this is my continuation of this thread. i figured making a new thread for my specific design would be better then crapping all over blurred talons thread...
to recap:
i had tossed the idea around in my head for a month or two before blurred talon started the thread, but after his thread, the ball started rolling...
in his thread, i posted some output shots of a cree xp-g r5 flashlight, good for about 350 lumens to compare to my current filament reverse lamps.
i wasn't happy with the overall light output, so i decided to order some cree xm-l's to be sure that i would have enough illumination.
to date, i have ordered 6 XM-L T6 high power led's, and 6 3000mA constant-current drivers.
i intend to use 4 total, or 2 per side.
for reference, a picture of the back of my eclipse:

measurements:
the reverse lamp portion of the lower housings is roughly 6" wide.
the area behind the reverse lamp has about 4" on the outside of the opening and 5" on the inside of the opening of clearance between the metal body-- measured off the front of the reverse lamp housing.
there is a crashbar about 2-3" below the reverse lamp housing, otherwise, the entire bumper area is pretty clear of obstacles.
and also for reference, the housings that i intend to use for the retro:

as i talked about in the other thread, these led's put out a lot of heat. with the led's mounted on a 6"x1"x1" square aluminum tube, they had a heat rise of 5 deg per min in a 5 min run time.
admittedly, a short length of raw square tubing is a poor heat sink, but has taught me a very good lesson that serious heat sinking is required for led's like this..
problem:
assembly issues to overcome:
assembly goals:
that about sums up what i am trying to accomplish.
right now, i am looking at computer processor heatsinks, as many processors put out about the same amount of heat. though mounting the heatsink, and dust/water in a cooling fan is a little worrisome..
any ideas anyone has would be greatly appreciated.
to recap:
i had tossed the idea around in my head for a month or two before blurred talon started the thread, but after his thread, the ball started rolling...
in his thread, i posted some output shots of a cree xp-g r5 flashlight, good for about 350 lumens to compare to my current filament reverse lamps.
i wasn't happy with the overall light output, so i decided to order some cree xm-l's to be sure that i would have enough illumination.
to date, i have ordered 6 XM-L T6 high power led's, and 6 3000mA constant-current drivers.
i intend to use 4 total, or 2 per side.
for reference, a picture of the back of my eclipse:

measurements:
the reverse lamp portion of the lower housings is roughly 6" wide.
the area behind the reverse lamp has about 4" on the outside of the opening and 5" on the inside of the opening of clearance between the metal body-- measured off the front of the reverse lamp housing.
there is a crashbar about 2-3" below the reverse lamp housing, otherwise, the entire bumper area is pretty clear of obstacles.
and also for reference, the housings that i intend to use for the retro:

as i talked about in the other thread, these led's put out a lot of heat. with the led's mounted on a 6"x1"x1" square aluminum tube, they had a heat rise of 5 deg per min in a 5 min run time.
admittedly, a short length of raw square tubing is a poor heat sink, but has taught me a very good lesson that serious heat sinking is required for led's like this..
problem:
- average backup time is about 5-10 minutes-- about 200ft of alley, 30-40 seconds for garage door to open, and time to back into garage.
assembly issues to overcome:
- must run for 10 minutes, want to shoot for 20 min run-time.
- must stay below 100 deg F
- getting the 2 led boards+ heatsink assembly to look good under the clear lens.
assembly goals:
- cost should be below $50 per side for heatsink components(i'm not going to complain if it hits 55-60).
- doesn't matter if design is active or passive.
- passive is the preferred method due to the location getting exposed to some dirt/water.
- would prefer small-enough components to allow for a mostly-PNP design that would not require bumper removal.
that about sums up what i am trying to accomplish.
right now, i am looking at computer processor heatsinks, as many processors put out about the same amount of heat. though mounting the heatsink, and dust/water in a cooling fan is a little worrisome..
any ideas anyone has would be greatly appreciated.
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