Super Sun I/II, Magnum XXXL, Adjust A Wing Reflectors, and me

[Greyskull]

aloha

i am fine tuning my designs for my little medicinal operation upgrade, and have come to a block in the road regarding 'the right reflector for me'. the room is gonna be sealed, and i won't be air-cooling the lights - co2 and a/c and all the trimmings will be lovingly provided. i am pretty stoked to say the least. the big Q is which 1K loaded reflector is gonna give me the best results per 4x4 area?

i have used the SSI/II previously, with good results. because the lights will not be aircooled I am inclined to use the super duper cheap SSI and just go about my business. the reason i am drawn to the I over the II is the big hole on the sides of the II where the air cooling flanges are = uncompensated (no lower temps from air cooling) light loss.

the magnumm xxxl... big motherfucking reflector. but is bigger really better? is the spreadth of the light intensity evenly distributed? there are inserts available to 'plug' the air cooled flanges that have reflective material on the insides... but wouldn't i need to remove the glass form the reflector since i am not gonna be aircooling them?

the Adjust A Wings intrigue me. a few of my grower friends have jumped on the aaw bus, and now just hype them up like no ones business. 'dude you need to get the aaws you are losing!' i love how much intensity the perimeter of the garden gets. whats alarming to me though, is when we checked with a light meter the perimeter showed HIGHER readings than did the middle which was right under the bulb. WHAT? I do want the perimeter to get as much light as the middle, though i would prefer an even spreadth of light. i do not want the peremiter getting more light than the middle - seems a little odd to me. they are working pretty well 'environment' wise in the sealed rooms my friends have though... a big plus.

i laugh at myself sitting here because I am thinking in guitar/growing analogies as i often do... sun systems is like marshall guitar amps of the reflector world... the SS1 = JCM 800 2203, the SSII = JCM 800 2205. AAW are the 'new kid on the block' rich in features & technical prowess ala mesa/boogie triple rect amps....

aside from pico's thread (great thread thanks again dude!) i am not finding very much info on reflectors & their light spread, which has surprised me. so anyways, i am just stuck. I HAVE NO CLUE.

whats your experiences/preferences with reflectors?

mahalos in advance for the discussion

 

[jebus loves u]

adjusta all the way. i modify mine with cooltubes. i recommend if u got 1k's running a superspreader helps alot with the spreading of a even layer of light. i have 3x6 tables and the reflector can cover almost half the table. i use a light rail the travels 5 ft of the the table and my results have never been better. ran a 600w in a 3x3 12 plants without the cooltube modification and no super spreader and got 19oz

 

[phattybudz]

Magnums are the shit. They're fucking huge though, christ. It all depends on how big your space is really... if you're strictly within 4x4 some of that extra size will probably not matter.

I'm really not sure though, I just got them because an experienced friend hyped them..

 

[Tokin_Jo]

I've tried them all, now running 6 of these starting saturday.






Xtrasun Mondo Reflector
SKU: XTMD6AC ( previously XTMDUN )
Weight: 27.2 lbs.
Package Dimensions: 33.5L x 26.0W x 11.8H
Suggested Retail: $169.95

* Now Includes built-in socket and

* 15' pre-wired lamp cord

* Super size 23"x31" for super broad diffused light

* Lightweight aluminum (40% Lighter than steel) for easy hanging

* Includes flanges and gasketed lens

* 5 year warranty on reflective materials

 

[Greyskull]

i should mention the size of the flowering room....
10x12. i am planning on using an 8x8 area for the plants.


and big mahalos for the info thus far - keep it coming.

 

[mrred]

does anyone know of a cheap 1000hps reflector i thining under or maybe a higgher than 50 bucks each, or should i just make my own?

 

[Greyskull]

the SSIs can be had for 85-90.... you can stick whatever bulb/wattage you want.

 

[SmokeMan]

I got a xtra sun lamp and man that thing is not light weight! Its heavy. Dont try hanging it without some kind of good ceiling to hold it.

 

[bushdoctor215]

If you are sure you`ll never need to air cool, PL`s kick butt. Super light weight and the spread is top notch. SSII would be my second pick even with the 6" holes open. Their spread is better then the SSI. Those holes act as vents and let the heat out a lot better then the SSI. Those SSI`s get HOT and stay HOT without air cooling. That heat ends up radiating down into the canopy more. I returned the magnum xxl`s I tried. My light meter doesn`t lie. Never tried the wings, just doesn`t look like the spread would be very good front to back...

 

[Hydrosun]

I am placing 4 Magnum XXXL-8 in my remodeled dungeon today. The space is 10'x7.25'. The hoods will cover most of the room. I already have a nice shot of 4 Magnums over my 10'x10'. Check out the photos in my albums and in the thread on my sig.

Peace,

 

[pico]

Special test, just for you

http://icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?p=2680646#post2680646


Adjust a Wing? I think they are a joke, but that is just me. I tested a couple out and they were garbage.Not sure if I tested out the exact ones your friends have.

 

[mrred]

so whats the best one?

 

[Marlo]

I love the AAW's. I have 2 of them. Never tried any of the others mentioned here.
Good luck

 

[guest]

I was just reading about a test someone did the other day regarding these reflectors.

https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=51325&highlight=light+meter

 

[pico]

I was just reading about a test someone did the other day regarding these reflectors.

https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=51325&highlight=light+meter

That was me, and I just did a new test comparing the XXXL and the SS2 over a 5x5 area. I posted the link above, but I will just copy the post from my other thread so you guys can see the data you want.



uh oh, looks like Super Sun 2 just got taken out by the giant Magnum XXXL

I spent more time on these tests so we can chart the numbers and get a more accurate graph. I did a 5x5 area for the test @ 24" height, and did readings every 6". That is 121 readings per reflector!! Same basic test procedure as was done a couple years ago, so you can go read the first couple pages if you missed that.

NOTE: In my previous tests, I multiplied the number off my meter by 100, in these tests I forgot to do that. Makes no difference, but I am sure someone would ask why the numbers are so low.

XXXL Average 21.94
SS2 Average 21.06

Not a huge difference in averages, but about 4% more light coming from the XXXL.

Here are some charts, fairly similar, but see how the SS2 has a hotter hot spot in the middle.

Now let's look at some raw data

Looks like the XXXL has a more even spread of light across the area. The hot spots are not as bright, and the low spots are not as low. I still think the SS2 will be better for smaller areas with 600w lights, but I might just have to test that out now.

The XXXL is a very nice reflector that is sorta like a giant version of the SS2. It has spectral aluminum inserts on all inner surfaces, and a slim socket that does not obstruct air flow. The only problem I see with this reflector is that it is so big, it makes things hard to move around if you have a bunch of these. These are as big as 3 SS2 reflectors. They also cost about 50% more than the SS2.

All in all, I am impressed. Expect to see some pictures sometime soon with a bunch of these setup.



NOTE: THESE NUMBERS CAN NOT BE COMPARED TO ANY OTHER NUMBERS FROM ANY OTHER TESTS. DIFFERENT BULBS, BALLASTS, AND LOCATIONS HAVE BEEN USED.

 

[kp^]

Hello Greyskull!

I have 3 XXXL's in a 9.5' x 5' space and I love them!

Few of the guys at the local hydro shop have switched from the SS2 to the XXXL as well.. I got convinced to grab em, so I did.

The only thing I'm not a fan of is that taking the glass out is a 2 person job. Maybe I'm being too carefull, but I don't want to bust the glass

Older pics, but you get the idea

 

[Coco4Coco]

I am using the Sunlight Vertizontal Reflectors 4x4... using 2 over each 4x8 Tray with 600 watt HPS for SOG... works good... no air cool... but seems to distribute the light good to the whole table...

 

[MarquisBlack]

If you have height restrictions, go with the XXXL. Super Sun II's have to be relatively high to throw a healthy footprint. With the wider reflector/lens (not to mention over-all slimmer design), you can fit those XXXLS anywhere, assuming you don't have horizontal restrictions... But why would you?

 

[avgjoe]

Hey Marquis or anyone else, what height would you recommend with the SS2 on a 4x4 space? 1k, 600? Thanks!

 

[grapeman]

Pico did a thread on reflectors and did it very professionally. The Super Sun was the reigning champ until he tested the Magnum XXL (about a month or 6 weeks ago) and the Magnum beat out the Super Sun by 4 or 5%. The graphs he included show better light distribution, less hots spots and less cold spots.

Me, I bought 6 XXXL's several months ago and I can tell you that the hoods themselves are heavy (I redesigned my hangers so np), but they stay VERY cool. I decreased my air flow by 50% to cool the hoods as compared to my older hoods, enabling me to lower these babies to within inches of the plants with NO problems whatsoever. I have 3 hoods in tandem over each 4' x 8' platform, each with a 600w bulb for a total of 3600w in the room. Changed the dynamics of my whole room. I would give them serious consideration.