Light intensity in small tent

ptrzm

ptrzm

Well-Known Member
Hi all, long time lurker, first time poster.

I am having a hard time dialing in my environment in regards to light intensity. I am running a 220w Highlights board in a 50x50x100cm tent.

I knew in advance that the short height would be a challenge, and that I would need to dim the lamp. At 14" this lamp should provide around 700-1000 PPFD at full power over an area of 50x50cm, but even with the lamp at half strength I've seen major light burn. Lowering to around 80w seems to be OK, but obviously this will significantly lower the PPFD...

What's bothering me is that going by conventional wisdom, 30w per square foot in my tent would be (2.7sqft x 30) 80w, but this should result in PPFD of about 250 (80w ÷ 220w x 700PPFD). This seems too low to flower properly...

Is this the best I will be able to do with my setup or am I missing something?
 
ptrzm said:
Hi all, long time lurker, first time poster.

I am having a hard time dialing in my environment in regards to light intensity. I am running a 220w Highlights board in a 50x50x100cm tent.

I knew in advance that the short height would be a challenge, and that I would need to dim the lamp. At 14" this lamp should provide around 700-1000 PPFD at full power over an area of 50x50cm, but even with the lamp at half strength I've seen major light burn. Lowering to around 80w seems to be OK, but obviously this will significantly lower the PPFD...

What's bothering me is that going by conventional wisdom, 30w per square foot in my tent would be (2.7sqft x 30) 80w, but this should result in PPFD of about 250 (80w ÷ 220w x 700PPFD). This seems too low to flower properly...

Is this the best I will be able to do with my setup or am I missing something?
Click to expand...
Every strain is different. I have to run my lights 30 inches away at 80% for my indicas the sativas csn take 18 inches at 80%
 
ptrzm said:
Hi all, long time lurker, first time poster.

I am having a hard time dialing in my environment in regards to light intensity. I am running a 220w Highlights board in a 50x50x100cm tent.

I knew in advance that the short height would be a challenge, and that I would need to dim the lamp. At 14" this lamp should provide around 700-1000 PPFD at full power over an area of 50x50cm, but even with the lamp at half strength I've seen major light burn. Lowering to around 80w seems to be OK, but obviously this will significantly lower the PPFD...

What's bothering me is that going by conventional wisdom, 30w per square foot in my tent would be (2.7sqft x 30) 80w, but this should result in PPFD of about 250 (80w ÷ 220w x 700PPFD). This seems too low to flower properly...

Is this the best I will be able to do with my setup or am I missing something?
Click to expand...
During veg/early flower plants can get stressed from intense lighting which is why people dim or raise their LED’s during this time. Once the plants start producing resin you can turn the light up and/or get it closer to the plants.
 
I'm running a 2x3 tent with autocobs and qb at 46 w sqft and I run them full blast in flower. Adjustability in canopy distance is a plus and The combo has performed well providing the thickest nuggs ever.
 
NukaKola said:
During veg/early flower plants can get stressed from intense lighting which is why people dim or raise their LED’s during this time. Once the plants start producing resin you can turn the light up and/or get it closer to the plants.
Click to expand...
I was leaving the light at the same height and power, and hoping the plants would grow into it, so that by flower they'd be getting more light. Maybe this was a mistake and they are still too vulnerable in early flower.

Burn set in after the stretch, so seems from what you've said there is a period between then and late flower where I should try keeping the lamp at safe power of 80w and only bumping it a few weeks down the line... I think I'll try this on the next cycle.

Thanks to all replies, quite a lot for me to think about.
 
It does seem to take a while for plants to get used to a new light source, just curious, did you veg them under a dif light, then switch to this one?
 
Rurumo said:
It does seem to take a while for plants to get used to a new light source, just curious, did you veg them under a dif light, then switch to this one?
Click to expand...
Not this time, but I have previously. Vegged with a 300w CFL which was waaaay too big for my space, then put the Highlights board in to flower. Most recent run has been LED from seed, and as mentioned they were healthy, green and fast growing until they got within flowering range of the lamp!
 
Set up a gorilla tent added an ac infinity 6” fan and what a fan it is I hung up a spider farmer 4000. Put 4 clones in at 31” from top of plants at 50% looked amazing for about 20 hours. Came home at 430 looked like they needed water Gabe all 4 a litre of food. Leaves were curling lifted light up 6 more inches dialed it back to 20% still no sign of reaching to the light. Ph was 6.15 tent temp 77 RH of 59. Clones are a beautiful 20” tall bushy cane from a t-5 Florescent tube any help would be great.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

R
Tent sizes
Replies
2
Views
252
rocky10
R
D
Popcorn Tops
Replies
7
Views
394
drills1981
D
C
New room / tent problem solving
Replies
7
Views
501
coreywebster
coreywebster
M
Light stress and LED dimmable lights?
Replies
3
Views
327
Jimski
Jimski
K
How are we looking so far?
2
Replies
38
Views
2K
kushmaaan
K
Back
Top