this, but it makes sense to move the drivers away from the boards in a cooler spot if you can find the right cables, of course, at the right length.

And the added expense of a heat sink is a necessity – – your board is acting as a heat sink as long as the driver is fastened to it.

If you had say some aluminum sheet that you could fasten to say, three-quarter inch particleboard, and post it on the wall, that would act as a heat sink you could fasten the drivers to.

Or, of course, you could upgrade your lights to a single light with 1000 W output… Somehow you have to measure that in relation to what you’re gaining by putting this amount of work in…

[Treetrunk]

If you have enough cable sure you can remove the driver. You'll be removing the driver from a heat source so why would you need a heatsink?
I always run my driver's remote. Even when I keep them in the tent for heat.
You'll be doing the board and driver a favour as they'll both run cooler.

[camkush]

This is way beyond me, but I love the idea and would enjoy talking to you about this some once you get it figured out

[biosynthetic]

I've got some old purple LED's, thought about taking out one of the heatsinks and using them for this purpose in the summer. Might test it out on the F-bar cheers

[2-Scoops]

You'll be removing the driver from a heat source so why would you need a heatsink?

Kind of splitting two different heat sources that are working as one hotter heat source whilst joined together and in doing so slightly lowering temps of both ?

Iff that's case possibly just splitting them alone even if both heat sources were left in the tent may also drop temps in their slightly, feck knows but its possible that it would or should do. In my head it does anyhow. But i would think it should drop them a little more if driver was removed from tent too yes.

[Treetrunk]

You'll be removing the driver from a heat source so why would you need a heatsink?

Kind of splitting two different heat sources that are working as one hotter heat source whilst joined together and in doing so slightly lowering temps of both ?

Iff that's case possibly just splitting them alone even if both heat sources were left in the tent may also drop temps in their slightly, feck knows but its possible that it would or should do. In my head it does anyhow. But i would think it should drop them a little more if driver was removed from tent too yes.

I only leave the driver in the tent during winter for a bit of extra heat.
In the summer I hang the drivers on hooks in the ceiling above the tent. I just thought it better to get air around the drivers in the hot months.
With these frosty nights at the moment I'm glad I got a CMH.

[2-Scoops]

With these frosty nights at the moment I'm glad I got a CMH.

Yes man it saves a fortune not having to run led and leccy heater at same time. That said it still cost a bloody fortune to run, well to me it does anyhow. Cheers mate.

[Treetrunk]

With these frosty nights at the moment I'm glad I got a CMH.

Yes man it saves a fortune not having to run led and leccy heater at same time. That said it still cost a bloody fortune to run, well to me it does anyhow. Cheers mate.

Gotta keep the climate grifters happy