Aeroknow, mind snapping a pic of your light set up of those de hoods? I've been putting off ordering a second cause since I bought mine my yield haven't been as big, much better trich coverage but smaller buds. Just want to make sure I have it installed properly or if growers have found better ways to tweak them, better distances etc...No one at any of the grow shops are knowledgeable about those hoods and just try to talk me out of it.
What fixture did you buy?
I set mine up with a light meter. Not a PAR meter( i wish) but a simple lumens/footcandle light meter. I've measured many different traditional hps lights over the years, so I feel i know what optimal numbers on a light meter I'm looking for when checking out the DE's. I run my DE's at max(1150w's).
This type of hood, definately puts out more of a square footprint compared to the next, but I only have it about 30" above plant canopy in a 4'x4' tray. Most likely, you could optimally light up to a 5'x5' area at about 36" above canopy.
This next fixture definately has a more rectangular footprint. I light up a 4'x6' area per fixture. Every square foot of canopy, gets at least as much light as a 4'x4' area does with a single, traditional mogul base 1000w HPS. I keep these around 30" above, but i have pretty good fan action in that 30" space between canpopy and fixture/s. Just don't put fan blowing directly onto fixture. If you can't do that, I recommend 36" above canopy.
The first fixture, which is only over a 4'x4' area, doesn't yield as much per fixture as the second one I showed. Naturally, that is because the second one has a larger plant canopy under it