Light Mover Users

[turbo14]

Hey guys, I just installed a light rail 3.5 in my 4x8 homebox with a 1000 watt hps in a Magnum XXXL Hood. I have it running on a very slow delay and it is only moving about 5 feet total. Is this too much movement? The plants on the opposite side are not completely shaded but the light makes it back pretty quickly. Anyone that uses these, is this too far to move the light, the hood is huge!

turbo

 

[Phillthy]

i cover 7 feet with my mover only using supersun2 hoods. have had no issues to report. peep my galleries for pics.

 

[turbo14]

i cover 7 feet with my mover only using supersun2 hoods. have had no issues to report. peep my galleries for pics.

Nice Phillthy,

Do you have the two hoods close together? Are your outer plants buds airy at all? Thanks brotha

turbo

 

[Phillthy]

only notice airy buds with different genetics. jsut pulled some rock hard bubba x grape krush and sourbubble x white rhino. average between 1-2 ounces per plant and i dont top or train.

two supersun2 hoods and a co2 genny.

 

[EvilTwin]

Hi Turbo,
I use a 3.5 too. Solid machines. I'd suggest that you're a little weak on your total light. Here's the math as I see it.

You have 32 sf and with 1000watts and with no efficiency factor from the mover...that gives you just over 30 watts/square foot. Not enough.

But if you believe the manufacturers claim of a 1.6 efficiency factor with a mover...that bumps it up to 50 watts/sf. More reasonable.

So I'd suggest that you decrease the length of your grow space...for now that is until you want to consider adding another light. Which, on a 3.5 isn't too hard to do.
ET

 

[shuswap]

turbo i have found that in a 4 x 8 space 4 feet of movement is usually the best but what you will find is airy buds on the outsides correct? that is because the light get the center more then the ends and this is where delaying the stop time at each end to longer comes in,trial and error my friend

 

[turbo14]

Thanks for the comments guys, this is just a fun tent that i'm messing around with, I have another 4x8 with 3 600's in it that is my baby The 4x8 tent with the mover houses a 8 XL under current system with a 4x8 scrog screen installed. The Magnum hood is pretty massive, right now I am using the mover to go about 5 feet. I agree with you on the 4' of total movement. I will adjust tonight, this hood should cover most of the system if I allow it to stay mostly centered by only traveling 4 feet, sorry for the rambling and thanks for the info guys!

turbo

 

[turbo14]

only notice airy buds with different genetics. jsut pulled some rock hard bubba x grape krush and sourbubble x white rhino. average between 1-2 ounces per plant and i dont top or train.

two supersun2 hoods and a co2 genny.

Are you using 600's or 1000's? So there is always one side being shaded on your garden, but not for long correct? What kind of total yields are you getting with your setup? Thanks

turbo

 

[2buds]

I've been running 2 3.5 light movers for about 5 years. The only problem I had was when my AC didn't restart, temps shot up to around a 100 and the movers overheated and cut out. Once things cooled down all was well. I throw a drop of oil at the center shaft about once a month. I also time them to hang out at the ends of the run for the maximum number of seconds the built in timer allows. My understanding for a light mover is its not to expand the size of your room proportional to your light size but to help disperse your light more evenly to your grow.

 

[Phillthy]

i am running 1ks and both sides are always lit now. one side has plants that are 4 weeks into flower when the other side comes in. when one side gets the chop another round replaces it. perpetual.

btw i am at about 25watts/sqft.

 

[turbo14]

i am running 1ks and both sides are always lit now. one side has plants that are 4 weeks into flower when the other side comes in. when one side gets the chop another round replaces it. perpetual.

btw i am at about 25watts/sqft.

Nice, I am eager to see what my results are for this test

turbo

 

[dunkybones]

Do light movers make a lot of noise, or add substantiably to general growroom noise?

 

[reckon]

Do light movers make a lot of noise, or add substantiably to general growroom noise?

no

mine makes a barley audible click when it starts to travel, but there's no hum, or whining (if there is something needs lubrication)

my fans are loud, but even with them off the mover rail doesn't make any noise at all, save the tiny 'clik' when it first starts up

 

[teddynugent]

Here's an easy way to figure out how much Light you have & How to figure out how many Lights(along with what size/watt Light(s) to buy to get the Ideal Light SetUp for your room)

Like stated above, you really want to have at least 50 watts per Square Foot in your grow Room.

To figure out your room's total Square Footage, all you do is Multiply the Length by the Width;
So, 4' x 8' = 32 Sq. Ft.

Then to calculate your watts per Sq. Ft. all you do is:
- Take the Total # of Watts of all your Lights combined; so for you, this is easy as you only have One 1000wt. Light, so your total # of Watts is 1000 (But say you had the one 1000wt. light & one 600wt. Light - your total # of watts would be 1600)

So now you take that Total # of Watts - 1000, and you Divide it by the Sq. Ft. of your room:
1000 / 32 = 31.25 Watts per Sq. Ft.

To get to that 50 watts per Sq. Ft. in your Grow Space, all you'd need to do is add 1 600wt. Light to give you Exactly 50wts/Sq.Ft.
- 1000+600=1600wts. 1600wts. / 32 Sq.Ft. = 50 watts/Sq.Ft.

But if I was in your position, I would just buy a 2nd 1000 watt Light - Just because that'd make it easier to make sure the whole room (from 1 end to the other) is getting an even amount of Light (as well as the same light intensity).
The other main reason I would just buy a 1000 watter is due to price. You can buy a nice 1000wt. Light for the same price as a 600wt. Light - sometimes the 1000's are even cheaper than the 600's.

Also, I'd make sure to get a Switchable Ballast, to be able to run HPS or MH Bulbs. Then I would hang the 2nd Light from your Light-Mover, and I would then run 1 Light with a good HPS Bulb, and use a good MH Bulb in the other Reflector -
Then your Grow Space would have 62.5 Watts/Sq.Ft. (which is plenty of good intense Light spread evenly thru your whole garden-that will produce some Big old Fat ass buds that are nice and dense/not airy at all).
The reason I say to use 1 HPS Bulb & 1 MH Bulb is because it will give you a Light Spectrum much closer to what the Sun produces(and Mother Nature knows best!)
I have budded my plants using only HPS lighting & budded my plants using only MH Bulbs & have also flowered my plants using both MH & HPS. I now Always try to use both HPS & MH Lighting every time I flower. Because the HPS will give you bigger, dense buds that tend to ooze out sticky resin that covers the buds. MH lighting will give me nice tight buds, that tend to fill in Great (producing buds that fill the whole stem in, leaving no gaps without buds). Plus, the MH lighting seems to give me buds that have more THC crystals covering them. Then when I combine both (usually with a 1000wt/ MH in a big Vertizontal Hood right in the middle with 2 smaller Horizontal Reflectors on each side - sometimes I'll use two 600wt. HPS's & other times I'll use two 1000wt. HPS Bulbs) this is where you can really notice a difference for the better. Those full branches I get under the MH will fill in even better & have buds twice the size. I'll get the prettiest buds too, that are completely covered in THC crystals & just covered in that real sticky, almost liquid/sap like resin - you know those buds that are so sticky, you can LITERALLY stick them to the wall & the bud will stay stuck there for days and days - until you peel it off....
I've also noticed that the MH will sometimes bring out different colors than the HPS (all depending on the strain). For Ex: My NL#5 x Blueberry turned darker, with nice dark purples & a bit of darker blue shades here & there. The Same Strain budded under MH gave me much lighter-kinda closer to like a neon green shade, and it still was a purple-ish color, but not nearly as dark of a purple & you could also see more of a blue tint/shade to the buds.

Anyway, just my opinion. But I really think that 1 more light will make all the difference in the world - and probably double your yield (which makes it well worth the $250-$300 you'd pay for a air-cooled reflector with a switchable magnetic ballast - even if ya only got 2 extra oz's (you'll get waayy more than 2 extra oz's total - but even with only 2 extra oz's, you'd double your investment....)
Plus, it'd get rid of any worries you have about lack of light for the end plants or airy buds (unless your growing a strain that just grows airy buds by nature. But most of the time, the proper amount of light in your Grow Room will take care of airy buds, stretched out where the plant has lots of stem between each bud cluster.
If your really hurting for cash, you could always just buy a cheap, bat-wing style reflector/magnetic ballast for around $189+shipping(for the switchable ballast)
Ideally, i'd try to buy the same reflector you have now (maybe with a cheaper ballast assembly) just so both Lights put out the same even pattern/spread of light. But you don't have to.

Good luck & Stay safe,

-Teddy

 

[EvilTwin]

Hi Turbo,
For a light mover thread, this is very civilized! lol They usually deteriorate into arguments between the people who feel they can't add to a grow space and those that do.

I thought I'd post a few shots of how I added a second light to my 3.5. This is how you need to do it with the 3.5. The Lightrail 5 has twice the carrying capacity and can do it like Phillthy does.
Cheers,
ET

PS I do feel you can expand your grow with a mover...but I rarely express that to avoid the arguments.

 

[turbo14]

Hey guys,

Thanks for the awesome input, I totally agree with all of you that another light would be ideal. Unfortunately that is not the intent of this tent, I am simply messing around in here with the light mover. I have another homebox that is the exact same tent that has 3 600's. Outfitted right, this tent would have another 1000 watt in a magnum hood as well. I am just wanting to see what I can do with one light and a mover, I have shortened the length of travel to only 4' and still covering the entire garden. I will try to snap some pics later this weekend. Let the games begin

Turbo

 

[EvilTwin]

Hey good luck Turbo,
Document the grow well with photos. It would be very interesting for us light mover users to know how you yield. ET

 

[Wariat]

Hello everybody.

Could somebody help me understand how this light movers work ??
Because no matter how hard i try to imagine working of this device, i cant see there posibility of incrasing eficiency by 60%.

How fast this motor move the light, and does it moving constantly? If not than how many times per day(12/12) it travel whole rail ??

I will be grateful for any help.

good luck

 

[EvilTwin]

Hello everybody.

Could somebody help me understand how this light movers work ??
Because no matter how hard i try to imagine working of this device, i cant see there posibility of incrasing eficiency by 60%.

How fast this motor move the light, and does it moving constantly? If not than how many times per day(12/12) it travel whole rail ??

I will be grateful for any help.

good luck

They operate on a slow geared motor...takes about 6 or 7 minutes to go the whole cycle from one end to the other. Adjustable pause at each end.

Advantages come from the ability to place light closer. Light gets to plants at varying angles so penetration is better over a stationary light.

People argue and argue about the perceived efficiency and advantage. People who've never used one tend to scoff while experienced users swear by them.
ET

 

[Wariat]

They operate on a slow geared motor...takes about 6 or 7 minutes to go the whole cycle from one end to the other. Adjustable pause at each end.

And how do you set this pause ??

Advantages come from the ability to place light closer. Light gets to plants at varying angles so penetration is better over a stationary light.

People argue and argue about the perceived efficiency and advantage. People who've never used one tend to scoff while experienced users swear by them.
ET

Im sure that there is a lot of advantages in using light rail. Im also sure, that there is some incrase in efficiency, but i dont think that this is 60%.

But for sure light rail is profitable investment.

Thanks for reply. good luck