J
Jimson
- Posts
- 71
- Reactions
- 2
- Joined
- Feb 11, 2010
- Points
- 8
I'm setting up a new 4x4 tent and decided to take a flyer on this eBay light setup: //http://cgi.ebay.com/DIGITAL-AIR-COOL-TUBE-GROW-LIGHT-600-WATT-HPS-MH-600W-/330443866102?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ceffd3ff6
I checked the farm to see if anyone had reviewed these and came up empty - SO, I am doing a quickie review.
First of all I paid HALF what my 1st digital 600 watt unit cost. I watched them for a few days they were selling around 230-250 US$ The seller starts some at low initial bids to get your attention. ( I am a sucker for "FREE SHIPPING!" )
The packages came so fast it sat on the deck over a long weekend!
The HPS & MH bulbs, the cool-tube, the reflector 'kit', the timer and the light-hangers come nicely packaged in a scruffy looking carton.
You have to assemble the reflector. It's time consuming but simple if you have the most basic toolkit. The directions are a little sparse (picture too small) on one step - where you're attaching the reflector to the tube. When it's done, it looks flimsy but it's quite sturdy.
The digital ballast came in it's own poorly cushioned package. First sign of trouble ... something was rattling around inside the case. I opened it to find that some of the plastic that holds wires and stuff in-place had cracked off. I removed it - closed it back up - and started it up using the MH bulb for a burn-in test. 24 hours later, I set it up.
I had trouble getting my 6-inch hose attached to the cool tube - primarily because this is a very LONG tube. In a 4x4 foot tent, I could barely get 5 inches clear for the open end of the tube. I had to work on this clearance because without full air flow the entire reflector / tube gets almost too hot to touch. With full-flow (no filter) ventilation my tent temps run 12 degrees above the room temperature.
Right away, I was impressed with the coverage provided by the reflector - a nice crisp light shadow all the way around. The hangers are typical good quality. The timer - so far, very good. The ballast seems a trifle warm to me - I added a pc-case fan to my setup.
Maybe I am watching this light more closely but I am noticing that for the first two hours of ON-time, the light seems to vary in light-intensity. I can see it but it barely registers on my light-meter.
SUMMARY - at the moment, I feel positive. Check with me in a few months.
I checked the farm to see if anyone had reviewed these and came up empty - SO, I am doing a quickie review.
First of all I paid HALF what my 1st digital 600 watt unit cost. I watched them for a few days they were selling around 230-250 US$ The seller starts some at low initial bids to get your attention. ( I am a sucker for "FREE SHIPPING!" )
The packages came so fast it sat on the deck over a long weekend!
The HPS & MH bulbs, the cool-tube, the reflector 'kit', the timer and the light-hangers come nicely packaged in a scruffy looking carton.
You have to assemble the reflector. It's time consuming but simple if you have the most basic toolkit. The directions are a little sparse (picture too small) on one step - where you're attaching the reflector to the tube. When it's done, it looks flimsy but it's quite sturdy.
The digital ballast came in it's own poorly cushioned package. First sign of trouble ... something was rattling around inside the case. I opened it to find that some of the plastic that holds wires and stuff in-place had cracked off. I removed it - closed it back up - and started it up using the MH bulb for a burn-in test. 24 hours later, I set it up.
I had trouble getting my 6-inch hose attached to the cool tube - primarily because this is a very LONG tube. In a 4x4 foot tent, I could barely get 5 inches clear for the open end of the tube. I had to work on this clearance because without full air flow the entire reflector / tube gets almost too hot to touch. With full-flow (no filter) ventilation my tent temps run 12 degrees above the room temperature.
Right away, I was impressed with the coverage provided by the reflector - a nice crisp light shadow all the way around. The hangers are typical good quality. The timer - so far, very good. The ballast seems a trifle warm to me - I added a pc-case fan to my setup.
Maybe I am watching this light more closely but I am noticing that for the first two hours of ON-time, the light seems to vary in light-intensity. I can see it but it barely registers on my light-meter.
SUMMARY - at the moment, I feel positive. Check with me in a few months.