LEDgardener

Greetings! I got here 66x BL led strips that needs mounting. I'm having them running on 0.76A per strip. But Daaaaym I underestimated the U-profile prices in finland. 66x 25mm width aluminum U-profile is 1000 bucks god damit. So anyone who has done BL parallel builds in Europe and figured out something cheaper that protects lil bit from thermal complications?

Unkle_Psycho has been engineering his way through thermal complications in Scandinavia with BL strips on this forum:
viewtopic.php?f=11&t=1325
I'll confirm he's quite clever after speaking to him and I'm you two can collaborate some great solutions. There's been quite a few EU members contributing to this forum of late so I'm positive many would like to hear what you come up with.

Yeah the prices in the shops are outrageous. I contacted about 15 alibaba sellers, and none wanted to send with china mail, so I started testing them with no heatsinks at all.

Later I was given some aluminium railing someone had left over, and used it to make the light.

I havn't figured what I want as a permanent structure, so I decided to make a temporary light from cardboard. I attached strips of foil to the strips, and it does an absolutely brilliant job. I'm about to do some more temporary building.

One option, which I think would be your best bet, is getting thin aluminium sheet. I saw some that were very expensive, but others that were very cheap. It could be used sliced or whole.

You also need to order thermal tape, at least I couldn't find anything besides processor specific cuts for ridiculous prices.

What length are your strips? and how many watts per foot do you plan to feed them?

Here is an example of a local product I was tempted by. They usual alu channels cost around 20-30e /m for even 1mm thick channel, but this is some stuff they are dumping. I imagine these could be used with 280mm and 560mm sizes... I do have a friend up north, who's brother has an aluminium factory, but I havn't made it up there, to see what they have.

https://kauppa.al-men.fi/category/35/loytolaari

I honestly don't understand why prices in Finland would be that high, but I believe you.

I looked around internet a bit and found this: https://www.elfadistrelec.fi/fi/alumiin ... cache=true
This doesn't sound like it's going to cost you 1000EUR even if you order 66m?

Maybe try another internet store that will ship to finland?

If it's any help, I can get alu profiles for about 10EUR/kg. You can get about 3m of aluminum u profile (20x20x20, 2mm thick) into 1 kg. If you really can't source it cheaper locally (or internet...ly), I can buy it here and ship it to you. You only pay for material and shipping.

This seems to be the general price range, the price does not include VAT, so an extra 22% gets added to that. The bulk price 7.5e becomes 9.15e x 66 = 603.9e

That would be for aluminium that is slightly too narrow, and possibly 200mm too short. adding another 20% length would bump the price to over 700e.

I suggest the money would be better spent tripling your strips, and running them without heatsinks.

Welcome to our socialist paradise.

But if you live in a city near government offices, you can pick up furniture (and likely all types of railings) in the gigantic dumpsters that they throw out on a whim. Almost every startup I saw in the last years furnished their offices from the stuff and all got compliments on the modern shiny looks.

You are also welcome to join me in the cardboard build thread

Have you tried looking for 'T' or 'L' bar aluminium?
Maybe that will be cheaper for you.

I got mine from ebay and also sourced some locally.

The T bar on ebay is sold 1m length, 25mm width x 3mm thickness. So 3 2 ft strips per length.
So that would be 20 lengths, cost around £200 ($260) but only if ebay has a supplier to deliver to you.

I was put off buying heatsink due to price for my 2x2 Bridgelux light using 6 x 2ft strips.
The kill-a-watt shows 154w when i run them at full power on the Meanwell 120H 24A, so felt that heatsink not needed.
Can touch the strips/diodes when on no problem, not an uncomfortable heat from touch.

Im tempted to use 'T' bar on my next build of either the 480w build or 2 x 320w builds.

Last christmas I was having trouble getting alibaba suppliers to send with china post, I sent a few emails again today, to see if its still the case.

I guess online in europe is an option, germany should have lots of options.

I used tin foil in my current build, and it defiantly works better then the aluminum railing I used for my first build. At first I thought I would have to run them soft, but I tried them pretty hard, like 75w to 6feet of strip, and they ran totally cool.