Quantum Badboy

[gerneveyn]

I was wondering if anyone has ever used the Quantum Badboy T5 lights for growing orchids or anything else, and if so perhaps share their experience with it.

[Ray]

I have not used one, but after looking them up, I honestly see nothing "spectacular" about them that would make me consider them to be worth buying over another. In fact, their use of two bulbs per reflector, rather than one reflector per bulb puts them at a disadvantage.

[secretasiansam]

I dont have expierience with them, but i really want the twelve bulb system... only because of its dimensions. Other manufacturers twelve bulbs wont fit in my grow area.
Ray... would you elaborate on the reflector issue?

[Ray]

Sure.

Ideally, a parabolic reflector with the bulb at its focal point, would project almost 100% of the light emitted from the back of the bub - short only the part of the bulb facing the top of the reflector - straight down.

If you put two bulbs into that reflector, even if the parabola is widened somewhat to accommodate that, the light leaving the bulbs in the arcs that face each other never makes it to the plants below.

Commercial reflectors are not parabolic, as we are looking to capture all of that top-of-the-bulb light and spread it out a bit, but the concept still applies.