ttystikk
- 6,892
- 313
Hey all, this is a new thread to show off my sad sack McGuyver skills and share a DIY build of a light rotator. I'll post some pics as soon as I can figure out how to put them on here.
Materials list;
1. one old but working bicycle, preferably at least 10 speeds, with derallieurs intact and functional. It's a one way trip, after you cut it up, it'll never ride again
2. windshield wiper motor. I found one from an old Civic that had threads I could lock another bolt onto with some nuts, all found at the big orange place.
3. 5' -6' long bar, broom or rod
4. assorted hose clamps, fasters, bits of wood for blocks, etc
5. 12 volt 2 amp power supply, to run the motor
So, first remove the brakes and the front wheel, the seat and the pedals. Next, cut the top tube off at the seat tube. Then, cut the downtube off halfway between crank and headset. Cut the other half off, then weld it to the bottom of the crank arm, so you can hang the frame sideways (gears down) and have mounting points spaced around the crank. Attach the broomstick to the bottom crank, and mount the motor to the bike frame so that its shaft drives the rear tire backwards. This will tu the chain around and pull the crank and rotate your crossbar. hang your light on a swivel at one end of the bar, and some counterweight at the other end.
Set the gearing so that the bar turns one complete circle every couple or three minutes. Hang the cord to your hood from the ceiling, with enough drop that it will reach across to the light on the far side, but not droop too far when its on the near side. This will take some fiddling. If you want more light, hang a smaller crossbar on the swivel and hang a light at each end of it. Since the light(s) are on a swivel, your cord won't twist.
I used this setup 20 years ago, and it was a revelation because at the time no one ever heard of vented hoods. This way, the light could be really close to the plants without burning them, and I had great distribution. Today, I find that no one wants to use rotators, on the mistaken belief that they hurt yield. That's crap, this is the best way I know of to make a 1000w HPS cover 30 plus square feet of growing space!
I'm sure this isn't enough to fully explain the idea, so reply with your questions and I'll answer them all.
Materials list;
1. one old but working bicycle, preferably at least 10 speeds, with derallieurs intact and functional. It's a one way trip, after you cut it up, it'll never ride again
2. windshield wiper motor. I found one from an old Civic that had threads I could lock another bolt onto with some nuts, all found at the big orange place.
3. 5' -6' long bar, broom or rod
4. assorted hose clamps, fasters, bits of wood for blocks, etc
5. 12 volt 2 amp power supply, to run the motor
So, first remove the brakes and the front wheel, the seat and the pedals. Next, cut the top tube off at the seat tube. Then, cut the downtube off halfway between crank and headset. Cut the other half off, then weld it to the bottom of the crank arm, so you can hang the frame sideways (gears down) and have mounting points spaced around the crank. Attach the broomstick to the bottom crank, and mount the motor to the bike frame so that its shaft drives the rear tire backwards. This will tu the chain around and pull the crank and rotate your crossbar. hang your light on a swivel at one end of the bar, and some counterweight at the other end.
Set the gearing so that the bar turns one complete circle every couple or three minutes. Hang the cord to your hood from the ceiling, with enough drop that it will reach across to the light on the far side, but not droop too far when its on the near side. This will take some fiddling. If you want more light, hang a smaller crossbar on the swivel and hang a light at each end of it. Since the light(s) are on a swivel, your cord won't twist.
I used this setup 20 years ago, and it was a revelation because at the time no one ever heard of vented hoods. This way, the light could be really close to the plants without burning them, and I had great distribution. Today, I find that no one wants to use rotators, on the mistaken belief that they hurt yield. That's crap, this is the best way I know of to make a 1000w HPS cover 30 plus square feet of growing space!
I'm sure this isn't enough to fully explain the idea, so reply with your questions and I'll answer them all.