Anyone have experience with light movers?

2

2000tranzam

Well-Known Member
So I just picked up the light rail 5.0 kit... gonna get a second cross bar and have 4 600 HPS running. This setup will be going in a 10x10 room or larger. What I would like to do is figure out a way to mount all 4 lights to a piece of plywood or something, have that plywood connected to the light rail and have some sort of contraption or way of lowering and raising the lighting all together. I had seen a video of this guy doing that and connecting a power drill to it to adjust the height.

Does anyone have any instructions or skematics of what Im referring to and how to do that?

Thanks!!
 
biggun

biggun

Active Member
I do not know much about light movers, but if you already have 4 600w hps lights isn't that enough for a 10x10 room without using light movers? I also use 600's and put them at every 3x3 area and have good success. Seems the movers would really not be moving much at all in the space you have, But once you figure it out I would love to see what you did.. I can always learn something new.. Good luck Happy growing
 
bossman88188

bossman88188

Well-Known Member
A light mover is a great tool if used correcty.
They should not move more then 8 inches.
Or they can defeat the purpose. They should be used to move the shadow's.
And not to make up for lacking light.
One light mover can move 4 light's. They sell trolley setup's for adding light's that work real nice.
Here are a couple pic's of my 3'000 watt's vented on mover.
 

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2

2000tranzam

Well-Known Member
bossman88188 said:
A light mover is a great tool if used correcty.
They should not move more then 8 inches.
Or they can defeat the purpose. They should be used to move the shadow's.
And not to make up for lacking light.
One light mover can move 4 light's. They sell trolley setup's for adding light's that work real nice.
Here are a couple pic's of my 3'000 watt's vented on mover.
Click to expand...
Well I keep going back and forth trying to decide what would yield the best in a setup like that.... Gonna have 3 rooms total to use, one for flower, one for veg, and one will be a cross breeding room for a male blueberry plant Ive got.

So your saying that when I setup the rail that when the lights are placed on it they shouldnt move more then 8 inches?

I had 2 different plans of attack but not sure which one to do.

I was either going to :

A: do buckets in DWC, and just line bucket after bucket of 3-5 foot plants and flower the shit out of them.... or

B: depending on how much area the light covers I would setup 2 to 3 rows by 6 columns of aeroponic tubs.

I would either have a SOG setup with the aeroponics, 24 plants per tub and just keeping them small. Or I was debating on toping them off at an early age, and just try to flower 10-12 bigger dual/quad cola plants.

Has anyone tried either of these setups? Pros and cons of both?
 
dakin3d

dakin3d

Well-Known Member
bossman88188 said:
A light mover is a great tool if used correcty.
They should not move more then 8 inches.
Or they can defeat the purpose. They should be used to move the shadow's.
And not to make up for lacking light.
One light mover can move 4 light's. They sell trolley setup's for adding light's that work real nice.
Here are a couple pic's of my 3'000 watt's vented on mover.
Click to expand...
Bossman:

I am curious if there is a way to set-up a light mover w/ 2 horizontal fixtures in a perpendicular orientation to the light rail, as opposed to the typical parallel orientation, such as yours. I have six aeroponic rows w/ 7 plants each that are four feet long. I would like to have 4 total 1000W fixtures attached to 2 light movers.... 2 lights per rail, in the perpendicular fashion that I described above. Is there a weight restriction on the 3.5's in this orientation, as all of the weight would be leveraged on the motor? If this isn't clear, please let me know and I will draw up a schematic to clarify.

Also, how do you feel about light movers in general, when used appropriately as you expressed in your previous post? There is so much debate regarding whether a mover is actually beneficial/efficient (ie, worth the money).... Basically, its difficult sifting through the bullshit. Right now, I'm finding it hard to justify buying the movers, as opposed to another light ($360 for 2 3.5 movers). Your input is much appreciated. Cheers, dak
 
bossman88188

bossman88188

Well-Known Member
dakin3d said:
Bossman:

I am curious if there is a way to set-up a light mover w/ 2 horizontal fixtures in a perpendicular orientation to the light rail, as opposed to the typical parallel orientation, such as yours. I have six aeroponic rows w/ 7 plants each that are four feet long. I would like to have 4 total 1000W fixtures attached to 2 light movers.... 2 lights per rail, in the perpendicular fashion that I described above. Is there a weight restriction on the 3.5's in this orientation, as all of the weight would be leveraged on the motor? If this isn't clear, please let me know and I will draw up a schematic to clarify.

Also, how do you feel about light movers in general, when used appropriately as you expressed in your previous post? There is so much debate regarding whether a mover is actually beneficial/efficient (ie, worth the money).... Basically, its difficult sifting through the bullshit. Right now, I'm finding it hard to justify buying the movers, as opposed to another light ($360 for 2 3.5 movers). Your input is much appreciated. Cheers, dak
Click to expand...
What up bro,
Sorry for the slow response.
Yes they can be hung either directoin. A robo stik will make them hang properly and I think necessary to run them the way you want.
I really think they add some benifit. But in all honesty I do not think they are worth it if money is an issue. IMO an extra light would be a bigger increase in yeild. Also I beleive the weight limit is rated at 350 pound's.
I will PM you a link to another discussoin on them.

T.H.Cammo said:
Is it just me, or does this go against everything I've ever heard, read or know about light movers?
Click to expand...
Are you reading the info printed from the company's.
I have used mine for 6 year's. Many different arrangment's.
They do offer some benifit. If I was starting new and money was an issue as it is for most of us.
Then I would go with extra light's and then after a harvest or 2 add in the light mover's.
 
2

2000tranzam

Well-Known Member
Just getting the room established today... In a room thats lets say 12x14 or so... What would you guys estimate appropriate coverage would be? Gonna have 2 600's and 2 400's... Each one should cover approx 3x3 area correct? So does that mean we should set the lights up 3 feet away from each other for proper coverage?
 
VidiotRayM

VidiotRayM

Active Member
I bought 2 light rails years ago, believing that I could double my space without adding to my electric bill......... It didn't take long to figure out that they're a waste of money............they became scrap for over 10 years.........I dug them up recently to use on my 1K and already know it's not the best plan. When the motor burns out, I'll swap it out and replace it with 2-400s stationary and do just as well, if not better.

The problem is....the light will cover X amount of space with enough light for excellent growth......as it moves, you're taking plants out of that optimal zone. The plants on either end of the area get full light for only 15-30 seconds of a 3 minute run. Would you consider having your lights on only 10 minutes out of an hour?? The plants in the middle of the area are usually fine as even at either end of the run they are still brghtly lit......... I see his point with the 8".....hell I'd even say a foot....that just moves enough to change the angle and hit lower parts........ a 12" cycle would take about 30 seconds and never have plants outside the optimal zone for more than 15 seconds.....
As far as that guy that used a drill to raise and lower lights.....I'm pretty sure I saw it in a supercropping video on you tube....... I could figure out a way to do it....but it seems a lot easier to buy some yoyos........all you have to do is lift up or pull down and it holds where you put it.............all I have are hooks and chains.....but with a 7' ceiling, it's a breeze for me and I'm only lowering them a foot when a batch enters bloom and raising them as they stretch.......

Obviously, I'm just giving you my opinion..........but if you spent several hundred $s on something and then don't use it.........that should speak volumes....
 
R

resinraider

Well-Known Member
Ya I bought a rail with hopes to cover more area. Nope unless u keep ur lights high, plants will be left in the dark. I move my 400 on it about 1 foot(maybe a lil more) to cover 3 dwc totes. ,d I use 1 in my flowering room with a 1000 that moves 2feet. I don't get much extra coverage but I do get to keep my lights closer so they don't stretch and they don't burn cuz they r nvr constantly over the same plant. It also alows the light to penetrate in areas stationary lights won't. All in all I wish I woulda gotten a new lamp other then a mover but it does alow a few more feet to cover In my room
 
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