How to overcome height requirements on LED lights

[FloridaSunset]

Here's my problem: I have a 2x2x4 tent and an old-style MarsHydro 300W LED that my plan was to use for med MJ. But even with training and cropping my plants (2) I only have about 9" of headspace between them and the light. That's all there is, there ain't no more! I've found out, since I purchased the light, that MarsHydro recommends an 18"-24" headspace between the light and top of the foliage. Didn't know that at the time I purchased it so it's my bad - certainly won't attempt to blame MarsHydro for my not doing deep enough research. But, regardless, I have to find some way (without cutting the tent or anything drastic like that though) to make my setup work because, at the moment, my girls seem to be getting fried from being too close to the light.

I've tried putting a cheese-cloth shade over the girls and that hasn't worked. So, now, I'm thinking about cutting the amount of light (radiation?) coming from the light by putting a 50%-70% window film over the glass on the light to reduce it. That's all I can think of trying at this point since I'm not technically proficient enough to open the light up and start tinkering with the power-output or anything like that...

So, I'd really appreciate any input I can get from someone more experienced than I am as far as my 'window film' idea and/or any other suggestions anyone might have to solve my problem because I'm totally disabled and surviving on a very limited income that doesn't allow me to get a replacement light.

FWIW, I do have some CFLs (8) that I attempted to use early on in the grow, but to use those properly at this point it would require me to get some sockets and get them mounted on a board and wired in properly so I can attach them to my rachet system which is also a bit beyond my pay-grade if you know what I mean...

Anyway, thanks to every who's taken the time to read this and give me some ideas to work with...

 

[Faic]

If it was a question of loosing the crop or cutting the tent, I would cut the tent and put a header box on it, even made out of cardboard and duct tape to keep things going. It might look bad but it'd work. It's more straight forward than trying to figure out how much light and what kinds (many window films cut all uv for example) you're going to loose with different types of filters. And polarizing film is a lot more expensive than cardboard and duct tape. As long as you cut the tent carefully you can always repair it later.

I made some 6xcfl lights with sockets and extention cord from orange-box for less than 20$ (lamp cord, three sockets & 3 Y's zip tied to a block of wood). My first grow was for meds on a time schedule and I learned the hard way, if it looks like a nail, use a hammer, and fiddle after harvest.

I'm also reading up on LED's as a switch from my cfl's, and I'll be allocating 24"+ for lights bases on various posts I've been reading, so keep that in mind if you extend your box up.

 

[Faic]

Here's some inner macgyver if you can't bear to cut your tent.

Socket Y's are 2.50ea. Sockets themselves are like 2$ or so, I can't find them on hd's site. And the extention cord is 6$ or so. The zip ties, wood scraps, paper plates, hot glue and tounge depressers I had laying around. Oh right, and lots of cheap mylar emergency blankets. So to get everything a bit more than 20$, but it works and has a certain charm perhaps....

But if I had a LED light laying around, a header like this, out of cardboard and duct tape would be easy to do.