SF1000 as an under canopy light?

[Brother_Antioch]

Hi, folks, and Happy New Years to you all!

Okay, straight to the point. I'm about to embark on my DWC grow. First attempt showed me the (many) flaws to my system and I've spent the last few weeks remediating them. As a result, I've replaced some of my equipment and ordered other new equipment (just waiting on the last few pieces to arrive).

What I'm going to be running:

2x4 tent
Godfather OG feminized photo seed
GH Flora Trio nutes with CaliMagic
a decent testing pen for pH, temp, ppm, etc.
a decent PAR meter for PPFD readings
Spider Farmer SE4500 EVO light
Spider Farmer 7-gal. DWC set up with dual 2"x6" air stones in the bucket (running a single plant for this grow)
Spider Farmer GGS AC10 power strip
Spider Farmer GGS grow controller system with probes
VIVOSUN AeroStream H05 Intelligent Wi-Fi Humidifier
AC Infinity Thermoforge T3 heater
VIVOSUN AeroWave E6 Gen2 Grow Tent Clip Fan 6”
4" inline exhaust fan with 10" charcoal filter and adjustable speed
10" non-oscillating fan for the bottom of the tent for circulation
small desktop USB powered fan for air intake at the bottom of the tent.

I realize this is a bit of a mish mash of brands and equipment. Ultimately I am aiming to tie it all together in an automated system with the controller, even if it means replacing some of the items with others that are compatible with the GGS controller. From what I've gathered doing my research, I can control what I need to using the power strip for automated on/off cycles, but I'd much rather have it all tied together so it controls all aspects via VPD readings. Thoughts on that are appreciated, but not the point of my post. So, here goes:

Prior to ordering the new SE4500 I had ordered a brand new SF1000 light. I then found out that it was under powered for my tent. So what I'm curious about is can I use that SF1000 as a secondary light source for under the canopy? Is it too much? Is it not enough? Is it the wrong thing? Or, conversely, is it the right amount of light in the right spectrums to really make a difference? Since I've never tried running any under-canopy or side lighting, I thought it best to seek the advice of you fellow growers with much more experience than I have. Also, if I was to run the SF1000 under the canopy, how do I set it up (distance, intensity, should it be installed flat facing straight up or angled into the canopy, etc.)?

As always, I truly appreciate any and all input on this. Tell me I'm doing great! Tell me I should just give up and take up button collecting as a hobby! Above all, tell me the truth!

Thanks in advance,

BA.

 

[Roachgod]

Hello, I am new to growing but have background in electrical and electronics. I would definitely not use the sf1000 upside down if it is the non dimmable model. If it is dimmable version I would be worried about the heat from it possibly damaging the board. I know it has a passive heatsink so it was designed to radiat the heat off the top of the unit. Take my advice with a grain of salt as I haven't got my stuff even unboxed yet so I'm curious what others with actual experience think also.

 

[Brother_Antioch]

Hello, I am new to growing but have background in electrical and electronics. I would definitely not use the sf1000 upside down if it is the non dimmable model. If it is dimmable version I would be worried about the heat from it possibly damaging the board. I know it has a passive heatsink so it was designed to radiat the heat off the top of the unit. Take my advice with a grain of salt as I haven't got my stuff even unboxed yet so I'm curious what others with actual experience think also.

Thanks, RG. I was a little concerned about the heat dissipation issue myself. It is the newest dimmable model so that's a plus. 1 thought I had was to hang it quite low on a slight angle facing down and put a mirror under it at a slight opposite angle to bounce the light back up into the canopy. I still am unsure, though, as that also means extra heat down low near the reservoir so potentially I could be adding extra heat into the DWC system.

Perhaps the best thing to do is put that SF1000 aside for now and start putting together a 2x2 tent for veg or clones.

Thanks tons for the input! Totally appreciated it.

Cheers,

BA.

 

[voltage]

Could always use it for side lighting.