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How Do I Determine the End-Delay Setting?
There are many variables to consider for finding the optimum delay at the ends of the rail. Because these variables vary from garden to garden it's hard for us to make recommendations. Obviously a longer delay would dictate more light on the ends and less in the middle. A shorter delay would be visa versa. One of the most critical variables in determining the optimum length of delay is the plant to lamp tolerance. In effect if the plant to lamp tolerance is 4 to 8 inches a delay for any length of time would be detrimental to the plants because of the intense heat associated with grow lamps (i.e. moving the grow light is not only about light distribution). It's about controlling the heat the plants are subject to. Therefore the time delay adjustment on the ends of the rail is a good way to control the heat. The only way to control the heat in the middle of the rail is by adjusting the lamp height a.k.a. the plant to lamp tolerance. So from this we learn that plant to lamp tolerance and length of delay work in conjunction and the ultimately goal would be to maintain the best constant temperature from one end of the rail to the other.
If you look at a 10 rpm motor traveling on a 9 foot rail you can see that it will spend twice as much time in the middle 3 feet of the rail as it does on the ends, simply because during one down and back cycle the light passes over the middle twice. We call this "middle of the rail double time." More accurately, during one down and back cycle a 10 rpm motor on a 9 foot rail will spend about 90 seconds in the middle 3 feet of rail and 45 seconds moving away from each end of the rail.
We feel trial and error is perhaps the best way to achieve the optimum length of delay and plant to lamp tolerance. We suggest a good starting point might be a plant to lamp tolerance of 16 to 20 inches with a 30 second delay. This would dictate that a 10 rpm motor on a 9 foot track would spend about 90 seconds in the middle of the rail and about 75 seconds at and moving away from the ends of the rail during one down and back cycle. After observing plant growth you can then make the necessary adjustments.
Notes:
10 rpm motor travels approximately 47.55 inches per minute
10 rpm on 9 foot rail "middle of the rail double time" = 90 seconds and 45 seconds on the ends
10 rpm on 6 foot rail "middle of the rail double time" = 60 seconds and 30 seconds on the ends
6 rpm motor travels approximately 28.53 inches per minute
6 rpm on a 6 foot rail "middle of the rail double time" = 100 seconds and 50 seconds on the ends
6 rpm on a 9 foot rail "middle of the rail double time" = 150 seconds and 75 seconds on the ends
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