Reflector or not
- Thread starter Hardy
- Start date
Absolutely. More than 3/4 of the light travels away from the grow. A reflector will bring it back to the garden more quickly and effectively.
Lollypop Man
Member
Very slightly off-topic, so I apologize in advance...
Has anyone used, or considered using, those CFL reflectors designed for vertical (ie pointing down) installation? 1000bulbs sells them. I was thinking that in cabs with a ton of vertical height but not much depth, they'd be a good choice for those not interested in going HID. You could lay them out in this kind of orientation:
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000000
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And get really even coverage over the entire area of your canopy.
And question #2, more on-topic, anyone using DIY reflectors for horizontal CFLs? I've never seen one used or even mentioned in a thread here except for the longer 100+W bulbs.
Has anyone used, or considered using, those CFL reflectors designed for vertical (ie pointing down) installation? 1000bulbs sells them. I was thinking that in cabs with a ton of vertical height but not much depth, they'd be a good choice for those not interested in going HID. You could lay them out in this kind of orientation:
.00000
000000
.00000
And get really even coverage over the entire area of your canopy.
And question #2, more on-topic, anyone using DIY reflectors for horizontal CFLs? I've never seen one used or even mentioned in a thread here except for the longer 100+W bulbs.
CFL Grower
New member
yeah mate it will only help ya.
with regards to the home DIY reflectors, ive been looking to make one for my CFLs for a while now, with no real success. would be interesting to see what others are trying.
with regards to the home DIY reflectors, ive been looking to make one for my CFLs for a while now, with no real success. would be interesting to see what others are trying.
CFL Grower
New member
yeah ive seen em, ive got 48 watt CFLs but, to big for soda cans 
Can't find it now but, someone here found a material, essentially foam core with a reflective surface on one side. Cut it to any size. Score on the back, fold. Instant batwing. I'll keep looking ...
hippie hill
Member
http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=84904
there u go freezerboy it was hoosierdaddy u see it in a pic in his first post
there u go freezerboy it was hoosierdaddy u see it in a pic in his first post
THAT'S IT! Great find. Why am I not surprised it was Hoossier?
Pittsburgh Kush
Member
try to make your own, going with out a reflector wastes a lot of lummens.
Pig-Pen
Member
Depends.
Arguably the most efficient use of a bulb is vertically, where you can use the full 360 degrees of light output. ( I say arguably only because someone will undoubtedly disagree, though they will have little bases for argument. )
Horizontally, a reflector does indeed make a noticeable difference, but at what cost? Mounted horizontally, the most you can directly utilize from the bulb is 180 degrees, but more like 90-100 degrees if it's mounted over the garden rather than in it. So the majority of the light is coming off the bulb, traveling to a reflector, and then traveling down into the garden. Keeping in mind the inverse square law, imagine how much intensity is lost from the majority of your light before it has a chance to reach the plants.
Reflectors don't just trap and reflect light, they also trap and reflect heat. So there's a hefty penalty. I used to have a 1k in a super cooled hood, on a mover and with a huge in-line exhaust fan and it still trapped and reflected an insane amount of heat. Exponentially more so than if the bare bulb hung vertically, or even in a large parabolic reflector.
So if you have your bulb(s) mounted horizontally, a reflector will help retain some lost efficiency. However if you really want to get the most out of your light, go vertical.
Arguably the most efficient use of a bulb is vertically, where you can use the full 360 degrees of light output. ( I say arguably only because someone will undoubtedly disagree, though they will have little bases for argument. )
Horizontally, a reflector does indeed make a noticeable difference, but at what cost? Mounted horizontally, the most you can directly utilize from the bulb is 180 degrees, but more like 90-100 degrees if it's mounted over the garden rather than in it. So the majority of the light is coming off the bulb, traveling to a reflector, and then traveling down into the garden. Keeping in mind the inverse square law, imagine how much intensity is lost from the majority of your light before it has a chance to reach the plants.
Reflectors don't just trap and reflect light, they also trap and reflect heat. So there's a hefty penalty. I used to have a 1k in a super cooled hood, on a mover and with a huge in-line exhaust fan and it still trapped and reflected an insane amount of heat. Exponentially more so than if the bare bulb hung vertically, or even in a large parabolic reflector.
So if you have your bulb(s) mounted horizontally, a reflector will help retain some lost efficiency. However if you really want to get the most out of your light, go vertical.
