Actually, lights with reflectors direct more of the bulb's light toward the
plants. Without one, you only get the part of the bulb facing directly
toward the plants. With them, you get most of the "back" side as well, and
if it's truly well designed (most shop lights aren't), the usable light
intensity is quite a significant percentage.

If you took the strip light concept to its ridiculous limit - bulb right
against bulb - you only "use" the light from about the bottom 30%-40% of
each.

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies, Artwork, Books and Lots of Free Info!


"Dusty" wrote in message
. 17.102...
Yeah Danny I also use the cheap 40 watt fixtures but I use what is called
a
strip light. It's a few bucks more than a shop light but there's no
reflector so I can stack them right next to each other to get a higher
concentration of light. When you have 8 or 10 40 watt tubes side by side
on
one shelf it seems really bright. Catts and oncidiums grow and bloom under
my set up but I have to watch the oncidium spikes or they grow into the
lights when i turn my back.

Grow well and bloom magnificently
dusty