Hey Rider, a couple of questions if I may.....I cannot for the life of me decide whether I should run 2 FB24B's in series or parallel and so I'm not sure which driver is best? I know that 2 x 288 diodes works well in a 4x2 because it's been tested by a couple of growers and works fine, so I won't have a need to add more strips. Please help me decide!
My 2nd question is this: Is it a good idea to drill holes along the length of the aluminium angle to allow heat to dissipate? I'm thinking of brake discs on cars/motorbikes where this is done for that very reason. I know it's not quite the same thing but in my mind the theory is basically the same. I'm thinking to drill the holes on the horizontal part of the metal and lay the thermal tape over the top.
I'd appreciate your input please.
Thanks a lot!
Okay, you did not ask me, but I still try to answer...
If you want to enlarge the surface area for better cooling, I recommend sand- or glassblasting or simply brushing with a wire brush. (Hope the terms are correct, language barrier)
Both would effectively increase the cooling surface. In brake discs, the holes serve several purposes, not just increasing the cooling. Anodizing is also an option, but not so easy. You let have to do that by a galvanizer, no idea what it would cost, but probably more than they are worth.
You could also glue a second, smaller profile inside the big one, that looks like this:
This is probably the best way to increse their cooling capacity.
Whether you drive them in parallel or in series does not really matter as long as they get the same current. Parallel is safer because of the lower voltage, but CC drivers are 1% more efficient. I would always prefer the safer solution!