Moving LEDs Closer To Tent Top Than Wire Hangers Allow

[MidgeSmith]

Hi,

 

I have a 4ft x 2ft x 6ft tent with a Kingbrite 320W light which matches the shape of the tent footprint well and provides more than enough light.

 

I am just inside the flowering stretch period and 75cm from the top of the canopy (dimmed to 60% currently giving approximately 750 PPFD) having taken the lights off the hangers and put the hanging wires through a carabina which is over the ceiling bar.  There is still 30cm+ of headspace above the light.

Though I have LSTd & scrogged, I am concerned that soon the flowers *might* get closer to the light than is ideal. Vegging, the manufacturers recommend 70cm -120cm and flowering 45-60cm (presumably at up to 100%). I'm probably worrying unduly as I'll likely have enough space this time, but your advice would be appreciated all the same.

 

I am wondering if there would be any disadvantage to removing the wire hanging cord and using a small metal chain - over the bar and through the fastening eyelets on the top of the light to hang it?  I only ask really, because I wonder if the more acute angle of the chain pulling on the heatsink attachments would cause undue lateral stress on them where they attach to the and cause damage over time.

If it would be a bad idea, I can keep dimming the light, but I am finding the minor heat coming off it useful and am keen to allow the light to reach the sides of the tent with as much intensity as I can get away with.  So higher and less dimmed would seem better than closer to the canopy and dimmed, though I could be wrong.  I am starting to augment the light with 2 hours of UV a day as the colas form - which hopefully won't cause them undue stress - as I condition them to receive up to 6 hours of UV a day towards the end of flowering.

Picture just to show where I was up to a couple of days ago (I have addressed the mild nitrogen deficiency visible at the bottom of the pic hopefully... I should have put more living soil and less all-mix for the 2 chocolate mint og autos on the left and centre I think...)

 

Thanks for any suggestions or comments.

 

Midge

[inceywinceyspider]

@MidgeSmith

 

You just need to make sure the heatsink gets enough airflow to cool properly.

Edited March 3, 2022 by inceywinceyspider

[MidgeSmith]

Yeah, cheers.  I can always run a fan over it, but it doesn't seem to generate too much heat. So, I guess I'd be alright with the kind of minimum distance from the ceiling I could achieve.

[MindSoup]

On my 2 grows in my wee cupboard I had my quantum board screwed the the ceiling and the driver had about 2mm or clearance on the top, didn't cause me any issues. 

 

[MidgeSmith]

Nice!  For my propagator grows, I used cable-ties to suspend my SF1000 between the ceiling bars.  It is only 100 watts, but I think as long as there is enough space for a goodly amount of air to circulate I will be fine with the Kingbrite.

It is more that I was concerned with horizontal stress on the anchors / fasteners being a problem, but I think I can make that work. The light's not as heavy as I was thinking.