jessie.diamond
Member
I've been reading "hugely* contentious debates on the reflectivity of aluminum foil -- ones with folks investing enormous amounts of argument and discussion time.
Yet there's an *incredibly* easy way to end the debate FOREVER, and help us grow better plants -- which is what we're mainly here for.
Here's the incredibly simple experiment (in general, not in anal detail):
Someone here MUST have a PAR-specific light meter, or know someone who does. Wrap a piece of cardboard in GENERIC aluminum foil and wrap another piece with Mylar. Stick a CFL under one and then under the under, measuring the PAR with your meter.
DEBATE SOLVED!
For those who are a stickler for precision, realize here that PRECISION ISN'T IMPORTANT FOR THIS END-OF-THE-DEBATE test.
Why? Because the argument is between EXTREMES. We're simply trying to see whether aluminum foil is closer to a PATHETIC reflector of PAR light (i.e., 50%) or closer to a VERY GOOD one (90%).
It's that simple. I'd do it, but I only have an old Panalux light meter (not PAR specific).
~jessie
Yet there's an *incredibly* easy way to end the debate FOREVER, and help us grow better plants -- which is what we're mainly here for.
Here's the incredibly simple experiment (in general, not in anal detail):
Someone here MUST have a PAR-specific light meter, or know someone who does. Wrap a piece of cardboard in GENERIC aluminum foil and wrap another piece with Mylar. Stick a CFL under one and then under the under, measuring the PAR with your meter.
DEBATE SOLVED!
For those who are a stickler for precision, realize here that PRECISION ISN'T IMPORTANT FOR THIS END-OF-THE-DEBATE test.
Why? Because the argument is between EXTREMES. We're simply trying to see whether aluminum foil is closer to a PATHETIC reflector of PAR light (i.e., 50%) or closer to a VERY GOOD one (90%).
It's that simple. I'd do it, but I only have an old Panalux light meter (not PAR specific).
~jessie