At what current do you need heatsinks

[stuck in the 60s]

Was wondering at what current you can get away without heatsinks on these LM561 strip builds and quantum boards. A number of people at rollitup feel that photon phantom's boards are larger with more spacing and can be run without heatsinks. The junction temperature is 110 Celcius(230F). That's pretty hot. It seems with the expense of the heatsinks it's almost cheaper to do the samsung led stip build. I notice chilled is running his Lm561s at less than 1 mA, I think .88 mA. He has 384 LM561s per board though. Might be better to buy more boards and run them at low current rather than buying the expensive heatsinks. I would think you would also have a significant savings in electricity when you run them at lower amps, especially at high electric rates. Anyone look at the rates in Ontario, almost .27 a killowatt. That adds up quickly especially when compared to Vancover which is 1/3 of that. Just 100 watts running 20 hrs a day for 6 month would cost nearly $100 in Ontario.Just thinking??

[bvolt]

So, cost for 26 weeks (6 months) of electricity: $600

Normal cycle: 3-4 months (veg/flower)

Yield from single plant @ 100w = 1-5oz

So, what's it costing you per week to remain stocked?

Also... go with an autoflowering strain and you might get 2 full runs in 6 months... food for thought.

[Ted]

Was wondering at what current you can get away without heatsinks on these LM561 strip builds and quantum boards. A number of people at rollitup feel that photon phantom's boards are larger with more spacing and can be run without heatsinks. The junction temperature is 110 Celcius(230F). That's pretty hot. It seems with the expense of the heatsinks it's almost cheaper to do the samsung led stip build. I notice chilled is running his Lm561s at less than 1 mA, I think .88 mA. He has 384 LM561s per board though. Might be better to buy more boards and run them at low current rather than buying the expensive heatsinks. I would think you would also have a significant savings in electricity when you run them at lower amps, especially at high electric rates. Anyone look at the rates in Ontario, almost .27 a killowatt. That adds up quickly especially when compared to Vancover which is 1/3 of that. Just 100 watts running 20 hrs a day for 6 month would cost nearly $100 in Ontario.Just thinking??

You dont need much, however you're going to have to attach the strips to something, and a flat piece of aluminum will do. I put my strips on heat sinks, and they barely get warm. I dont know how much current would necessitate heatsinks, but it would be alot.

One thing to note is that LEDs are more efficient at lower temperatures. Any of the datasheets will specify the temp the test was performed at, as it can impact the results. Just food for thought.

[LEDG]

Was wondering at what current you can get away without heatsinks on these LM561 strip builds and quantum boards. A number of people at rollitup feel that photon phantom's boards are larger with more spacing and can be run without heatsinks. The junction temperature is 110 Celcius(230F). That's pretty hot. It seems with the expense of the heatsinks it's almost cheaper to do the samsung led stip build. I notice chilled is running his Lm561s at less than 1 mA, I think .88 mA. He has 384 LM561s per board though. Might be better to buy more boards and run them at low current rather than buying the expensive heatsinks. I would think you would also have a significant savings in electricity when you run them at lower amps, especially at high electric rates. Anyone look at the rates in Ontario, almost .27 a killowatt. That adds up quickly especially when compared to Vancover which is 1/3 of that. Just 100 watts running 20 hrs a day for 6 month would cost nearly $100 in Ontario.Just thinking??

I would really like to get one of those PFD boards to see how hot they run with and without a sink. I'd imagine they get pretty hot without a heat sink once you get them up to power. Where is that 110 degree junction temp figure from?

Regarding the ChilLED boards, I haven't done the math on them yet to determine how hard they're running their LM561Cs at recommended power, but it'll be more than 1mA each. Probably closer to 100mA.

I'll bet you could get away with significant power on the Samsung strips before really needing a heat sink. Everyone just sinks them because they want them to run cooler for the additional light and lifespan.

[Snapples]

Why would you try to save money on a safety feature for the light? A heatsink is only $20 and not only provides cooling, it also provides physical protection for the somewhat fragile board. To even consider skipping such a basic step is just a childish attempt to cut corners. Get a heatsink and a fan for good measure and you will never have to worry about the light ever.

[Ted]

Why would you try to save money on a safety feature for the light? A heatsink is only $20 and not only provides cooling, it also provides physical protection for the somewhat fragile board. To even consider skipping such a basic step is just a childish attempt to cut corners. Get a heatsink and a fan for good measure and you will never have to worry about the light ever.

Different strokes for different folks... Its not being childish.

[AvidLerner]

The Chilled boards run at 1050mA highest 500mA down to 350mA drivers. Their pcb circuit design drives the diodes between 150mA to 170mA with a 1050mA driver. With a 500mA driver 75mA to 88mA. Etc for each. Chilled recommends heat sinks active for all drivers except the 350mA driver.
For strips I use3/4" x 1/8" th aluminum flat stock no heat.