Today I ordered another HLG-185H-C1050B along with an HLG-240H-C1400B. They will be delivered Friday by expedited shipping so that I can continue with testing. Some of you with keen powers of observation and recall may wonder why I need another 185H-C1050B for testing when I already have one. Kudos to you.
Well, it's because I did something uniquely... unique. Normally I solder the potentiometer directly to the dimmer cord. But I got the bright idea to use a quick connect on the dimmer cord, just like I use on the led power cords. Then I got distracted by something, probably a squirrel.
This morning, a couple of days later, I went out to the garage for something only this time the power supply was the squirrel. I looked at it and thought, hmm the AC plug is on it and I already have the quick connect on the led power cord so all I have to do is solder on the potentiometer. So I did. Right to the led power cord. That's right, I completely spaced my grand plan to put quick connects on both leads, and since I ALWAYS quick connect the led power cord and ALWAYS solder the pot on the dimmer cord... fuck me!
I got it all hooked up to the leds, plugged it in, and got a quick POP as the resistor wire in the pot gave up the ghost. It took approximately 3 seconds to realize what I'd just done. "NO PROBLEM!" I think to myself. The 0.5W pot just acted like a fuse, right? No harm, no foul. WRONG! DO NOT PASS GO. DO NOT COLLECT $200. I fried a brand spanking new power supply in less than a second. So yeah, I needed another one.
If yer gunna be stoopid, ya gotta be tough.
disclaimer: No pirates were involved in the destruction of this power supply.