Any suggestions on light placement?? i have a mess

ataxia

Well-Known Member
these pics don't do much justice ... i have 6 27 watt 5500k, 4 23 watt 2700k, 5500k, 2 65 watt soft cool 2700k and a 42 watt 2700k all soft cool white. Also a 30 watt cool white. Any suggestions on placement ... i know the plants on the left and the right are FAR TOO TALL
 

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Illegal Smile

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I have been going through a similar situation. It's very hard to work through a jungle unless you can get the plants out temporarily. But you need to get in there and rig up many place you can clamp a reflector - whether hanging chains or something on the walls to clamp on to.

I'm convinced the key in using cfls is being prepared to place them anywhere you need them, and move them often. It isn't easy but it's the tradeoff cfl growers make for having lights that are inexpensive with low heat - they have to be in close. I find 42w in clamp reflectors to be the easiest to work with. But I have gone to T5 HO fixtures overhead.
 
What I would do is position your lights like I have them drawn in my pic.

CFL's give off most of their light from the sides, and the light that is given off isn't too strong so its best to have them within a few inches of the leaves.

Looking at the pic with the thermometer it seems your temperatures are a bit high as well. If you were to put your lights closer I would also suggest adding an additional fan to circulate the air.

And as for the taller plants on the side, you could try bending them over a bit. Kind of like an lst or just pinching the stem if you are comfortable with that.
 

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ataxia

Well-Known Member
What I would do is position your lights like I have them drawn in my pic.

CFL's give off most of their light from the sides, and the light that is given off isn't too strong so its best to have them within a few inches of the leaves.

Looking at the pic with the thermometer it seems your temperatures are a bit high as well. If you were to put your lights closer I would also suggest adding an additional fan to circulate the air.

And as for the taller plants on the side, you could try bending them over a bit. Kind of like an lst or just pinching the stem if you are comfortable with that.
Thanks for the image ... i have the bulbs even less then a few inches from tops and certain areas with (what i think) has been no problem ... my next try i think ill try a scrog that way i can keep the bulbs uniform. that's IF i decide to go cfl ... thinking hps... but the cfls worked great maybe a little too great.
 

ataxia

Well-Known Member
I have been going through a similar situation. It's very hard to work through a jungle unless you can get the plants out temporarily. But you need to get in there and rig up many place you can clamp a reflector - whether hanging chains or something on the walls to clamp on to.

I'm convinced the key in using cfls is being prepared to place them anywhere you need them, and move them often. It isn't easy but it's the tradeoff cfl growers make for having lights that are inexpensive with low heat - they have to be in close. I find 42w in clamp reflectors to be the easiest to work with. But I have gone to T5 HO fixtures overhead.
I orginally wanted to go with t5s but i had no electrical experience and wanted to start asap. I know they're easy to hook up but im only good at very few things. cooking, playing drums, medical...lol.. I do need a reflector though!!!!! it would disribute so much more but.... I have so many y splitters and different size bulbs in each one... I DO usually rotate the bulbls though ...ill stick a big one in the center and swich a 30 for a 40 in a spot .. maybe couple a few togther. IS THAT BAD BTW???
 

cee1230

Well-Known Member
What I would do is position your lights like I have them drawn in my pic.

CFL's give off most of their light from the sides, and the light that is given off isn't too strong so its best to have them within a few inches of the leaves.

Looking at the pic with the thermometer it seems your temperatures are a bit high as well. If you were to put your lights closer I would also suggest adding an additional fan to circulate the air.

And as for the taller plants on the side, you could try bending them over a bit. Kind of like an lst or just pinching the stem if you are comfortable with that.
whuts up ima newb but sombody told me itsb better to keep ur lights on top of theplant .is that not true?. and yeah
atxia i think u shoul def pull the taller ones down and then rearrande ur lights around them. i move my lights every day. have u started flower yet
 

ataxia

Well-Known Member
whuts up ima newb but sombody told me itsb better to keep ur lights on top of theplant .is that not true?. and yeah
atxia i think u shoul def pull the taller ones down and then rearrande ur lights around them. i move my lights every day. have u started flower yet

Yep in the pics they're in about their fourth week of flowering.... i don't think i can jam anymore lights in there without burning a couple of leads
 

ataxia

Well-Known Member
whuts up ima newb but sombody told me itsb better to keep ur lights on top of theplant .is that not true?. and yeah
atxia i think u shoul def pull the taller ones down and then rearrande ur lights around them. i move my lights every day. have u started flower yet
Yep in the pics they're in about their fourth week of flowering.... i don't think i can jam anymore lights in there without burning a couple of leads
forgot to mention ...i could try and tie one down but my tallest one is stiff as a board... i guess that was the drawback of keeping them blowing in the fan the whole time:-(
:-(
 
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