Should I use a Light Mover?

SmokeyMacPot

New Member
Light movers are mechanical devices that, as the name implies, move an HID in a fixed pattern over a garden. A light mover can increase the coverage of a light by 140%. The real advantage is MUCH more light is available to the plants when the light is in motion. With a stationary light all that is shaded will remain in the shade, but with a mover the light will hit from different angles giving better coverage.

Light movers are found in 2 configurations: spinning arms (kind of like a ceiling fan) and along a rail that moves back and forth. The rail version seems to be much more popular with Overgrowers, probably because it will accommodate an air cooled fixture.

Light rails come in a variety of lengths, but most can be cut to fit any application. Most growers prefer a "smart rail", that is, one that pauses at each end of the rail for a period.

The biggest problem with air cooling a light on a mover seems to be dealing with air duct slack. Apparently, if the light is close to the tops of the plants, the duct may be dragged through the plants, thereby damaging them. Overgrow poster Ferret devised a solution: Use a curtain track, not a rod but the track that has all the little hangers inside that slides very easily. I screwed this to the ceiling of room and used light weight string to attach the air pipe to the little hangers in the track.
As the light moved the track hangers moved along with the air pipe stopping the air ducting from dragging over your plant tops doing damage.
The track cost about $15-$20 at any hardware or store. Simple to set up and it works .

Author: Bongaloid
 
Light movers are mechanical devices that, as the name implies, move an HID in a fixed pattern over a garden. A light mover can increase the coverage of a light by 140%. The real advantage is MUCH more light is available to the plants when the light is in motion. With a stationary light all that is shaded will remain in the shade, but with a mover the light will hit from different angles giving better coverage.

Light movers are found in 2 configurations: spinning arms (kind of like a ceiling fan) and along a rail that moves back and forth. The rail version seems to be much more popular with Overgrowers, probably because it will accommodate an air cooled fixture.

Light rails come in a variety of lengths, but most can be cut to fit any application. Most growers prefer a "smart rail", that is, one that pauses at each end of the rail for a period.

The biggest problem with air cooling a light on a mover seems to be dealing with air duct slack. Apparently, if the light is close to the tops of the plants, the duct may be dragged through the plants, thereby damaging them. Overgrow poster Ferret devised a solution: Use a curtain track, not a rod but the track that has all the little hangers inside that slides very easily. I screwed this to the ceiling of room and used light weight string to attach the air pipe to the little hangers in the track.
As the light moved the track hangers moved along with the air pipe stopping the air ducting from dragging over your plant tops doing damage.
The track cost about $15-$20 at any hardware or store. Simple to set up and it works .

Author: Bongaloid

Great advice. Haven't tried it yet, but looks like this will be the next update to my room.

:thanks:
 
I would Highly recomend a Light Rail!!! you could just use two lights. I love my light mover, It's constant and silent 6 or 10 rpm.. I have the 6rpm with adjustable pause on the end, It's the Cats' meow.
 
This is a great post, Ive been thinking of adding in a light mover to get more, & better coverage from my 600w hps. I think Im going to add the rail, its only $105 So its much cheaper than adding a 2nd light. we have a 10X12 room, that we made a 6x6 floor Pan to catch any water, I was thinking a light rail mover, would really let me get the best coverage for all my girls. Were gonna do 10 in a aeroponic/nft unit i built, and do 8 soil also. It will be 2 different strains. So do you all think a light rail will help? Also, my aero/nft unit is actually pretty compact. Its the style that stinkbud put up awhile ago.
 
Light movers increase your light coverage by 125% to 140%. If you use 50 watts per square foot as your target, multiply your light wattage by 125% for a low figure and 140% for a high figure. Now divide your two figures by the square footage of your growspace to see what your watts per square foot is. For example, 600 watt light multiplied by 125% is 750, and multiplied by 140% is 840. If you have a 6x6 growspace, thats 36 square feet. 750 divided by 36 is 20 watts per square foot. 840 divided by 36 is 23 watts per square foot. In this example, you can see that 600 watts of light isn't enough. Most growers agree that 50 watts per square foot is optimal.
 
Thanx Hog,
So by using that formula, & the same 600w light without the light mover im getting 16.6w PSF (per square foot)
600w /36 = 16.666666wpsf
now with a mover
600w X 125%=750 /36 = 20.8333
so I'd really only gain about 4wpsf.

Does that look correct anyway?
 
Look? I don't rely on any formula to make my mide up.... I look at my results, 4x8 tray 1000w hid switchable. My yeald is even and plentifull, I no longer have to buy a scrapp of med. I suplement with co2 at the middle to end of the flower. in relation to the mover, my plant are all equel in height and yeald. you might tell my that you gould get more. And I'm happy for you! Even more I'm happy for Me! If my light mover broke right now I'd be fuc ked I would burn one even row of girls. I am able to lower my light to the max with a fan, keeping the temp down. Bright low and flying on the Deck, Raze them or raise them right?
 
Great post I think however some of these folks arent quite getting it...50 watts per sq ft people mover or not even or not 50 wats per square ft people...lol I have a rail mover its higher grade then thoes cheap $100 ones you get online but thoes work for a while, anyway on my rail have a 1000 watt full spectrum MH and 600 watt HP Sodium = 1600 watts that puts me a little over 60 watts per sq ft for a big robusk yield, of coarse with all the other goodies co2, nutes, hygrozyme, and good circulation:roorrip:
 
Most growers agree that 50 watts per square foot is optimal.

I thought that it was more like the minimum. Well, not the absolute minimum, but on the low side of acceptable.
 
I really like this as a way to fully utilize the potential of my lights. I was amazed with the results when I tossed some CO2 in with my last grow, now I think for my next one I'll be looking into a light mover for sure. Slowly going to build myself the ultimate setup.
 
I thought that it was more like the minimum. Well, not the absolute minimum, but on the low side of acceptable.

According to what source?
 
:roorrip: You are correct Tourtured Soul.. Think its more like 65 for optimum.
Done it with about half of that can be done but the yield small and length of time to flower took longer...
 
I have used myself as a light mover for years....I rotate all pots on a daily basis so all plants get a share of LED/CFL/HID/and SUNLIGHT depending on whats available...it could be as simple as rotating your pots 180 degrees and moving them around:peace:
 
I have three lights in my bud room. I am not convinced I need a mover since I already have light hitting from three different sources. Also I read somewhere (not that it makes it true) but some of these light mover movers move the light too fast and that can negate the benefits. That might help explain why the ones that pause at the end are popular with those that use them? I have used a (whirlygig?) back in the '70s it held two or four lights and orbited not on rails. It looked impressive but I wasn't impressed back then either. Again we had ample lighting in the first place. I have the gear to assemble a tracked version but when it comes to the grow I am a minimalist.

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