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Help a newb choose a hood

igotpron

Member
im debating on what to purchase here. im goin with a 1000hps/mh setup, and im stuck on a hood choice, my area is 8' height, 7.5' wide and 22"deep. which hood should i be looking at if i get something like a sungro hood i will only have a inch of play between the wall and door. is this ok? or should i be using a cooltube setup with a batwing? which would do a better job at spotlighting the light down and not shining on the walls..? im also planning using a light mover, should i be encountering any problems with ducting and a might light going back and forth across a track? please be easy on me this is my first setup and im trying to do everything right.. and dont wanna be wasting my money on stuff i dont really need, so you gurus mind helping me out? thanks for any replies.. and maybe some one can link me to a good lighting site.. for the setup id like im trying to price compair and not wanting to overpay if i dont have to.
Peace
 
G

Guest

With the long rectangle shape of your grow area, you would be better off running 2 400 watt lights. This would even out the lighting on the canopy, even with a mover.

You want a hood that throws the light in a rectangle rather than a square; make sure it will fit in the garden in the correct orientation. You don't want to throw all the light on the walls and none on the plants by hanging it the wrong way.

What kind of ventilation exhaust do you have? Are you venting into an attic, out the door into the room, into a ventilation blower, directly outside, or.....? Powerful lights in a restricted area like that are going to make a lot of heat. You're thinking right by hooking them up to ducting - air cooled lights will make a big difference. I've never used a light mover, Secret Room or someone else who has can answer those questions better than I can.
 

igotpron

Member
im pretty deadset on 1000, i would prefer a 600 but they cost more, and for the 2 400s, thats a bit out of my budget, im trying to keep my costs soemwhat down..i plan on using one of thought inline 450cfm fans and pump straight into the attic, plus the doors will br left open as well with additional fans inside. so which way do i want the hood to face? how am i supposed to tell?
 
G

Guest

Yo mang, might i suggest you try this hood, if you have a sunlight supply lamp or one that is compatible .... otherwise the cooltube might be your best bet.

http://www.midwesthydroponics.com/products/lights/lights.asp?id=19

I've tried 5 different hoods, and of those 5 the Cool Sun reflector by sunlight supply is the best one I've tried yet. It will give you a very nice sized footprint with a 1k goin in there. Get the glass shielding , and some 6 inch flexible aluminium, or insulated ducting , and hook it up to a carbon filter & fan .... and there you have it.

this hood in particular is nice because the vent flanges are on the ends of the hood, which allows you to more easily add lamps in line with eachother.

also if you plan on moving or upgrading to a room sized grow , this would probably be the reflector that you will want, it's always nice to have things that you won't want to upgrade later, save ya some ching.

THC
 

Verite

My little pony.. my little pony
Veteran
The Super suns work pretty good and throw light centrally down from the hood. You wont find another hood thats fully adjustable, can be air cooled where the distance from the bulb to the hood is as small.

It would work well in the 7.5' x 22" space but probably need a mover to get the edges and you would want one if your dead set on getting a 1000w. I own a few Super Sun hoods.
 
G

Guest

I'd go with the cool sun over the super sun, it will cool your 1000 watter better, the super sun only has 4 inch flanges , 6 is what you want.

THC
 
G

Guest

My cabinet is similar (2.8' x 8') and I run 2 600's in Cool Sun reflectors. The only complaint I have with these is that the 2 flange edges are straight up and down, not angled. My opinion is that this reduces light to the sides where you need it in a rectangle cabinet, especially with a single light.


This reflector would work better in that cab if it could be rotated but no can do. I would go with a cool tube with no bat wing. I think you would get the max light distribution this way and if you have reflective wall coverings it will help direct the light down to the canopy.... :2cents:
 

guineapig

Active member
Veteran
igotpron said:
im debating on what to purchase here.

ok lets try to "steer" you in the right direction.....moo!

im goin with a 1000hps/mh setup, and im stuck on a hood choice, my area is 8' height, 7.5' wide and 22"deep. which hood should i be looking at if i get something like a sungro hood i will only have a inch of play between the wall and door. is this ok?

here is a quote about the sungro hood.....
"Dimensions are: 20 - 1/2 inches long by 20 - 3/4 inches wide. Louvered on one end and top. Can be easily converted into air-cooled by attaching hose fittings. Features our exclusive "adjust-a-socket" mechanism to center every length lamp and/or raise and lower the lamp position inside the reflector to customize light patterns. Will accommodate all sizes of halides, (including BT-56) and all sizes of HPS lamps. "

so it does look like it will just barely fit if you use the sungro hood.....i think you should be ok, though.....i would use mylar on those walls because i would be afraid of paint peeling.....it might get a bit hot on those walls....

or should i be using a cooltube setup with a batwing? which would do a better job at spotlighting the light down and not shining on the walls..?

the bigger bulkier reflectors should do a better job....

im also planning using a light mover,

really? are you dead-set on using a light mover? i think light movers are better suited to a larger room rather than a narrower closet......however, this is not to say that you cannot use one.....you need to factor in the reflector jutting out at both ends so give yourself 2 feet at both ends to accomodate this fact.....also let me say from experience that just because you have a light mover does not mean that your 1000 watt lumen-blaster will not burn the tops of your plants......in theory it shouldn't but, then again, Communism works "in theory"......heheheehe

should i be encountering any problems with ducting and a might light going back and forth across a track?

when you say "problems with ducting," do you mean that you are looking for an air-cooled reflector? the ventilation of the area and the light is probably the number One issue with this set-up because you have a 1000 watter in an enclosed closet type of space.....so we need to talk about our possible ventilation solutions.....that should be your priority....

please be easy on me this is my first setup and im trying to do everything right..

ok don't worry.....we won't break out the whips just yet...:whip::whip::whip:

and dont wanna be wasting my money on stuff i dont really need, so you gurus mind helping me out?

well of course we will!!! people around here are nice and kind so don't be afraid to ask questions.....

thanks for any replies.. and maybe some one can link me to a good lighting site..

www.discounthydroponics.com
www.globalgrow.com
etc.....etc.....etc.... will you be mail-ordering of shopping local?

for the setup id like im trying to price compair and not wanting to overpay if i dont have to.
Peace

hopefully the kindly ol' guineapig has been of service.....i realize you are a little "wet behind the ears" but don't worry 'bout that mon.....we were all "wet behind the ears" at one point in our lives:
HA!!!

-kind regards from a hilarious guineapig......:wave:
 
S

stretchpuppy

I have the 4" flange Super Sun and it's great for my small setup because the vent is on the side and not the end of the hood, plus it is only 12" wide.

They have the Super Sun 2 now with has 6" flanges on both ends, rather than a 4" flange on the side like the Super Sun.
 

igotpron

Member
let me get something right most hoods with a horizontal bulb, the sides of the bulb should be facing the longes part of your grow area right?

my concerns with the flex duct is it possibly bunching up as the light mover goes back and forth. iunno i didnt like the idea of a light mover either, but the price of 2 600s was a much worse idea to me. but it would be ideal.. so ive concluded that my beast of an air mover is going to be placed in the attic, and im going to have a solid piece of duct going through my ceiling making things a little easier. probably in the center to cut down on ducting. i have 2 monsterous inlines picked out. not sure which but the vortex 449 looks really good, but thats right at 200 and the hurricane i can get shipped for under 200 as well that puts out 630cfm.. im leaning towards this one..

guinea pig? you got some information youd like to give me to digest?
 
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ChaoticEntity

Active member
I would suggest getting a light rail, it'll even out the lighting quite a bit, as far as the hood as long as there's enough space for airflow get the one that reflects the best at a reasonable price and fits.
 
G

Guest

Hi there,
I've run both the Super Sun's(both 1 and 2) and the Cool Sun hoods. For the money, if you're buying new, I'd get the new Super Sun 2 hood. It has the 6" flanges, throws out very equal light, and works great with a mover(light rail 3.5). The Cool Suns are very nice hoods, I just think they're big and heavy...

cg :joint: :wave:
 
G

Guest

I have yet to purchase a Super Sun 2, but my local hydro store has one setup, with a fairly large Can fan for ventilation, and it is cool enough for me to stick my hand on the glass, it only feels warm to the touch. It has a 1000 watter in it. I plan on getting a few when I upgrade.
 
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