Driver air cooling, worth it?

[tommyinajar]

Hiya- I've got a new Sf-4000, and measured the drivers temp with a gun while on. It was only 140 max which means the aluminum plate is heastinking well. I tossed a 4" fan to blow across them and it dropped to 100 almost across.

Is that even worth the extra cord or do they have to be at a certain temp to even be efficient?

Any electronics wizards out there know?

 

[Hugo Phurst]

Electronics work best when cooled properly.

I did a little reading & the operating temp for my driver is up to 90C/195F so I suspect that you are safe.
If you're still worried about the heat reduce the power a bit, less heat generated because the driver isn't being pushed as hard.
One of the selling points for my led was the heatsink - less weight and less power required.

Good luck

 

[tommyinajar]

Yea I know coolers generally the best, nut I thought I read some transistors had to "warm up" to be at there peak. eh , I was probably high...

But 40 degrees over 100 is really nothing, but I'll probably do it away.

 

[PSUAGRO.]

A 120mm computer fan uses a couple watts, not really losing anything to cool it.

Heat is the #1 enemy of electronics

 

[Hugo Phurst]

some transistors had to "warm up"

I think that was about 40 years ago

 

[1212ham]

A 120mm computer fan uses a couple watts, not really losing anything to cool it.

Heat is the #1 enemy of electronics

Exactly, and even a tiny fan really helps. I use the 4" fan from one of my ICELED cob coolers, 50mA at 12volts, only 0.6 watts.

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I just checked two desk fans... the 4" is 12.5 watts, the 6" is 20w on low and 25w on high.

 

[cobshopgrow]

luckily there are EC deskfans offered too since shorter.
5W for a 6".

do like artic cooling pc fans.
they serve me well and are completly noiseless.

Arctic Cooling P14 Fluid Dynamic Bearing 140mm Case Fan - Micro Center

Get it now! During the development of the new P14 Silent, special emphasis was placed on a focused airstream and thus a high static pressure. The fan guarantees extremely efficient cooling, even with increased air resistance. Therefore, the P14 Silent is particularly suitable for use on...

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Fan Speed:
1700 rpm
Airflow:
72.8 CFM/ 123.76 m³/h
Static Pressure:
2,40 (mm/H2O)
Noise Level:
0.3 Sone
3-Pin-Connector
Fan Bearing:
Fluid Dynamic Bearing
Electric Characteristics:
Typical Voltage:
12 V DC
Starting Voltage:
2.1 V
Current:
0.15 A

1.8W is quite nice for 72cfm and a 140mm fan.
just use these at 5V myself, all 6 draw almost nothing, hard to measure with a wall meter.

 

[mc130p]

A 120mm computer fan uses a couple watts, not really losing anything to cool it.

Heat is the #1 enemy of electronics

Also, those fans last forever. I've never had one fail. I just get tired of cleaning them sometimes, so occasionally I will just throw it away and put a new one in.

 

[NewGrower2011]

I had considered if I did a DIY or something that allowed for a remote driver to use an enclosure with flanges on both side of a box and place drivers in the box and use extraction fan to cool them. Problem is if the fan isn't running and drivers are running you'd actually make it worse.

But since I have a fan running and most of the heat comes from the driver anyhow, figured I might be able to gain some efficiency through something along those lines. If the driver has a thermal cutoff that might be enough of a safety net to still consider it.

 

[NewGrower2011]

The company that makes the carbon filter that is a box could possible be modified easily to do this. I.e. https://hydrobuilder.com/airbox-stealth-edition-air-filter.html?opts=eyJhdHRyaWJ1dGU0ODEiOiIxMTMzNiJ9

 

[OSBuds]

DIY or something that allowed for a remote driver to use an enclosure with flanges on both side of a box and place drivers in the box

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[Moflow]

yo prefiero tener los drivers fuera del armario de cultivo

I Need them in the area, I need the heat!

 

[Chip Green]

I need the heat

Yeah, sure you do. That's what "we" think.
Sorcery of some type going on.

 

[Bookush34]

I biult a air cooled hood that my heat sinks and drivers are mounted in. Worked too good in the winter. I was supplementing with a heater to get temps up.

But now I run side lights in the winter. Works dandy.

With just a the air cooled hood I can run in the heat of the summer and maintain 80f in the tent no problem

 

[Chip Green]

I strapped Heatsink USA chunks to my drivers with kapton tape. I had a handful of 4"x2" low profile chunks I had originally used with Vero 10 COBs The mini active cooling fans eventually failed, and I smoked a couple COBs at some point.
So, the sinks ended up riding drivers.
No reason not to.