Budelaire Posted March 10, 2012 Author Share Posted March 10, 2012 (edited) A Mk3 will be with us before the years out, it will be spaced using a piece of foil-treated timber, so it will achieve a much better light spread and also it will be braced by the wood so it will be real sturdy as it will be the final product so to speak. It will be a three way oblong one to cover a DR240w, which requires 1600w to achieve 50w per sq ft. So 2 x 600w HPS bulbs and a 400w MH in the centre. Mk1 and 2 are still chugging along below. Here I have hung a third E40 fitting through the triangular shaped vents the hack creates, shown here in my DR150 and the 80cm, more compact model, running at 800w in a DR120. (shown here at 600w with only 1 bulb) Edited March 10, 2012 by Budelaire 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PureSmkr Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 I'll be doing this for my next grow! I'll post up pics when it's done but it's the only way I'll get a good light coverage for 2 x 600w in my DR150. Can't wait! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenman* Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 great Idea 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Our Man In Malana Posted April 15, 2012 Share Posted April 15, 2012 (edited) I started tent growing in my latest garden, and although the efficiency of a 600w parabolic in a 1.2m2 tent has amazed me, I've struggled to work out an efficient and effective way of getting an ideal HPS/MH mix. I liked Budelaire's shade but I wanted to get an even spread and use two HPS with a MH in the middle. A DR240w would allow two parabolics, with space in the middle for a MH fixture. A quick bit of maths showed I could use two parabolic kits to make a 220cm long gondola, using all 16 panels and both fittings - efficient construction, but would it hang, or crumple into a twisted mess? Coming up with a bracing solution took a while, but I settled on a 1000mm x 500mm sheet of 0.5mm aluminium: strong, lightweight and reflective. Holed drilled in four of the parabolic panels, and the aluminium sheet, everyting bolted together using parabolic kit screws. Kit for basic gondola: Two 100cm parabolic kits (£70/pair, new on ebay) + 1000x500x0.5mm aluminium sheet (£7). Edited April 15, 2012 by Our Man In Malana 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Our Man In Malana Posted April 15, 2012 Share Posted April 15, 2012 A bit of homebrew fabrication will be required for the central fitting. A horizontal bulb or even a bank of fluourescents or UVb reptile bulbs would fit nicely in the metre between the two main fittings. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Our Man In Malana Posted April 15, 2012 Share Posted April 15, 2012 I went for a vertical fitting, keeping with the parabolic theme and all... I strongly recommend adjustable ballasts or good cooling. Temperatures can get pretty peaky with three bulbs under one canopy. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Our Man In Malana Posted April 15, 2012 Share Posted April 15, 2012 Result! I have designs for a paraboloid reflector made by conicular transformation (rather than flat-plane "maltese cross", as currently available) which should boost efficiency and crucially uses less materials and manufacturing - two 100cm reflectors from a 1250 x 1875 sheet. I'll post them as creative commons as soon as I get around to building something other than a model, but if anyone has access to fab facilities (laser cutter?) I'm interested... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluecheese1 Posted April 15, 2012 Share Posted April 15, 2012 got to say, Budelaires was a crackin idea but you just took it to the next step stunning work Gentlemen 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trichomedome Posted April 15, 2012 Share Posted April 15, 2012 got to say, Budelaires was a crackin idea but you just took it to the next step stunning work Gentlemen +1 top notch job 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budelaire Posted April 15, 2012 Author Share Posted April 15, 2012 Good stuff dude. I'll be Mad Maxing a three-way together at some point for my. DR240W 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethan Tremblay Posted April 15, 2012 Share Posted April 15, 2012 Is this the show off thread im gonnna design a quad reflector now boys (only joking) both look impressive 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenman* Posted April 15, 2012 Share Posted April 15, 2012 they look good & worth a try :wink: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ratdog Posted April 15, 2012 Share Posted April 15, 2012 I`m going to connect four of these bad boys in each corner of my grow room 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Our Man In Malana Posted April 15, 2012 Share Posted April 15, 2012 Thanks for the encouragement, and big-up to Budelaire for kicking off the whole multi-light parabolic challenge. (Dual parabolic? Shit, I thought you meant reflectors-at-dawn... ) Here's some more gratuitous reflector-porn, showing the excellent light spread from just a pair of 600w (HPS + MH) in a DR240w. The plants in the middle develop really well even without the third bulb, which wasn't fitted when this pic was taken. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budelaire Posted April 15, 2012 Author Share Posted April 15, 2012 (edited) Can you easily press slots into the aluminium to allow the heat to get out a bit better? Edited April 15, 2012 by Budelaire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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