How much efficiency is lost not being able to have lamp in proper orientation?

[iceman1027]

I am building a cab and the easiest design for everything else (scrubber, fan, cab size) has to have the light orientated parallel to the longest side of the cab as opposed to the shortest. How much will yield suffer from this? How much will mylar help to spread the light around?

its a 400w hps going into a 20"x30"x72" space, a little overkill i know, but i already have the light and more than 20" wont fit inside my closet.

The light itself will fit in the other orientation, but then I dont think I have space for the ducting behind it and def not for the scrubber in front.

 

[northernlightss]

I had the same problem as you, I just ran the light the way it would fit and use relectix and a couple of cfls on the far side of the reflector. Im using a 400 watt in 36x20x72. I'm getting coke can colas off blue apollo and ak99 in coco. I got 4 over all in buckets from 2-3 gallons. 400 watts in theese cabs rock. Honestly the light bounces around so much with the door shut running a 400 its not a problem.

 

[northernlightss]

reflectix can be found at lowes. Its alot more durable than mylar and not as easy to get hot spots. Its the same stuff used in car windshield reflectors.

 

[iceman1027]

northernlightss: thanks a lot for your reply, ill look for reflectix. where can it be found in HD or lowes? can you give me some info about how you cool your cab?

 

[northernlightss]

Reflectix can be found in the insulation area. I got the 16" x 25' roll and it covered the inside completly. Heres a link http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BQSYRO.
I use a 4" inline fan, mounted on the top shelf, I drilled a 4" hole for the ducting to go through and I attached a flange to the back and exhaust the hot air out the back wall of the cab in my maintenance/ veg top portion of the cab. The fan has a short bit of hose that is attached to a carbon filter that pulls air from my cab near the light, as I run an econowing with a glass lens and a computer fan blowing across it. I keep my apartment at 70 and the cab stays around 80. If I increased my intake size I could keep it cooler, but I dont want to drop the money on lightproof louvers if I was to make my intake bigger.

 

[northernlightss]

It also looks as if your planning on keeping your ballast in the cab. Make sure that portion is aircooled so it doesnt heat the rest of the cab up. I keep my ballast in an adjacent dresser and run the cords to it. It definitely keeps things alot cooler