Heatsink Help
- Thread starter zhewitt04
- Start date
mcgyvr
New member
Not sure why anyone would make an LED system for a freshwater fish only tank as the only light thats needed is for you to see the fish and you can buy a light for far less than you can make one for that...But DIY is many times about the fun/experience and not just the potential cost savings so go for it.
Assuming you are talking about this 1W Ebay/Chinese LEDs you can get premounted on a star metal clad circuit board then all you really need is to bolt them (with thermal grease applied) to a bar of aluminum (1/8" thick or so and just wide enough so the star is in full contact with it) and you should be fine. I would not suggest mounting them directly to wood though as wood is a horrible conductor of heat.
Not surprisingly there is virtual no published thermal resistance data for those LEDs..
If someone finds it post it and we can answer the question using real numbers.
Assuming you are talking about this 1W Ebay/Chinese LEDs you can get premounted on a star metal clad circuit board then all you really need is to bolt them (with thermal grease applied) to a bar of aluminum (1/8" thick or so and just wide enough so the star is in full contact with it) and you should be fine. I would not suggest mounting them directly to wood though as wood is a horrible conductor of heat.
Not surprisingly there is virtual no published thermal resistance data for those LEDs..
If someone finds it post it and we can answer the question using real numbers.
oreo57
Well-known member
square aluminum tubing or flat aluminum bar stock is good enough..as long as you don't have a high density or over drive the diodes. Fans are optional..
Most people overbuild..
Just remember the thermal paste and best to screw the stars to the bar..
nobody should attach LED stars to wood..
http://www.ledsupply.com/aluminum-stock-led-heatsinks
dadummy
Active member
funny thing, I was just messing around with my Ebay LED's. For the heat sink I used 36" x1" x 1/8" flat stock aluminum from HD or Blowes. I used JB quick weld to mount the stars to the aluminum, just a small dab on the back of the star pressed firmly onto the metal. The epoxy cures quick so mix small batches. Then wired them up with 350ma drivers. I made two strips 36" with 18 stars on each strip fired by three drivers.
I just put the strips back in the garage after running them for a few hours. The aluminum was warm but not to hot. I was still able to handle the material even with fingers touching behind where the diodes are mounted. I had made the strips a while back to supplement the fixture on the frag tank and help make the corals pop.
The best thing even if an LED burns out or the whole strip gets fried you can make a replacement for next to nothing. If you don't like the color, pop some LED's off and jb weld others on.
I just put the strips back in the garage after running them for a few hours. The aluminum was warm but not to hot. I was still able to handle the material even with fingers touching behind where the diodes are mounted. I had made the strips a while back to supplement the fixture on the frag tank and help make the corals pop.
The best thing even if an LED burns out or the whole strip gets fried you can make a replacement for next to nothing. If you don't like the color, pop some LED's off and jb weld others on.
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