Quote Originally Posted by Hataman
Thanks for the feedback, Douglas1, very helpful and encouraging. The more I think about your comment that this is a good problem, the more I begin to see the light. All it takes, I think, is a simple strategy change. Rather than start the plant up high and lower it as the colas develop, I'm going to start the plant down low and let the colas stretch up into the light. This is testament, tutorial, and cautionary warning to others about the penetrating power of the 240W Blackstar vegger. I've carefully read everything I could find about this light (including a grow journal where a guy pitted a 240W Blackstar vegger against a 500W LED competitor) and by all accounts this light is universally underestimated. It just does not look all that powerful, and the intuitive reaction upon first seeing it in operation is to place it about 18" above the canopy. Judging from its effects on our plants, however, this is much too close (and inefficient and dangerous) for such a deceptively powerful light. I should back up and state that my DWC plant (RIP) was trained into a magnificent 2'x3' SCROG, and my hempy plants were flattened with LST into ~2 sq. ft. SCROG-like bushes. This shaping could definitely affect distances, but my ultimate point is the 240W Blackstar vegger is not a simple light. It has a learning curve, and I suspect when we as a user community finally crack its code, it will prove capable of some amazing production rates. Anyway, at this point, just an educated guess...
I'm happy with it, learning curve for certain though.. it seems like the hydro girls handle the high amount of light better than the potted plants.. not sure why that is.

something else that's cool about these lights.. I can run two at once, and not worry about venting at all, no fans no in/out. just co2 piped in at the right ppm. no heat problems, and opening the door occasionally to check em lets out the humidity.