Diy led advice

[rustyjames]

I'd really like to do led's for my 30 (36" x 12"), but need some help. Based on 1 led per 15 square inches gives me 28.8 led's, for ease and an odd number I've decided to go with 27 (3 strings of 9). These are options I've considered;

1) three 5.886 x 10" heat sinks from heatsinkUSA each housing 9 leds (5 blue and 4 white) @$20 each.

2) aluminum U channel from Lowe's cut into three 36" sections (like three t5 bulbs) each housing 9 leds, again 5 blue and 4 white. Don't remember the price but it was cheap.

3) nine 5.886 x 1" heat sinks from heatsinkUSA each housing 3 leds @$2 each.

These are to be powered by 3 dimmable Meanwells. Any help or advice is much appreciated.

[kcress]

Whatever you want to use. Any of those will do the job.

[mike_cmu04]

I used aluminum u channel and i like it much more than the bulky heatsinks

[Neogenocide]

You might want to take a look at the heatsinks rapidled.com is offering. They are a lot less bulky than the heatsinkusa.com units. I like the ones I got for my last project, which involved 2 heatsink and 24 LED's total.

Scott

[NanoReefWanabe]

double post

[NanoReefWanabe]

i like the ease of using U channel and it is dirt cheap too...you dont need it cut to 36" long though, mind you i guess you could always move the LED's in 3 or 4 inches from either end too and use the ends of the channel as extra heat sink capacity..