Poll: Cool tubes v Cooling refectors

[Gottagrow]

To get a General idea which of these perform better in some areas and lack in others.

Cooling effectiveness

Light dispersion

Light penetration

And any other thoughts those of you might have in reguard to these two designs.

 

[badugi]

Cool tubes win hands-down in minimizing turbulence and therefore maximizing air velocity / volume, but generally suck at light dispersion. Light penetration can be good, but in a bad way, as the typical reflector designs incorporated in most "cool tubes" create a giant hot spot down the center. Most "standard cool tubes", at least in 6" models, don't even have a restrike bend.

 

[vaprpig]

My hydro store turned me onto cool tubes for the max. cooling due to the laminar air flow and max cooling like badugi stated but they talked me into Gavita type internal reflector bulbs instead of the crappy cool tube reflectors. I've never measured the light spread but I have read that internal reflector bulbs have some of the best light dispersion. This way I get the most effective air cooling for my lights and at least a much better reflector than what came with the tubes.

 

[Joe Hawkins]

These are available in Australia by Ablite they utilise the adjustable parabolic reflector with the cooltube.

http://www.ablite.com/templates/abl/page/page_html_standard.php?secID=185

The parabolic reflector is the most effective light spreader for horizontal lighting

 

[freeradical]

Cool tubes are absolute trash. If you do a ray tracing diagram (cross section), you will see that every single ray that you draw from the arc tube to the reflective material goes STRAIGHT back to the arc tube, and not to the plants. This alone should discredit a cool tube as an effective reflector.

People focus too much on air cooling efficiency with small grows. If there are people running 8kw+ grows, using standard air cooled reflectors, with one intake line and one exhaust line, and not having troubles with air flow through their hoods, why should someone with a bulb or two be worrying?

As long as you have a fair amount of air being drawn through your lights, you will be fine. If anything, focus on reducing turns in your ducting, which will have an effect many times greater than your choice of reflector(s).