Super Spreaders - Do they work on all hoods?

[FatMarty]

Anyone use these?
I don't mind a little bit weaker light directly underneath lamp if all this does is redirect it.
My grow ceiling is low and I ordered new bigger area hood to spread HID light out better.
So I was thinking if I should be thinking about one of the Super Spreaders attachements.

But I'm kinda worried they are not designed for regular air cooled hood?
Seems all they talk about is the Adjust a Wing with them.



I guess they mount on the mogul socket and hang underneath the bulb.

 

[hammer21]

Never seen those Interesting
Looked them up and it looks like you would install it below the bulb and it has a very reflective coating applied to it. Would also like to know how well they work.

 

[FatMarty]

Well I'm thinking they must go underneath the bulb to eliminate the hot spot.

Here is another one called the Equalizer:


Now these Equalizer ones say they are for my hood and a bunch of others.

Simply slide this unique product over a mogul base socket on most horizontal burning reflectors to filter and disperse the intense “hot spot” of light directly under an HID lamp.
With the hot spot diffused, you can hang reflectors closer to the plant canopy while reducing the risk of burning the plants directly under the lamp.
The revolutionary shape, size and hole patterns were designed using the latest lighting development software.
The Equalizer™ will aid in improving the uniformity of your fixture by reducing the hot spot below the lamp.
Made of 95% reflective European aluminum.
US Patent No.: D583092
Fixtures that will accept the Equalizer™: Cool Sun, Cool Sun XL, Super Sun 2, Yield Master 6”, Great White, Magnum XXXL 6”, Magnum XXXL 8”, Large Convertible, Yield Master 4”, 8" & 10", Agrotech, Agrotech - Magnum, Vertizontal, Silver Sun, Econowing, and Blockbuster 6" and 8".

But they don't have list for the Super Spreaders.

If I understand the difference between the two styles then the Super Spreader is just more diffused than the Equalizer.

I wish I was rich and could try 'em both before deciding if I want one.

 

[Trichyn9ne]

Saw them in the store like a year ago and talked to the store owner about them. The only thing he mentioned is it helps with hot spots and heat directly under the bulb. He never mentioned anything about them spreading the light.

 

[abe supercro]

yeah i have the super-spreaders. fits into most of my hoods, except the smaller ones. it does ride close to the glass. the adjuster dial helps fine tune. it's like a watch dial and the screw levels diffuser so it just fits. SS is an overpriced wimpy metal piece that works.

 

[FatMarty]

yeah i have the super-spreaders. fits into most of my hoods, except the smaller ones. it does ride close to the glass. the adjuster dial helps fine tune. it's like a watch dial and the screw levels diffuser so it just fits. SS is an overpriced wimpy metal piece that works.

Thanks Abe - That's what I wanted to know.

 

[Huel Perkins]

I don't think I would ever want to block light as cooling method.

 

[TheMan13]

As I use parabolic reflectors with the bulbs mounted vertically, would I be correct that this product would be unnecessary? I have stopped and looked at spreaders in the past, just couldn't justify there expense.

 

[tomcatjones]

As I use parabolic reflectors with the bulbs mounted vertically, would I be correct that this product would be unnecessary? I have stopped and looked at spreaders in the past, just couldn't justify there expense.

you are correct. as long as you have fans and air under control, you should be fine.

 

[FatMarty]

Well I can easily get 6" from glass as it is without any issues.
But If a stray breaks the zone it don't take long for heat to mess up a nice bud top.
So I watch it all and adjust as necessary.

But I want to push it if I can get away with it because I have such a low area.
An inch here and there, ( I also ordered one of those Sun Shield blankets to raise hood closer to lid).
When I started look into a new hood I thought I would gain 3" height.

Well that 3" turned into maybe an inch when I decided on the bigger hood.
So now I'm trying to get whatever I can with the accessories.
I think the blanket deal will give me an inch or two if it works as advertised.

I went ahead and ordered the Super Spreader too; so I hope it works out.

 

[Huel Perkins]

If your hood is getting so hot you need a blanket then your fan or cooling system is not up to task. The top of my hoods (1000w) are only warm to the touch, never hot. I've been able to get buds so close to the hood right under the bulb that they start turning bright white from light bleaching before then suffer too much from heat burning.

 

[FatMarty]

Okay let me try this again.

I don't want bleached anything - I want to hang my hood as close to the fiberglass panels I am installing so I get the extra height.
The blanket drops radiant heat from the Outside of the hood and forces it through the air cooling.
The ads show a 40* drop on the Sides of the hood and a nice cool 70* on the Top of the hood.

So I hope to gain 3".
The Super Spreader is meant to allow closer shoots towards the Middle of the Glass.
At present I run the plant/shoots directly underneath the 1000w MH lamp 6 to 10" lower than at the edges of my hood.

Maybe I wasted $80 on the pair; but to me it's worth the effort.

 

[FatMarty]

Hey Huel man check out these images:



See how my vegetation dips under the middle of HID?
It's always like this with current setup.

Those are not that close as most are 4 weeks or less in bloom.
It will fill out under there some more if I leave it alone; but I always seem to have this salad bowl type deal going.
If that spreader deal works as advertised it might help me grow a more even canopy.

The blanket is actually probably not needed for fire protection as I can hit that stuff with massive heat as witnessed here:



That is my old ballast, 1000 watt MH sitting on top of a 1/2" piece of the fiberglass.
It's been there for years - no problem.

So I am doing my ceiling in those panels.
I am getting the blanket thing to keep heat inside the hood so my bloom room doesn't heat up as much.
My old hood leaks hot air at the edge of the glass, and it feels like mini-space heater when you put palm up by glass edge.
New hood has gaskets!
I run 82-84 during lights on lately; so I really would like to get that back down to 78* area.

 

[Huel Perkins]

Hmmm, interesting how the growth dips down like that in the middle. What kind of fan do you have pulling air through the hood and where does it vent? I use a relatively cheap Hydro Farm 6" fan rated at 450cfm pulling air through a huge carbon filter and two 6" hoods (1000W) and then vents directly outside. The top of my hoods feel just warm to the touch and my room never hits 80 or above.

Your garden looks healthy, i like the cfl side lighting. I did some clf side lighting in my old room, i need to hand some again in my new room.

 

[FatMarty]

I'm running about the same CFM out the roof in 2 sewer vent lines.

I took the silver tape off hood glass edges earlier this Spring to clean glass and never replaced it.
That raised my temps about 5 or 6 degrees. I Think that's it.
I didn't even realize it was coming out that much until just the other day when I was measuring stuff.

The weather was so hot this Summer I just kept adding fans and running AC etc. to get through it, and I forgot about the hood air leak.
Man I so wish I would figured that out in about June.
I was running 76 to a high of 79 before I screwed it up.

 

[Huel Perkins]

Is your fan pushing or pulling air through the hoods? It should be pulling air, that way if your glass doesn't seal properly to the hood it won't be pushing any hot air out.

 

[FatMarty]

Is your fan pushing or pulling air through the hoods? It should be pulling air, that way if your glass doesn't seal properly to the hood it won't be pushing any hot air out.

I have been pushing.
Now you gave me more to think on.

For now I think I keep pushing just because of my new ductwork.
I'll see how that works first.
If I can get back to 76 half the day finishing at 78 I would be real happy.

 

[Huel Perkins]

I'll bet if you moved the outside the room so its pulling air through the hoods it would drop the room temp a few degrees.

 

[FatMarty]

I'll bet if you moved the outside the room so its pulling air through the hoods it would drop the room temp a few degrees.

Yeah I think I Will try it like that first; I'm doing everything else right now so I might as well try to get as good as possible.
Man I'm realizing what my neighbor who is heating cooling guy told me is true.
He said you have to do everything at least twice to get it right.

 

[Huel Perkins]

Make that 3 times for me!