What do you use to dial in your Lighting?

[Indy]

So, what do you use to dial in your Lighting? Do you use a light/lux meter, phone apps, or some other technique?

With the old HID lighting you could easily test it by placing your hand at canopy height with the back of your hand facing the light, and adjust the lights height until the temperature felt about right. No too hot, and yet still warm enough.

But now that most folks seem to be moving on LED's. What's your preferred method without having to lay out hundreds of $$$ for a full on PAR meter to dial your light in at various stages of growth?

 

[Sedge]

All I can do is use the manufacturers recommendation as a baseline ,then play around with height from that.

 

[Old fox]

As Sedge advised, manufacturers recommendation on optimal height, usually detailed in a published par map, the size of flowering footprint, is a reasonable rule of thumb. Back of hand technique is also useful for top colas, to avoid tip burn - combined with a thermometer (hanging) at canopy height A growers visible judgement of plant growth is also a fair indicator. Accurate PAR meters are very (too) expensive for the average home grow.

 

[Indy]

Bugga.. what's the chances of PAR charts being correct from a Chinese manufacturers. Are they usually independently tested results, or in house?

 

[Billygoat]

What is the cost of a decent PAR meter?

 

[Old fox]

Bugga.. what's the chances of PAR charts being correct from a Chinese manufacturers. Are they usually independently tested results, or in house?

I have 8 LEDs, including 4x HLGs, Mars Hydro and Aus eBay light. They all tend to work best around the manufacturing specs. But, in cold winters I move all my lights about 5cms closer to canopy( than recommend) to maintain adequate heat. I appreciate it's light intensity that can burn tops, however if grow temps are cool with lights on ( say, under 20%) the plants can tolerate the extra light intensity, without burning.

 

[Jaz]

Do you use a light/lux meter, phone apps, or some other technique?

Manufacturer's recommendation as well as comparing out the PAR chart vs wattage then adjusting via dimmer which has percentage markings on it... should I need less than 100% for seedlings, etc.

I'm putting this out FYI, since you're asking. This guy examines his Korona (Photone) app compared with PAR meter and it's showing very good results. Apparently the Android version doesn't require a diffuser.

You may also want to check out Daily LIght Integral, here's a simple calculator where you select the growth stage of your plant, the number of hours, lighting intensity to guide you to 'their' recommended DLI.

https://growlightmeter.com/calculator/

Of course, keep an eye on your plants and see how they respond.

If you're growing different strains under the same light, keep in mind, different strains from different parts of the world with differing daylight/bloom time requirements, etc. may not all respond the same way to the one light setting.

j

 

[Indy]

What is the cost of a decent PAR meter?

Decent ones seem to start at 1k 'n upwards

 

[Indy]

No doubt many phone apps are shit, but this one sounds a little promising if you got a iphone. Sucks for us android users due to the way they read/process light, compared to the iphones..

 

[Jaz]

Sucks for us android users

Sucks even harder if you're a Windows Phone user!



j

 

[Madmick]

Do you bother to read what you post


If you're growing different strains under the same light, keep in mind, different strains from different parts of the world with differing daylight/bloom time requirements, etc. may not all respond the same way to the one light setting

Seeing as you know about all things , please feel free to explain this last paragraph in your own words why this is so ?


Pretty much shows how little you actually know

 

[Indy]

Huh? Buggered if I know, mate. I just bunged up a vid I stumbled onto the other day.

A heads up about me though. I'm still learning new shit everyday. Though I thought I knew it all in my prime, amazing what comes with age and wisdom to some extent.

 

[Madmick]

Not you Indy , the last paragraph of Jaz reply

Different strains from different parts of the world .............

 

[Jaz]

Huh? Buggered if I know, mate. I just bunged up a vid I stumbled onto the other day.

Today's lesson:



Do not feed the troll.

Have you noticed he didn't contribute anything to the thread?

He just came here to nitpick and derail your thread; he does this a lot, he's a serial offender.



j

 

[Indy]

Ahh righto. Offering their expertise in this thread as well, lol.

 

[Pikey]

@Jaz wow! You lasted almost 2 days without making a cunt of yourself.

Also, from the progression of the thread, I would hazard a guess that Indy has you on ignore... so effectively you've contributed nothing to this thread either

 

[Madmick]

Answer the question. Jaz

It's not picking as you put it

Ppl come here for reliable information ,not hearsay or bull

Keep posting stuff that's not true and you will get pulled apart again and again

No I haven't contributed to this thread. Nothing I can add that haven't already been stated

So rather that post just for the sake of it I don't, unlike you

Who seems to feel the need to post on every thread

So at least explain why you think it's makes a difference on strain etc would react differently to a normal 18 hr veg or 12hr flower times ?

Tell me why this is so

 

[Kloud9]

All I can do is use the manufacturers recommendation as a baseline ,then play around with height from that.

Best and cheapest answer.
Play around 50cm-60cm for veg
and flower as very low as 35cm-40-45cm apx is rough LED distance to play with indy.

 

[freddie]

Some youtube channels do independent testing of popular LEDs. Otherwise go off the recommendations, however my light is recommended to be 18 inches from canopy, but I frequently allow the plants to grow closer than that (quite a bit). I had one drama where the bud tip turned completely white, being a couple of inches away and I knew I'd gone too far.

If you ever want to know too much about lighting this vid is actually pretty good. He is a professor but also works for a lighting instrument maker so bear that in mind.

 

[One Drop]

25 bucks light meter