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48" Dual Cool tube

megayields

megayields

Grower of Connoisseur herb's.
ICMag Donor
Veteran
If u design ur room right u do not need cool tubes, most of the guys pulling big numbers here never use cool Tues, they cut down on lumens too much, I have (and never will) use cool tubes.

Good luck and welcome!
 
O

OrganicOzarks

megayields said:
If u design ur room right u do not need cool tubes, most of the guys pulling big numbers here never use cool Tues, they cut down on lumens too much, I have (and never will) use cool tubes.

Good luck and welcome!
Click to expand...

Are you referring to stacking the lights, putting a fan a the bottom of the stack, and then placing your filter fan combo above the stack? I was going to try to setup this way, but honestly I wanted a backup plan.
 
prowler

prowler

Member
Ditch the backup plan. You'll get more efficiency with bare bulbs - no matter what and what makes a rule of thumb is an exception: I assume that you have enough space sideways. Plant distance from the bulb i mean.
 
5

5th

Active member
Veteran
Nothing wrong with a backup plan. Try to get your temps in check with barebulbs, if you can't...get a cool tube. I've seen good results with tubes being used in compact spaces, and better results with a larger area used and no cooltube. :2cents:
 
dansbuds

dansbuds

Retired from the workforce Bullshit
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Yeah i found that cooltubes work better in smaller places where you want alot of light . they get the heat out better than bare bulb .but in a open room bare bulb or hoods will work better . just my opinion anyways . :)
 
Abja Roots

Abja Roots

ABF(Always Be Flowering) - Founder
Veteran
I run bare bulbs in a bigger open room. It works fine.

However I'm thinking of setting up a 5x10 tent soon. Normally I would just go bare bulb, but I'm thinking that since I have them I may give the 8" cool tubes another run. I'm thinking of putting 3 or 4 of them in a row across the tent. Normally I run 1000's but I'm thinking about running 600's instead. I always felt like the foot print was too small, and the metal collars blocked too much light. However with the 600 I expect a reduced foot print, so I think it will be fine.

I'll give it a shot, since I have them. If it doesn't work then I'll be going with the 8" air cooled magnums.

Normally though I swear by bare bulb.
 
Shcrews

Shcrews

DO WHO YOU BE
Veteran
prowler said:
You'll get more efficiency with bare bulbs - no matter what
Click to expand...

megayields said:
most of the guys pulling big numbers here never use cool Tues, they cut down on lumens too much,!
Click to expand...

no offense but i have to disagree here, it has been proven here on ICMag that a layer of glass will not cut down on your lumens.. i believe pico showed a 2% (negligible) light loss with sealed vs open reflectors.

the extra heat put off by bigger bulbs, 1000w+, is sometimes too much for a smaller grow room. I could have never run my 3kw stacks with out cooltubes. sometimes they are the best option.


for the original post, i would ignore those big, cumbersome pre-assembled cooltube stacks, and make your own like other people on here have done.
 
wisco61

wisco61

Member
Shcrews said:
no offense but i have to disagree here, it has been proven here on ICMag that a layer of glass will not cut down on your lumens.. i believe pico showed a 2% (negligible) light loss with sealed vs open reflectors.

the extra heat put off by bigger bulbs, 1000w+, is sometimes too much for a smaller grow room. I could have never run my 3kw stacks with out cooltubes. sometimes they are the best option.


for the original post, i would ignore those big, cumbersome pre-assembled cooltube stacks, and make your own like other people on here have done.
Click to expand...

I read somewhere that the cooltubes block a lot more light because of the curved surface, like 10% if I remember correctly.
 
BIGGS

BIGGS

**********
Veteran
Any lumens lost from the glass can be made up by moveing the cooltube closer to the plant. Seeing as it is aircooled. Aircooleds are great lights if used correctly.
 
D

DHF

Every setup has it`s pro`s and con`s of equipment cost to dial each room`s environment , and air-cooled hoods do well if kept clean and concentrate at least 50 watts per sq ft on flat gardens........but....

Cool tubes.......The only reflectors I ever tried due to gettin em free in a pkg deal from mdhydro that cost me a full 25% yield loss in the room I did a control flip room side by side with 3 lights using cool tubes and 3 bare bulbs hangin with small muffin fans underneath and air exchange out thru scrubber exhaust combo`s twice per min.......

Made a post in Bobble`s thread bout having end colas as close as 6" away from the bare bulbs every run with never any scorching/bleaching creating the proper environment.....I guess the plants could get closer to cool tubes , but anything closer than 6" has always scorched/bleached my top colas so why get em any closer cuz you can if the results are counterproductive.....

Dial environment.........Glass tubes not required....A/C`s and dehuey`s are required IME so.....Dial environment.....

Peace....DHF......:ying:........
 
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bobblehead

bobblehead

Active member
Veteran
Shcrews said:
no offense but i have to disagree here, it has been proven here on ICMag that a layer of glass will not cut down on your lumens.. i believe pico showed a 2% (negligible) light loss with sealed vs open reflectors.

the extra heat put off by bigger bulbs, 1000w+, is sometimes too much for a smaller grow room. I could have never run my 3kw stacks with out cooltubes. sometimes they are the best option.


for the original post, i would ignore those big, cumbersome pre-assembled cooltube stacks, and make your own like other people on here have done.
Click to expand...

Pico is da man! I used his reserach to make my decision to buy SS2's.

Now, that being said... Look at what you wrote.
i believe pico showed a 2% (negligible) light loss with sealed vs open reflectors.


A reflector uses a pain of glass. It's thin, and if you keep it clean, there is little light lost vs. an open reflector.


A cool tube is made of much thicker glass, distorting the light waves more than they would be with a flat pain of glass.

Are you going to take the cool tube apart during the grow and clean it out? Take the $2-300 you want to spend on an extra large cool tube, and upgrade your exhaust. There is no replacement for displacement!


If you want to throw information around... blazeoneup switched out his 1k in a cool tube for a 600w, and got the same yield... He was able to get the 600w right on top of the plants.
 
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D

DHF

bobblehead said:
Pico is da man! I used his reserach to make my decision to buy SS2's.

Now, that being said... Look at what you wrote.
i believe pico showed a 2% (negligible) light loss with sealed vs open reflectors.


A reflector uses a pain of glass. It's thin, and if you keep it clean, there is little light lost vs. an open reflector.


Now, completely ditching the reflector, so Pico's analysis isn't even applicable... A cool tube is made of much thicker glass, distorting the light waves more than they would be with a flat pain of glass.

Are you going to take the cool tube apart during the grow and clean it out? Take the $2-300 you want to spend on an extra large cool tube, and upgrade your exhaust. There is no replacement for displacement!


If you want to throw information around... blazeoneup switched out his 1k in a cool tube for a 600w, and got the same yield... He was able to get the 600w right on top of the plants.
Click to expand...
Great minds think alike.....Bobble`s......you da man.....

Cool tubes suck .......used em for target practice after harvey......Bare bulbs rule.......easier ta cool and spread more light EVERYWHERE.....but.....

If your room needs air cooled reflectors for environment on a flat SOG type thingy with increased plant numbers to keep lights as close as possible for lumen penetration , then it`s all a tradeoff.....

Peace....DHF.....:ying:.......
 
311devon

311devon

Member
I couldnt believe how effective the bare bulb setup DHF and many others reccomend was once i set it up. I'm running a 400w CMH in a 3x3 room exhausted with a 450cfm vortex pulling through a carbon filter rated at 200cfm(this is temporary) and after being on for hours i can reach in and grab the ceramic bulb socket and hold it as long as i like. The room is running 5 degrees above ambient right now. Its simple and effective as hell. Heres a link if ya wanna see it:

https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=218527
 
5

5th

Active member
Veteran
....I was going to start with "they're wrong"....but you haven't mentioned growing space.
 
vangaurd

vangaurd

Member
I am running a 400 hps bare in a 36x36 inch space and was able to keep my temps within 12 degrees of day and night. I'm still learning hydro and that was my first run with this set up so like DHF said dial it in and anything is possible...
 
O

OrganicOzarks

My space is 6'6"w x 8'l x 6'6" tall. I have 5 600 watters that i want to put in there. For a total of 3000 watts. I thought I would have to use cool tubes to be able to get the much light in there.
 
vangaurd

vangaurd

Member
If you havent I would read Bobble's thread these are his latest numbers...

"3lbs Strawberry DD, 1lb USD. That's 4lbs off 1800w of light, or 1gpw+."

DAAAAAMN SMOKEY
 
O

OrganicOzarks

vangaurd said:
If you havent I would read Bobble's thread these are his latest numbers...

"3lbs Strawberry DD, 1lb USD. That's 4lbs off 1800w of light, or 1gpw+."

DAAAAAMN SMOKEY
Click to expand...

After reading through that thread it appears I may be trying to squeeze to much light into my space.
 
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