Air cooled reflector testing with Digital footcandle meter

[kokua]

tagged thanks pico

 

[LIMELIGHT]

tagged,,,,,,pico ..... youre a beast bro. lime

 

[macster]

Ex thread, want to catch your 1000 watt test,also could you test a vertical reflector.would be much apprec.

 

[Guest]

great thread pico...props

 

[Guest]

Great thread and graphs Pico.

I'm wondering if you could add one more test?

I'd like to see you hang a bare bulb vertical and horizontal with no reflector at all and run the same measurements.

Thanks

Mais

 

[Guest]

Very killer thread. Thanks for doing all the research for use. Nice to have members willing to share info like this Thanks allot for all your hard work.

PS, tried to PM you on a reply on another PM. Your not accepting PM for some reason. I hope all is well.
Take care,
BG

 

[pineappaloupe]

On the topic of new tests....

I want to see the test repeated with
1) a diffuser
2) no reflector, horizontal, same distance
3) with reflector, same distance
4) vertical bulb
5) much larger test area, to determine if the foot print is best used as a square, or rectangle (parallel or perpendicular to the line of the bulb).

and im always around to make graphs.
I also want to see if I can use my SLR camera to do similar measurement. From my learnings of long exposure photography, footcandle illumination of the moon was estimated in foot candles for various moon stages, and you calculate your exposure time accordingly.
My old school SLR has a killer spot meter, with 1/3 stop accuracy, that could be used as a meter.

peace

 

[THCV]

pico, i just wanted to mention that your measurements on the Cool Sun XL is right on--20% less light. I just completed a harvest, and the room with the cool sun xls yielded MUCH LESS than the room with Econo-cools, a supposedly crappy hood by comparison. MUCH less. Kinda depressing. But your tests proved it out; i wish this thread had been around before i bought the damn things. The cool sun xls will be getting replaced!

 

[Guest]

dam i run Sun Systems Super Sun 2 all the way...narrow space...but I love em!!! thanks for the tests! i dont trust places that say digital ballasts give you 30% more light and all the BS hype!

 

[pico]

Hot damn I have been lazy with this thread. I tested the Sun Systems Cool Breeze last month and have some data for everyone. She didn't do so hot.

I almost want to test the bulb again with the SuperSun2 to see if the bulb is rapidly degrading, or if this Cool Breeze really does suck as much as the numbers say. It is a cheaper hood so the numbers are probably right.

18 inches

1. 760
2. 1290
3. 1380
4. 800
5. 1780
6. 3420
7. 3650
8. 1600
9. 1750
10. 3320
11. 3700
12. 1660
13. 940
14. 1540
15. 1620
16. 930

Average 1814

21 inches

1. 840
2. 1230
3. 1270
4. 800
5. 1660
6. 2820
7. 2960
8. 1510
9. 1620
10. 2720
11. 2940
12. 1540
13. 990
14. 1510
15. 1570
16. 1000

Average 1517

24 inches

1. 850
2. 1210
3. 1250
4. 800
5. 1510
6. 2360
7. 2450
8. 1430
9. 1420
10. 2270
11. 2430
12. 1410
13. 1060
14. 1510
15. 1580
16. 1040

Average 1486


I still need to do the 1000w tests. Kinda been crazy around here lately with harvest and getting other setups up and running. Lots of family coming through town......I will get to it.

 

[Neptune]

Thanks for that info pico, how did you find the 1000w bulb to be holding out? How much degredation or lumen loss % is noticed from one grow to the next? IE 2 months 12/12... or 700-800 hours or operation?


I am also curious in the above suggestions:

diffuser
horizontal, no hood
verticle, no hood

and
Daystar AC
Cool Tube
Silver Star


Oddly, I am not a fan of any of the Sunsystem hoods. I don't like their look

 

[pico]

Not a fan of the old SunSytems eh? Well let me see if I can't get my dirty little hands on the daystar or silver star to test out for you. The cooltube will be tested for sure as my hydro store started carrying them.


I didn't really track the lumens on the 1000w lights before and after harvest so I can't say.

 

[Don Chocolate]

Awesome thread for sure pico! I just got a daystar ac so I hope you can get your hands on one. The cool tube will be interesting too.

 

[darthvapor]

Where in the world are you pico. I have some pl hoods because I heard they were the best. I also want to get a bell lightning hood because now I hear those are the best. I would love to have you test them but they are heavy so I dont know if shipping would be that wise if your half way across the world. Have you ever heard of pl or bell ? What do you think?

 

[Danknuggler]

yes i too would love to see some tests on the BELL lighting hoods but i think they only have a 4" duct collar though so they don't seem like they would cool all that well by the looks of em but ya never know but supposed to be the best reflective and strong/sturdy construction.they're pricey too.Hey Pico I have a question for ya. I read this thread a while back and was fairly baked so if you could refresh me on what you came up with as far as results for your test? not the numbers or nuthin but out of all hoods tested which one was the best performer cooling and brightness???thanx nuggler

 

[pico]

darthvapor- I have heard of the PL hoods, but have never seen one in person. I am in the northwest US.

Danknuggler- As of now, my top pick is the Sun Systems Super Sun 2 reflector.

Thanks Don Chocolate, I will see what I can come up with.

 

[Guest]

would love to see some tests on the BELL lighting hoods but i think they only have a 4" duct collar though so they don't seem like they would cool all that well by the looks of em but ya never know but supposed to be the best reflective and strong/sturdy construction.

I thought the same about the 4" collar when I first checked em out... turns out that Bell reccomends cooling the lights using a plenum set up so each reflector gets cool air passing through it as opposed to stringing refectors in a line passing hot from one light to the next. Makes a lot of sense as each light will run the exact same temperature and there is more reflective surface using the 4" duct as opposed to a 6" or 8".

 

[macster]

forty grit: NICE CAMEL TOE

Pico, Have you done some testing on verticals?? I don't know if I'm missing the boat or not.
Macster

 

[Guest]

Would the numbers be different if you surrounded the testing area with mylar or flat white painted surfaces?

In other words, would this test be an effective method to find out if mylar makes a difference?

 

[pico]

the numbers most deffinately would be different. I guess I could do a test with and without reflective walls. Geez I got my work cut out for me.

verticles, as in not testing on a flat surface, but testing all around the bulb? might be difficult.