1000w vs 600w vs 400w light intensity pondering

[cujon]

Have been reading alot about the 1000w vs 600w vs 400w debate for a while. Found a chart that seems to answer the question..

If a 1000w Hps is hung 16 inch above canopy it gets a "light intensity" of 25 067 Footcandles. Since you can place a 600w Hps closer to canopy, lets say 10 inch above canopy, it gets a "light intensity" of 42 170 Footcandles. If we go to 400w, you can place it, maybe 6 inch from canopy, that gives a "light intensity" of 67 482 Footcandles.

All of the above "distance from canopy" can of course vary a bit depending on aircooled hoods, but a 400w/600w can be hung closer to canopy.

Lets asume a mature bud in late flowering gets 6 inch tall, the following "light intensity" will be

1000w
@16 inch 25 067 Footcandles
@22 inch 13 259 Footcandles

600w
@10 Inch 42 170 Footcandles
@16 Inch 16 473 Footcandles

400w
@6 Inch 63 662 Footcandles
@12 Inch 15 915 Footcandles

To me it seems that it is much better to use 3x600 watt than 2x1000, or 5x400 instead of 2x1000..

Here is the link to the above "light intensity chart"
http://www.thctalk.com/cannabis-foru...stance-Chart-s

Feel free to differ..

 

[Greyskull]

uhh.... and when you aircool the 1k properly and move it to 10" above the canopy what happens?

the 1ks win....

....everybody seems to forget that you CAN drop the 1ks lower you just need to provide ample airflow.

how many commercial grows of 10+lights have you seen with 400s? Ive seen ZERO...

there was a thread by a guy with 2 names that had a wherehouse with 30000w all 600 (50!) and after some harvests he said the 1ks he had previous experience with in an 11k produced better/more than the 600s.... akak he found the 'efficiency' of 600s to be false.

 

[cujon]

But you cant move the 1000w to close..light bleech...with 2x600, or 3x400 you can get same light intensity as a 1000w..but better light spread..

 

[OjoRojo420]

If you want to get PRIME results...

600W HPS is the LOWEST you can use for AAA Ganja.

And don't even consider LEDs... OK maybe for clones.

 

[Dr. D]

600 watt lights are the most efficient all round....peace

 

[Greyskull]

but you cant move the 1000w to close..light bleech...with 2x600, or 3x400 you can get same light intensity as a 1000w..but better light spread..

in theory.....

do you have experience with 600s & 1000w?
or are you just researching?

 

[2Lazy]

It's not what the lumens are at the canopy, it's how far your lumens go.

A 1000w bulb has a casting distance of 50 inches before the light is too weak.
A 600w bulb has a casting distance of 40 inches before the light is too weak.
A 400w bulb has a casting distance of 28 inches before the light is too weak.

Even though the 1000w bulb is further away, it offers a greater amount of light energy in a greater dimensional space. Having two 600's is better than one 1000, but not as good as two 1000's. With the cost of 1000w ballasts being so reasonable, and the cost of hoods being the same, the the only consideration is the cost of the bulbs. In setup a 1000w system costs $20 or $30 more than a 600w system will, and the proof is in the pudding.

 

[Lazyman]

The numbers in the OP are false, I have a light meter (albeit a cheap one) and a 1K does not produce over 10K lumens even directly at the bulb. I get around 5-7K at the canopy about 8" away, but I don't use hoods so the heat dissipates quickly.

600's put out more lumens per watt, but lack the penetration power of a 1K.

Use 1k's for plants 3' tall or more
Use 600's for plants 2-3' tall
400's for up to 2' tall.

400's are huge in Europe, they hardly ever use the bigger bulbs. More points of light equals more even canopy, all else bein equal.

 

[Greyskull]

Use 1k's for plants 3' tall or more
Use 600's for plants 2-3' tall
400's for up to 2' tall

i need to start giving you royalties or something man....

but that wattage to height reference is pretty spot on....

 

[OjoRojo420]

i need to start giving you royalties or something man....

but that wattage to height reference is pretty spot on....

Roger that...

Our man knows "game"!

 

[9240GrnMachine]

lazyman, finally a great answer!! been using that theory for years!! thanks

 

[2Lazy]

It's not what the lumens are at the canopy, it's how far your lumens go.

A 1000w bulb has a casting distance of 50 inches before the light is too weak.
A 600w bulb has a casting distance of 40 inches before the light is too weak.
A 400w bulb has a casting distance of 28 inches before the light is too weak.

Hold the phone... Can anyone see me? Can anyone hear me?

I've had this suspicion recently that ICMag has me on mute. Because I very clearly said exactly what Lazyman said 45 minutes before he said it and yet he gets all the rep.

Am I missing something?

Seriously though, if anyone can see this post please let me know. I have no idea if I'm even being seen around here.

 

[cfl...KING]

All this talk about the light output where heat out put is just as important possibly even more important in an inclosed space.

 

[9240GrnMachine]

not if you vent your lights properly...

 

[High Country]

I've got a 400W, 600W and just started a run with 1000W. We will see how it goes.

 

[orangejuice]

my plants can get around 6 inches to my aircooled 1k watt glass and not burn, have plenty of ventilation and a/c though so that helps.

 

[GreenGold420]

But you cant move the 1000w to close..light bleech...with 2x600, or 3x400 you can get same light intensity as a 1000w..but better light spread..

My 1k hps are properly aircooled and the leaves are touching the glass, nothing is bleached or burnt. If the Co2, Temps, and Nutes are right they thrive in more light than we could ever provide them indoors

Im without AC with 2 1k lights....keep it in the 70s all the time

 

[9240GrnMachine]

greengold.... perfect!

 

[JackTheGrower]

I run out of head room so I ordered the Galaxy Multi-Watt unit http://www.greners.com/ballasts/brand/galaxy.html
So when It gets to the tippy top it won't burn so bad. I'll just drop it down to 400.

I now have a selectable 900W, 1100W, and the 1500W and all I need is a 1k bulb to have a 400, 600 or 1k output plus it over-drives by 10 percent so using cheep bulbs now makes them shine!

I started a thread out there but I think I will have it moved in here.

I have three cool tubes. I have the Galaxy Twin-250's and a center 1k but now I can drop to 900 watts total distributed spectrum.

I was sold as soon as I saw that unit!


It's the answer for my box!!!!!

 

[cosmiccowboy]

I run out of head room so I ordered the Galaxy Multi-Watt unit http://www.greners.com/ballasts/brand/galaxy.html
So when It gets to the tippy top it won't burn so bad. I'll just drop it down to 400.

I now have a selectable 900W, 1100W, and the 1500W and all I need is a 1k bulb to have a 400, 600 or 1k output plus it over-drives by 10 percent so using cheep bulbs now makes them shine!

I started a thread out there but I think I will have it moved in here.

I have three cool tubes. I have the Galaxy Twin-250's and a center 1k but now I can drop to 900 watts total distributed spectrum.

I was sold as soon as I saw that unit!


It's the answer for my box!!!!!

how much was cooltube for 400 watt?