# 600 watt HPS



## Havingfun (Apr 22, 2013)

Ordered a 600 watt HPS never used one. Been using T5's. Question is what would be a good start point to put my light at. It is the 42" umbrella with the 600 watt hps.


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## Bogart Mc Thunderdunk (Apr 22, 2013)

heres a chart for light distances its pretty handy.


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## Havingfun (Apr 22, 2013)

Well if I am reading it right. 8-29 inches.


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## Hushpuppy (Apr 22, 2013)

I have found with my 600w HPS that if I get any closer than 10" from light to plant, I start getting stress to the tops from the intensity. I try to keep the lights within 12"-18" of the tallest tops, that way the light is still strong enough to penetrate deeper into the canopy of the plants.


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## Havingfun (Apr 22, 2013)

Thank you that is what I was looking for.


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## Havingfun (Apr 22, 2013)

Also off topic a little. Should I run 2 4' duel light T5 in a angle at them to help lower bloom more?


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## trillions of atoms (Apr 22, 2013)

You will want to start the light a couple of feet away even if you didn't order a dimmable ballast, until they get use to it and then gradually drop it down.

Putting plants under a 600 a ft right away will stunt them.

Watch the leaves, if you see taco pull the light back.

Hard ridges in between leaf veins and the tips of the serrations on leaves to point up is what your looking for on the closest "meristems" to the light.


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## The Hemp Goddess (Apr 23, 2013)

You are going to continue to veg with the T5s aren't you?  So we are talking about plants that are ready for flowering that you want to put under the 600W?  The biggest problem you are going to have is trying to cool that light with it not being air cooled.  I suggest that you do some heat tests and see what you get.  I always use air cooled reflectors because I can get the light closer.  The thing to do is start with it a couple of feet away and lower it if the plants show no stress and the canopy is not getting too hot.


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## Havingfun (Apr 23, 2013)

Thank you everyone. Yes still going to use T5 for veg. They work grate for that. So why change that.


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## Hushpuppy (Apr 23, 2013)

The T5 lights in with the HPS over flowering plants isn't worth the wattage because the T5 light doesn't penetrate far  as the HPS, so it would lose a lot of power to help the plants. I tried it and found it just wasn't woth it. For the same amount of watts I can put another HPS with stronger penetration.


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## akhockey (Apr 23, 2013)

My rule of thumb on lighting distance is to get the light as close as you can stand having the back of your hand near the light for 30 seconds. Then add a couple of inches to this measurement for growth and insurance.


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## Havingfun (Apr 25, 2013)

Well tracking shows Monday. So hope it helps the girls bloom better then the T5's


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## Havingfun (Apr 28, 2013)

1 more day. Like a kid a X-Mas. LOL


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## The Hemp Goddess (Apr 28, 2013)

Havingfun said:
			
		

> Well tracking shows Monday. So hope it helps the girls bloom better then the T5's



If you can keep the space cool enough, there is no doubt that the HPS will do better than the T5 for flowering.

I love to get new growing stuff!


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## Havingfun (Apr 28, 2013)

I have central AC for the room and I have 12,000 BTU portable AC that I can put the output of it down to a 4 inch tube and point at the light. Keeping it cool is the easy part. As far as engineering things like that I can do very well.


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## Havingfun (Apr 28, 2013)

So also to start should I go about 18 inches away and my light is adjustable so what level should I start at 50%-75%-100% ?


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## The Hemp Goddess (Apr 28, 2013)

How big is your space?

I never have any problems taking plants from the T5s and putting under either a 600W or a 1000W less than a foot away  I run my 600W about 8" away and the 1000W about 10-12" inches away.


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## Dman1234 (Apr 28, 2013)

Dont point the AC at the light, just pumping into the room should do the job, hang your light about 12 inchs above the top of the plants and raise it until you can hold the back of your hand at the plants canopy for 20-30 seconds without feeling a burn and your good, if it burns your hand it will burn your plants.


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## Havingfun (Apr 28, 2013)

Space is a bit of a problem It is to big. It is 10'x9' I measured it today just to see how bad it was going to be. I have Panda Film on the way for the two walls but open on two sides. This is going to be put it the corner and I will just have to rotate the plants everyday before lights out.


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## The Hemp Goddess (Apr 28, 2013)

You are going to have to get your space down to around 16-18 sq ft.   Putting it in a corner is still going to allow the light to disburse throughout the area.  You need some kind of reflective walls or dividers to get to 4 x 4 or so.  Ninety sq ft would take 3000W.


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## Havingfun (Apr 29, 2013)

Ok thanks. I might just order 3) 1000 hps and just be done with it. Will have to run a dedicate power source to that room from my breaker panel do to just the lights alone will pull almost 20 amp on there own. Fun Fun


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## Havingfun (Apr 29, 2013)

Just got the 600 hps installed. WOW Those are bright. Yes I need to work on smaller space or just add more lights. But on the good news one of my girls is starting to get covered leaves in crystals. See how she likes this light compares to the 2 T5 4 feet bulbs she shared with her 3 sisters.


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## Hushpuppy (Apr 30, 2013)

Dude, you should see a big difference. You will see it in bud development. You should see marked improvement in size, speed, and density  Until you have the cash and/or get more lights, just go to the home depot/lowes and pick up a couple 4x8 sheets of reflective insulation board. Also there is 4'wide rolls of stuff called reflectix that is like bubble-wrap with mylar on it(only about 1/4"thick) that works really well for closing in spaces with reflectivity. If you intend to utilise the whole room for flowering then you can use that stuff for temporary enclosure to hold in more of the lumens without having to build a light-tight space. You just leave enough room up top and at the bottom for air flow and you should be good


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## The Hemp Goddess (Apr 30, 2013)

My ex used to use freestanding "walls" made from PVC pipe with mylar or panda film taped to the PVC.  It worked well because they are so easy and inexpensive to build, you can easily make them any size, and you can move them as the plants get larger.


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## Havingfun (Apr 30, 2013)

I ordered enough Panda film to do a wall 5 feet high and go around 20 feet.


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## Havingfun (Apr 30, 2013)

And in 24hrs I have noticed a big different in blooms and crystals.


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## trillions of atoms (Apr 30, 2013)

I love panda film..


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## Havingfun (Apr 30, 2013)

Did a lot of reviews and it seems to be good.


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## The Hemp Goddess (May 1, 2013)

Did you get your space smaller?  If not, you are wasting a whole lot of light and not giving them as much as you could...or as they need.


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## Havingfun (May 1, 2013)

No waiting for the film to get here and will work on it this weekend.


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