MH without reflectors?

haha not trying to be mean? come on! i need good info and opinions like that! thank you! I am planning on having 4 fans on the back of the canopy btw and they are only 175 watt so they arent too psycho intense

 

Good on the fans.

Not too psycho intense? Wait till you feel the heat baking off them. Complete waste without reflectors though.

 

metal halide without good reflectors....you may as well just keep using your t-5's with reflectors. Reflectors make all of the difference in the world.

 

To add thw M/H less a parabolic reflector is a total waste of time and energy reflectors are a must that like trying to use a camera less a lens. Plus the heat will catch the hood on fire . Best get someone who understands these lamps to help you out.

 

How are you determining that your current lights "aren't cutting it"? What brand T5's bulbs and fixture are you using right now?

I agree it's not a good idea to use lamps without reflectors especially if you're looking to add to your performance.

I would reconsider also, maybe look at a good 6 bulb T5 retro kit or fixture or a couple 250w MH lights with a couple T5's for supplements. The nice thing with a retro is that you can easy adjust performance, you could even start with 4 bulbs, then boost it to 6 and then maybe even consider swapping the ballasts out and overdriving the bulbs for even more performance.