I am in need of some help. I need some answer's/ opinions from the you all. I am wanting to tinker with building an led light using cree XR-e led's. my main question is this, do I have to use a star board under each individual led or can I attach them all to one aluminum bar and use it as the heatsink? also what ratio of led foot print vs. square inch of heat disapation do I need to use if running between 50-75% on the leds? thanks in advance.
building homemad lights
- Thread starter whiteghost
- Start date
Cree provides some documentation on "Thermal Management" at http://www.cree.com/products/pdf/XLampT ... gement.pdf
Stars will be much easier to work with unless you find/made a metal core printed circuit board (MCPCB). Keeping the bare LED emitters electrically isolated while allowing for the proper thermal conduction will be hard if using plain aluminum bar stock. I suggest you mount stars to the bar stock with a thin layer of thermal compound between the two.
Have you also looked into optics and voltage regulation?
Stars will be much easier to work with unless you find/made a metal core printed circuit board (MCPCB). Keeping the bare LED emitters electrically isolated while allowing for the proper thermal conduction will be hard if using plain aluminum bar stock. I suggest you mount stars to the bar stock with a thin layer of thermal compound between the two.
Have you also looked into optics and voltage regulation?
send me a pm il sell you all the parts you need to make your own LED board with rebel LEDs and you can assemble them all on your own. Much less hassle especially if you are just trying to learn to do this.
Hi, I have worked with various types of LEDs and I can recomend you use the CREE Leds mounting in a star, if you buy already mounted is better and east to you to attach to any piece of aluminium, here I show you a forum where you can learn to build your own lights, ELS as well can sell you some parts...
Buy the glue here, I would recomend you the artic ceramic alumina
http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?t=169435
Check here for more info
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/index.php?
Good luck...
Buy the glue here, I would recomend you the artic ceramic alumina
http://www.cpfmarketplace.com/mp/showthread.php?t=169435
Check here for more info
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/index.php?
Good luck...
Parts list i sent a friend on youtube, For a 6 channel traffic director.
Ok, to start you will need:
Either 6 or 12 of these puppies (whichever you choose) Bulkrate is your friend, it is a wholesale discount, it depends on the amount of a piece you are going to buy, just remember "APPLY BULKRATE DISCOUNT"
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.2395 (White)
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.1776 (Red)
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.1775 (Blue)
Now we need to power the leds without OverVolting, thats where the drivers come in, you will need 1 per each channel regardless. Just Desolder the pegs and put wires on instead to your 12V (can power up to 3 leds in series)
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.13557
Finnaly, the most important part, Optics, if you use shitty eBay lenses the light output will be cut almost in half compared to my new ones. The best lenses i found were on ledsupply.com, i used the oval lenses for the Cree XP-E, they create a HUGE beam spread with an intense amount of light. I wouldn't use anything else!
Lens: http://ledsupply.com/10197.php
Holder: http://ledsupply.com/10736.php
Use a piece of angle alum to mount on 1/8-1/4" thickness for heat dissipation .
To build this product you need patience, first of all DealExtreme is a Hong Kong based company, which will mean it willl take 2 weeks before its at my door. If you want the quick/expensive route use ledsupply (7.49 per vs 2.80 on DX)
If thier is anything i missed just get back to me and ill help you as much as possible!
EDIT: a second thought you should go with ELS, he can sell you all the parts in one
Ok, to start you will need:
Either 6 or 12 of these puppies (whichever you choose) Bulkrate is your friend, it is a wholesale discount, it depends on the amount of a piece you are going to buy, just remember "APPLY BULKRATE DISCOUNT"
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.2395 (White)
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.1776 (Red)
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.1775 (Blue)
Now we need to power the leds without OverVolting, thats where the drivers come in, you will need 1 per each channel regardless. Just Desolder the pegs and put wires on instead to your 12V (can power up to 3 leds in series)
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.13557
Finnaly, the most important part, Optics, if you use shitty eBay lenses the light output will be cut almost in half compared to my new ones. The best lenses i found were on ledsupply.com, i used the oval lenses for the Cree XP-E, they create a HUGE beam spread with an intense amount of light. I wouldn't use anything else!
Lens: http://ledsupply.com/10197.php
Holder: http://ledsupply.com/10736.php
Use a piece of angle alum to mount on 1/8-1/4" thickness for heat dissipation .
To build this product you need patience, first of all DealExtreme is a Hong Kong based company, which will mean it willl take 2 weeks before its at my door. If you want the quick/expensive route use ledsupply (7.49 per vs 2.80 on DX)
If thier is anything i missed just get back to me and ill help you as much as possible!
EDIT: a second thought you should go with ELS, he can sell you all the parts in one
Good to see you too, every time i see a video on youtube you always seem to have commented :lol: , same thing in candlepower forums, gosh now that i think of it i think ive seen you in 4 places! 
Coreyhudson2 said:Good to see you too, every time i see a video on youtube you always seem to have commented :lol: , same thing in candlepower forums, gosh now that i think of it i think ive seen you in 4 places!
Good job what you do with your Leds... Congrats... I think you can post here some pics of the process to help who want to try to make their own lights...