- Thread starter
- #7,721
LOL I'm so confused by electricity! If my amp meter reads x then my watts must be y. That's what I need to know.
InTheShed Grows Inside & Out: Jump In Any Time
CraZysWeeD
Well-Known Member
gray and crazy take care of my boy now you hear!!!
Oh we will... you can bring him at 5 o'clock.
CraZysWeeD
Well-Known Member
I don't catch you were you get those high amps from gray? This is a constant current driver that delivers 1050mA. The only thing you need to keep in check is the total voltage drop from all the boards in series. You maybe able to get the driver to go to 1,2A if you don't max the 305V it can deliver.
CraZysWeeD
Well-Known Member
To get the correct voltage it draws from the driver just measure over + and -, red and black. Then clamp the red one and you get the current. Multiply the two and you get the the watts.
- Thread starter
- #7,725
This doesn't mean anything to me. Measure over? Where is over? And am I measuring between the outlet and the driver or the driver and the boards?
LOL, I'm lost in the math! 
Heheh, if you're reading the feed to the panels, they're gonna read 1.05 amps at max.
It's a constant current driver.
Heheh, if you're reading the feed to the panels, they're gonna read 1.05 amps at max.
It's a constant current driver.
Jesus she’s how dies you head feel with all this info I’ve been scrolling through most of it as I know I should apply more effort to understand what you all are going on about only thing I understood was trying to figure out kilo watt on meter outside to what is running inside and how to determine electrical bill ?
- Thread starter
- #7,728
@Graytail...If you're lost I feel much better!
So I should be measuring the flow to the driver. Here is my meter:
Next step?
So I should be measuring the flow to the driver. Here is my meter:
Next step?
Oh I got one of those meters following lol try too@Graytail...If you're lost I feel much better!
So I should be measuring the flow to the driver. Here is my meter:
Next step?
Wish I could help you but let’s see
Crazy gave you the formula P=V*U. You need to measure the voltage first to see where your outlet falls. Then monitor the amperage draw when the light is on. Assuming you are at 120V (which you're probably not. more like 115-118) and applying the formula Watts = Volts * Amperage or P=V*U. you want 250watts so P=250. applying that to the formula based on the assumption that your wall is 120V you get 250 = 120*U. Algebraically solving for it 250/120=U so 250 watts nets 2.0833 amps.
Now here is where it gets fun. This is what the system draws. The meanwell is converting AC to DC and reducing the voltage at the same time. There is a loss in doing this thus the heat created by the driver so even though that is what you're calculating what the strips see is less.
Advice get it close and call it a day. The plants are not going to know the difference between 250 and 230 watts.
Now here is where it gets fun. This is what the system draws. The meanwell is converting AC to DC and reducing the voltage at the same time. There is a loss in doing this thus the heat created by the driver so even though that is what you're calculating what the strips see is less.
Advice get it close and call it a day. The plants are not going to know the difference between 250 and 230 watts.
Or if all else fails
Watts to amps (A) conversion calculator
Here I even found you this. It has pictures and everything.
How to Measure Amperage
Watts to amps (A) conversion calculator
Here I even found you this. It has pictures and everything.
How to Measure Amperage
CraZysWeeD
Well-Known Member
Thank you @SamSmith I could never have explained it so well. 
I got you wrong shed. I thought you wanted the power of the lights. This will get you the wall draw you are after.
I got you wrong shed. I thought you wanted the power of the lights. This will get you the wall draw you are after.
- Thread starter
- #7,733
Thanks Sam! Much clearer, though I have no idea why we have to use P when we mean watts and U when we mean amps. Some sort of secret electrical code FFS
.Watts = Volts x Amps yes? So I first read one of the wires to the driver using the 4A setting and get the amps. Then I switch the meter over to V setting on the same wire and get the volts. Multiply the two and that will give me wall watts which is all I care about. Have I got that right?
I'm not interested in the efficiency of the driver as I already own it!
moderngroroom
Well-Known Member
Canna x pipe= stoned
Saved links thanks might need to knwo one day never know
Lmao me tooCanna x pipe= stoned
moderngroroom
Well-Known Member
This is when you wish you had a trade in something besides your everyday job..Lmao me too
i fill for shed gotta be nerve racking theres 2 logical outcomes here
1- itll work which i have faith it will he is in good hands
2- we get a pic of sheds hands all black and bandanged up worst case senario..
Man so confusing id be pulling my hair out
Thanks Sam! Much clearer, though I have no idea why we have to use P when we mean watts and U when we mean amps. Some sort of secret electrical code FFS
Watts = Volts x Amps yes? So I first read one of the wires to the driver using the 4A setting and get the amps. Then I switch the meter over to V setting on the same wire and get the volts. Multiply the two and that will give me wall watts which is all I care about. Have I got that right?
I'm not interested in the efficiency of the driver as I already own it!
Should work that way. I would measure volts at the outlet but your method should work.
I think you just got caught up in the scientific symbols. Engineering in general use them a lot because most equations are factored based on what you are solving for. Then the knowns are applied to the variables and its simple math from there on out.
- Thread starter
- #7,739
Anything can be confusing until someone explains it to you in a way you can understand. That's what Sam did.
So just put the probes in the outlet and read the volts with no draw on it?
I figured it was some engineering or universal symbols, but for the rest of us, common abbreviations make it so we don't have to sift through the explanations to figure out what we're talking about.
W=V*A is obvious since we're discussing watts, volts, and amps. That's what the meter says as well. P=V*U first needs to be translated into common usage to be understood, which is what you did by writing out the explanation.
And just to make sure...if my voltage is 115, then I want to dial the amps down on the pot until the meter reads 2.17 to get to 250 watts, yes?
250 = 115*2.17
moderngroroom
Well-Known Member
Yeah all good tho now buddy..gotta love the help.. now go hit your peace pipe and enjoy some ak47 and throw all the x’s = pain and the second to the third power and the fraction methods to build a rocket ship out the windows and enjoy building her my friend lmaoAnything can be confusing until someone explains it to you in a way you can understand. That's what Sam did.
So just put the probes in the outlet and read the volts with no draw on it?
I figured it was some engineering or universal symbols, but for the rest of us, common abbreviations make it so we don't have to sift through the explanations to figure out what we're talking about.
W=V*A is obvious since we're discussing watts, volts, and amps. That's what the meter says as well. P=V*U first needs to be translated into common usage to be understood, which is what you did by writing out the explanation.
And just to make sure...if my voltage is 115, then I want to dial the amps down on the pot until the meter reads 2.17 to get to 250 watts, yes?
250 = 115*2.17
Yeeeeee haaaaaaa