Lighting Grow Northern Live Tech Talk

[bad dragon bzzz]

I think its polycarbonate.use a solvent and it will melt.id guess just a use mild soapy water.

 

[Corgy]

Mmmm, I'll rather know than guess/think..... For all I know it could be Gorilla glass version 2 with nanotechnology.... Or version 4 without.....

But I think you are right on the polycarbonate hunch, but since there is many subtle grades of polycarbonate, I prefer to hear from the horses mouth rather than guessing spectators......

You may refer to the electron microscope images posted by GN, and then suggest....... What!

 

[bad dragon bzzz]

well im pretty sure i read in the previous 11 pages that it was polycarbonate.if it is,you would be a fool to go anywhere near it with solvents.better be safe than sorry.but ofcourse wait till you hear from gn.

 

[Corgy]

Yup, given the 'special' Surface structure that accounts for the amazing performance well documented here, I dare say that any cleaning recommendations should come from GN..... Reason why asking GN......

 

[MikeyB420]

This is from the Grow Northern site info: This is an optical grade polycarbonate



​MikeyB..

 

[TaNg]

I wouldn't worry to much about dust getting inside the diffuser as its sealed with a gasket and if it's hung in a grow room gravity will stop dust from settling on the front of the diffuser,I've never needed to clean the optics of any of my other lights so doubt I will need to now.

 

[Corgy]

I wouldn't worry to much about dust getting inside the diffuser as its sealed with a gasket and if it's hung in a grow room gravity will stop dust from settling on the front of the diffuser,I've never needed to clean the optics of any of my other lights so doubt I will need to now.

Sure, question was directed at the surface facing the plants...... I think let's give GN a chance to reply.

That being said, with 75 W and what you are mind boggling mastering time and again Mr. TaNg, how to prevent..... Noobs like me..... And the HS1.... From performing at less than stellar.......

No matter what anyone will say, a Surface, in this case the surface facing the plants, will get "polluted" over time and requires cleaning..... So, simples, how to do that in the least "damaging" way to the optical performance?

 

[Corgy]

I wouldn't worry to much about dust getting inside the diffuser as its sealed with a gasket and if it's hung in a grow room gravity will stop dust from settling on the front of the diffuser,I've never needed to clean the optics of any of my other lights so doubt I will need to now.

Sure, question was directed at the surface facing the plants...... I think let's give GN a chance to reply.

That being said, with 75 W and what you are mind boggling mastering time and again Mr. TaNg, how to prevent..... Noobs like me..... And the HS1...... And consequently Mr. Tang(doubtfully)..… From performing at less than stellar....... Through luminosity degradation, however slight, because the lens Surface facing the plants obstructs the flow of photons, perhaps in some wavelengths more than others, and disappointing results to follow.

No matter what anyone will say, a Surface, in this case the surface facing the plants, will get "polluted" over time and requires cleaning..... So, simples, how to do that in the least "damaging" way to the optical performance?

 

[GrowNorthern]

I have a question regarding the diffusers, over time they will get dusty/grimy...... What is recommended to clean the diffusers without damaging/scratching the surface?

I have looked at the GN and Crazy LED websites, and none the wiser. I assume that any scratching, opaqueness will have a detrimental effect and might focus light, like a magnifier...... And create hotspots....

Cleanliness surely has an impact on overall performance...

One reason for asking is that I have a couple of Biorb aquariums, and it is highlighted that they should never be placed in a position exposed to direct sunlight, as it might be a fire danger.

What material are the diffusers made of?

Just trying to cover all bases before being a how-heck-do-I-clean-the-"windows"-house-owner.....sounds pretty pathetic....... Nevertheless, I'm know to be a pathetic malingerer around cleaning devices and solvents..... According to She who rules man and the universe?

The Holographic diffuser is made from polycarbonate and has two different sides, the plain side and the microstructured side. The plain side which faces outwards can be polished by a quality micro fiber cloth which you can get from most stores that sell cameras or glasses. The microstructured side which faces the LED's is alot more fragile and can be easily damaged with solvents and polishing with a microfibre cloth. This is why the diffuser is sealed by the gaskets and though we have made it easy to remove whilst in use we recommend removing it only to swap with another diffuser, once it is removed place into a bag or case and store in dry conditions.

Because the diffuser is sealed you shouldn't have to clean it but if you do remove it we recommend spraying dry inert gas to remove any dust (http://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/air-dusters/7805221/the same product we recommend for cleaning the unit internally) and also spray it between the LED's and the diffuser whilst resealing if you are removing the diffuser in an environment with a high humidity.

I know this all sounds a bit over the top for a bit of plastic, however though the diffuser is made from polycarbonate which is relatively low cost compared to other optical materials like fused silica, the process of milling and structuring is very expensive, a holographic diffuser of this size would retail at £200.00+ from most optic specialist stores so its definitely worth the extra care.

 

[Corgy]

Thanks for the excellent reply