ttystikk
Well-Known Member
This idea is sexy but at least for me it didn't survive closer inspection; the reason to do this basically boils down to cost of lighting. That cost is falling, to the point where whatever system of light mover you choose will end up eating up most of whatever you might have saved.I've designed a light that can move on rails using these boards to lay the groundwork. The idea is, I can build the light thin enough that it can move through an adjustable height slot with rails going through it. Not sure how I'm gonna light proof the slot, but theoretically, I could use these boards to help double my flowering area while buying the same amount of lighting. I can use the light in one room, then as the light timer flips, instead of the light turning off, an automatic gate or door opener (I can get one of these for cheap) pulls the light along rails (like the ones your screen door rides on) through the slot to the next room over. I'm gonna build the slot using two projector screens so the slot between the projector screens can raise and lower depending on plant height. The rails on which the light runs will go through this slot and raise and lower with it. The slot will be light proofed, but I'm not sure with what. The light will moved with a an electric door opener or something like it, which will be controlled by a separate timer.
Each room is going to be the same size, and will receive 12 hours of light. Instead of having 2 lights, both of them off for 12 hours a day, I will have one thin light that moves between rooms every 12 hours. I can grow staggered in this way with a separate veg room of the same size. I would start new clones in veg every 30 days, harvest one room every 30 days, and start plants flowering. This would be like my current setup, except instead of lighting my current 8x4 flowering space I would technically only need enough light for a 4x4.
Really cool stuff, the only thing left to decide is whether this extension is gonna be an 8x4 SCROG or a vertical grow. I'm tempted to go with vert to start, but I might need some guidance. @ttystikk mind if I pm you a couple questions?
I'm gonna be getting one light to cover a 4x4 at about 1100 average ppfd if I'm going scrog. If I'm running vertical, I'll be getting two lights to each cover two 4x7 spaces.
In addition, you're now faced with significant reliability issues; if your mover fails, you've potentially screwed yourself in TWO bloom spaces! So now it's more complex, not less costly, and the potential points of failure have multiplied. Worse, the most you'll ever save is some up front cost, vs ongoing maintenance for your new railroad. It saves you nothing over time.
So while the thought of my vertical rack of COB LED modules gliding through a slot in the wall every 12 hours was mightily tempting, the simplicity and relative robustness of just duplicating the lighting for two rooms won out.