Light Leaks question in side

[hushboy]

So when i was buying my tent i came across reviews talking about light leaks into the tent.some ppl complained about pin hole leaks.

In Nature isn't the moon light leaking?

if so what is an acceptable amount of light leak.
1. Pin holes around stitching
2. Gaps in vent holes
3. The occasional peak after lights out
4. Missing light off cycle
5. all of the above but only for one night cycle
6. all of the above in excess (once a night every night)
7. (1,2)
8. (3,4)
9. all of the above.
10. all of the above but only for one night cycle

 

[chemistry]

Weeds that grow wild at the side of the road, has traffic going past all night every night with high beam LED's, so does the odd light leak make any difference, and are light leaks the preserve of forum talkers, it's fiercely debatable.

 

[az2000]

In Nature isn't the moon light leaking?

1. Pin holes around stitching
2. Gaps in vent holes

I don't think pin-hole leaks matter much. The flaps around the bottom can let in a lot of light (especially if high air flow is lifting them). I use cardboard (2' wide, however long as the edge of the tent), paint it flat black, and prop it against the base of the tent to create a darkened tunnel, shading the vents. That reduces how direct the light is.

For pin holes, you can smear some "Goop shoe glue" on them (I haven't done this. I don't think pinhole light is bad). Zip yourself in the tent and see what it looks like. The zipper can let light in where all three come together at the top. You can use Ecco paperclips to clip a 6x6" piece of cardboard to that top zipper flap, and block that part.

I think color temperature, how direct the light is, and how abruptly it happens makes a different. The moon gradually goes from new to full. I think an outdoor plant can adapt to that rather than a sudden source of light. Moonlight (at least reflect around us) looks like cool white. It's actually warmer than you'd think. But, it's not 2700k like a household lightbulb on your table lamp, which might enter through the flap.

I think there's something about the distance. Under a full moon, things seem bright. But, the source is still hundreds of thousands of miles away. It's like a cool glow from everything around you being dimly lit. A table light might be just 8' away. If that passes through the vent flap (in addition to the color temperature being more "flowery") the intensity could be more like a beam than just a soft glow. (That's why I use those black cardboard shades around the base of the tent. I'm not trying to prevent *any* light from getting into the tent. I just don't want direct a direct beam of light. If there's a soft glow of light around the vents, I'm ok with that. (You can improve those flaps by clipping some black poster board onto them. Make the flaps extend further past the mesh opening. The air flow will still lift them. It just wont be as "full on" light from the outside.

You could make the outside lean-to (that I use) more like a baffle. Use a 12x12" box that's very long (or tape a few together to make a long one). Stagger baffles inside the box for the air to travel through while blocking direct light. If you really wanted to, you could make those vents dark that way.

You can also tape those flaps down (inside the tent) and use 4" or 6" ducting as the inlet for air. You should have a couple of those openings at the bottom of the tent. You can buy plastic or steel flanges that you can install anywhere on the side of the tent, and connect ducting to. you could make your tent look like an octopus with 8 silver tentacles snaking around the bottom outside.

 

[MIMedGrower]

The moon is simply a reflection and hits us at a mere 1 candlepower (1 lumen). Humans have bery sensitive eyes so we can see it but plants do not recieve light energy from it.

As far as light leaks there are many variables such as genetics and breeding and environment. But i have had a plant reverse that was right in front of a pinhole leak and the other plants out of the direct beam did not herm.

 

[hushboy]

or is moon light a completely different type of light that

I don't think pin-hole leaks matter much. The flaps around the bottom can let in a lot of light (especially if high air flow is lifting them). I use cardboard (2' wide, however long as the edge of the tent), paint it flat black, and prop it against the base of the tent to create a darkened tunnel, shading the vents. That reduces how direct the light is.

For pin holes, you can smear some "Goop shoe glue" on them (I haven't done this. I don't think pinhole light is bad). Zip yourself in the tent and see what it looks like. The zipper can let light in where all three come together at the top. You can use Ecco paperclips to clip a 6x6" piece of cardboard to that top zipper flap, and block that part.

I think color temperature, how direct the light is, and how abruptly it happens makes a different. The moon gradually goes from new to full. I think an outdoor plant can adapt to that rather than a sudden source of light. Moonlight (at least reflect around us) looks like cool white. It's actually warmer than you'd think. But, it's not 2700k like a household lightbulb on your table lamp, which might enter through the flap.

I think there's something about the distance. Under a full moon, things seem bright. But, the source is still hundreds of thousands of miles away. It's like a cool glow from everything around you being dimly lit. A table light might be just 8' away. If that passes through the vent flap (in addition to the color temperature being more "flowery") the intensity could be more like a beam than just a soft glow. (That's why I use those black cardboard shades around the base of the tent. I'm not trying to prevent *any* light from getting into the tent. I just don't want direct a direct beam of light. If there's a soft glow of light around the vents, I'm ok with that. (You can improve those flaps by clipping some black poster board onto them. Make the flaps extend further past the mesh opening. The air flow will still lift them. It just wont be as "full on" light from the outside.

You could make the outside lean-to (that I use) more like a baffle. Use a 12x12" box that's very long (or tape a few together to make a long one). Stagger baffles inside the box for the air to travel through while blocking direct light. If you really wanted to, you could make those vents dark that way.

You can also tape those flaps down (inside the tent) and use 4" or 6" ducting as the inlet for air. You should have a couple of those openings at the bottom of the tent. You can buy plastic or steel flanges that you can install anywhere on the side of the tent, and connect ducting to. you could make your tent look like an octopus with 8 silver tentacles snaking around the bottom outside.

Thanks for the help really helps me know how much i should care about light leaks.

 

[hushboy]

The moon is simply a reflection and hits us at a mere 1 candlepower (1 lumen). Humans have bery sensitive eyes so we can see it but plants do not recieve light energy from it.

As far as light leaks there are many variables such as genetics and breeding and environment. But i have had a plant reverse that was right in front of a pinhole leak and the other plants out of the direct beam did not herm.

I see. I would be mad if my plant hermied due to a pin hole. But true genetics dose play huge role. Thanks for reply.

 

[az2000]

I was just thinking... if you didn't want to smear shoe-glue on the seams (cover stitching-pin holes): go to the fabric store and buy some black poplin (lightweight) cloth. Drape it over the outside of the tent. Create your own "shade" around the tent. That would be easy. If the bottom flaps are shaded with cardboard as I described, the cloth won't interfere with air intake (you might want to create some places around the floor where the cloth is kept up off the floor for the air to enter easily). When you have to work on the tent (open a side window, the front door) lift the draped and toss it on top.

That material wouln't be thick enough to be "blackout." It's not sheer, chiffon either. It's something in between. It will breath. But, it's thick enough to break the direct light. It would create very good shade. If you were zipped in the tent, you might still see evidence that there's light outside. But, it's not going be glaring pin holes (a table light beaming directly through a hole). I think that directness is what makes a difference. I don't think it has to be perfectly black in the tent. But, the light should be indirect.

A fabric store near me has poplin for $3 USD per yard. It's 60" wide. You don't have to sew it together. Just drape over the tent to create a layer of shade. That would be cheap compared to buying an expensive tent.

 

[MIMedGrower]

I was just thinking... if you didn't want to smear shoe-glue on the seams (cover stitching-pin holes): go to the fabric store and buy some black poplin (lightweight) cloth. Drape it over the outside of the tent. Create your own "shade" around the tent. That would be easy. If the bottom flaps are shaded with cardboard as I described, the cloth won't interfere with air intake (you might want to create some places around the floor where the cloth is kept up off the floor for the air to enter easily). When you have to work on the tent (open a side window, the front door) lift the draped and toss it on top.

That material wouln't be thick enough to be "blackout." It's not sheer, chiffon either. It's something in between. It will breath. But, it's thick enough to break the direct light. It would create very good shade. If you were zipped in the tent, you might still see evidence that there's light outside. But, it's not going be glaring pin holes (a table light beaming directly through a hole). I think that directness is what makes a difference. I don't think it has to be perfectly black in the tent. But, the light should be indirect.

A fabric store near me has poplin for $3 USD per yard. It's 60" wide. You don't have to sew it together. Just drape over the tent to create a layer of shade. That would be cheap compared to buying an expensive tent.

I just used gorilla tape. Covered anywhere the hps showed through seams or pinholes then made a bigger flap under the zippers with folded tape.

 

[hushboy]

I was just thinking... if you didn't want to smear shoe-glue on the seams (cover stitching-pin holes): go to the fabric store and buy some black poplin (lightweight) cloth. Drape it over the outside of the tent. Create your own "shade" around the tent. That would be easy. If the bottom flaps are shaded with cardboard as I described, the cloth won't interfere with air intake (you might want to create some places around the floor where the cloth is kept up off the floor for the air to enter easily). When you have to work on the tent (open a side window, the front door) lift the draped and toss it on top.

That material wouln't be thick enough to be "blackout." It's not sheer, chiffon either. It's something in between. It will breath. But, it's thick enough to break the direct light. It would create very good shade. If you were zipped in the tent, you might still see evidence that there's light outside. But, it's not going be glaring pin holes (a table light beaming directly through a hole). I think that directness is what makes a difference. I don't think it has to be perfectly black in the tent. But, the light should be indirect.

A fabric store near me has poplin for $3 USD per yard. It's 60" wide. You don't have to sew it together. Just drape over the tent to create a layer of shade. That would be cheap compared to buying an expensive tent.

I swear this community is full of engineers. Awsom Idea dude. A tent for my tent. I have seen some drapes that do the same incase i dont find material.