Any lightrail users out here?

[Bigworm1982]

So im ordering a lightrail4.2 with 12 feet of rail to move 2 1000watt aircooled hoods and i need some advise.

How do i keep the flexable ductwork from sagging and dragging on the plants as the hood travel back and forth?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[TorturedSoul]

Twelve feet?! Wow, I don't know, that might be a little... tricky. That seems like quite a stretch (and for the ducting, too ). Are you setting them up inline (along the rail) instead of side-by-side?

The usual method is to use a couple of their auxiliary trolleys (one before, one behind) and use a bungee cord or something to attach the ducting. That will help keep the flexible duct material off the plants. You might have to get creative (or buy a pair of extra stops, IDK). I don't know if there's that much "give" in the ducting. Although if you're running them inline, then you would have a shorter run on each end than I'm envisioning, because a section (the middle, kind of) of that 12' run would be the two reflectors connected together (perhaps with a piece of metal single-wall vent instead of the flexible stuff?), and I guess you'd want some space between them.

I've heard of people mounting a rod (piece of schedule 40 galvanized water line or black iron gas line, with those... uhh, been too long since I've worked in a hardware store, lol, I can't remember what the fittings are called that you screw a piece of threaded line into and attach it to the wall with four screws (on each end) so that the pipe is held rigid instead of being allowed to sag on a longer run like that when using reasonably small-diameter pipe and maybe cause an issue or even pull out of a hole/slot on one end and fall... Oh, duh, threaded floor flange. Anyway, then using a bunch of shower curtain hooks to attach the ducting material to the rod and allow it to slide back and forth.

Are you ordering off of the "lightrail3 dot com" website? There are articles there. Look for "The LightRail Light Mover Trolley and Three Clever Hacks" and "Light Movers with Vented Grow Lights" on that website.

 

[Bigworm1982]

My plan is to run them inline 4 foot apart
So they will only travel 8 feet. The extra trolly is a great idea.

Twelve feet?! Wow, I don't know, that might be a little... tricky. That seems like quite a stretch (and for the ducting, too ). Are you setting them up inline (along the rail) instead of side-by-side?

The usual method is to use a couple of their auxiliary trolleys (one before, one behind) and use a bungee cord or something to attach the ducting. That will help keep the flexible duct material off the plants. You might have to get creative (or buy a pair of extra stops, IDK). I don't know if there's that much "give" in the ducting. Although if you're running them inline, then you would have a shorter run on each end than I'm envisioning, because a section (the middle, kind of) of that 12' run would be the two reflectors connected together (perhaps with a piece of metal single-wall vent instead of the flexible stuff?), and I guess you'd want some space between them.

I've heard of people mounting a rod (piece of schedule 40 galvanized water line or black iron gas line, with those... uhh, been too long since I've worked in a hardware store, lol, I can't remember what the fittings are called that you screw a piece of threaded line into and attach it to the wall with four screws (on each end) so that the pipe is held rigid instead of being allowed to sag on a longer run like that when using reasonably small-diameter pipe and maybe cause an issue or even pull out of a hole/slot on one end and fall... Oh, duh, threaded floor flange. Anyway, then using a bunch of shower curtain hooks to attach the ducting material to the rod and allow it to slide back and forth.

Are you ordering off of the "lightrail3 dot com" website? There are articles there. Look for "The LightRail Light Mover Trolley and Three Clever Hacks" and "Light Movers with Vented Grow Lights" on that website.

 

[Jackalope]

Sounds like one hell of a project. I have used both air cooled lights and light movers. Never at the same time. Let alone doing at the scale you are wanting to do.

Best I can come up with would be. Maybe try a spring to hold the excess hose up off the plants. As the light mover moves the spring can stretch to accommodate it. Hard to find the right spring though. Length and strength would effect is ability to stretch.

Not a clue if this idea is really feasible.

 

[Bud]

Can the light mover move that much weight?
Movers tend to burn out bulbs fast ( rattling) at the end of the run when reversing. IMO

 

[Bigworm1982]

Been running the new setup for about 4 weeks abd i love it. Added a 3rd light to the rail and my diy led on one end and its kicking ass.

Led not in picture