Does anyone use 1000w DE (Non ducted) lamps with 8 foot ceilings? I'm curious about dimming ballasts.

[Renfro]

One of the things I find entertaining about growing weed, you can skin this cat in many different ways. So many different methods of growing and now we have more lighting options than ever before. Add to that the great variety available with the cannabis gene pool. It is easy to get stuck in a rut and I have been guilty of that in the past but since moving to a legal state I have had the freedom to play around a lot. I just love growing this fucking plant!

The one thing that I hate about growing weed is all the bro science out there and all the gimmicky products and over priced bottles of water with pretty labels and wild claims. TBH many of the best crops I have grown in 30+ years were grown with nothing more than base nutrients. Less is, more often than not, more.

 

[Star Dog]

I currently run 3x 1000w SE HPS, 1x 1000w 400V DE. 7ft ceilings. About 1.5m2 each

I use parabolic reflectors though. They really do allow you to get the bulbs so much closer to the plants with no heat issues. But then the parabolic shades are huge themselves, so you lose headspace that way.

Got them all on superlumen mode on the ballasts so like 1060-1100w in flowering with winter intake right now. Plants loving it.

The two lights furthest from intake do get problematic in the summer. I plan to change them to LED as that end of the room runs about 3C hotter than the other end. Which sounds perfect for LED.

But aye, it’s doable easy, just SCROG and manage height!

At last another parabolic fan lol...
Your the 1st member I've heard mention them, I'm surprised that they aren't more popular with forum members, it is something I've bought and can say absolutely with certainty its improved my crop significantly.
I've got a 3x3 to set up i was thinking about this 60cm, it's a mylar light weight version also available in 1mtr

Grow Reflector Secret Jardin Daisy Umbrella / Parabolic DY60 (Ø60) : Amazon.co.uk: Garden & Outdoors

Great prices on your favourite Home brands, and free delivery on eligible orders.

www.amazon.co.uk

I've got a De parabolic but I don't use it in my tent, the height penalty negates any benifts of de I think.

I've not reason to be biased towards vertical it's just better for me, the 400v de ballast I bought also runs single ended so its not totally wasted, it also covers 400/1000w +10% boost.

@Renfro I can only imagine what an 1500w industrial 1.5mtr parabolic would have been like to handle lol.

 

[halfbreed421]

I bought a parabolic reflector as my first one because it was a lot cheaper than the rest and then when I started using it I could tell the coverage area was just better than all the XL hoods I was drooling over

 

[Stoned Whale]

At last another parabolic fan lol...
Your the 1st member I've heard mention them, I'm surprised that they aren't more popular with forum members, it is something I've bought and can say absolutely with certainty its improved my crop significantly.
I've got a 3x3 to set up i was thinking about this 60cm, it's a mylar light weight version also available in 1mtr

Grow Reflector Secret Jardin Daisy Umbrella / Parabolic DY60 (Ø60) : Amazon.co.uk: Garden & Outdoors

Great prices on your favourite Home brands, and free delivery on eligible orders.

www.amazon.co.uk

I've got a De parabolic but I don't use it in my tent, the height penalty negates any benifts of de I think.
View attachment 4718323
I've not reason to be biased towards vertical it's just better for me, the 400v de ballast I bought also runs single ended so its not totally wasted, it also covers 400/1000w +10% boost.

My one 400v DE parabolic is that Soldigital stealth kit. The parabolic is a nice reflector. But the ballast is cheap crap. Would never recommend it to anyone. It runs an active cooling fan. Horrible whine to it.

I am also surprised how few people use parabolic. It is by far the best light / heat spread of any reflector I’ve used.

They seem quite popular in the UK vs elsewhere. Another (rather dead now) uk based grow forum has tonnes of users of them.

Have you seen the GrowStar parabolic? They do a mini size but I think it may just be too big for your space. I always read amazing things about them, they are a funny shape of a parabolic but par maps etc seemed to show good results when I looked years ago.

 

[Star Dog]

My one 400v DE parabolic is that Soldigital stealth kit. The parabolic is a nice reflector. But the ballast is cheap crap. Would never recommend it to anyone. It runs an active cooling fan. Horrible whine to it.

I am also surprised how few people use parabolic. It is by far the best light / heat spread of any reflector I’ve used.

They seem quite popular in the UK vs elsewhere. Another (rather dead now) uk based grow forum has tonnes of users of them.

Have you seen the GrowStar parabolic? They do a mini size but I think it may just be too big for your space. I always read amazing things about them, they are a funny shape of a parabolic but par maps etc seemed to show good results when I looked years ago.

I did have a grow star reflector but only for an hour then returned it, it has 4 nuts bolts that hold the fiting my one had 4 indentations apparently caused by shipping x amount together, I wasn't interested in the reason when pay £180 iirc (10 years ago) I want a flawless finish, the chap in the shop wasn't willing to discount it any so out of principle I got a refund.
I also wasn't to sure of the shape of either it was to tall.

Apparently reflected light is pretty poor so reflectors aren't something I believe in spending silly money on anymore, I seen this a few days back it's reasonably priced.

Lumatek Shinobi Parabolic 80cm Reflector For Hydroponic Grow Light 400w 600w | eBay

Find great deals for Lumatek Shinobi Parabolic 80cm Reflector For Hydroponic Grow Light 400w 600w . Shop with confidence on eBay!

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[halfbreed421]

I did have a grow star reflector but only for an hour then returned it, it has 4 nuts bolts that hold the fiting my one had 4 indentations apparently caused by shipping x amount together, I wasn't interested in the reason when pay £180 iirc (10 years ago) I want a flawless finish, the chap in the shop wasn't willing to discount it any so out of principle I got a refund.
I also wasn't to sure of the shape of either it was to tall.

Apparently reflected light is pretty poor so reflectors aren't something I believe in spending silly money on anymore, I seen this a few days back it's reasonably priced.

Lumatek Shinobi Parabolic 80cm Reflector For Hydroponic Grow Light 400w 600w | eBay

Find great deals for Lumatek Shinobi Parabolic 80cm Reflector For Hydroponic Grow Light 400w 600w . Shop with confidence on eBay!

www.ebay.co.uk

wow that's really shiny lol, hope it wouldn't make hot spots

 

[Star Dog]

Are hot spots really a thing as in can it damage plants, has anyone ever had/found a hot causing problems?

I personally don't think a bulbs power being focused by 2/3 or even 10 points to a central point would make any odds, I could well be wrong and I'd like to be corrected if that is a real science fact, but reflector makers are never going to tell us the truth, I believe they use that as crap to bamboozle us into just accepting it?
But IMHO a bulb just doesn't have the raw power needed to create a focused hot spot that's capable of damaging a plant, to make a hot spot with the sun takes absolute precision and a ton of mirrors.

 

[2klude]

Thanks calvert! Haha yeah I've always been told with single ended bulbs you're lighting the plants where with the big grows (DE stationary lights) you're lighting the room. Guess that's the easiest way people explain it to me. I'd say with single ended bulbs and hoods yeah we definitely need to ratchet away. I like to get as close as possible without burning the plants.

Bigger grows though even not 300 just, hmm let me find a picture of a friends room. His lights are stationary and so far away, though this is before they were triggered. Still he pulls more grams per watt than me (so don't think yields are suffering) and it's just so much easier to maintain and work in.


View attachment 4698494

"I feel like your questioning everything tho. Lights, set up, the whole works." I definitely got a bit off topic but mostly curious about my original topic. I should have clarified in the post that I meant 1000w DE not ducted.

how tall are the ceilings in this room?