600 watt HPS

[Havingfun]

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.

 

[Bogart Mc Thunderdunk]

heres a chart for light distances its pretty handy.

 

[Havingfun]

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

 

[Hushpuppy]

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.

 

[Havingfun]

Thank you that is what I was looking for.

 

[Havingfun]

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

 

[trillions of atoms]

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.

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

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.

 

[Havingfun]

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

 

[Hushpuppy]

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.

 

[akhockey]

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.

 

[Havingfun]

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

 

[Havingfun]

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

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

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!

 

[Havingfun]

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.

 

[Havingfun]

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% ?

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

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.

 

[Dman1234]

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.

 

[Havingfun]

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.

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

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.