Lighting The argument for a higher light

[Olderfart]

In many respects, we shouldn't have to be dealing at all with these issues (problems) of "more even light distribution' and having to raise lights to the top to get better "penetration!" It's something that manufacturers could easily fix.

There needs to be many more lights available with actual even light distribution over their coverage area from the very start. For ex., a fixture designed to cover a 4x4 space should have the same PPDF/DLI/PAR/light intensity at all points in that space at a typical height in a typical tent. We shouldn't even have to look at PPDF maps of light coverage. Whether through better LED placement (fewer or lower power in the center), angling/aiming, lenses, reflectors, etc. this is fairly easy to do. It seems crazy that even leading light companies still put out the same old designs that concentrate intensity in the center, such as quantum boards with evenly spaced LEDs.

My comment was regarding vertical distribution, not horizontal. Horizontal distribution is a separate issue, which I agree is important, and one of the factors driving how I distributed my screw-in bulbs (very widely over the entire 4). The newest bar designs do a lot better than the old designs, but could still be improved. To get horizontal distribution well calibrated might require calibration to a particular tent/ drobe setup though, so results in random tent sizes and designs would rarely be perfect.

 

[Olderfart]

He tested the same intensity at different heights, what OP mentioned was setting canopy intensity at the same DLI from different heights and that penetration would be stronger with high light intensity from further away, than lower light intensity from closer. A lot of variables for stoners to ponder but I would say the best penetrating power is the sun and that’s a super intense light from super far so it makes sense that upping intensity and distance would be better than lower and closer

The thing about sunlight is that for our purposes, distance to the source is identical at all positions in the canopy no matter if the canopy is a foot deep or twenty feet deep. Unlike the situation with grow lights. It is all about the comparative distance to the source.

 

[BII]

...... To get horizontal distribution well calibrated might require calibration to a particular tent/ drobe setup though, so results in random tent sizes and designs would rarely be perfect.

I think there are opportunities at common tent sizes for manufacturers to put out size-tuned lights, with even horizontal light distribution. For ex., there are a lot of lights designed for 4x4 coverage or tents. Why not make lights for such popular size tents (or coverage areas) with truly even light distribution at their recommended height?