Cool Tube less light ?

I saw a post in here that stated a cool tube puts out less light than other reflectors.
I tend to disagree, i can see no reason that the clear glass tube would cut down on output or spread of light. I would think that say a 20"x 24" reflector with or without a cooltube would put out the same lumens and coverage spread. I have a digital light meter and have measured the output in all areas under the light (cooltube) and can not find a really low or dead spot. What do all you cooltube users think.

the thing you read might have been about a cool tube without a reflector or jus the walls reflected...if not it would deflect the direct light thru the glass and lessen the lumes by a little but it does lessen it kinda like the summer and winter sun one is closer and one is hotter

cantoke said:

I saw a post in here that stated a cool tube puts out less light than other reflectors.
I tend to disagree, i can see no reason that the clear glass tube would cut down on output or spread of light. I would think that say a 20"x 24" reflector with or without a cooltube would put out the same lumens and coverage spread. I have a digital light meter and have measured the output in all areas under the light (cooltube) and can not find a really low or dead spot. What do all you cooltube users think.

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Any reflector with glass covering the bulb is going to reduce the amount of light reaching your plants. It's minimal but still worth mentioning. I have an aircooled reflector (Not a cooltube) which has a glass lens. It does reduce the amount of light for a number of reasons. The lens picks up dirt and dust thereby reducing the light. It is also made of tempered glass which by itself reduces light. I don't worry about it because I can get the light closer to my plants. Plus my flowering room is nice and cozy, not burning up. I personally prefer aircooled reflectors but you have to do what works for you and weigh all the pros and cons.

nanskies said:

the thing you read might have been about a cool tube without a reflector or jus the walls reflected...if not it would deflect the direct light thru the glass and lessen the lumes by a little but it does lessen it kinda like the summer and winter sun one is closer and one is hotter

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Yea i see what ya mean i love my cooltube i run a huge fan cooling it and can get it as close as 7" without heat burn or stress. My light meter shows a big difference in output closer is higher and everyone wants higher.

doc111 said:

Any reflector with glass covering the bulb is going to reduce the amount of light reaching your plants. It's minimal but still worth mentioning. I have an aircooled reflector (Not a cooltube) which has a glass lens. It does reduce the amount of light for a number of reasons. The lens picks up dirt and dust thereby reducing the light. It is also made of tempered glass which by itself reduces light. I don't worry about it because I can get the light closer to my plants. Plus my flowering room is nice and cozy, not burning up. I personally prefer aircooled reflectors but you have to do what works for you and weigh all the pros and cons.

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I think it is preference they both can do a good job but i agree i like the abilithy to get real close and love the lower temps which i think out weighs the minimal lose in lumens. next bulb change ill stick in a higher lumens output bulb and that will help. Thanks for the info.

cantoke said:

I think it is preference they both can do a good job but i agree i like the abilithy to get real close and love the lower temps which i think out weighs the minimal lose in lumens. next bulb change ill stick in a higher lumens output bulb and that will help. Thanks for the info.

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The lumen loss is minimal which is a good thing. The main thing is to keep the glass as clean as possible. Clean it every chance you get (when the lights are off of course) and that will go a long way toward keeping lumen loss to a minimum. Putting a higher lumen bulb in will also help. Air cooled is the way to go IMO!

hey i was wondering if using two inline duct fans with 250 cfm each together would equal a total of 500 cfm? because two duct inlines is $50 where as an inline can fan 6" moves 424cfm and is double the price of the two duct fans?

GardenCenter said:

hey i was wondering if using two inline duct fans with 250 cfm each together would equal a total of 500 cfm? because two duct inlines is $50 where as an inline can fan 6" moves 424cfm and is double the price of the two duct fans?

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I used to use duct(booster) fans but ran in to two problems the say they are rated at 250 cfm but that is calculated when aided by the output of an ac or heating units fan also pushing air with them they only put out about 160 cfm max. They also cant stand up to the heat and constant running very well i burned them up every 4-5 months. get a good can fan maybe 450-465 cfrm it willwork better last longer. Look around you can find them about 150 $. I use an active air Blower with intake adapter, exhaust directly out ceiling to attic only cost 100 $ new at hydro shop its 465 cfm it will suck the balls of em. you can also ad a exhaust adapter 11 $ and use as an inline fan kinda heavy requires decent mounting support but works for me it can cool a 400 hps and ventilate a small room or large tent at same time. This is what works for me. Spend a little more now and really save later after you go through a few cheap fans you could have bought a decent one your plants will love ya for it. Good Luck

If you are that strapped for cash, you can get powerful 6" squirrel cage blowers that are made to last off of old Jenn-Air downdraft ranges and other downdraft ranges. Jenn air units are separate from the stove already not sure about the others, you'll find deals on craigslist or ebay or local papers etc. Just an option, they move a lot of air and are in the same price range as two duct boosters. You can also just look for used agricultural blowers or duct fans while you're at it.

Anyway cooltubes are a trade off, and as stated you can just keep the light closer and offset a lot of that. Not all of it, but a lot of it.