Light Mover?

guyguy

Member
So I am about to flower 15-ish plants. I have 3 1000w lights. HPS MH HPS is
how they will hang over the plants.



Question.. Should I get a light mover on a 6 ft track?



The room is just about that long... The three 1000w lights would go back and
forth. Any ideas as to why this might be a good or bad idea?



Thanks!
 

dannyboy602

Well-Known Member
light rails help the light penetrate into the areas that wouldn't otherwise get light. they can also increase your footprint. they're a great idea and not expensive to buy or operate.
 

Kervork

Well-Known Member
I wouldn't move a 1000 more than 2 ft. I've found they don't really cover more area well, they are best used to prevent hot spots and get even growth.
 

guyguy

Member
how wide is ur space? how big is ur grow area? sq footage?
EDIT, THE TRACK IS 6FT LONG.. not 10.

Area is 10 feet deep and about 6 feet wide.

I would have the three lights as close to each other on the mover as I think is OK. And it would go back and forth.
 

marc88101

Well-Known Member
You can't put 3 lights on one rail! If you want to do that you need to get the one that spins around. I think it has 4 arms on it
 

wheels619

Well-Known Member
EDIT, THE TRACK IS 6FT LONG.. not 10.

Area is 10 feet deep and about 6 feet wide.

I would have the three lights as close to each other on the mover as I think is OK. And it would go back and forth.
the farthest i would go is about 5 ft of rail with my 1000. and it should cover about 8 ft of length and about 5 ft of width. if u have 10x6 why dont u chain all of the three lights inline and stationary? a thousand watt light footprint is about 5x5 sq ft. so putting them together would probably be overkill. just hang them. hps, mh, hps like u were planning and ur shit will be brilliant. no rail.
 

JimmyT

Well-Known Member
5 plants per light may not require a light mover.

While light movers may be helpful, they're not the ideal solution. I've used a light mover for a couple of years and I have had long thoughts as to whether I was growing efficiently. Given my space/height and finances that I had, I believe I was. However, I learned something very important while owning a light mover; plants want and love light!

The truth about light movers is that they create "shaded" areas. When the light reaches one end of the cycle, it's taking light away from the other end, thus, creating weaker plants in the outer portions of the covered area.

So, if you're thinking about using a mover because of certain "limitations" within the room, then go for it. I personally would rather have a plant consistently receiving light at optimum temperatures for an ideal grow :leaf:
 

guyguy

Member
the farthest i would go is about 5 ft of rail with my 1000. and it should cover about 8 ft of length and about 5 ft of width. if u have 10x6 why dont u chain all of the three lights inline and stationary? a thousand watt light footprint is about 5x5 sq ft. so putting them together would probably be overkill. just hang them. hps, mh, hps like u were planning and ur shit will be brilliant. no rail.
Actually that is exactly what I did... My m8 at the grow store talked me out of the mover.. said it was overkill and saw no increase in yield.. As this is my first grow, I may as well do it normally before trying weird experimental crap haha..

Anyways the room is brilliant, I will most likely make a journal soon and upload pictures.. About to trigger them in a day or two. Can't wait to see how it goes!
 

wheels619

Well-Known Member
Actually that is exactly what I did... My m8 at the grow store talked me out of the mover.. said it was overkill and saw no increase in yield.. As this is my first grow, I may as well do it normally before trying weird experimental crap haha..

Anyways the room is brilliant, I will most likely make a journal soon and upload pictures.. About to trigger them in a day or two. Can't wait to see how it goes!
yeah but the hundreds of dollars in power thruout the grow is why i converted to the rail. im almost a week and a half in and they are looking like reg plants ive grown before. even tho they are almost 5 ft tall now. the light mover is making it so that the whole plant is getting light. as it moves the light passes thru the leaf openings to the lower bud sites. they are even stating to flower already. actually im kinda impressed at it efficiency. also mine is turned up as fast as it will go becuz of the lighted areas size. but so far no harm. its actually impressive for saving me almost 600 bucks in power per grow so far. but we shall see later.
 

hazey grapes

Well-Known Member
you should have enough lights to cover your space as/is without needing a mover, though under 5 feet of width would be better to concentrate your light. if you were using a mover for efficiency, i'd only use two lights. conventional wisdom holds that the more light the better, but high times did a test grow where they alternated their 1000 watt lights with half of them on at a time to lower room temps and found their yield only dropped something like 10% with half of the lighting. light movers do the same type thing. i've always wanted a light rail, but they seem not to want to work with cooling ducts that much with the possibility of pulling the duct off it the tape fails or even wearing it out so it tears. as mentioned, moving your lights gives you much better coverage which compensates for lower overall lighting, but i seem to remember reading somewhere that plants don't need constant light and, like the HT experiment showed, lose little with temprary dark cycling as that's how they photosynthesize. i think i read that back in the 80s in cervantes' guide, and he suggested that maybe strobe lights might be the most efficient lighting. apparently not if anyone ever tested that theory.

just don't let your room get too hot.
 

wheels619

Well-Known Member
you should have enough lights to cover your space as/is without needing a mover, though under 5 feet of width would be better to concentrate your light. if you were using a mover for efficiency, i'd only use two lights. conventional wisdom holds that the more light the better, but high times did a test grow where they alternated their 1000 watt lights with half of them on at a time to lower room temps and found their yield only dropped something like 10% with half of the lighting. light movers do the same type thing. i've always wanted a light rail, but they seem not to want to work with cooling ducts that much with the possibility of pulling the duct off it the tape fails or even wearing it out so it tears. as mentioned, moving your lights gives you much better coverage which compensates for lower overall lighting, but i seem to remember reading somewhere that plants don't need constant light and, like the HT experiment showed, lose little with temprary dark cycling as that's how they photosynthesize. i think i read that back in the 80s in cervantes' guide, and he suggested that maybe strobe lights might be the most efficient lighting. apparently not if anyone ever tested that theory.

just don't let your room get too hot.
i have mine hooked up to a cooltube and have no problems. use duct tape then hit it with a ziptie. it wont come off. plus the suction from the fan will keep the ducting from being slack. it kinda sucks up like a slinky.
 

guyguy

Member
yeah but the hundreds of dollars in power thruout the grow is why i converted to the rail. im almost a week and a half in and they are looking like reg plants ive grown before. even tho they are almost 5 ft tall now. the light mover is making it so that the whole plant is getting light. as it moves the light passes thru the leaf openings to the lower bud sites. they are even stating to flower already. actually im kinda impressed at it efficiency. also mine is turned up as fast as it will go becuz of the lighted areas size. but so far no harm. its actually impressive for saving me almost 600 bucks in power per grow so far. but we shall see later.
Mmmm ya.. But actually, I am renting a place from a guy and because of very weird and special circumstances, I do not have to pay for any of the utility bills.. And I have 3 1000w lights on 100% and my roomie has another two 1000w on like 50%...

Though I only just turned them on this month.. so actually, the landlord MIGHT notice.. but because of the special circumstances, he probably wont :D
 

wheels619

Well-Known Member
Mmmm ya.. But actually, I am renting a place from a guy and because of very weird and special circumstances, I do not have to pay for any of the utility bills.. And I have 3 1000w lights on 100% and my roomie has another two 1000w on like 50%...

Though I only just turned them on this month.. so actually, the landlord MIGHT notice.. but because of the special circumstances, he probably wont :D
900 bucks is a lot of special circumstance dude. he will notice. trust me. its not cheap running 3 thousand watt lights and the fans and shit to properly cool them. but good luck dude. im subbed just to see what happens. :)
 

guyguy

Member
900 bucks is a lot of special circumstance dude. he will notice. trust me. its not cheap running 3 thousand watt lights and the fans and shit to properly cool them. but good luck dude. im subbed just to see what happens. :)
What!! No way will it be 900$...

Maybe 300 ish...

We have 5 1000w lights running, 2 of which are running at like 25-50%... And to cool it all off we only have 3 blowers... Which do not take too much electricity.. No AC's needed. ah and like 7 osco fans. Other than that we do not even have central heating on. So maybe they will see a jump in bills but I will simply say that they are the heater or something haha...
 

Sir.Ganga

New Member
900 bucks is a lot of special circumstance dude. he will notice. trust me. its not cheap running 3 thousand watt lights and the fans and shit to properly cool them. but good luck dude. im subbed just to see what happens. :)
I run 12 600's 2 400's and 2 T-5's, with the 3 air conditioners and all my equipment runnung in the heat of the summer I don't pay $900 a month! Where do you live that warrants that statement?
 

wheels619

Well-Known Member
What!! No way will it be 900$...

Maybe 300 ish...

We have 5 1000w lights running, 2 of which are running at like 25-50%... And to cool it all off we only have 3 blowers... Which do not take too much electricity.. No AC's needed. ah and like 7 osco fans. Other than that we do not even have central heating on. So maybe they will see a jump in bills but I will simply say that they are the heater or something haha...
so ur telling me over the time of the grow running 3 1000 watt light wont cost 900 bucks overall? after u harvest. 2-3 months of flower not to mention the veg. yeah not monthly but per grow. if ur in the 3rd or 4th power tier from ur power company like i am it will cos that much. which he should be with 3 1000s going at once. .25-.30 cents per kilowatt hour to run my 1000s 12/12 it cost me 108 bucks per light per month.

3lightsX108roughlypermonthX2-3 months. should cost 650-900 bucks in power per grow. whereas a light rail would kill his bill by 2/3.

unless he lives somewhere cold or hot where he gets power breaks for heat and air conditioning its going to cost him.
 
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