ok so im doind my first HID grow, im using a 1000w HPS durring veg right now (i know this is not ideal, but its all ive got) and ive heard to use your hand to judge how close your light should be. well its an aircooled hood and ive got about 250 cfms pulling through it so it doesnt get very hot. i can touch the glass without discomfort (its warm but not uncomfortable, and my hands are fairly sensitive to heat) so i put them about 6 inches away and after a few days the upper leaves started looking bleached or burned. so i raised them to a little over a foot above the plants. does anybody have any better advice for me?
You're doing it right. Just keep feeling it out and reading your plants. 1000w is gonna get the job done man. Don't worry.
That should be good... I set mine at about 10" - 12" away and watch for them to grow up to it again or to with-in about 6" of it and they start to show signs of heat stress, the little tips start to turn brown and curl... thats when you'll know it's time to raise the light again... the closer you can keep it to them with-out hurting them the better. If you want them to stretch, then give them a little more room... say18" and they'll try to grow to the light.