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Air cooled reflector testing with Digital footcandle meter

W

Weedlife

Member
samba said:
I haven been following the tread for some time but I stumbled on something you all might find interesting...
picture.php

http://www.progrow.co.uk/acatalog/info_5044.html
Click om "performance"
Click to expand...

Cool, why bother upgrading your light when you can double your lumens output just by changing reflector.

Those datas are BS, or they used different lights (which would make those numbers worthless anyway).

Nice thread btw, lot of useful infos, thanks to all who took the time to make tests. Haven't seen a reliable cool-tube test yet, hope someone is goin to do it soon!

:wave:
 
N

NicholasSmokes

Weedlife- I don't know if that data is good or not, but here is some anecdotal evidence for you. When I switched from a CoolTube to an SS2, my garden was measurably brighter - especially on the sides and corners. My yield has more than doubled in the year since I upgraded, but the reflector is not the only change I've made. I just did my first SCROG which yielded 9 ozs under 400 watts with one plant in a 40"x40" tent. I don't think it would have been as successful with the CoolTube because I believe I would have had much smaller buds outside of the small sweet spot of that reflector. In retrospect, for my garden layout, the CoolTube kinda sucked.
 
couchlockd

couchlockd

Active member
i have 2 super sun 2's, i bought my first one and id had the slide out lens, at the time the new gasketed one was already out, and was told that the one i bought was the gasketed one, it wasnt. so i ordered one with the gasket and told them i wanted to eschange the one i jsut bought, for the new one with the gasket and hinged lens.

it came in and i was so inlove with my super sun 2 i had already and i just ended up keeping both.

i also have a "mojave 6" refelctor whcih is aknock of of the hydrofarm daystar AC, and i also have a hydrofarm daystar AC as well.

i got an adjust-a-wing small, and i also have a MIDI? reflector.

out of all of them when i test the lumens or footcandles with my hydrofarm light meter (39.99 usd) the super sun2's are the brightest reflector of the bunch, with the hydrofarm DAYSTAR AC coming in next in terms of reflected light intensity, but is far more uniform "looking" than the super suns. but the amount of light the super sun has over the daystar is negligible at best and both the daystar ac & SS2 are the best thing going in the reflector market, other than the hortilux PL hoods., which are the CAtS MEOW.

i have a cool tube i run in the summer months, as i run a single 600 in a 2'X5' room, and the totally unimpeded air flow cools more efficiently.


i got to give the OP serious props for doing this, as i know how much of a pain in the ass it is to changing all the bulbs and seting up all those reflectors just for us to learn from, thanks pal you are in my prayers. keep it green and purple.
 
A

allouez

Member
Would it be possible to do a comparative test of a reflector vs bare bulb? I always read people saying that reflectors only lose 3% of the light --- effectively arguing that the reflector makes the light over three times brighter compared to a bare bulb. But never seen any actual evidence in favor of this. Such a test would go a long way in helping someone decide whether they should try a vertical or a horizontal light set up.
 
pineappaloupe

pineappaloupe

Active member
Someone who owns or is friends with an owner of a garden store with good inventory would be very helpful. Same bulb, same ballast, and 1 dozen hoods.
If anyone can get that data, ill crunch it. Message me. I love data.
 
G

greenduck

Member
im guessing the hood purchase is helpful for metal halides too? i have an extra ss2 and want to put an MH bulb in it so what's the best ballast to buy. im looking for a 600w that you can dial down to 400 or 450 for vegging. i see some good deals on digit ballast that are air cooled and dial down. any suggestions would be appreciated. thanks.
 
M

MrShpongle

Member
I'd suggest the Quantum. Doesn't seem to have the failure rate of some other brands, it has the dimmable feature, and it's significantly lower in price than the competing 600 digis. Not sure how they are doing it, but I like mine.
 
S

Sweet_green

Member
I just want to say that I had a Radiant 6" in my 4x4 tent over a 3x3 table. I was running out of height with the plants kissing the glass, and because I HADN'T read this thread yet, I purchased a Magnum XXXL 6"(gained a couple inches, well more actually because I hung it different too but the magnum is almost 2" slimmer vs Radiant). I'm running Digilux 600w HPS on Lumatek ballast.

All I can say is WOW!! The tent seems so much brighter now and there seems to be more light down below too. Now obviously that's just from my eyes, as I have no light tester. Could that be because now I have more light reflecting off the sides? Or maybe it's because the plants are now almost 6" below the glass, so there's more light spread? Either way there's definitely more light on ALL the plants now.

All I know, is that when using the Radiant 6" with the plants kissing the glass, the corner plants on the table weren't getting much light at all, and it was definitely darker down below vs the Magnum.
 
S

Sweet_green

Member
Same bulb, new reflector....

...after a joint and some beers with friends, I come look and I think I almost want to say that Magnum penetration directly under the bulb isn't as good as the Radiant??? Light spread on the tops of all the plants is definitely better with the Magnum, and the tent does seem way brighter overall, but I think the penetration is less. But the Magnum is now about 6" higher than where the Radiant was and I'm a few beers and joint in and it's 3am

I almost want to throw the Radiant back in, but hang it the same as the Magnum and see what that looks like since it will still be higher than it was before

But maybe I'll wait a few days and see what I think
 
Greyskull

Greyskull

Twice as clear as heaven and twice as loud as reas
ICMag Donor
Veteran
sometimes you can just notice the difference in what the reflectors do.
do you have a light meter at all?
 
<~Hades~>

<~Hades~>

Active member
i have some magnums and some radiants in the same room......you will get better penetration from smaller hoods but they will light bleach more at the same level as the magnum,, the magnums for air cooled hoods seem to have very little hot spots compared to say radiants and daystars
 
C

cheesey

heres my magnum whats 8" from the tops in the middle and 6" on the sides with a 1000watt bulb n ballast in a 4ft 2 " sq room
no bleaching , only a little leaf curl what has only just started.
canopy shot



cola shots

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picture.php
 
MPL

MPL

Member
So I haven't kept up with this thread. Last I read is that the SilverStars were the best air-cooled reflectors. Is that still the case?

:D
 
P

pico

Active member
Veteran
silverstar? I don't think that was ever considered the best. The Super Sun 2 or the Magnum XXL are my favorites. I prefer the SS2 because of the size.
 
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