Replies

To: Diana in Wisconsin

Happy (chilly!) February all!

Revised instructions for the VoltKing shop light (or use as a grow light) modification should be done by later today!

43 posted on 02/01/2026 7:11:27 AM PST by Paul R. (Old Viking saying: "Never be more than 3 steps away from your weapon ... or a Uriah Heep song!" ;-))

Off to church shortly. We missed last Sunday - we were snowed / sleeted / iced in! Due to slight melting and “hard” refreezing this stuff is downright dangerous to go out onto the yard on. Shoveling it it VERY tough. I’ve been spreading a little sand on the path to the chickens’ houses, etc.

44 posted on 02/01/2026 7:16:08 AM PST by Paul R. (Old Viking saying: "Never be more than 3 steps away from your weapon ... or a Uriah Heep song!" ;-))

Follow up on that: To be on the safe side, I decided to run a 24 hour “burn in” — basically the light is running inside an open ended 5’ section of 4” flue pipe in a warm room: The idea is to create an environment a little warmer than the light will ever see: It’s about 120 deg. F inside the pipe there. Maybe a touch more. So far, so good (about 20 hours in.)

B4 starting the “burn in” it was noticeable that the heat sink warms considerably more quickly than before when the light is turned on - which is what is supposed to happen. We want the heat transferring to the heat sink: out of the LEDs. THEY seemed to be running a bit cooler. (Admittedly, these are very impromptu “by touch and memory” sorts of “measurements”!)

I did use the SuperLube heat sink compound, BTW.

63 posted on 02/02/2026 6:05:08 AM PST by Paul R. (Old Viking saying: "Never be more than 3 steps away from your weapon ... or a Uriah Heep song!" ;-))

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