How much over-drive can a Luxeon handle?

Handlobraesing · Mar 19, 2006

The original Luxeon star that is...

720mA for 30 seconds, then stabilizing at 500mA ok?

nerdgineer · Mar 19, 2006

Not an expert but I think it depends on the temperature which the LED junction reaches, which depends on the current and the heat sinking. With real good heat sinking (star thermally bonded to a large, thick, heat sink), I think some people have run them at 1500+ mA. Just hanging in the air, it probably won't even do well at 350.

thesurefire · Mar 19, 2006

nerdgineer said:
Not an expert but I think it depends on the temperature which the LED junction reaches, which depends on the current and the heat sinking. With real good heat sinking (star thermally bonded to a large, thick, heat sink), I think some people have run them at 1500+ mA. Just hanging in the air, it probably won't even do well at 350.

Agreed. It depends on the heatsink. no heatsink and you'll be safe butween 1 and about 75ma. more then 75ma you NEED a heatsink, even an old penny will help greatly. If you had a massive copper/silver sink, and bonded the star to it, you proabably could push close to an amp through a LuxI and not cook it.

Disclaimer - scraping cooked stars off stuff sucks, over drive at your own risk

CM · Mar 19, 2006

Heatsinking is everything in solid state devices. I've modified Lux I's to run at 1A or more in KL3's which is up to the task of dissipating heat. Wouldn't want to do that in a KL1 head however.

FirstDsent · Mar 19, 2006

If I use a substantial heat sink, am I better off using the bare emitter without the star, or is there some reason that the star is beneficial. If my heat sink is a large 5oz disc of pure copper (hypothetical), then the heat sinking capability of the star is irrelevant. is there some other reason to keep it?

If I use that large copper heat sink, is it worth it to mill a shallow close-tolerance socket to bond the slug into for greater thermal path?

Bernie

roguesw · Mar 20, 2006

no, you dont need the stock aluminium heatsink if you can provide a bigger and better heatsink like copper
if the led slug is glued directly to your new bigger better heatsink, it is the best solution

sp5it · Mar 20, 2006

The question should be "How long?"

I got mine TW0K @ 1000mA in Mag 3D.
Mike

How much over-drive can a Luxeon handle?

Handlobraesing

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nerdgineer

Flashlight Enthusiast

thesurefire

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CM

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FirstDsent

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roguesw

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sp5it

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