Access to the inside of the Super Silo for plant maintenance was a big topic yesterday. Right now I'm using the 2"x4" mesh fencing and the holes are too small to reach thru. 4x4" mesh will allow for a lot more work to be done from the outside, and its stiffer so the mesh isn't as floppy.
I'm going to install a catwalk so when we work inside the trellis we aren't standing on water lines and possibly causing leaks. Instead of hanging my lower light from the top one, I elected to build what amounts to weighted lamp bases that hold the socket upright at the right height inside the trellis. These can be moved for work, and moved back into place as soon as they've finished.
Just to be clear where I stand, the policy here is to shut the lights off and let them cool before working around them. Burn marks are for morons!
Morons is a bit harsh lol, how bout uneducated. Nice upgrades though bro. One other thing that might be an option in the future, I started routing all my ground plumbing around and to the outside of the donut so when I work on the inside I don't have to stand on anything, just slide the fan and light base to the side.
A conversation on another thread about vertical bulb placement got me thinking; other members favor placing the bulbs at top and bottom of their cylinders. I think this wastes up to half of the light from each lamp- or at least creates the need to reflect it towards plants. This would work acceptably well in a shorter cylinder but would reveal its weakness once the cylinder's height exceeds its diameter.
I place mine at nodes one and three; divide the vertical height of the trellis (not including base or tubs) by four. Each of the three nodes is equidistant from the next and in turn from the ends. This means that the lamps get placed 1/4 of the total trellis height from the top and the bottom, leaving twice that distance between them vertically. A long description, just to be really clear that I'm NOT dividing the space by three and thereby placing the lamps too close together.
This placement allows each lamp to reinforce the other's coverage between them, lighting the center of the cylinder uniformly at the same level of intensity as being directly adjacent. The smaller distance between lamp and end allows the lamp to effectively shine above/below its position somewhat, improving efficiency over a design where lamps are placed at the ends of the cylinder.
not sure im seeing what u mean. u have it set up that way.
I place the mogul bottom flush to the top of my plants and flush with the bottom of my plants botttoms. This gives me about 30 inches between the bulb tips. My doughnut has about 5-5.5 feet of plant canopy.
I do not move my bulbs during the growth to cause them to stretch. I only move the top bulb if I can not get the plant growth above the bulb to bend below the bulbs mogul base. I will move it up if the majority of the plants grow above the bulb base though. I find that the plant that is above the mogul does not fill in fully.
I am not sure of your setup but this is what I have found with my doughnuts. I would recommend anyone doing a doughnut setup invest in two bulbs because the extra yield more than pays for the second bulb. This is because of the overlap you mention but I feel has more to do with getting light to the shaded parts of the plant that would not get it with a single bulb.
I would recommend anyone doing a doughnut setup invest in two bulbs because the extra yield more than pays for the second bulb. This is because of the overlap you mention but I feel has more to do with getting light to the shaded parts of the plant that would not get it with a single bulb.
I place the mogul bottom flush to the top of my plants and flush with the bottom of my plants botttoms. This gives me about 30 inches between the bulb tips. My doughnut has about 5-5.5 feet of plant canopy.
I do not move my bulbs during the growth to cause them to stretch. I only move the top bulb if I can not get the plant growth above the bulb to bend below the bulbs mogul base. I will move it up if the majority of the plants grow above the bulb base though. I find that the plant that is above the mogul does not fill in fully.
I am not sure of your setup but this is what I have found with my doughnuts. I would recommend anyone doing a doughnut setup invest in two bulbs because the extra yield more than pays for the second bulb. This is because of the overlap you mention but I feel has more to do with getting light to the shaded parts of the plant that would not get it with a single bulb.
Think of the shape of the core of a roll of toilet paper; it's taller than its diameter, right? If you light it just from the ends, the center will receive inadequate lighting.
Draw a line around the cylinder at the halfway point, bisecting the cylinder into two smaller, shorter cylinders. Now, do the same again with each half. You should end up with a cylinder that has three lines on it, all equidistant from each other and the ends of the cylinder. Placing the bulbs inside the cylinder at the height of lines one and three gives a better and more uniform distribution pattern than lighting from the ends. The longer the cylinder relative to diameter, the more difference it makes.
No disrespect intended as I was sharing what works for my dimensions. I see why now, u got an extra 1 1/2' to spread those two lights over, where as im shooting for 5' high, by about 4' diameter of vert canopy. Ur rocking thousands though right? im only doing 600's