To Use A Light Mover Or Not To, That Is The Question ...

....which would be the better set-up?

Area to Be Covered = 3'-4" x 6'-8" x 7'-0"
Amount of Penetration Needed = 24"-30"
Reflector(s) to Be Used = Sun Magnum XXXL

Option #1

2 - 600w Super Enhanced HPS w/ Digital Ballast


Option #2

1 - 1000w Super Enhanced HPS w/ Digital Ballast on a Light Mover



Option #2 is better on cost and light penetration, but will the lack of light at times effect yield?

Option #1 is nice because they would always be stationary light. I think a 600 can penetrate 24" down, but not as strong as a 1000 obviously. Pricey Set-up & to Maintain, not by much, but some.


Which is the better set-up? What would the actual trade off be? Would I get higher quality stuff with the 1000w, but maybe a little less or would the 2 600's be the way to go?

If I can get any input, I would appreciate it. Haven't had so much luck with that though. I can work on the rest of my issues, but this is a main decision in my set-up and I am just curious to know from anybody who has tried this what is the better way. Thanks guys!

I would go with option number 2, because that's what I do, and I've seen plenty of setups with 2 600s and I still favor my setup.

Grow Tech - Thanks for the help! I am glad to hear that. That is just a good savings all around too .....initial cost of hood, ballast, and bulb plus the cost of a replacement bulb and then around $10-$15 savings on electric. By numbers, a 1000w bulb should be enough to do the whole room itself, but size it's not square, I would suffer a lot at the ends (at least in my mind and I have no experience). So then I thought about the 2 600's then saw a light mover....

I even have this silly idea in my head that I can even split the room in half and then just get a piece of unistrut and a roller assembly (they do sell it and it slides inside the unistrut) and then have a 600w on one side of the room for 12/12, then move the light to the other side for 12/12, but this is still about $15 more a month and the bulb would need to be replaced twice as often as well. Later on I will have to experiment a little, but for now I want to get set-up and with a efficent way. By what I read, the 1000w produces density and bigger growth, so that is appealing as well

How is the light rail with a air cooled hood? Going to take some ties or something to keep the ducting above the hood I can foresee. Or maybe I am over thinking it.

you wouldn't need air cooled hoods with a circular mover. my room is a rectangle also, probably smaller than yours though.
heres the link on RIU: https://www.rollitup.org/grow-room-design-setup/155955-wind-powered-rotating-dual-hid.html
or see my videos here: http://www.youtube.com/onenumcat
or see the effects here: https://www.rollitup.org/grow-journals/145957-5-strains-medi-bud-thc.html

I use (2) 600 watt plus the intellidrive light rail on 6' track. Even without air cooled reflector on I can still keep the lights pretty close normally less than 12". I have them without the air cooled right now cause I have two on the same track and it says on the rail I have will only hold up to 50 lbs. They do make tracks that hold 90 lbs. But in my veg room I have (1) air cooled reflector per track and I have the lights about 2" away and sometimes throughout the night they will grow and be touching the light by the next day. With the track you can buy the light addon bar but at my hydro store they are about 100 dollars. I made them out of 1" PVC I had in the garage and then went to home Depot and bought little hard plastic wheels they use for shower doors and then a wheel on a little steel plate that looks like it would be mounted under a big tool box or something like that. Then I removed that wheel and kept the plate. Then I screwed in the little shower wheels onto the plate and then screwed the PVC tubing to that plate and the other side to the intellidrive motor. As I read what I just wrote I dont even know what the hell I'm talking about and I built it. So when I get home I will take pictures so I can show what Im explainig.

But anyways to get to the topic at hand. I would go with the light movers. The light penetrates places it wouldnt normally hit if it was stationary. like the bottom of the plant.