Working out a foot print... Gavita 1000 de US 240

I feel like I've read the entire internet just learning to get this far.


After all this reading I've decided to go with the Gavita 1000 with the Phillips double ended bulb.

Please correct me if I'm wrong but it seems that the "understood" foot print of a 1000w bulb is about 5ft*5ft.

As I'm trying to make a decision as to the size of the tent I'll be buying, I'm trying to get to the best understanding of how to best implement this new light.

so my questions are;

what size area should I plan on being able to light well?
Seems the only reflector for my bulb choice is the gavita de. It is rectangular, should my growing space be as well?



I emailed gavita tech support:

This is an enquiry e-mail via http://www.gavita-holland.com/ from:
@!$@$@$@$@

I am looking into purchasing your GAVITA Pro 1000 DE US for use in my indoor garden. I note that the DE reflector is rectangular.

What size growing space is this light designed to accommodate? Is that growing space square?

How far from the canopy should the light be kept?

Thanks,

@#@@!

Dear @#@@!,

The best way to create uniform lighting is to create overlap from more lights. That is why our reflectors are wide reflectors (120 degrees). It is difficult to say what the spread of the light is as it depends on the required light, the number of lamps and their position in the climate room. But generally it's a 3x2 ratio (width x length). A single lamp solution will never get you a good uniformity, but uniformity in a tent is not always key to success as you have reflecting walls.

When you use a larger room it is always best to use multiple fixtures in-line.


Best regards,

Gavita Holland bv

Theo
Marketing Manager
Gavita Holland bv
Oosteinderweg

:::::::::::

Ok ok I understand that two lights are better then one, especially if you are selling lights. As with most gardens ele usage and heat production are issues. Two lights would be 2.5 more amps plus cooling, so not gonna happen this time around.

I don't mind rotating my plants daily, so even growth shouldn't be an issue. I'm pretty skeptical about using a light mover, so I'm not planning on one for this room.

Using the "3x2 ratio", should I plan for 6*4ft, 8(7.5)*5 maybe?

Anyone using these lights able to share some info on distance from canopy...? any other thoughts on the lights?

Quality is top priory.

Thanks,
Iam

Dont come closer than 50/60cm from the canopy.

Ismokethere4Iam said:

Quality is top priory.

Click to expand...

I agree.
Gavita is a good choice.

Gavita has some really good stuff, i have good contacts with hydroponics shops and ive tried most ballast and i have to say Gavita got one of the best digital ballasts out there.

Buy it, you will like it, a lot. Seriously

He probably isn't taking in to consideration that you will be growing in a tent. A 1000w in a 5 X 5 will be fine. You can even get a 4X4 and take your watts per square foot higher. If you plan on going hydro...than obviously you want the largest tent possible so as to not drop below 50w per square foot.

Cheers

TpM

ThePizzaMan said:

He probably isn't taking in to consideration that you will be growing in a tent. A 1000w in a 5 X 5 will be fine. You can even get a 4X4 and take your watts per square foot higher. If you plan on going hydro...than obviously you want the largest tent possible so as to not drop below 50w per square foot.

Cheers

TpM

Click to expand...

Just a note, a 5x5 tent is already below 50w/sq ft when lit by 1000w (it's 40w/sq ft). Going larger will reduce the watts per square foot even further.

That said, 5x5 is usually fine for 1000w - I would not go larger for one 1kw. 4x4 is a bit tight to work in, but will be quite bright all the way around the edges (where the 5x5 starts to get dim around the edges.

Doc420 said:

Dont come closer than 50/60cm from the canopy.

Click to expand...

Thanks!!! @ 50cm is ~20in and in line with what I expect.

ThePizzaMan said:

He probably isn't taking in to consideration that you will be growing in a tent. A 1000w in a 5 X 5 will be fine. You can even get a 4X4 and take your watts per square foot higher. If you plan on going hydro...than obviously you want the largest tent possible so as to not drop below 50w per square foot.

TpM

Click to expand...

Thanks TpM .... This suggestion raises two questions for me:

One. The sizes you suggest are square. Seems that most reflectors on the market are designed to create a square light pattern, so this would normally be fine.

I noted in my question to Gavita that the reflector for the DE bulb is rectangular. The reply does state that the suggested light pattern has a 2*3 ratio. 4*4 and 5*5 tents are square. According to the info given by Gavita rep a 4*6 or 5*7.5

Two. My understanding is that rating a light by watts alone is not as useful for this application. PAR light and intensity might be a better way. In the information given from the different light manufacturers leads me to believe that the Phillips DE bulb emits the most par light currently available. The intensity of my chosen bulb is 138000.

since I posted I have learned that:

Light Requirements of "High Energy" Plants
1000 - 5000 lux Min. necessary for life
10000 - 15000 lux Min. necessary for consistent but sparse growth
20000 - 25000 lux Min. necessary for robust growth

25000 - 30000 lux Max. Efficiency for Sub Tropical varieties
25000 - 50000 lux Max. Efficiency for Equatorial varieties
lux are given in m2

so if I decide to go with a 4*6ft tent i have a grow space equal to 2.23 meters sq. and inline with the pattern of light. @ 2.23 meters sq i'll have ~61883lux per meter sq. Well above the 50,000 recommended. A 5*7.5 space would yield only 39655lux at the edges. So for my girls to get the light they need the grow space should be 4*6ft.

If you have a better understanding or think that my numbers need to be adjusted, please let me know.

I know that the complete story for light cannot be told in short story. No artificial light source will provide perfect light.

qupee said:

Just a note, a 5x5 tent is already below 50w/sq ft when lit by 1000w (it's 40w/sq ft). Going larger will reduce the watts per square foot even further.

That said, 5x5 is usually fine for 1000w - I would not go larger for one 1kw. 4x4 is a bit tight to work in, but will be quite bright all the way around the edges (where the 5x5 starts to get dim around the edges.

Click to expand...

Thanks qupee... see above for my thoughts on tent size.

i think that since I have determined that I can achieve the best lighting in a 4*6 space, I should make my space "that" big. My thoughts are that any light cast beyond that area is wasted. Keep it reflected and working the plants.

If your experience has taught you different please LMK.

All,


If anyone has any experience that contradicts what I've put forth here please lay it down. I'm here to learn.

Thanks,
Iam

I have 3 1000 DE's over 3 5x5 tables in an L shape and have noticed better performance than the Lumatek, EYe Hortilux & AdjustAWing cobo's they replaced.

I have noticed that there is a significant hot spot right below the fixture, if you only have a few lights and have to keep them close to the canopy a light mover kicks ass.

OneTokeOver said:

I have noticed that there is a significant hot spot right below the fixture, if you only have a few lights and have to keep them close to the canopy a light mover kicks a$$.

Click to expand...

Thanks OneToke... how close to the canopy do you keep your lights? I'm assuming that you are lighting a 5*5 area because that's the size of your tables. Using the ratio given by Gavita, do you think that you would have more uniform light distribution in a 4*6 pattern?

I have been looking into light movers. Correct me if I'm wrong:

Seems that there are two main companies that mfg liner light movers. The light rail and the hydro farm.

The Hydrofarm Light Track System is chain driven, not adjustable, and seems slow. at 20min to travel 6 feet the, it would take 13 min to make a full one way trip. If I'm using the for mentioned lighting system and I plan my grow to be 4*6 and add the 4ft light rail, my plants on the "unlighted" side will be more then 4 ft and up to 5 ft from the bulb for 25% of the time. Effective range for this bulb is not more then 3 feet from center. So with this system my plants in the outer 50% (left and right) of the canopy will receive at most 9 hours of usable light in a given 12 hour photo period.

Maybe I'm missing the point and this mover is just great, but the math isn't working out as this system being beneficial.

The newest LightRail 4.0 seems to address some of these issues. with a two to four feet per minute adjustable speed (as compared to 3.3 ft per min for Hydrofarm), at least I can adjust a rhythm that isn't working. Adjustable stop points and up to 60 second adjustable time delay on the ends add a couple more variables.

I see potential in this system but am just not sure about implementation. In the given space would I want to move slow over a short distance or fast and far (or any combo there of), then factor in the stops at both ends, or don't and have it move continuously, and my first thought was great... something else I can F%^#-up (I love run-on sentences).

For my set-up:

Enclosed... either a tent or a custom space with highly reflective walls. (4*6 unless someone can convince me that a 5*5 would be correct.)
Soil in smart pots.
single light source.
bloom phase only room.
I plan to rotate the girls daily...
still working out the details on the other stuff... i.e. SOG ScOG topping and super cropping. (head ache for another day)

My thought was that the daily rotation would keep the ladies in a uniform canopy... for the most part.

Do you think a light mover would be necessary in this case? If not necessary then beneficial?

I realize that every op is different. The point of mine is to produce ~ 224g monthly. Anything else is bonus. I'll have separate Veg and Grow rooms and the 1000w is strictly 12/12.

Anyone else with experience in this light please feel free to chime in.

Iam

Hey Ismoke,

I actually mapped the footprint of the 1000 De with a standard light meter (I know lux does not = PAR but I was comparing reflectors not bulbs.) and found it to be more uniform than either the Adjustawing or LR1000 hoods I was/am using. I got the light mover more for the heat than spread.

That being said, if you are considering a light mover, this is the best one imo, Agramover. Far stronger than the LR, adjustable stop time, constant 120v on the mover for fans, etc.

To be honest, with a single light in a small room (walls close to the table for reflection) I'm not sure if the shape of the room is the most important factor, especially with a mover. Here is a grow in a 4' x 4' tent.

I keep the lights about 20" up. With out the mover that is still too close for some strains, the small reflector seems to really concentrate the heat right below the light.

I just harvested my first run in the Gavita room. For sure my best crop to date, for yield, smell and appearance. I will be buying more.

BTW, 2.24 grams per watt is doable but ambitious, not likely to happen first (or second) time.

Good luck and have fun!

I'm about to finish my first run with them. They replaced adjustawings with galaxy ballasts. The results so far look really good. Definitely going to be a record breaker for this room. I have mine roughly around 2.5 feet above the canopy. I'll post back when the numbers are confirmed

Am looking at new gear and the gavita 1000 looks to be an improvement on1000w hps. There is no grow shop where I am that sells these so I'm looking for an overall opinion on whether a new room I am building with three gavita 1000 in a 6x15 room will out-perform 3 1000 air cooled raptor in the same space. Both rooms cooled with portable dual hose 18000 ac. Also, would the gavita1000 with no air cooling and ac be cheaper to run than air-cooled 1000 hps and ac?

Hi,

1000W DE is doable in 4x4, not optimized for such foot print, where the best is around 4x6.
You need a good climat control, keep your plants below 60cm at least and you'll got a nive harvest. I just harvested my secpond grow with the DE 400V, 1g/w in such a place of 120x120, with 18 plants, 10 different strains, half from seed.
Anyway if some few $ are not an issue, imho, the 1000W DE is a smarter solution than a 600W, by his dimm functions who is just a killer with its 6 steps increment. I harvested around 30/35% more than my previous 1Kw (600HPS GP + 400 HPI-T).

Enjoy your Gavita light, just take a session to well understand how powerful he is, and you got a kind of Graal lightening your garden.

Edit : 4/5 years after joining the boards, here is my first post

hey there, Im surprised whazzup hasn't stopped in but I will try to give u the benefit of the knowl;edge he has shared with me on the subject...

First, Id say the average footprint of a 1kw lamp is 4x4...prolly why you don't see too many 5x5 or 5x10 trays?
whazzup told me the gavita pros that you are referring to are best over a 5x5 area with A MINIMUM of 2 feet from your canopy top to the bulb...prolly more like 2.5-3ft is best to start.

Keep in mind these are not air cooled so be prepared to have approx. 3500-4000 BTU's of cooling per lamp... and again watch your tops closely until u have a good feel for how high to have the lamps.

Besides that the Gavita Pros are the best horticultural light available to the average consumer and maybe the best period so far IMO. The spectrum is much better than an HPS or MH for flowering while providing more light to the plants as well.

Check around here for a few great threads about these lamps and to see them in action.
Good luck...Take care and stay safe

guerilla

Hello !

Just to add to the good advices of guerilla, the "ideal" footprint is 4x6 (120x180cm) according to Whazzup.

How to arrange Gavita 1000 DE in Series

How to arrange Gavita 1000 DE in Series

Based on the following info from Gavita Holland regarding their
1000w DE reflector:
Each reflector lights a 21 sq. ft. area in the ratio of 3:2 (Width:Length)

Nice find shiva thanx

If you're going with a tent I can't imagine trying to cool a 4x4 with a 1000 watter in there. Plus I would think you might want to consider the layout of plants/equipment in the tent. I personally don't pack plants wall to wall. I have a pallet in the center and small fans on the edges circulating air all around/under my pots and canopy.

Mr. Roseberry