Robert Burton Posted February 25, 2012 Share Posted February 25, 2012 I wanted to see if anyone on the forum has done this and see what your success rate was.Here is what I have running on my DC Board (newer metal tabbed one) right now;2 Rainbow Floods (v1 at 1.10amps on full)4 Rainbow Spots (v1 at .36amps on full)3 Rainbow Spots (v2 at .64amps on full)Going to be adding;2 Rainbow Floods (v1.2 at 2.16amps)4 to 8 5050 RGB modules (amp pull?)I do not have the board heat sinked right now. I have several left over low powered heat sinks from some PC kits. I know that they have to be isolated from the heat sink. Not sure what "film" I was going to use to isolate the heat sink from the triacs...but was considering finding some nylon little nuts and washers.Has anyone done this? I might be ok without the heat sinks since the load really is spread around. The only thing that would be combined are the Spots and the modules...but thought it really would not be hard to add the heat sinks and might save the controller over the long haul.What are your thoughts on this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-klb- Posted February 25, 2012 Share Posted February 25, 2012 My recollection is that the metal tabbed version is good for up to 4a per channel, without any heat sink.If you do decide to add heat sinks, they sell mica washers shaped likr the transistors, just for use with the nylon nuts and bolts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Burton Posted February 25, 2012 Author Share Posted February 25, 2012 -klb- wrote: My recollection is that the metal tabbed version is good for up to 4a per channel, without any heat sink.If you do decide to add heat sinks, they sell mica washers shaped likr the transistors, just for use with the nylon nuts and bolts.Yep...know about the mica or ...plastic? shield or insulator. Just not sure where to get those. Not sure what material I could use to act like that stuff. It would be easier to get a sheet of something...put it across the whole thing...and then use the nylon nuts and bolts.What material (if I could find the mica stuff) would not melt and would the nylon stuff melt? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beeiilll Posted February 25, 2012 Share Posted February 25, 2012 Well if you are talking aobut the CMB-16 controller, then you should use a TO-220 insulating and mounting kit for mountng the heatsink.Here is a fairly cheap kit to do it from eBay that has all the parts to mount the heatsink on there for you:http://www.ebay.com/itm/Set-10-pcs-TO-220-Mica-Insulator-Mounting-Kits-TO220-/110825306715?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19cdb3fa5bYour "left over" heat sinks may work as long as the spacing on the holes matches up with the hole spacing on the controller transistors.The second generation controllers can take up to 4 amp without a heat sink.If you are going to use a heatsink though, use the TO-220 mounting kit with thermal compound. The kit has not only the mica washer but also the shoulder washer that will keep the screw from shorting to the transistor and the thermal compound is necessary to help in the heat transfer.I don't think I would want to use nylon nuts and bolts as they will tend to weaken with heat over time and loosen up. If they loosen up you will lose the advantage of the heatsink as it will not be tight against the transistor and will not have the full heat transfer capacity that it should have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Burton Posted February 26, 2012 Author Share Posted February 26, 2012 Wow. Almost $18.00 to do the insulating? Then I looked up on Radio Shack's page and found this;http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12668970http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12673903which really would cost more!I know what your saying about loosing up, but I bet if I did a PM each season on it, it would be fine (with nylon nuts and bolts).Always put heatsink compound ;-)Now to find a material for the insulator... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beeiilll Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 Sorry, I was not trying to give you the "only" source for the TO-220 kits.They are available from many other places or you can just get the mica if you want.I have done the kits before for other projects and I think that the last time I bought them, I paid around $2.00 for a package of 10 (complete parts kits). I just didn't go look up the cheapest source for them.I tend to build so that I don't have to do any more work like PM's on things and that is why I stated as I did. You should not have to ever go back and do anything on them ever again for the life of them. That is why I used the kit. I even went so far as to use a drop of locktight on the screws when I do things like this. No worries ever again.I know you can find the TO-220 kits very cheap if you search for them (under 50 cents per kit). I just used the eBay listing as an example for you. I would no pay that much either.Ultimately it is yours to do as you wish. I was only trying to point out options for you in case you were not aware of the kits being available.No problems. Good luck with it.Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Burton Posted February 26, 2012 Author Share Posted February 26, 2012 Hey Bill and Jeff,Thanks for the info...good info to have.Two things...one related and one not.One - Wonder, I know these to220 tabs can't touch ground. What about each other??? I am using Rainbow Floods and Spots. I literally can combine all the positives down to one and use the negatives to do the switching (pretty sure that is right). So if those to220 tabs are "Hot"....wonder if it really needs to be insulated from each other? Just as long as it doesn't touch ground? Problem would be solved then. Stainless nuts and bolts...bolted onto the low power heat sink (with compound of course) and go! Am I correct on the above???Two - Of topic. I get NO email updates on this or any other thread I start or am involved in. All my settings are set correctly for me to receive email updates. What gives? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-klb- Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 If they are tied together, it is the same as tying those loads together. Any channel turned on will carry the load for all of them. Basically the tabs are tied to the channel - terminals.But also, with each channel rated for 4a without a heatsink, exactly which load are you concerned about? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Burton Posted February 26, 2012 Author Share Posted February 26, 2012 I will go back and look. I may end up with 2 of the new floods and one of the older floods on one channel. However, now that I say that....I would have the reds together...blues together....and greens together on 3 separate channels. Mmmm. Your right. Need to do some thinking. Might be ok. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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