HLG 288 v2, light too intense? Grow too hot? Or Both?

Hey y’all,

I have HLG’s 288 v2 and have had it for like 4 years. I can’t find the sweet spot with distance, power, and temps. There is so much contradiction and it doesn’t make sense.

Right now I’m growing in a 3’x3’x72” tent with a 4” hurricane outtake that pulls air through a charcoal scrubber. I’m on Day 19 in flower, growing Sativa Scream by Jinxproof in a 15 gal pot with Root’s Organic Lush, using Build a Soil Flower Top Dress and their bloom booster. Tops are between 18-22” from the light. Temps have been 79-82 (sometimes get up to 84) and humidity 50and it’s on maybe 60-75% full power. The highest top is 50k Lumens and 1070 ppfd ( using the app Photone) the rest are around 900-1000 ppfd. Here’s the deal how much is too much? Sometimes it seems like my light is zapping the trichomes, my buds come out not smelling. Then again last summer was fucking hot and temps were up to 85, but I was listening to Dude Grows show and they are saying 85 is great for quantum boards. Like wtf? I thought 85 would be too hot.

It’s been going at 81 now and things are looking a lot better. What temps, and ppfd do y’all keep it at in flower? Do you change it after 6 weeks? Like lower intensity and temp?

The last few grows the buds haven’t been that smelly. I’m just trying to figure out what’s going wrong. If the light is too intense wouldn’t I smell the terpines evaporating? Like even putting my nose up to the buds I can’t smell too much. The last beans I ran were from Duke Diamond’s C99, Useful Seeds, Jinxproof, etc. I always pick the smelliest females out of the bunch and again it smells like grass. Could be the drying, but again I don’t smell the terpines evaporating (temps are low 70’s yes I know it’s not ideal). Have I not found keepers or am I doing something wrong

I keep two 648's at around 24". Little farther in veg.
Seems to work fine. Temps around 80 lights on 68/70 at night

I bought the App Phototone and that’s helped quite a bit with dialing the Par range. Apparently it’s pretty accurate. Temps have been around 79 nothing over 82. It’s looking and smelling a lot better

I can't keep it at Sweet Spot, my area changes temp from 70 to 90. It does not seem to affect me any? Or maybe I just don't know. I do know you can evaporate the trichomes. And when you deplete them is really hard to get those turpins back up to where they were if you can at all? Try not to let them dry out in the bright light I think I am using too much light right now I am using the best LEDs made and I've never used such True Light before. Make a big f****** difference. I will not waste ANY MORE money on any other Diode than the Samsung LEDs. ( LB 301-H ) or A Samsung 301 of any kind. The H stands for horticulture. And I think I've heard it is just the 301 with a chemical resistant coating. If you can pick a light up with these diodes for under a dollar a diode if you have the cash it will make you the stash! Promise they are the best. Big name brand companies don't even use these LEDs . because they're too expensive. Turbomol 1000 watt is what you need under 100$. If interested in one let me know. Turn up the light!

It is not the light causing lack of smell. It is not your temps during the grow or the drying either. I have same conditions but much larger scale and too much smell is more of a problem than lack of. Most likely its the plant itself, would not matter what light, temp, etc.

Thank you very much for the information, I appreciate it.

Roguedawg said:

It is not the light causing lack of smell. It is not your temps during the grow or the drying either. I have same conditions but much larger scale and too much smell is more of a problem than lack of. Most likely its the plant itself, would not matter what light, temp, etc.

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you know i’m glad I haven’t dealt with too much smell. I’m in prohibition land so I have to be very careful about what I grow. I’m trying to take it in stride now and tweak where I can and try not to cry over spilled milk.

In other news have y’all ever heard of the app Photone? It’s like a 10 buck app that makes your phone into a ppfd reader. You have to buy a certain type of printer paper and put it over your selfie camera lens. I’ll include a video below, but I’ve read some articles about how accurate it is.

one thing about these LED companies is that they include ppfd charts at 12”, 16” away from canopy like it’s an acceptable distance. With CO2, maybe? I hate to say this but I’ve had this light for 4 years and I’m just know getting the hang of it.