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Top Shelf Aquatics

LEDs over a 10g


ir0n_ma1den

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you can remove it if you have a dremel cut a slot in them and you should be able to remove with a flat head screw driver..... old mechanic trick or if you have a snap-on dealer near you. you could get a screw extractor kit

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Those tricks work great on larger screws/taps/drills, but with this being 3mm/4-40, it's almost impossible. It's just too small to get any kind of torque on them. Plus, cutting into the heatsink scars the surface where you are planning on mounting an LED.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Holy mother of jesus....

 

I have broken 8 taps and drill bits during this process, and I still have about 6 more holes to drill and tap.

 

Long story short, I'm out of taps and bits, so what should I order from McMaster-Carr?

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They have masterkleer tubing which is my favorite tubing and good prices on socket cap stainless screws which are way cooler than phillips.

 

Also sounds like you might want to try some Tap Magic for Aluminum, it smells like Goldschlager but it works great for tapping small holes. Maybe try ordering a bottoming tap or two as well, some people have better luck with them; I get 100+ holes between broken taps with Mcmaster-Carr bottoming 4-40 taps.

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whats the next closest bit size to 4-40 that I can use so I can continue with this build?

 

isn't it something like 1/32"?

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I'm going to finish this project up this weekend, so i'll definitley have pictures up soon.

 

Quick question, will I need to run a fan on this or not?

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sure why not run fans.. it's cheap insurance that the heatsink won't get too hot.. I'd recommend 2 12v fans connected in series.. conveniently your 24v supply will handle this no prob.

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Alright so I'm going to head out to radioshack in a few hours and will pic up two fans and 3 DC connectors since I realize I will need the ability to disconnect the fixture in order to do maintenance.

 

I want to do this, but I don't quite understand.

 

Do I just wire the whites (both +,- leads) to one, blues (both +,- leads) to another, and then the two fans to another?

 

Also, can I use any DC cable (the ones with the red, yellow, white connectors) I have lying around? And then I will route that to a project box which will contain the buckpucks, and then that connects to the power supply, correct?

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Right. Each connector will be for a different function. If you use the barrel style connectors like that, make sure the ground is on the outer terminal. It's a safety thing.

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Right. Each connector will be for a different function. If you use the barrel style connectors like that, make sure the ground is on the outer terminal. It's a safety thing.

 

 

okay, so I think I'm going to copy sammy's project box design since he is using 2 buckpucks also.

 

I'll need 2 female connectors on the fixture (1 for white, 1 for blue), 2 male-male cables to connect the fixture to the project box, 2 female connectors to connect the project box to the fixture, 1 female connector for the project box to power supply, and finally 1 male cable to connect the project box to the PSU.

 

So a total of 5 female DC connectors, and 3 male cables, right?

 

Also, how do I wire the fans inline with the system? Can I just wire both fans to one string (either the blue or white) before the buckpucks?

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just got back from 2 radioshacks... whipped out their supply of coax connectors and DC jacks.

 

When it comes to wiring the DC jacks (male) do I just stuff the + and - wires into the top, or what?

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Take the cable support off the back so that the terminals are exposed. Solder the wires to the terminals, don't twist. Remember, ground on the outside.

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Sooo....

 

Just plugged it in for the first time and... only 3 out of 12 LEDs worked. None of the RB's worked, only 3 whites.

 

what should I start to do now?

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You will need a multimeter. Check for continuity between the wires and the heatsink. With only a few LEDs lit, it's a good chance that's what it is. Check for screws touching solder or solder pads on the pcb.

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ah, I see. so i put one lead of the multimeter on the heatsink and one on the wire, and if I get a reading I need to resolder it, right?

 

 

For some reason I had the idea that aluminum was not conductive... derp.

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You don't need to resolder. It's more likely that you will have to reposition the pcb so the screw isn't touching any wiring. Are you using nylon washers under the screw heads? If not, that will make life easier.

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