glass cover on hps

[bshack79]

I have an outdoor 150w hps light that i will use to grow just one fem. plant. my question is there is a glass cover and i am wondering if this cover is blocking some of the light/lumens from my bulb.. my old light if i remember correctly didn't have anything at all between the lightbulb and plants.. just space.. no glass cover.. should i take the cover off or is it fine there and not blocking/hurting anything??? thanks
bshack

 

[Locked]

Can you post a pic? I wld not keep a glass cover on it unless of course it is a cooled hood or cool tube....if it is an outdoor light and the glass is in anyway frosted or not perfectly clear I wld think it might be hindering your light output...

 

[bshack79]

thanks hampster.. the wife has the camera and she is out of town.. but i can tell you that the light is brand new and the glass is totally clear. all i would have to do is remove 2 screws and the glass would open exposing the light bulb

 

[Locked]

If it is totally clear you cld leave it on I guess....I hve never used outdoor lights...maybe someone with some experience with them will chime in...

 

[leafminer]

Leave the glass on, it will protect your plants to some extent against heat radiated from the bulb. It won't reduce the light to any measurable degree.

You may find as I have that it produces an intense central beam of light that can burn the plant even 2 ft above. If this happens it's best to modify the whole thing, there are a couple of threads here about that. I recommend remoting the ballast to reduce height and weight. If you have the 'beam burning plant' problem you might do as I did, which was to reduce the reflector depth by 3" and also dimple it using a ball-pein hammer and beanbag.
One thing: DON'T bang the lamp about, the arc tubes are FRAGILE.
One of these lamps will grow a hell of a good size plant, you should be able to pull 3 - 4 oz if you set everything up right. Use reflectors around the plant to contain the light and you'll see really good results.

 

[bshack79]

thanks so much leafminer.. i dont have an intense central beam thank god and i really dont have a heat problem at all because it is in the attic where it is cold during the winter. thats good to know about leaving it on. easier and safer that way. thanks a ton. its staying the way it is..