If I have several HLG 650 Scorpion Diablo LEDs should I hang them a bit higher than 18" recomendation

jaked3800

Active Member
I have several HLG 650 Sporpion Diablos. The are in line so most of them have 1 light directly to the right and 1 light directly to the left. I was recently told If I have a bunch of them to hang them higher even in flower. They are reccomended at 18inches in flower and 24 inches in Veg.
 

jaked3800

Active Member
I only have a cheap lux meter and it reads about 59-65k in the directly under the lights and about 50k on the edges. But from what ive read lux meters are under reading for LEDs because they dont sense the blue lights provided by them.
 

HippieDudeRon

Well-Known Member
I only have a cheap lux meter and it reads about 59-65k in the directly under the lights and about 50k on the edges. But from what ive read lux meters are under reading for LEDs because they dont sense the blue lights provided by them.
For the cheapest thing I would suggest the "photone" app and buy the LED full spectrum. Its damn close to a regular meter for 5$.

HLG I bet has a Lux conversion number for their spectrum. Usually somewhere in the 0.14-0.15 range.

Here an old thread for standard whites. Might be a red enhanced in there somewhere by now. ‍
 

jaked3800

Active Member
For the cheapest thing I would suggest the "photone" app and buy the LED full spectrum. Its damn close to a regular meter for 5$.

HLG I bet has a Lux conversion number for their spectrum. Usually somewhere in the 0.14-0.15 range.

Here an old thread for standard whites. Might be a red enhanced in there somewhere by now. ‍
Thanks man!
 

jaked3800

Active Member
I have two 650 rspec scorpions that I had to put at like 28 inches away or I noticed I couldn’t run them higher than 40 percent without burning leafs now I get up to 100 percent during flower and don’t burn anything. I can’t do 18 inches.
Yeah that makes sense, the 650R is reccomended at 30+ inches above canopy. The 650 Diablos can be much closer due to the light spread.
 

Comparator

Well-Known Member
Yeah that makes sense, the 650R is reccomended at 30+ inches above canopy. The 650 Diablos can be much closer due to the light spread.
He talking Scorpions that come at a recommend 18" right? The 650 Diablo needs 30" dimmed. So I'd imagine the Scorpion at 30" full power is optimal after fully established buds. Dimmed prior. Correct me if I'm wrong?
 
I have several HLG 650 Sporpion Diablos. The are in line so most of them have 1 light directly to the right and 1 light directly to the left. I was recently told If I have a bunch of them to hang them higher even in flower. They are reccomended at 18inches in flower and 24 inches in Veg.
I've ran HLG's for the last couple years. To be honest since you don't have a PAR meter I would say to keep them at 18 inches and see how the plants respond. If you feel like they're getting too much light then I would honestly dim them before raising the lights higher. That's just how I like to do things though since I've noticed with mine 18 inches is the sweet spot not only for light intensity, but also because it gives the best light spread and the most even PAR readings throughout the canopy. I do run C02 though so take that into consideration also. Idk if you do or not, but it does make a difference in the intensity of light the plants can take. I've heard a lot of mixed reviews about the PAR apps on your phone and hear they're really hit and miss as far as accuracy. But if you're in the market for a decent PAR meter that isn't super expensive check out the Photobio advanced quantum meter. You can usually find one for around $150 and it's just as accurate as my Apogee. Having a good PAR meter is definitely worth it with any grow so you can dial it in exactly as needed or wanted in my opinion.
 
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Comparator

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I've ran HLG's for the last couple years. To be honest since you don't have a PAR meter I would say to keep them at 18 inches and see how the plants respond. If you feel like they're getting too much light then I would honestly dim them before raising the lights higher. That's just how I like to do things though since I've noticed with mine 18 inches is the sweet spot not only for light intensity, but also because it gives the best light spread and the most even PAR readings throughout the canopy. I do run C02 though so take that into consideration also. Idk if you do or not, but it does make a difference in the intensity of light the plants can take. I've heard a lot of mixed reviews about the PAR apps on your phone and hear they're really hit and miss as far as accuracy. But if you're in the market for a decent PAR meter that isn't super expensive check out the Photobio advanced quantum meter. You can usually find one for around $150 and it's just as accurate as my Apogee. Having a good PAR meter is definitely worth it with any grow so you can dial it in exactly as needed or wanted in my opinion.
I'd have to say, I'd recommend the higher approach. Despite the light you use, as long as it is not under powered you should be able to start flower higher up & let that plant stretch into into it. Maybe a 6-12" raise toward the end of stetch maintaining no less then 18"-24" best after stretch. I'd start a good 3' away from day1 at 75%. If you have an r-spec that actually has far red, then this technique will increase your flower sites noticeably as the shade avoidence response triggers interior flower sites only now exposed to light and still very sensitive. If switching from a crammed veg to a fully lit flower room. Despite. This leads to significant yeild gains.
 
I'd have to say, I'd recommend the higher approach. Despite the light you use, as long as it is not under powered you should be able to start flower higher up & let that plant stretch into into it. Maybe a 6-12" raise toward the end of stetch maintaining no less then 18"-24" best after stretch. I'd start a good 3' away from day1 at 75%. If you have an r-spec that actually has far red, then this technique will increase your flower sites noticeably as the shade avoidence response triggers interior flower sites only now exposed to light and still very sensitive. If switching from a crammed veg to a fully lit flower room. Despite. This leads to significant yeild gains.
For the OP you can definitely try to take this approach, it's just preference really and to me it's more about the numbers the plants are getting. I was just sharing what produces the best results with my setup and style of growing. I played with different heights between the canopy for the first year of using my lights and 18 inches all the way through flower works best for me. My plants have plenty of veg space and already get plenty of light since I run the 480 watters in veg. So there's no need at all for me to run the lights anywhere near that high when I'm already starting them around 70% at 18 inches and they take it well when just flipped into flower. Really getting yourself a PAR meter is what's gonna make you be able to really see what the plants are getting and if they're getting to much or too little light. You can take a bunch of different approaches with lower lights turned up or higher lights turned down. I just personally found with using my PAR meter that they get what I want them to at 18 inches and also get the most even coverage at that height. Again C02 makes a difference in what you're plants can take too. But again that's just how I do things...
 

Comparator

Well-Known Member
For the OP you can definitely try to take this approach, it's just preference really and to me it's more about the numbers the plants are getting. I was just sharing what produces the best results with my setup and style of growing. I played with different heights between the canopy for the first year of using my lights and 18 inches all the way through flower works best for me. My plants have plenty of veg space and already get plenty of light since I run the 480 watters in veg. So there's no need at all for me to run the lights anywhere near that high when I'm already starting them around 70% at 18 inches and they take it well when just flipped into flower. Really getting yourself a PAR meter is what's gonna make you be able to really see what the plants are getting and if they're getting to much or too little light. You can take a bunch of different approaches with lower lights turned up or higher lights turned down. I just personally found with using my PAR meter that they get what I want them to at 18 inches and also get the most even coverage at that height. Again C02 makes a difference in what you're plants can take too. But again that's just how I do things...
Yes they will and it's an easy, low electrical use approach if your get happy plants that way using Scorpions or even QB's (not quite sure which we're discussing?) Big difference ya know. I found that despite 6" bar or 18" board recommendations w/ increasing the dimmer adjustments throughout their maturity. That plants are allot happier for me, getting farther away from the light until buds have formed. Even then a 640w-720w bar light should be 18-24" average with some closer colas being ok. 75% then 100% w/Lil light movement. You guys don't need a 37-42 DLI in early flower. Plus the distance creates intra-canopy illumination leading to more development & reach of shorter inner growth for a full canopy. But to each his own. I recommend sbs each for you.
 
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Yes they will and it's an easy, low electrical use approach if your get happy plants that way using Scorpions or even QB's (not quite sure which we're discussing?) Big difference ya know. I found that despite 6" bar or 18" board recommendations w/ increasing the dimmer adjustments throughout their maturity. That plants are allot happier for me, getting farther away from the light until buds have formed. Even then a 640w-720w bar light should be 18-24" average with some closer colas being ok. 75% then 100% w/Lil light movement. You guys don't need a 43 DLI in early flower. Plus the distance creates intra-canopy illumination leading to more development & reach of shorter inner growth for a full canopy. But to each his own. I recommend sbs each for you.
The OP uses the Scorpion Diablo's as stated in his first post which is what I was giving my opinion on and passing yours along to. My personal setup is ran according to my growing style, setup, goals and also what I've found works best for me over the years of experimenting so I'm good there. I'm not the one looking for suggestions. I don't use the Scorpions personally, I've built my own lights using 2 of their older 320w XL qb's kits which basically gives me 640w and 6 qb's covering a 4x4 area which obviously isn't the same as the Scorpion Diablo's, but in a way similar. As far as your opinion on the bar style lights being 18-24" above the canopy for flower I gotta disagree with you there. Both from working in a commercial facility to how most use the bar style lights and how we plan to after this years last run of the qb's is to be able to run the lights CLOSER to the canopy for many different reasons, but still getting that even light spread and the numbers we want the plants to see. For us it's more like 6 -12" or sometimes even 6 - 8" depending on the light fixture, quality and performance itself. But anyways, not trying to take over the OP's thread on all this lol. But everyone has their opinion and like you said to each their own... OP honestly I wouldn't over think it man and just start at what HLG recommends and use the onboard dimming. They recommend it for a reason you know and is there really any reason not to start there? Like what was the reasoning to even asking if you should raise it? Are you seeing light burn or something? If there's no reason why you would want to or need raise or lower the light in the first place I guess I'm asking? But for whatever reason if you do then just pay attention to how the plant responds and make your own decisions based on your setup bro. There's 100 different ways to approach it and I'm sure you'll get 100 different answers too lol. If you do wanna get it more dialed in though I would recommend looking into a decent PAR meter like I was saying before, then you can see exactly what your plants are getting at any point of the canopy which would actually tell you if you do or don't need to adjust the light at all. Worth the $150 in my opinion, but that's all it is. Either way keep us updated on how them Scorpions are doing and what your producing over there!
 

jaked3800

Active Member
The OP uses the Scorpion Diablo's as stated in his first post which is what I was giving my opinion on and passing yours along to. My personal setup is ran according to my growing style, setup, goals and also what I've found works best for me over the years of experimenting so I'm good there. I'm not the one looking for suggestions. I don't use the Scorpions personally, I've built my own lights using 2 of their older 320w XL qb's kits which basically gives me 640w and 6 qb's covering a 4x4 area which obviously isn't the same as the Scorpion Diablo's, but in a way similar. As far as your opinion on the bar style lights being 18-24" above the canopy for flower I gotta disagree with you there. Both from working in a commercial facility to how most use the bar style lights and how we plan to after this years last run of the qb's is to be able to run the lights CLOSER to the canopy for many different reasons, but still getting that even light spread and the numbers we want the plants to see. For us it's more like 6 -12" or sometimes even 6 - 8" depending on the light fixture, quality and performance itself. But anyways, not trying to take over the OP's thread on all this lol. But everyone has their opinion and like you said to each their own... OP honestly I wouldn't over think it man and just start at what HLG recommends and use the onboard dimming. They recommend it for a reason you know and is there really any reason not to start there? Like what was the reasoning to even asking if you should raise it? Are you seeing light burn or something? If there's no reason why you would want to or need raise or lower the light in the first place I guess I'm asking? But for whatever reason if you do then just pay attention to how the plant responds and make your own decisions based on your setup bro. There's 100 different ways to approach it and I'm sure you'll get 100 different answers too lol. If you do wanna get it more dialed in though I would recommend looking into a decent PAR meter like I was saying before, then you can see exactly what your plants are getting at any point of the canopy which would actually tell you if you do or don't need to adjust the light at all. Worth the $150 in my opinion, but that's all it is. Either way keep us updated on how them Scorpions are doing and what your producing over there!
I havent been having any issues with running them at about 20" at full power. And that is with CO2 at 1600 for begining of flower.
Reason I asked is because a hydro store dude was saying if I have a bunch of them to basicaly hang them 3+ feet above canopy but I think hes just talking out his ass. I have had some light bleaching where it turns my one strain leaves that mosiac looking white pattern and some white buds but minimal and only on one strain.
As far as numbers I get 2 to 2.25 per Diablo running hand watered, organic soil, Bio Bizz line. And I think I will get the PAR meter for next run just to always have things optimal.
 
I havent been having any issues with running them at about 20" at full power. And that is with CO2 at 1600 for begining of flower.
Reason I asked is because a hydro store dude was saying if I have a bunch of them to basicaly hang them 3+ feet above canopy but I think hes just talking out his ass. I have had some light bleaching where it turns my one strain leaves that mosiac looking white pattern and some white buds but minimal and only on one strain.
As far as numbers I get 2 to 2.25 per Diablo running hand watered, organic soil, Bio Bizz line. And I think I will get the PAR meter for next run just to always have things optimal.
That's makes no sense what so ever to me haha, did he say WHY he recommended doing that? Yea that one strain might have been a little sensitive to the high intensity, is it fine now though? I would just keep pushing bro. You're doing it right, you could definitely pull some bigger numbers if you made the switch to hydro even using coco since your already using soil. But that's a whole different topic. I think you're good to go as it is brotha. But yes having the PAR meter on hand always comes in handy for ALL stages of the plants just so you can monitor what all your plants are getting
 

jaked3800

Active Member
That's makes no sense what so ever to me haha, did he say WHY he recommended doing that? Yea that one strain might have been a little sensitive to the high intensity, is it fine now though? I would just keep pushing bro. You're doing it right, you could definitely pull some bigger numbers if you made the switch to hydro even using coco since your already using soil. But that's a whole different topic. I think you're good to go as it is brotha. But yes having the PAR meter on hand always comes in handy for ALL stages of the plants just so you can monitor what all your plants are getting
He was saying that the overlapping lights causes hot spots that would burn certain areas but its def not the case in my scenerio. What numbers do growers pull realisticly with hydro or coco on a 650 led?
 
He was saying that the overlapping lights causes hot spots that would burn certain areas but its def not the case in my scenerio. What numbers do growers pull realisticly with hydro or coco on a 650 led?
You can pull 3 per light no issues in a good hydro setup with Co2... if you really know what you're doing I've seen around 3.5...
 
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