How to add a second light?

[BigBlonde]

I have a 4x4 tent with a single 240 Watt LED light panel (a Viparspectra XS2000) set to 80% power or 190 Watts or about 12 watts/sq ft. Our two plants are in the veg stage.

A second light of the same model is due to arrive in a few days. So I'm pondering how to start using the second light without stressing the plants or causing them to flower too soon. If I add a second light at the same setting as the existing light, the wattage per square foot would double, and that seems like increasing the light too much, too quickly.

My thoughts have meandered through several ideas: One is to balance the two lights by lowering the first light while increasing the second light, keeping the total wattage at the same 190 Watts. That would result in each light being only at about 40%, however. So my second thought is to increase the second light till it is also at 80% power, but brings me back to the too much or too soon problem. My third thought is to lower one and raise the other till they meet at 60 or 70 percent. I think the third idea is best, but maybe there's a better way?

 

[mysticepipedon]

I would simplify my life and have the two lights at the same level and same power setting.

Start at 50% and see how they react.

 

[BigBlonde]

I would simplify my life and have the two lights at the same level and same power setting.

Start at 50% and see how they react.

Thanks for the help! I appreciate it.

Simple is good, for sure. I plan to keep the lights at the same level. I recently discovered that I can use wattage meters to fine tune the levels precisely. That might be helpful when I have two lights, although, admittedly, that might be a bit eccentric. That's okay, though. This is my first grow under lights, so it's basically a learning experience.

One of my newbie-type problems is knowing how to set the light level. My plants this time are photoperiodic. Next time I might try autoflower. So far, I have a general sense of how to set the light levels, but I need to get better at it. 50% sounds like a good place to start.

 

[BigBlonde]

I installed my second Viparspectra light today (to the right in the picture). The two lights are almost identical, except the power supplies are different. I used a wattage meter to set the level of the two lights to the same value that it was with one light. That is slightly less than 50% on the dimmers. This should complete my lighting, but I need to work on my wiring.