I believe it is 1.5x exhaust. I've not seen it listed as 1/2 size. But you could be right. Let's have others weigh in please!

As for grow guides, check the stickies at various levels of these forums. Stinky Attic has done a lot of the best work. See this:

nOOb Guide to Growing da Dankness

You will find stickies at all levels on this board. They are worth looking through. See the stickies here for example:

Basic Growing

And the sticky guide to grow room setup in my signature is well worth a read.