so, pretty pumped about my qb120 boards. got 4, gonna run in series, have the appropriate driver. gonna use for veg and flower with no other supplemental lighting. question that i have is, for a 4x2 tent, how far apart should i space each board on the frame to maximize their potential? i’m thinking 2’’ apart in a straight line should work well, but i’m not really basing that off any expert knowledge on my part. ‘cause im definitely no expert. question #2, i have the type A driver that you can turn a screw on to adjust wattage (i think. it adjusts something. u gotta pull a rubber plug out first and have a longish screwdriver) so that probably dims it some i would guess. is there any reason for me to mess with that? especially with veg stage vs flower stage? and, last question, i promise, i plan on having 2 plants and i’m gonna also try to grow some strawberries to make the wife happy (she likes the dope, but she really likes strawberries) . do you feel that this is enough lighting to accomplish that?
and, i just gotta leave u with Bernard Stonehouse > Quotes > Quotable Quote “I have often had the impression that, to penguins, man is just another penguin -different, less predictable, occasionally violent, but tolerable company when he sits still and minds his own business.”
Dim it if the plants want you to or if you can't maintain temps. Otherwise, leave it at max output. It goes without saying that the best layout for the boards is to have them at least 6-8" away from the walls of the tent. I can almost guarantee that these leds spread wider then any you have used. In a 2x4 the best layout for 4 boards is 4 in a row I think as opposed to running them in a cube. They aren't square boards so even if you run them in line you have a choice of running them long ways or shorter. I think in a 2x4 4 of them lined up short ways would be best. They don't have to be very close to the walls to fill the tent pretty evenly. That's a wide light for a 2x4. It's going to be over 30" long and only filling 48". That should give you great coverage edge to edge. If you were running the same fixture in a square shaped tent like a 3x3 then a square configuration of lights/boards would be better. In a 2x4 in an inline row is best. You'll find that they are so intense on output that really young plants like a lot of distance from them or at least some dimming.
hey, thank you so much for the advice. it is very much appreciated. umm, kinda dumb question, can i turn that dimmer screw while the light is on without electrocuting myself? without an insulated screwdriver? or does it need to be off?
No worries shocking yourself on the screw. You can turn it with the light on. Those leds are very tough. I've seen a single qb288 board take over 600 watts without burning up.