@microgroaway
Thanks for the wiring diagram, now I understand the need for the connectors.
A tutorial for the thermal transfer tape would be good, how much and where to put pressure on the strip to get the diodes seated?
@kmb
Thanks for the link to Future Electronics, they not only have Wagos but also drivers.
@LG
A question about cooling and aluminum u-channel. In your blog post here, you mention they run so cool you could get away without heat sinks. I have access to a supply of 3/4 x 3/4 x 1/16in u-channel. The strips would just fit and the aluminum is sturdy enough to give support. Is the 1/16 thickness enough to do the actual cooling?
Another First Build
Yup, 1/16” will be fine. It’s more about surface area than thickness when it comes to cooling and these things run pretty cool anyway.Tony wrote: ↑Sun Oct 29, 2017 2:15 pm
@LG
A question about cooling and aluminum u-channel. In your blog post here, you mention they run so cool you could get away without heat sinks. I have access to a supply of 3/4 x 3/4 x 1/16in u-channel. The strips would just fit and the aluminum is sturdy enough to give support. Is the 1/16 thickness enough to do the actual cooling?
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@LG
In your strip build tutorial you used 22awg stranded wire, the Samsung data sheet calls for solid wire. Did you have to tin the leads to insert into the strip connector? How delicate are the strip connectors, is the stranded easier to work with.
In your strip build tutorial you used 22awg stranded wire, the Samsung data sheet calls for solid wire. Did you have to tin the leads to insert into the strip connector? How delicate are the strip connectors, is the stranded easier to work with.
Hey Tony. I didn’t have any trouble getting stranded wire into the connectors but I think solid core is a better way to go and would have used it if I had it.
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You have to push down on the top. There will be a little tab to push on. Push hard.
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@LG
Thanks works a charm, you would think they would mention that on the data sheet. Should help inserting a stubborn one also. I just used two probes on the solder points to test the rest of my strips. Save wear and tear on the connectors. I got my strips couple days ago, all test good.
Manufacture date Oct/26 Almost still warm when they arrived.
All the help you have given is much appreciated, I think I am all set. To the basement to hacksaw aluminum I go, Seven months till grow time......I should be ready.
Thanks works a charm, you would think they would mention that on the data sheet. Should help inserting a stubborn one also. I just used two probes on the solder points to test the rest of my strips. Save wear and tear on the connectors. I got my strips couple days ago, all test good.
Manufacture date Oct/26 Almost still warm when they arrived.
- Strip1.jpg (14.05 KiB) Viewed 1128 times
Last edited by Tony on Sun Nov 19, 2017 1:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
So I wanted to test my cheap thermal conductive tape to make sure it was ok before sticking my strips to my channel. My unscientific test was to place a 10 ohm rectangular resistor on top of the channel with a thermistor on top with just enough pressure to hold in place. Applied 5v to heat it up, wanted to see how much heat would be drawn from it.
Resistor with no sink 55°c
Bare Resistor on channel 41°c
Resistor with Arctic thermal paste 38°c
Resistor with thermal tape 40°c
Not as good as Arctic but I will go with it. Adhesion is very strong. I cut a piece from an old circuit board, stuck it on over night to test if I could remove if needed. Trial and error showed an old style thin razer blade would remove the strips from the channel with no damage.
- Thermal Tape.jpg (35.26 KiB) Viewed 1128 times
Bare Resistor on channel 41°c
Resistor with Arctic thermal paste 38°c
Resistor with thermal tape 40°c
Not as good as Arctic but I will go with it. Adhesion is very strong. I cut a piece from an old circuit board, stuck it on over night to test if I could remove if needed. Trial and error showed an old style thin razer blade would remove the strips from the channel with no damage.
Nice - thanks for sharing your results. I'd be curious what the results would be if it were upside down so the channel was on the top rather than the bottom.
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I new somebody would ask that. 
I started off that way and I came to the conclusion that I had too much heat. The temp would drop at first, lower than my results, but climb up as the channel became saturated. It got hot! That is what I am going with anyway. If I can come up with a lower heat source I may give it another try. At least, in my mind, it assures me that the channel and tape suck heat.
I started off that way and I came to the conclusion that I had too much heat. The temp would drop at first, lower than my results, but climb up as the channel became saturated. It got hot! That is what I am going with anyway. If I can come up with a lower heat source I may give it another try. At least, in my mind, it assures me that the channel and tape suck heat.