Cooool Tubes

[rastamonunika]

hello lovelies, i was wondering what experience people have had with the various cooltubes. I have seen some with internal reflectors, external coated and uncoated, and other various styles.

how have they been? Im sure wonderful at cooling but how is the footprint>? Im planning to use them next round and saw that there are a few options. . . Im gonna have a small area (7ft tall, 4 wide, 2 deep, so not toooo small, but still), so anyhow, its hard to fit a reflector in there.

mdhydro has cooltubes for 58$ with the builtin reflector, but i cant help but worry that it is going to have a shitty footprint. . or will it even matter in that small a space>? Im also planning on using some astrofoil to make a "cover" that goes over the entire light and such and reflect all the light downward.

anyhow, i appreciate any feedback or experience people have had with these little beauties =P

lots of Love and Light

unika

 

[MTF-Sandman]

Really most hoods will fit in that area...The Daystar AC would definitely fit and is an excellent reflector.

Sorry, no personal experience with cooltubes...but maybe I opened up some options for ya.

 

[Old Soul]

you shouldn't have a problem finding a hood to fit. If you have a can fan it will be perfect. I have a cabinet that size and have a hood and a dayton fan crammed in that space.

Peace

Old Soul

 

[rastamonunika]

Well i received some free equipment and dont really have the funds to purchase new hoods, and id really like to try out a cooll tube (i was thinking vertical with one of those circular scrogs from the Czech's, but anyhow) Sadly the reflectors that i received are just a hair too big, sadly. . . Im sure the right thing would come along, i was just hoping some people had insight about their tubes and the footprint it allows. .

i aprpeciate the comments Old Soul and Sandman, much love to you both, . .

lots of Love and Light

unika

 

[mrwags]

Go to e-bay and search a pyrex bake a round, hell man hang on:


http://cgi.ebay.com/Pyrex-Bake-A-Ro...ryZ46271QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


Just to give ya an idea. I air cooled a 400 watter in my cab and dropped the temps by as much as 12 degrees with a simple computer fan and some flex hose. Total cost was about 19.00 counting the beer my bud is free. if ya need more I'm a pm away.

What it looks like installed:

http://www.icmag.com/gallery/data/500/2102Day_One_008.jpg

Mr.Wags

 

[ethereal]

listen to mr wags and make sure its NOT GLASS.
PYREX IS NOT GLASS. PYREX IS TOLERANT OF HIGH HEAT. GLASS IS NOT.
Make sure whatever you end up with is heat resistant adios

 

[GratefulPhish]

24" external reflector makes for a 3'x4' print with a 600

id expect a 4x4 with the internal one. ive had good experiences with mdhydro products

 

[dopegud]

Sorry PYREX is Borosilicate Glass.

Physical Properties:
Composition

Low-expansion borosilicate glass has the following approximate chemical composition:

SiO2 81%
Na2O 4.0%
K2O 0.5
B2O3 13.0%
Al2O3 2.0%

Working Temperatures
Borosilicate glass retains its mechanical strength and will deform only at temperatures which approach its strain point. The practical upper limit for operating temperatures Is much lower and is controlled by the temperature ditterentials in the glass, which depend on the relative temperatures of the contents of the equipment and the external surroundings.

Provided borosilicate glass is not subjected to rapid change in temperature, creating undue thermal shock, it can be operated safely at temperatures up to 450°F (232°C). The normal limiting factor is actually the gasket material. The degree of thermal shock (usually defined as sudden chilling) which it can withstand depends on many factors, for example: stresses due to operating conditions; stresses imposed in supporting the equipment; the wall thickness of the glass, etc. It is therefore undesirable to give an overall figure but, as a general guide, sudden temperature changes of up to about 216°F (120°C) can be accommodated

At sub-zero temperatures, the tensile strength of borosilicate glass tends to increase and equipment can be used with safety at cryogenic temperatures.

Sorry did a bunch of research when I made my 5ft cool tube. I have used the bake a round tubes with cheap bat wings with great success with 600watts in them

DG

 

[rastamonunika]

THANKS~! I really appreciate all the help everyone has given me, much love and respect to you all. Im thinking about just using the pyrex tube because of money issues,

i mean, if it works mine as well use it>? But im also a lover of ease, and having something already made for me is lovely =P ( yes, im american =P )

anyhow, i appreaciate the help and hopefully ill make the right decision for my grow =)

lots of Love and Light

unika

 

[420]

I as well am going to make my own cool tube, but I have a question for anyone knowledgable...

I already have an HPS light, but it has a rather large socket with some sort of housing that would get in the way of the cool tube... I know that I have to open it up and take it off leaving only 2 wires. What socket should I purchase in order to replace the original one with the housing....is it a mogul socket? I have seen some pictures of some simple sockets with no housing..

 

[ethereal]

http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=25131

 

[MTF-Sandman]

Typically 150w and up will use mogul socket...some 150's are medium base though.

 

[420]

http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=25131

Wow, that's a clever idea! Thank you

 

[darrinjefferson]

i am making my own cooltube also. i went to my local craft sotre and picked up some hurricane glass which is going to be perfect for the cooltube. cost of the glass was $5.79. so its really cheap. all ys gotta do is mount your light on it and hang er' up.


good luck guys
late

 

[420]

i am making my own cooltube also. i went to my local craft sotre and picked up some hurricane glass which is going to be perfect for the cooltube. cost of the glass was $5.79. so its really cheap. all ys gotta do is mount your light on it and hang er' up.


good luck guys
late

I ended up purchasing a bakearound for 20 dollars more...I was too lazy to go to a brick and mortar store

 

[darrinjefferson]

well there wasnt any brick or mortar at this store...but i get the message. i had never seen these bakearound things until yesterday. im content with my hurricane glass...plus i think it looks way cooler than the pyrex tubes.

late

 

[ethereal]

the hurricane shade will not hold up to the heat of a high wattage HID

 

[darrinjefferson]

ethereal- this is the first thread that i have seen anyone say that in.
i think it will be fine. not only have multiple other ppl grown with them and been fine but they are also made to hold candles and other lights. to be perfectly honest i think it will do just as good as any pyrex...at least with a 400 in it.

that and the cooltube is air-cooled so the temp shouldnt get that high.

late

 

[ethereal]

ahhh yes, i meant with a lamp 600w or larger. 400w is still risky tho imho....!
in time i have seen many growers 'cooltubes' break from the hydro store usin both 1kw & 600s alike
(600s bein the preference of many vertical growers whom know the risks of inferior tubes, well)
which is why i stress to make sure what you are buyin is pyrex or some heat resistant equivelant!
not meaning to downscore anyone's hard work ior intuition, and im sure its useable,
so is no cool tube at all
the fact of 'does it work' is not the issue here. what you need to know is 'will it last' ..
.. the answer = who knows, its glass. definitely keep wattage under 400 if usin it :/
good luck my friend! ...Ps. the waves in that glass *may* distort the footprint,,,g'luck