Reflector Help & Ideas

[Domboski]

Hi,

I took one of my aquaspacelights (150w * 2) and added a T5 mod as opposed to the two 24 watt compact fluorescents.

I want to do the same for my 250watt spacelight but I am not sure where I could get 48" reflection material or what is the best kind to get.

I used the reflector material from the 48" T5 I took the parts from for the 150w mod.

I appreciate any guidance or help.

Dom

 

[noodleman]

how bout these http://www.hellolights.com/48silapat5re.html

 

[Domboski]

how bout these http://www.hellolights.com/48silapat5re.html

Thanks!! Those would work.

someone once mentioned there is a reflective tape. Is that true? If so, where would that be found?

 

[meschaefer]

Thanks!! Those would work.

someone once mentioned there is a reflective tape. Is that true? If so, where would that be found?

While I ams ure that there is reflective tape available, I doubt you woud want to use it. I am concerned about its ability to stand up to the heat that the 2502 MH put out, and I highly doubt that it would be anywhere near as good as a quality metal reflector.

 

[Kedd]

What brand end caps did you use in the spacelight for the t-5 mod?
Did you get 2 t-5's in it?

I have a 6' spacelight with remote ballasts this sounds like a great mod, I hate the 24w bulbs that are in it now.

 

[masterswimmer]

Dom, IceCap carries some top quality reflectors.

swimmer

 

[Domboski]

What brand end caps did you use in the spacelight for the t-5 mod?
Did you get 2 t-5's in it?

I have a 6' spacelight with remote ballasts this sounds like a great mod, I hate the 24w bulbs that are in it now.

Thanks Guys. The tape was going to be used on the ends but I had the same concerns with the heat. Oh well.

Kedd,

I bought a used T5 fixture that had Sunpark Electronic ballasts in it and I used the endcaps that came with the fixture (not sure what brand but here is a picture). The used lights we around $40 so I figured it couldn't hurt to give it a try. I rewired the spacelight so the ballasts and transformers are in the middle where the compact fluorescents were. I installed the T5s one on each side running the length. They fit in perfectly. I even used the same outlet plug for the compacts to power the T5s.

The challenge was the reflectors but I used what came with the spacelight and the T5 fixture. A few cuts and it worked perfectly. There was just enough room to add the lights and the ballast (one ballast ran both T5s).

The one negative about the mod was the reflection spread for the metal halides was cut down a bit. If I had better materials to work with, it probably would not have been an issue. The lights look great though.

 

[Domboski]

I am concerned with buying the single reflectors because it is a tight fit for the T5s and they don't look very flexible.

Is there a place that sells the reflective materials that I can cut and mold myself?

Sorry for all of the annoying ?'s

 

[masterswimmer]

Dom, not annoying at all. I'm not familiar with any T5 reflectors that are not rigid. The bulbs are rigid, I can't imagine the reflectors being anything different

R

 

[bad coffee]

you can bend the icecap reflectors with your hands. They're not that tough. I'd see if you can get them to fit though.

 

[Domboski]

you can bend the icecap reflectors with your hands. They're not that tough. I'd see if you can get them to fit though.

As long as I can "squeeze" them to fit more snug around the bulb they would be perfect. Unless anyone else has some ideas or an old T5 fixture with reflectors, I'll give them a try.

Thanks guys I appreciate it. Russ, I may be needing Super Blues

 

[masterswimmer]

Dom, please be aware the IceCap reflectors (or any QUALITY reflector) are molded into a parabolic shape with specific angles for a reason. They will refract the otherwise unusable light that comes off the top of the bulb to useable light by guiding it around the bulb and back down into the tank with these precise angles. Altering the angle of refraction will most likely lessen the effectiveness of these high quality reflectors.

No problem with the super blues

R

 

[Domboski]

Dom, please be aware the IceCap reflectors (or any QUALITY reflector) are molded into a parabolic shape with specific angles for a reason. They will refract the otherwise unusable light that comes off the top of the bulb to useable light by guiding it around the bulb and back down into the tank with these precise angles. Altering the angle of refraction will most likely lessen the effectiveness of these high quality reflectors.

No problem with the super blues

R

Thanks Russ. Considering I will only be using actinics or blue wavelength light, is it an issue using reflectors that may be a bit less effective as compared to using daylight T5s?

That's my last ? I promise :birthday:

 

[masterswimmer]

Thanks Russ. Considering I will only be using actinics or blue wavelength light, is it an issue using reflectors that may be a bit less effective as compared to using daylight T5s?

That's my last ? I promise :birthday:

I would say that the blue spectrum is much less critical than the reds as far as penetration is concerned. The 420nm wavelength (actinic) is not really a critical part of the spectrum anyway.

No prob with the ?'s my friend. Keep them coming.

R

 

[Domboski]

Thanks for everything Russ! I'll get back to you and Jim soon regarding the bulbs.

 

[Kedd]

Dom, I have the IceCap reflectors and they are mounted on the outside of the Spacelight and they do cut down the light spread.
I don't think they will fit into the spacelight, but it's worth a try.
My concern with the t-5's inside is heat on the end caps.

 

[Domboski]

Dom, I have the IceCap reflectors and they are mounted on the outside of the Spacelight and they do cut down the light spread.
I don't think they will fit into the spacelight, but it's worth a try.
My concern with the t-5's inside is heat on the end caps.

Heat was a concern for me too. I ended up mounting 4 3.25" fans from radioshack (2 on each end) on the end vents. They blow right into the spacelight and has worked out well. In fact, you can touch the fixture without burning yourself (except the glass directly beneath the MH bulbs). I also had concerns having the ballasts close together and thought they may generate heat too but the fans seem to do the job.

Someone mentioned problems with dust buildup inside the fixture on the glass but I haven't experienced that at all. I have two 4.75" fans on my 250 watt setup that have been running for almost a year and when I took the unit apart to replace the bulbs there was no dust inside at all. I was shocked considering how dusty the air in Manhattan is.

Since you have your ballasts running remotely, you probably have much more room to work with than I did. I am not sure how big the icecap end caps are but the ones I used were not much bigger than the T5 bulb circumference.

I will post pictures for you tonight when the lights go off. I am sure you could probably do something similar to me but probably a bit better

 

[Kedd]

Cool I want to see them.

Yes I have more room to work with and with no fans my fixture is cool to the touch,but I still worry about the light spread.

I remoted my ballast after mine had a smoke check.

 

[Domboski]

Kedd,

Below are the pictures. I had a tighter fit than you would because I have the ballasts still within the fixture. they left just enough room to sneak in the T5s. I am not good with the camera but I think you can see the difference with T5s vs the 24 watt Actinics.

• Picture 1: Metal Halides on
• Picture 2: Actinics on (look at the coverage!)
• Picture 3: Fans
• Picture 4: Lights from underneath

 

[Kedd]

Cool.
How much light sperad did you lose, or did you?