Chosing the right wire is all dependant on the distances involved. For LED to LED wiring, 26-18awg is fine. Anything bigger than that and it starts becoming hard to work with. For LED to driver connections, you can use the same wire gauge if the distances are fairly short, like less than 6ft. With you wanting to put drivers in the sump area, something 18-16awg should be used to reduce the voltage drop associated with long wires.
After a hols and lots of other tank chores I have managed to get some time for the LED build.
I have tapped my heatsink and attached my LED's.
I have a query on the artic silver that I used between the LED and the heatsink, some of this has come through a small hole in the star, I tried to remove as much as possible, but some is smeared on the contacts. is this ok, if not, whats the best way to remove?
Also, with regards to my optics, I have carclo ones, what glue is best to attach then to the fixture?
You can use almost any solvent cleaner to remove the thermal compound. Some work faster than others. Denatured alcohol works ok, as does acetone. MEK is my personal favorite. Takes it off much quicker, but it's a little more stinky. Apply any solvent with a cotton swap. Avoid getting solvents on the LED at all costs. I would remove the star completely and clean all excess thermal paste off before going further. The stuff is electrically conductive, so it could cause some hard to find shorts when you go to power it up.
For attaching the optics, use a little dab of clear silicone. Never use super glue, as it will fog the lens and the dome on the LED.
Hi, good info on the optics attachment, didnt think of that.
With regards to cleaning, I would like to clarify something. Are you saying take the star off and just clean the star, leaving the paste on the heatsink? If so will the paste still be ok?
Some LED Help
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Originally Posted by XSiVE
