I bought a new LED aquarium light and the driver that came with it is not working. I want to buy a replacement driver but I need a better understanding of the driver requirements before I can make an informed purchase.
The driver that came with the light has an output of 48v/700mA and it's dimmable via a 1-10v input, all that's written on the light is that they are 45W (15*3W).
- The original driver only outputs 33,6W, isn't it best to have a driver that is working at no more than 80% capacity?
- If I wanted dimmer light could I buy a driver that has say an output of 48v/500mA or would that stress the driver? Isn't that how a driver with a dimmer works anyways; lowering the amps?
- I connected the light to the strongest power supply I have at hand which is 12v/5A, when I connect this the light only barely lights up. In terms of wattage this power supply should be sufficient so obviously voltage is important here, why is that?
- Do I need 48v minimum?
- I found a driver with dimmer that outputs 30-36V/0-1,5A does that mean the knob will adjust both voltage and ampere simultaneously?
- If I want a dimmable driver do I need one with constant voltage that only adjust the amps?
Feel free to only answer the question(s) you want.