Adjust-A-Wing Hoods

[ttystikk]

Spreader is BS. If you adjust the bulb upwards toward reflector it is brighter, or it sure seems that way. As far as costing more to run...(GTB) it may be so, but the costs of ducting and fans to exhaust the air cooled is spendy too.

Using or not using the super spreader, adjusting the depth of the bulb in the reflector and adjusting the wings in and out to help spread or focus light is why this reflector is so good. It takes some time and experience to learn what settings work best for each setup and situation but that beats a one size fits whatever the designers guessed approach.

For my own two cents, I set my a-wings up this way:
1. bulb as low (far away from reflector) as possible
2. wings as wide as possible
3. super spreader in my cocktail, as a stirrer

To take things to the next level, I've used these in my light rotator setups, and they are the best reflectors for use in movers, bar none.

It's a lot cheaper to buy ducted hoods, ducting, fans and such than it is to buy double or triple the air conditioning capacity, let alone operate it. For power conscious growers, this is the right setup. That said, for ultimate performance, a-wings are the way to go.

 

[LexLuthor]

Anybody with experience using a-wings, do you think a 5k btu window unit is enough cooling for a 1k a-wing in a 4'x4' tent with a 190 CFM exhaust??? I would connect the A/C with duct into the bottom of the tent and the exhaust would be up top with a carbon filter.

P.S. Not trying to thread jack, but this seems like a good thread to ask that question.

 

[fishwhistle]

lex,the cooling guru says 4k for a vented 1k and 6k non vented so your in the ballpark.

 

[ttystikk]

Anybody with experience using a-wings, do you think a 5k btu window unit is enough cooling for a 1k a-wing in a 4'x4' tent with a 190 CFM exhaust??? I would connect the A/C with duct into the bottom of the tent and the exhaust would be up top with a carbon filter.

P.S. Not trying to thread jack, but this seems like a good thread to ask that question.

lex,the cooling guru says 4k for a vented 1k and 6k non vented so your in the ballpark.

I get this question a lot, and the first piece of advice I try to give is to find a way to shed as much heat without AC as possible, for two reasons; first, lower power bills, and second, that a system that is less dependent on AC will always be more stable and less prone to catastrophic failure (like a high temp spike) than one that's totally dependent on it.

The numbers I hear most are 2500BTu for a 1kW bulb and 1500BTu for its magnetic ballast, half of that for a digital one. If your setup is able to handle twice the expected load (I use 25% overcapacity as a bare minimum, 50% is optimal), then you're doing well and the extra headroom will come in handy keeping things cool on hot days.

If you plan to use an adjustable voltage ballast to get you through the hottest days, consider that no matter what you're giving up a lot of efficiency- underdriving bulbs means you get fewer lumens per watt- and you're shortening the bulb's life, sometimes drastically. An extreme case is running a MH bulb at 50%; its rated life expectancy drops by 90% by doing that!

 

[LexLuthor]

^^^^Thanks, tty and fish.

 

[CrippledArcher]

See this is what the farms about, everybody giving advice and building on the original thread and still keeping it very reliant and relevant :D

 

[caveman4.20]

i clip a tiny fan at the socket end of my 1k lg a-wing (on a mover) just to help push the heat towards the exhaust vent... i bet it helps even if the room is sealed.

 

[purpleberry]

I got one today and put it together, Really easy. I like how the adjustments work, I going to go ahead and set up a room with these. The spacing is the part i cant figure out since they tell you run them 6x7' No way im trying that. Im thinking more like 4x5. Ive decided to set up the room with strut channel on the roof and run the hood on conduit with chain running up to the strut rail i should be able to move the spacing anywhere i want from 4x4 to 6x6 Plus the hood adjustments, Im going to have to get a light meter and spend a day moving shit around.

 

[LexLuthor]

I got one today and put it together, Really easy. I like how the adjustments work, I going to go ahead and set up a room with these. The spacing is the part i cant figure out since they tell you run them 6x7' No way im trying that. Im thinking more like 4x5. Ive decided to set up the room with strut channel on the roof and run the hood on conduit with chain running up to the strut rail i should be able to move the spacing anywhere i want from 4x4 to 6x6 Plus the hood adjustments, Im going to have to get a light meter and spend a day moving shit around.

I think there website says to space them twice as far as they are from the walls (end of canopy). So if there 1 foot from the walls or the end of the canopy then you should space them 2 feet apart. You obviously don't have to do exactly like they recommend because they say use each hood for a 6'x7' space then they use 1 for a 4'x4' grow tent, but its a good measurement to go by.