What's the easiest package to solder with a Cree XR-E?

I plan to augment my new (-15 years ) car's dome light. With the wide angle and decent white (I'm not replacing the incans, but adding to them), I think a normal Cree will offer the easuest option in terms of lighting the cabin (esp. the rear). I think a LM317-based current regulator aught to work OK, I don't plan to go above 150mA, and there's ample room to tap the current incan's 12v, insulate my creation, and finagle a mounting system (it'll be a little, tight, but not dangerously so).

But...my soldering skills are, at best, just passable with through-hole soldering. I've never even tried reflow soldering. I do plan to get some itty emitters and play around to learn, but if we are to assume I want the least chance of killing the LED, what's the best way to get one?

Bare + cermqiue to a heatsink, myself? Made up at the Shoppe on a PCB? On a star? Something else?

Star would probably be easiest.
You can get them from many places for cheap. DX for one.
Bin would not be a problem as it's not meant for a flashlight.
You could color correct it with any type of filter as well. I would not care that much about efficiency.
I would heatsink it fairly well in case of a hot day. Or if you want more brightness.

could someone just glue a cree star on the original bulb then solder the cree positive and negative points to the original bulb. what the highest volts a cree can take?

f22shift said:

could someone just glue a cree star on the original bulb then solder the cree positive and negative points to the original bulb. what the highest volts a cree can take?

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Heh. I know enough to know that means the LED goes *poof*!

I'm not sure how I want to handle it being a switch, and that's the only thing that I'm not sure of as far as room (there are three bulbs in the dome light, so I could replace one if I need to), but doing the above would only be slightly different than hooking it up straight.

Well then, bare (for playing and killing while I learn to solder better) and stars ('cause I want this to actually use fairly soon) it shall be. If I get it right the first time, I may even post pics .

Back to the original question:
Stars are the way to go.
There are different kind of "stars", ie mounted boards, with different sizes. Have a look at DX site, and you will see what I mean, the smallest one is a square board with 13mm dimensions. Barely bigger than the Cree amitter on its own, and it gives you proper solid contacts for soldering. No messing around with mounting the emitter yourself etc. ALso the boards give you handy points allowing you to screw down the board to the sink, so you get better and more solid contact as a bonus.

I also agree that Stars/ board mounted are the easiest to solder.

Yup, found the 13mm ones. Thanks, guys.